I returned to work yesterday and my mom is watching my 8 week old for me. She was fearful of warming up the milk, baby not eating all of it and then putting in the fridge to be re-heated when she was hungry again. Is it ok to re-heat and re-use breast milk? Thank you!
I dont know the answer...But my mother also watches LO and sometimes does not finish the whole bottle. I usually throw it out because it was already re heated (from frozen) and although, I hate wasting breast milk, I would rather avoid potential problems and pump an extra 2 ounces then get LO sick.
Just once. Regardless if baby likes milk cold, warm or hot, you cannot offer it more than twice so beyond that does not matter anyway.
If you're concerned about waste, just put less in the bottles. My DD never took more than 4 oz at a time and it was easy to do 3 ox then give her another oz if she was still hungry.
It's ok to do it just once but I believe only if the milk was never frozen. It's my understanding that once frozen milk has been defrosted in the fridge, then warmed, that it cannot be refrigerated again...not sure why though!
Re: Can breast milk be heated and re-heated?
Just once. Regardless if baby likes milk cold, warm or hot, you cannot offer it more than twice so beyond that does not matter anyway.
If you're concerned about waste, just put less in the bottles. My DD never took more than 4 oz at a time and it was easy to do 3 ox then give her another oz if she was still hungry.
It's ok to do it just once but I believe only if the milk was never frozen. It's my understanding that once frozen milk has been defrosted in the fridge, then warmed, that it cannot be refrigerated again...not sure why though!
This may help https://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/milkstorage/reusing-expressedmilk/
I also agree with PP that smaller bottles and/or giving cold milkmay be the way to avoid this altogether
Also OP didn't mention it but be careful heating breastmilk - no microwave.