If I have 4oz of breast milk in a bottle in the fridge and take it out to feed my son who only eats 2 oz, am I able to place it back in the fridge for his next feeding? I usually only give him one feeding from the bottle a day so I wouldn't use the other 2oz till the next day. Seems like such a waste but not sure if there is bacteria?
get the breast milk storage baggies - saliva makes bm & formula go bad faster. you can dole out the amount you need and save the rest for up to 3 days - I think...
If you are really concerned but don't want to waste... offer him smaller amounts. If he usually takes 2 oz. only put 2 oz. in the bottle. If he is still hungry...get another 2 oz bottle. As we consistantly drinks more from the bottle put more in. That is my suggestion... that way you know there is no bacteria and no waste!
Hope this helps :)
Sorry for the late reply, but I just got around to reading several old messages. Definitely do not feed your baby later from a bottle he has already suckled from. There will be bacteria multiplying quickly, making that milk unsafe to drink. If he usually only takes 2 oz, then put the other 2 oz into another bottle BEFORE he drinks from it. I worked as a neonatal intensive care nurse for over 12 years, and have been trained as a lactation educator/couselor, so please just trust me on this one. God bless you for doing such a wonderful thing by breastfeeding your precious baby...it's a big deal! Good job!
hi C., you should not reuse the bottle once the baby has sucked from that bottle. the sucking introduces bacteria into the bottle that will continue to grow in that bottle. you could just make bottles of two ounces so that you don't have to waste that "liquid gold" that you worked so hard for! that way if he wants more you could just make another bottle or put him to the breast. you could look up breastmilk guidelines at medela.com or la leche league and that will give you all kinds of valuable information about storing breastmilk. good luck to you! V.
I read on the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatric website, that once milk has touched a baby's mouth the back wash does in fact go back into the bottle, thus causes bacteria to grow. That bacterie can be harmful to your baby and could also deplete the nutrients in the milk itself. You should only warm part at a time so you don't waste what you work so hard to produce. If you warm the entire bottle, just pour part in to a bottle to feed your baby. The rest can be kept at room temperature for 3 hours, basically your next feed without the harmful effects.
Good luck!
Jen :)
go prepared with 2 - 2 oz bottles. if he finishes the first and wants more, then give the second. if he's already done, put the 2nd in the fridge. if i remember correctly, breast milk is good in the fridge for a few days but i would check, i can't remember. good luck!
Freshly pumped brestmilk is usually go in the fridge for 4 days. If this is thawed (previously frozen breastmilk) it is good for about 24 hrs. You will hear alot of answers on time but they should all be in this range. Unused Breastmilk does not have to be thrown out like formula. It has some natural anti-bacterial properties. You should put it in the fridge and change the nipple for the next feeding. Be sure to change the nipple. The "toss the unused portion" applies to formula because all the suger does run the risk of bacterial growth.
Reading other responses...You can can go with the 48 hrs for the fresh in fridge also... :)
Hello C., As the mother of 5, as well as having been a wet nurse I can tell you that if the milk doesn't set out long then it should be fine.
I used to take it and freeze it if I wasn't going to use it right away, as well.
I have a Grandchild that drinks her mother's milk from a bottle when moms at school and if she doesn't finish I just put it back in the frig. so relax and enjoy parenthood and every minuet of your little ones life. Nana G
Hi. If you keep your freshly pumped milk in the fridge it is good for 48 hrs. If it was frozen, once thawed it is only good for 24 hrs. Once you used a bottle of milk to feed, any remaining milk should be discarded. You should probably transfer half or 2 oz of milk to a separate bottle before feeding it to your child then just warm some more later if she wants more that way you won't be wasting the milk.Also, when you thaw your milk do not leave it out for more than an hour to avoid bacteria growth.Thaw the milk in the refrigerator from the freezer. Hope this helps.
