Storing breast milk questions!

[emsyj]

Can anyone tell me some basics about storing expressed milk??? In particular:

How long can it be stored in the fridge for?

Is it possible to store it for a while at room temperature (I think I heard somewhere that it is...) and if so for how long?

How long is ok in the freezer?? (There seems to be conflicting info about this...)

I am exclusively bf DD who is 7 weeks old and I plan to express in the morning after her first feed of the day. I usually have very full boobs in the morning and she will drain one but not show any interest in the second, so I will be expressing the milk from boob number 2. This won't affect my supply will it??? I am only expressing so that I can store up a supply to give myself a bit of flexibility e.g. to have a night where DH will get up for the night feeds (or one of them) or an evening out or whatever. I won't bother doing it if it will jeopardise (sp?) our feeding situation as we are currently well established and in the swing of it.

There's a section on the kellymom website but summary is:

Room temp: up to 8 hours (after expressing), up to 4 (from storage). If from frozen, what's left from one meal can be put back in the fridge, used at the next feed then thrown away. If hot, then 4 hours.

Fridge: up to 8 days (0-4degs). Store in coldest part of fridge (normally back at the bottom, NOT in the door). Most people tend to go for 4-5 days though.

Freezer: really depends on the freezer (whether compartment or deep freeze etc.) but from 2 weeks to 12 months. Normal separate freezer about 3-6months

Defrost - in fridge: 12 hours to defrost and then 24 hours
Defrist - warm water: 4 hours

Like cows milk, if its off, then it smells rank (made the mistake of leaving a bottle in the changing bag overnight).

From how you describe, you won't have a problem with supply. If the 6 week feeding frenzy is over and she's reduced the time she takes to feed, the oversupply issue should have subsided. Even not, one express a day is pretty harmless imo.

You might want to make sure she'll take a bottle before you stock up your supply.

Brilliant, thanks. I'm going to print all this off now!

She won't take a bottle from me, but will take one enthusiastically from DH!!!