Once your milk has been sent back to our facility, the typical turnaround time is 2-3 weeks. During this period, our dedicated team ensures that your breastmilk undergoes careful processing to meet the highest quality standards. We understand the importance of a timely and efficient process, and we strive to return your order to you as promptly as possible, all while maintaining the utmost care and quality in our procedures.

At The Milk Fairy, we prioritise keeping you informed about the status of your order every step of the way. You can expect to receive timely updates through both text messages and email notifications, ensuring that you’re always in the loop and have peace of mind regarding the location and progress of your precious breastmilk. For those who have opted for our GPS tracking option, you’ll have the added benefit of real-time visibility, allowing you to track your breastmilk’s journey and know exactly where it is at any given moment.

Freeze-drying can be beneficial in many cases where milk tastes different after freezer storage. However, it is difficult to guarantee that the process will make the milk palatable again. This depends on the extent of lipase activity that has already occurred and the individual taste preferences of infants.

During freezer storage, the lipase enzyme remains active, but it is inactivated by the freeze-drying process. For mothers concerned about high lipase, freeze-drying can halt further lipase activity, although it cannot reverse any degradation that has already taken place. It is also important to note that if your infant refuses milk that was previously frozen, it does not necessarily indicate high lipase. The freeze/thaw process itself can alter the quality and taste of the milk.

Freeze-drying may help in this regard because the process allows water to transition directly from solid (ice) to gas (water vapour), bypassing the thawing stage and potentially preventing some changes associated with thawing. Overall, if your infant refuses your frozen milk, freeze-drying may be a viable option to consider.

The Milk Fairy receives your frozen milk and does an initial quality control check. Then, each bag of milk is recorded in our system and labelled with your name and order number. Each order is processed individually, ensuring focused attention on one order at a time. Your breast milk then enters its very own private freeze-drying chamber.

We recommend storing breast milk in the freezer for no more than 12 months. While it doesn’t “expire” after 12 months, its nutrient retention gradually decreases over time. For more information, please refer to the CDC's breast milk storage guidelines.

For optimal quality, it’s best to freeze-dry your milk sooner rather than later. If you’re deciding between older and newer frozen milk to send for freeze-drying, choosing the older milk can prevent further nutrient degradation and extend its shelf life. Ultimately, the choice is personal, as these guidelines focus on maintaining the best quality and aligning with a newborn’s nutritional needs.

Unfortunately, we do not accept bottles. We only accept certified lactation bags. Acceptable brands include, but are not limited to, Medela and Lansinoh, Avent, Swisspers, Tommee Tippee, New Beginnings.

We portion your breast milk powder into convenient 20g pouches. If you prefer smaller, larger, or specific serving sizes, feel free to email us with your request at orders@themilkfairy.com.

Our process ensures your freeze-dried breast milk has a shelf life of up to 3 years from processing. Once you’ve opened a pouch, we recommend using the powder within a few days for best quality. If you are travelling to a very humid climate, let us know and we will add a moisture absorber to each pouch.