s/o warming the bottle in the microwave..

m0132 · December 2010

That post got me thinking.. I BFed DD and I remember being told in my BFing classes that if I offered her a bottle of BM and she drank from it but didn't finish it that it would only be good to sit for about an hour and then I would have to toss it..I remember being told that the saliva would cause bacteria in the bottle if it sat too long. I didn't pump and bottle feed much and when someone did for me I always portioned out small bags of BM so it wasn't wasted but is this rule (or something similar to it) true for formula as well? I have noticed that my SIL will leave a bottle of half finished formula out on the counter for several hours and then offer it to her son again..He is more of a snacker so I don't know why she doesn't just give him smaller bottles each time rather than letting it sit out that long..

madhatter2003 · December 2010

It's the reverse....BM can be left several hours at room temp even if the bottle has been 'touched'. Formula has to be tossed.

3PupsAndABaby · December 2010

yep! the saliva on formula is full of bacteria too so you're not supposed to reuse it. i just read somewhere they're saying not to make batches of formula either because after 10 minutes the nutrients in the formula starts to diminish.

rena5498 · December 2010

I breast fed and bottle fed formula and yes I did the same thing with breast milk because I was told the same thing. For formula its the same thing after a certain amount of time from the baby drinking it the milk should be discarded as the saliva makes it spoil/bacteria and etc. I believe it states after 2 hrs unrefrigerated it should be thrown out and this is without baby drinking it AFTER baby drinks it I believe its 1 hr then toss. and yes she should just be giving him smaller amounts to drink so it wont waste let alone more importantly make him sick.

EDIT:also for breastmilk it can last several hrs without being refrigerated but from what I always read there were never any specifications on how long it lasts once the baby starts drinking it on when it should be tossed. Usually says use that one bottle within that one feeding as soon as possible once baby starts drinking it because of course bacteria starts to grow and the enzymes and etc in the BM start to breakdown but for the most part BM does last longer.

BananaPancake · December 2010

Breast milk can sit out for quite awhile - there is a fabulous chart somewhere that gives you the "rules" for how many times you can reheat, feeding cold, leaving it out, etc. Maybe kellymom?

m0132 · December 2010

Thanks! I was just curious and I think I remember hearing the same thing about the nutrients if it sits too long or in big batches now that you mention it..My sister teaches BFing classes and I think she told me that when I was mentioning what SIL does with the bottles. I don't say anything to her but it didn't seem right to me that the bottle sat out that long, especially after he drank from them. Hopefully I will have an easier time pumping with this one but I will still stick to freezing small amounts..if DD wouldn't finish something I had pumped (she didn't care for bottles) I would get so upset having to toss it because it took me so long to get even 2oz and that stuff is like liquid gold lol.

Ivana_Stolichnaya · December 2010

Uh oh! She should not be leaving a bottle of formula out for hours.

- Freshly made formula can be left in room temperature for an hour. After that, it is best to discard it and make a new batch.

- Formula left over in the bottle after Baby is full should be thrown away. The bacteria in Baby?s mouth will have gotten into the remaining formula. Believe me, it is far better to discard a few ounces of formula instead of having your baby vomiting or suffering from diarrhea.

https://www.breastfeeding-mom.com/baby-formula-safety-tips.html#fresh

m0132 · December 2010

BananaPancake:
Breast milk can sit out for quite awhile - there is a fabulous chart somewhere that gives you the "rules" for how many times you can reheat, feeding cold, leaving it out, etc. Maybe kellymom?

I was told it can sit out for several hours at room temp but I mean after the baby has already drank from the bottle with BM in it. I used to pump and sit it out in case she was hungry and I even stored it in the fridge for several days and added more milk to each little batch before I put it in the freezer but I always tossed it if she didn't finished what she started drinking within an hour. Kellymom does have a lot of good info though, it was overwhelming in the beginning to remember all the "rules".

BananaPancake · December 2010

Yeah, I'm not sure about AFTER they've had the bottle...it's hard when you're out and about and can't just pop it back into the fridge! I always made teeny tiny bottles just because I was so afraid of wasting any BM! I can't pump more than 4 ounces on a very good day, so any frozen milk I ever had was like gold!

Tomkat8403 · December 2010

BM can sit out for 3-4 hours I believe.

I never followed these rules very strictly except the 3-4 hour room temp rule. If she barely touched a bottle of formula I would put it in the fridge and re-use it later. She never got sick from it.