Fortified BM - can you save in fridge/reuse for next feeding?

GatorNurse

DD is getting EBM with Enfacare 22 cal fortifier. If she does not finish a bottle, can we save in the fridge & reuse for next feeding?

What if its EBM mixed with Enfacare formula (for example, 1 oz BM + 1 oz formula)?

TIA!

DrRx

When my daughter was getting EBM with the fortifier, they would store it in the fridge and use it for the next feeding, but they only kept EBM for 1 day in the NICU. However, it can not be frozen once the fortifier has been added per the NICU nurse.

Denesdia

I remember being told not to reheat bottles of BM (fortified or not) that had been heated before or if baby had only drank part of the bottle (due to contamination from the baby's mouth or backwash).  After we were out of the NICU, I relied on kellymom.com for all of my EP-ing and BM storage questions.

katie4253

This is what I found in my research:

• Fortified milk is good for 24hrs
• Breast milk is good for up to 8 days.
• Breast milk (unfortified) can be refed for up to 4 hours
• Breast milk (fortified) cannot be refed (just like formula cannot be refed)

I'd pour in an ounce at a time and feed it so I didn't waste any. 

Megaloo05

Hi there. I hope you dont mind me responding. I am NICU nurse. Our guidelines are if the infant has drank out of the bottle then the EBM/Formula is only good for 1 hour. Do not reheat a already drank from bottle. If you pore from one container to the bottle then the original container is good for 4 hours at room temperature (NICU guidelines) or 6-8 hours at room temp at your home. Once a bottle is heated do not put it back in the fridge to reheat later. My recommendation would be to poor X amount in a bottle that you know she will finish, if she finishes it and seems hungry still, heat up a little more. That way you don't waste hard pumped EBM.

One more thing, If you fortify EBM the fortified EBM is good for 24hours in the fridge. Do not freeze fortified EBM. Its only good if the infant has not drank from the container that has the fortified EBM in it. Once again, If the infant puts her/his lips on the bottle its only good for 1 hour.  

Hope that all makes sense. Feel free to PM if you would like.

Once again hope you don't mind me responding. 

bhilyer

CurlingRocks:

I saved it all the time...no sense wasting that hard-earned BM!  We only let it be out of the fridge for 1 hour total, though.  

What she said. 

katie4253

Megaloo05:

Hi there. I hope you dont mind me responding. I am NICU nurse. Our guidelines are if the infant has drank out of the bottle then the EBM/Formula is only good for 1 hour. Do not reheat a already drank from bottle. If you pore from one container to the bottle then the original container is good for 4 hours at room temperature (NICU guidelines) or 6-8 hours at room temp at your home. Once a bottle is heated do not put it back in the fridge to reheat later. My recommendation would be to poor X amount in a bottle that you know she will finish, if she finishes it and seems hungry still, heat up a little more. That way you don't waste hard pumped EBM.

One more thing, If you fortify EBM the fortified EBM is good for 24hours in the fridge. Do not freeze fortified EBM. Its only good if the infant has not drank from the container that has the fortified EBM in it. Once again, If the infant puts her/his lips on the bottle its only good for 1 hour.  

Hope that all makes sense. Feel free to PM if you would like.

Once again hope you don't mind me responding. 

NICU rules ? to real life rules.  At least not for me.  Daycare does the same thing as the NICU rules, which is why my little friend gets formula at dc and bm at home.  If it is straight bm and he doesn't  drink it all, we refeed that sucker.  9 months and no issues yet! 

I really don't think the medical community has done enough research on bm and how long it stays good once it is drunk from.  It isn't the same as formula because it is living.  

 

 

GeauxTigers82

katie4253:

Megaloo05:

Hi there. I hope you dont mind me responding. I am NICU nurse. Our guidelines are if the infant has drank out of the bottle then the EBM/Formula is only good for 1 hour. Do not reheat a already drank from bottle. If you pore from one container to the bottle then the original container is good for 4 hours at room temperature (NICU guidelines) or 6-8 hours at room temp at your home. Once a bottle is heated do not put it back in the fridge to reheat later. My recommendation would be to poor X amount in a bottle that you know she will finish, if she finishes it and seems hungry still, heat up a little more. That way you don't waste hard pumped EBM.

One more thing, If you fortify EBM the fortified EBM is good for 24hours in the fridge. Do not freeze fortified EBM. Its only good if the infant has not drank from the container that has the fortified EBM in it. Once again, If the infant puts her/his lips on the bottle its only good for 1 hour.  

Hope that all makes sense. Feel free to PM if you would like.

Once again hope you don't mind me responding. 

NICU rules ? to real life rules.  At least not for me.  Daycare does the same thing as the NICU rules, which is why my little friend gets formula at dc and bm at home.  If it is straight bm and he doesn't  drink it all, we refeed that sucker.  9 months and no issues yet! 

I really don't think the medical community has done enough research on bm and how long it stays good once it is drunk from.  It isn't the same as formula because it is living.  

 

 

I agree with the NICU guidelines. Once the baby has drank from the bottle (regardless of what's in it), I do not reuse it later, unless it's within that same hour. It's not worth the risk of contamination. I'm a Nurse Practitioner though, so maybe there's something about us medical people!

I'm not sure what the "living" part of breast milk has to do with whether or not it can get contaminated.