Freeze Dried Breast Milk — Everything You Need to Know!

This post may contain affiliate links that I may receive a commission from if you click & buy. In addition, the information on this site is NOT intended to be medical advice. See my full policy for more information.

Let’s be honest, my breastfeeding days are long behind me unless we unexpectedly have another baby – but I digress. After ending my breastfeeding journey, I found myself with quite a bit of leftover milk. Instead of donating it right away, one intriguing option that caught my eye was making freeze-dried breast milk.

I know you’re thinking, what in the world is freeze-dried breast milk and how does it even work? Don’t worry, we’ll cover all the details below. Just know that if you’re a new mama with leftover milk you don’t want to go to waste, freeze-drying can be a pretty neat option to consider! 

This process involves sealing the milk in ziplock-type bags, noting the expression date in the notes section, and sending it off with ice packs for priority overnight shipping. Then, the magic begins! 

The weight of the milk is measured, and it goes through quality control checkpoints before being transformed into freeze-dried milk within 2-3 business days. This method preserves the caloric content and nutritional value of your original milk for everyday use, making it one of the most rewarding experiences for any breastfeeding mother.

This post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a commission if you click or make a purchase. In addition, the information on this site is NOT intended to be medical advice. Please seek professional medical care if needed. See my full policy for more information.

What exactly is freeze dried breast milk?

The question you’ve all been waiting for: what exactly is freeze-dried breast milk? Simply put, it’s your own milk in powder form, a process known as lyophilization. This final product allows you to mix it into various foods for your little one or reconstitute it back into liquid form for bottle feeding.

Freeze-drying breast milk, which dates back to the 1950s, has always been about easier storage and preservation of nutrients. Given that breast milk is considered the gold standard of nutrition, having it conveniently available as a powder is a great advantage. In fact, freeze-dried breast milk retains more of its nutrients than milk stored in the freezer. The freeze-drying process removes harmful bacteria and ensures complete retention of macronutrients, providing the highest quality product for your infant.

This improved preservation method of storage involves very gentle processes and medical-grade coolers with dry ice for safe shipping. Each pouch of breast milk powder is labeled with a unique tracking code and can be shipped to different addresses (for example, some moms want their daycare to keep some on hand). 

Plus, this method provides a longer shelf life compared to the months max freezer time, offering a concierge service that fits various travel timelines and lifestyle needs.

How does freeze-drying breast milk work?

This is one of the most common questions moms have about this lesser-known option. And depending on the company you use, because they all have slightly different processes, the overall gist is the same.

In a nutshell, the water is removed from your breast milk and thus turned into powder form. In the first phase of the freeze-drying process, your breast milk is cooled to a very low temperature (~40 degrees celsius). Then the milk undergoes a process known as sublimation where the water is removed from your milk.

Below, you can find the steps from two of the more well-known companies that freeze dry breast milk:

Milkify — The Freeze Drying Process (process from their website):

1. Freeze your breast milk in a chamber to -40 degrees celsius.
   
2. The chamber is then placed under a deep vacuum to remove the air.
   
3. A small amount of heat is then added to the low pressure, so the ice turns directly into water vapor and is removed from the frozen milk, thus leaving it as a powder. This process takes around 2 days to complete.
   
4. The powder is then sealed in high-barrier mylar bags that protect it from moisture, oxygen, UV, and contamination. It is shelf life-stable for 3 years.

Booby Food — Freeze Dry Process (process from their website):

1. First, the Deep Freeze. Where your frozen breastmilk is placed inside a chamber where temperatures drop to below -40ºF.
   
2. Then the Pressure Drop. When air inside the chamber is removed using a pump, dropping the pressure and creating a vacuum (the low pressure turns the solid to gas)
   
3. Time to dry. Cycles of warmer and cooler air cause ice crystals inside the frozen breastmilk to vaporize (without thawing the breastmilk) leaving behind your nutrient-dense, superfood breastmilk powder, a.k.a. Booby Food! 
   
4. Package. Your freeze-dried breastmilk powder is then packaged into convenient, resealable bags and ready to use, whenever, wherever! Our (Booby Food’s) specially designed Booby Food bags protect against air, light, oxygen, and moisture. We place a moisture absorber in every package to further protect your Booby Food when traveling to more humid areas.
   
5. Triple Clean, Disinfect & Sanitize. Booby Food follows stringent health and safety guidelines set forth by Alberta Health Services and goes above and beyond to prevent cross-contamination. This triple-cleaning procedure is performed after every single batch, even if the same client has multiple batches to freeze dry.

As you can see, both of these companies follow a nearly identical freeze-drying milk process, with some small differences.

So if you have questions about the process, it’s best to reach out to the companies that make freeze-dried breast milk powder directly.

What are the benefits of using freeze-dried milk?

