Community› The Bump Message Boards› Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding
New Discussion

Refrigerated breastmilk question

aichandaichaichandaich member
in Breastfeeding
My LO is 3 weeks old and is a very good eater! Too good, in fact, that I need to botttle feed on occasion to rest. So I typically refrigerate and heat using warm water. LO is cluster feeding too so sometimes she sucks down 5 oz, and at other times it's 2 oz and we have milk left in the bottle. I know breastmilk is good for 4-6 days in the fridge but after it's been warmed can I use it again if she doesn't finish it? if so, how long is it good for? Do I put it back in the fridge? Or do I leave it at room temp? I have looked at kellymom but couldn't find the answer (it's entirely possible that it is there and i just missed it) thx for any help!!
Anniversary< br > Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker< br > Pregnancy Ticker
Report Reply to Post

Re: Refrigerated breastmilk question

  • AimeeL85AimeeL85 member
    If she doesn't finish a bottle, most resources say it is OK to put it back in the fridge and then reheat it and use it at the very next feeding.  Just be sure it goes right back in the fridge when she's done with it, don't leave it sitting at room temp unless she's going to drink it within about an hour. Never reheat milk more than once. HTH!
    DS (7 years old) from FET in 2010
    DD (5 years old) from IUI in 2012
    TTC 3rd and final!: IUI #1 in progress!
    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • babubhattbabubhatt
    will she just drink it cold?  we don't heat breastmilk.  which is convenient when i have to feed him when we are not home (i have a coldpack in my diaper bag where i can pack bottles away when i am out).  i keep all of my BM in the fride b/c i exclusively pump.  this way, i can just make up bottles as needed. 
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    Report Reply
  • Ferris1013Ferris1013 member
    I believe you can leave it at room temp for like 4 hours. I have read you can reuse it and others say you can't. I am producing enough milk to where I have been throwing the unused after 2 hours away!
    Lilypie - Personal pictureLilypie First Birthday tickers
    Report Reply
  • SnoopyLuvSnoopyLuv member

    I would not put it back in the fridge but just leave it out at room temp for the next feeding.

    Just a tip- try to get LO accustomed to room temp or cold bottles. It makes life so much easier. Trust me.

    Lilypie First Birthday tickersLilypie Third Birthday tickers
      Francesca Pearl is here!             Josephine Hope is almost 3!
    Report Reply
  • vabluebellvabluebell

    I have a 4 month old baby girl and have exclusively breastfed from day 1. We have a nurse that comes to the house once a month or more if I like and she also came to our house several times when I came home from the hospital to help with breastfeeding. I have asked her every question out there and I have also read tons of sites and have a few books at home too. So here are the rules on breastmilk :)

    • fresh milk can be stored in a sealed container or milk bag in the fridge for 8 days.
    • frozen milk can last 3-4 months in a regular freezer or 6 to 12 months in a deep freezer
    • fresh milk can sit at room temp. (66F-72F) for 6 to 10 hours or (72F-79F) for 4 hours
    • THAWED milk (not heated but just left to thaw) can be at room temp for 1 hour only.
    • THAWED milk can stay in the fridge for 24 hours
    • do not refreeze thawed milk.

    As for your actual question...if you heat milk up you can NOT leave it out more than an hour and you can't put it back in the fridge. So sadly the clock is ticking once you heat it...you only have that hour time frame to use it or toss it. And never add cold milk to hot milk or vise versa. But there is hope! :) Since Lo is eating so crazy right now (and that's because you are experiencing a growth spurt phase, during this time the baby can eat every hour even!) it's easiest to use the bottles that come with your breast pump or even regular bottle with caps to keep your milk fresh in the fridge...to avoid wasting a lot of milk start out with small amounts. I had to do this with Ember (my baby girl) when she wasn't eating steady amounts yet. Simply give Lo 2 oz. to start...once she finishes that if she is still crying and rooting then add 1 oz. I know it can seem tedious but it works since you don't know how much to give per feeding. This should only last a few days so it's not that bad. Oh and when I pump I always set all my different bottles in the fridge to cool and then add the cold milk to the previously pumped milk to get however many ounzes I want and then I freeze it! Try to freeze and save as much as you can because it comes in handy and you can even add it to baby food once you start feeding! Good luck and I hope this information helped you. I'm a little over the top but I'm a stay at home mom and this is my first baby so I read a lot and ask a ton of questions. haha!

    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"