My ten weeks old daughter drinks anywhere from 2 to 3 oz. of breastmilk at a time. Alot of times she doesn't finish the whole serving and I would put it back in the frig for next feeding. Is that okay? My sis in law said it's okay because breastmilk is microbiotic not like formula which will spoil in an hour after feeding starts.
Thanks.
The issue with formula, and it would be the same with breast milk, is that once it is in the bottle and has been used, some of the saliva gets into the milk and can create bacteria. I would put smaller amounts in and refill if needed, and throw out anything that remains after the feeding that has been in the bottle.
Yes, you can save unfinished breastmilk for a while. It's very good at not spoiling and you wouldn't want to waste any of that liquid gold! I did both breast milk and formula. We don't follow the instructions about formula either. We just can't afford to waste pour money down the drain when our boy suddenly decides he's not as hungry right now. We just mix it with fresh for the next bottle.
I have a magnet that I got from my hospital when my son was born about breast milk, it says:
5 Hours- Room Temperature
5 Days- Refrigerator
5 Months- Freezer Section
12 Months- Deep Freezer
So yes it's okay to put it in the fridge and then use it again later. I did it all the time and my midwife said that it was okay too.
Congrats on the little love!
It's totally okay! You want to use it by the next feeding, but it is completely ok. Your sister is right.
Breast milk can be left out for about 6 hours-it's pretty handy!
Breastmilk has many, many antibacterial qualities and includes live cells that protect it from contamination. You can definitely revisit a partial bottle without any issues. Formula cannot be left out or reused because it does not contain any antibodies or antibacterial cells. Great job giving your child pumped breast milk! There is no difference at all between pumped milk and milk the baby drinks from the breast. This is a proven fact.
The only way not to waste breastmilk is, to just nurse at breast.
But if you reuse the leftover breastmilk, and give it again for the NEXT feeding, it should be fine. But I wouldn't keep it overnight.
Because as Jen C. said below, once saliva gets into the milk, bacteria can start to form.
At least that is what I was told as well.
And, whenever a baby drinks at a bottle, there is a little backwash of saliva/milk back into the bottle.
http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/breastfeed...
I used breastmilk again for a later feeding, as long as it wasn't frozen. My DD is 3 now and doesn't seem to have been affected by this.
I've been told by lactation consultants/educators and nurses that once the baby takes the bottle, saliva does go into the bottle & it should not be reused due to bacterial growth! I would see what your babys doctor recommends!
I would have thought the answer to your question was no and I never reused a bottle with my son. However, I googled it and according to this site http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/reusing-expressedmilk...., which I used a lot as a breastfeeding resource, it's fine to do it for no more than one feeding that is no more than 4 hours later. Good to know since I'm expecting number 2 in a couple of months!
My pediatrician said absolutely not, that once the bottle has been used by the baby, the milk is contaminated and has to be thrown out. I have no science to back this up, but I followed her advice. Talk to your doctor.
