Moving Pumped Milk from Fridge to Freezer Is a No-No!
I just had a great question from a reader about moving refrigerated milk to the freezer after 6 days and thought it was a perfect opportunity to clarify something...
When using the rule of 6 with refrigerated milk, it is not recommended that you move milk to the freezer if it has been in the fridge for 6 days. At that point the milk really should be used. If in doubt as to when you're going to use the expressed milk, err on the side of caution and put it in the freezer. You can always "downgrade" (freezer to fridge), but you should not "upgrade" (fridge to freezer). Treat it as you do uncooked chicken. If it's been in the refrigerator until its expiration date, you can't then put it in the freezer...It has to be cooked. Same goes for breast milk...use it or lose it!
Comments
Definitely true… it can sour just like any fresh food.
Another tip that I learned the hard way – don’t put it in the freezer directly from the breast – instead, leave it on the counter for a few minutes, then fridge just long enough to cool, then freezer. It needs to change temperature gradually or it will sour.
I usually leave my expressed milk in the refrigerator for between 2 – 48 hours before freezing as I want to be certain that there is milk immediately available when I’m out and my baby is hungry. I have more than 200 packets of milk frozen this way. Is it alright? Are they safe to be consumed?