Feeding

Pumping & storing breast milk, minus the confusion

4 min read · MyBloomingBelly editorial

Whether you are returning to work, sharing night feeds, or just want the freedom of a bottle in the fridge, pumping is a skill — and like all skills, it starts awkward and becomes routine.

Storage, simplified to one mnemonic — 4-4-6: room temperature up to 4 hours, refrigerator up to 4 days, freezer about 6 months for best quality. Store in clean bottles or milk bags, in small portions (60–120 ml) so nothing is wasted, always labelled with the date. Fresh beats refrigerated beats frozen — use the oldest first.