Breastmilk truly is liquid gold for our precious babies! It's nature's perfect baby food, packed with all those essential nutrients and antibodies in every single drop. As amazing as it is, though, storing and keeping it fresh can be a real challenge for pumping moms.
I mean, we've all been there those inevitable spills and leaks. The frantic routine of warming up bottles. Desperately trying to use up every last drop before it hits that expiration date. It's enough to drive anyone up the wall! But–have you heard about this latest trend that's allowing mamas to preserve their breastmilk for way longer without any refrigeration needed? I’m talking about freeze-drying breastmilk!
By gently removing the water content from your breast milk, freeze-drying turns your breastmilk into an easy, powdered form that can be stored pretty much indefinitely. No more stressing about breastmilk oversupply, storage times, or milk going bad just mix that powdered form with some water whenever your little one needs it, and boom! Instant liquid gold, ready to nourish your baby!
So let's dive into the details: can you really freeze-dry breast milk? How does it work? What benefits do you stand to enjoy? Let this mom break it all down for you!
Can You Freeze-Dry Breast Milk?
Yes, you absolutely can freeze-dry breast milk. This process can be a lifesaver for some of us moms trying to make our precious breastmilk last as long as humanly possible!
Here's how it goes down: first off, breastmilk freeze-drying companies take your freshly pumped breast milk and place it into an industrial deep freezer at very low temperatures. Once it's frozen solid, they use sublimation to suck every drop of moisture out, leaving you with breast milk powder.
The brilliant part is that freeze-drying is a really gentle process, so it doesn't kill off any of that good-for-baby stuff. Think antibodies, enzymes, and nutrients that can get depleted over time when you just stick bottles in the regular freezer or pasteurize them.
Even better, taking out that moisture makes it nearly impossible for any funky bacteria to grow and ruin your stash. You can keep freeze-dried breast milk on the shelf for months, maybe even years, and it'll still be as good as new when you need it!
Is Freeze-Dried Breast Milk Safe?
Freeze-drying breastmilk is considered a super-safe and brilliant way to preserve breastmilk when it's done properly. The key is that this freeze-drying process happens in a very controlled, carefully monitored environment with strict rules around temperature and pressure.
It's not just some casual home experiment. Rather, it requires a seriously sterile, food-grade process that reputable companies have down to an absolute science. That controlled environment is what prevents any bacteria from growing or causing damage to all the amazing components in your breastmilk. When it's done right by the pros, there's very minimal to zero risk of contamination or degradation.
However, it’s important to note that proper handling when reconstituting the dry milk is crucial to keep everything fresh and clean. It's definetly not something to get lax about!
As you’re learning more and more about breastfeeding and nursing options, be sure to check out The Ultimate Pumping Course–where we talk ALL things pumping and set you up for ULTIMATE pumping success!
Benefits of Freeze-Drying Breast Milk
Freeze-drying breast milk has gained popularity among mothers due to its numerous benefits. Below are reasons why some experts now recommend freeze-dried breast milk to pumping and nursing moms:
Long Shelf Life
Let's start with the incredibly long shelf life you get from freeze-dried breastmilk. By removing every last drop of moisture, it essentially hits the pause button on spoilage or degradation. Your liquid gold breastmilk is transformed into a lightweight, shelf-stable powder that can be stored at room temperature for ages without losing any of its precious goodness.
Nutrients and Antibodies Preserved
Another satisfying benefit of freeze-drying your milk is how it preserves and protects all those amazing nutrients, antibodies, and bioactive components that make breastmilk an important baby food. I'm talking about fat-soluble vitamins, immune-boosting proteins, delicate lactoferrins you name it. Freeze drying keeps them intact and highly bioavailable.
Convenient Storage and Portability
The convenience and portability factor of freeze-dried breast milk are just incredible! As a pumping mama always on the go, the fact that it's lightweight and compact is an absolute game-changer. Instead of lugging around bulky bottles or fretting about keeping milk refrigerated, you can easily tuck away your powdered gold wherever you need it—in your purse, diaper bag, or even a little ziplock bag.
Reduced Risk of Contamination
Since all the water content gets zapped away in the freeze-drying process, there's basically zero risk of any bacterial nastiness taking hold and spoiling your milk stash. As a mom, having that extra peace of mind is just priceless.
Easy Reconstitution
Let’s not forget how ridiculously easy it is to reconstitute back into drinkable form! Just mix the powder with some sterilized water, give it a little shake, and voila you've got nutritious, ready-to-serve liquid gold again in practically no time. The texture and taste are shockingly close to fresh breast milk too.
How Long Does Freeze-Dried Breast Milk Last?
This is where freeze-dried breast milk really shines–it can last an incredibly long time if stored properly! I'm not talking about days or months, like with fresh or frozen breastmilk. Nope, when stored properly, your freeze-dried liquid gold can literally last for years.
Seriously, while regular refrigerated milk only keeps for about 4 days and even deep freezer stashes max out around a year, high-quality freeze-dried breastmilk can go the distance up to 3 years if stored correctly.
Now, there are a few key things that can impact the precise shelf life. Exposure to moisture, oxygen, heat, or light can degrade that powder faster over time. That's why using thick, opaque, totally airtight storage pouches or containers is an absolute must. Keeping a moisture-grabbing desiccant pack in there helps a ton too.
As long as your freeze-dried stash stays sealed up tight with no air exposure, most brands will easily give you 2+ years of freshness. Lots of moms even stash their pouches in the freezer as an extra precaution to really maximize shelf life. Just ensure you check the "best by" dates and storage instructions from whichever company did the freeze-drying.
How Much Does It Cost To Freeze-Dry Breast Milk?
The exact per-ounce cost can vary a bit depending on the freeze-drying company, how much milk you're sending off, and added fees for services like special packaging or storage, etc. But, most moms report spending in the $1.50 to $4 range per ounce.
The one definite bummer is that freeze-drying breastmilk isn't covered by insurance in the U.S. right now. Hopefully, that changes soon as it becomes more mainstream! In the meantime, a lot of women view it as an investment that pays dividends in terms of convenience, flexibility, and sanity as a pumping and nursing mom.
Companies That Freeze-Dry Breast Milk
Freeze-drying breast milk has become increasingly popular, and several companies now offer this service to breastfeeding mothers. Below are some notable companies that specialize in freeze-drying breast milk:
Milkify
Milkify is a Houston-based breast milk delivery and freeze-drying service. They provide insulated cooling packages that allow you to ship your fresh milk to their facility. Once received, it goes through their pharmaceutical-grade freeze-drying process before being returned to you as a shelf-stable breast milk powder. Milkify charges $1.75 per ounce for drop-off orders.
Milk by Mom
We LOVE Milk by Mom! Based in Phoenix AZ, Milk by Mom offers both mail-in freeze-drying as well as home freeze-dryer rental options. For the mail service, you'll receive a cooler kit to ship your pumped milk, which they'll then freeze-dry using their specialized equipment. Pricing is around $1.75 per ounce for local orders. Shipping fees will apply for orders from other parts of the US.
Mothership Milk
Mothership Milk is a Michigan-based company focused on simplifying breastfeeding for modern moms. One of their key services is freeze-drying breast milk to extend its shelf life significantly. You can either ship your milk from anywhere nationwide or drop it off locally. Their nutrient-preserving freeze-drying method costs $2.18 per ounce.
Milk Stork
Based in California, Milk Stork is one of the most well-known breast milk shipping and freeze-drying services. They provide special refrigerated containers that allow you to ship your fresh milk to their facility. The dry milk is then shipped back in air-tight, shelf-stable packaging. Milk Stork charges $4.09 per ounce plus shipping fees, although you can only choose between 34 and 72 ounces.
Freeze-dried breast milk is a modern innovation that pumping moms everywhere can get excited about!
Freeze-drying breast milk opens new avenues for ensuring your baby receives the best nutrition, conveniently and efficiently. As we've explored the process, benefits, and options available, it's clear that freeze-drying offers a reliable solution for extending the shelf life of breastmilk without compromising its essential nutrients IF that’s what you want!
Of course, choosing the right freeze-drying company or home appliance is key. Do your research, compare prices, and think about your pumping needs and lifestyle. With options like Milkify, Milk Stork, Milk by Mom, and Mothership Milk, there's a solution for every mom!
At the end of the day, your mental health comes first. So, anything that helps reduce the mental load and makes pumping more manageable is a total win. That’s why you should join our Ultimate Pumping Course, small group pumping class, and quarterly live workshops for wealth of expert-led knowledge that will have you feeling empowered. You can also check out my top pumping gear recommendations and other free resources!
I'm also excited to remind you of our new Breast Pump Quiz that’s just around the corner: launching in May! This innovative quiz analyzes your lifestyle and pumping needs to custom-match you with your perfect pump! We can’t wait for you to try it!
