How long can breast milk sit out?

Safely Storing Breastmilk at Room Temperature

After pumping or expressing, breastmilk can sit out or be stored at room temperature for about 6-10 hours, although the average recommendation not to be exceeded is 8 hours. You should not let breastmilk sit out for longer than 6 hours in rooms that have a temperature higher than 79 degrees fahrenheit.

If you have thawed your breastmilk at room temperature or under running water, you should use the stored breastmilk within 4 hours.

Quick note: NEVER thaw breastmilk out in a microwave! Items heated in the microwave do not heat evenly. This could result in dangerous hot spots and may burn the baby’s mouth. Also, the microwave destroys some of the valuable nutrients in breastmilk. It takes a little more discipline and dedication, but it is always safest to thaw breastmilk out (if you are needing to do it quickly) by putting the container in a pot of boiling or hot water. Then, just to be safe, make sure to shake the breastmilk to mix it and help to evenly distribute the temperature.

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