This is my favorite question because there are actually some pretty cool benefits. Some of the more common reasons moms will have their breast milk turned into a freeze-dried powder are to:

• Take it with them on the go as traveling with small bags of powder are significantly more convenient than traveling with frozen breastmilk (especially on long distances).
• Another reason is that you can clear up your freezer space! If you’re an exclusive pumping mom and your kitchen freezer is packed full of breast milk, free up some space by getting it turned into powder!

Now, these aren’t the only benefits of using freeze-dried breast milk, here are some others:

• Can help moms with high lipase milk — breast milk contains the enzyme lipase, however, some moms have more than others which can make their breastmilk taste or smell different (many women report a fishy or soapy smell). Freeze drying milk helps by removing the water from the milk, thus reducing the activity of the enzyme (and thus lipase activity).
  
• It’s an awesome way to add more nutrients to your baby’s solid foods.
  
• Freeze drying your breast milk can help you keep a backup stash of milk without taking up space or potentially going to waste.
  
• Freeze-drying breast milk helps preserve the nutritional, immunological, and probiotic components of your milk.
  
• Also, a great option for surrogates to consider.

How can parents use their freeze dried breast milk?

Parents can use freeze dried breast milk in a variety of ways! It can be used as a supplement to formula, reconstituted as breast milk again, or even mixed into your little one’s day-to-day meals.

For instance, if your little one goes to daycare, simply send them with the pack of milk you want them to use and just like that, baby has their meal ready to go.

It can also be used to make foods like oatmeal, yogurt, and smoothies.

Freeze dried breast milk is a great way to ensure that your child is getting all the essential nutrients they need in a convenient way.

Where to find companies that freeze dry breast milk?

So you’re thinking you probably want to give freeze drying breast milk a chance, but where can you get this done?

While doing research, I was able to find some well-known companies that offer a freeze-drying service for breastmilk:

• Milkify
• Leche
• Booby Food
• Boobie Juice

Between these 4, you’ll be able to decide which is best for you. If you happen to be local to any of them, it could also help save on cost as many offer milk drop-off locations so that you don’t have to worry about shipping your breast milk to them.

Can you freeze dry breast milk at home?

The answer to this one is, no, you shouldn’t

As you’ve read above, the process is quite intricate. From utilizing specialized chamber machinery and expensive equipment to needing to have precise low & high temperatures, one small DIY mishap could result in your breast milk getting contaminated or not being shelf-stable.

That said, ensuring the integrity of your milk for your child’s safety should always be the top priority. Because of that, it’s not recommended to freeze dry breast milk at home.

Freeze-Dry Breast Milk FAQ

How much does it cost on average?

The price will be dependent on who you use and the process they utilize. On average, when I was looking into it, I noticed some charged as little as $2 and others up to $4 per ounces of milk.

Some of these places also charged a lesser fee if you’re local and are able to drop off your milk (rather than mailing it in).

All things considered, it will be an investment to have your milk freeze dried, but know it will be well worth it if you can’t find any reasons not to do so!

How can you ensure your milk doesn’t get mixed with others?

To ensure your own breast milk doesn’t get mixed with others, you’ll want to make sure you choose a company that processes only one batch of milk at a time (which most of these companies do an excellent job of). This ensures that all the contents of your milk stay together, go through the freeze-drying technology, and then are returned to you as a shelf-stable powder.

Additionally, your milk will likely have ID numbers assigned to it, providing an extra layer of security and peace of mind. If you have concerns or aren’t feeling confident about the process, reach out to the company to discuss their processing procedures. They can answer all your questions, especially if your baby has milk sensitivities. The last thing anyone needs is contamination.

Also, consider factors such as turnaround time, hidden fees, and nutritional testing. Some services, like Milkify saver service, offer contact-free processes and use Mylar bags to store large volumes of milk. You can also look for options that provide email updates throughout the process.

For moms dealing with high lipase milk, these services can help preserve the taste and nutritional boost of your milk. Using freeze-drying services means you won’t have to worry about power outages or freezer storage. Instead, you’ll have your own breast milk in a large bag of powder, which you can rehydrate as needed.

How do you reconstitute your milk?

If you’re wanting to reconstitute your milk, you’ll want to follow the instructions on the milk bag to ensure the water content is precise.

Following the instructions on the back of your milk bags is important because the amount of water you’ll use to reconstitute will be highly dependent on the amount of water that was removed from your milk and how much milk you’re trying to rehydrate.

Lastly, it’s always recommended to use purified water or reverse osmosis water when rehydrating your milk (and even for reconstituting baby formula, too).

Look, I know the idea of sending your hard-pumped breast milk might feel a bit nerve-wracking. But, if you have milk expiring soon or need a better way to use or travel with your milk, I definitely suggest looking into freeze-drying your breast milk.

If you do, let me know how the process goes by leaving a comment!

Read more breastfeeding articles here: