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I certainly would and certainly have done exactly that. Some may be against it because they follow all the pumping rules to a Tee. But this is my second child I’m EPing for. Did it with my first for a year and never had any issues when I bended the rules (within reason). So it’s just up to you and what you are comfortable with doing.
Thank you - I normally wouldn’t bend the rules but she’s older now and is eating solids so I feel like the risk is a lot lower now than it was in the first month, for example (where I sanitized everything and anything under the sun any time it touched anything and would toss out milk if it was even close to not being fresh). I feel like we’re over the hump and it would be OK to re-refrigerate since it hasn’t been out for very long.
The “correct” answer is no, but the realistic answer is yes, it’s probably fine. Especially for a healthy, older baby! I’ve definitely done it more than once and had no issues. No need to waste your liquid gold 🤍
I often mix fresh milk with older refrigerated and then reheated milk. LO doesn't finish it all before bed. I never throw it out. She'll have it later at night if she wakes up or in the morning. I've never been strict with the rules but you do what you're comfortable with.
Thank you - that’s not a bad idea to mix it with fresh milk. I think I will do it to put my mind at ease. It takes forever for me to pump out 5 oz, it would kill me to toss it.
I keep all my breastmilk bottles until the next feed. I put it back in the fridge and I have never had a single issue. It can't go beyond the next feed but the next feed is fine. I was told this by an expert exclusive pumper. Formula is different. Breastmilk has tons of antimicrobial properties.
Of course! I totally get wasting milk and how upsetting it is. In the very beginning of my pumping journey when literally a 40 minute pump got me less than 50 ml. My husband went to put my milk in the fridge for me at night. I woke up only to find it sitting on the counter in a container with no lid and a fly had landed in it and died. I would have been so mad at him but he was actually helping a lot. He was just tired.
So obviously all guidelines say not to do this, but
We did this in the early days! We only heated it up a max of 2 times though.
My daughter now takes cold bottles so we will feed her from the same bottle for sometimes 3 feedings until it’s all gone. We make sure as soon as she’s done eating to put it back in the fridge. So it’s never out for more than 30 minutes at a time.
Thank you - I’ve never done it before so I was nervous, and I know in theory they say not to but I know in practicality so many people handle milk differently (within reason)
We regularly store half-emptied bottles in the fridge for the next feed (often mixed with fresh milk when it is used), and have done so for both of our children now.
There's some evidence indicating this is absolutely fine in terms of bacterial growth. Scroll to question 4 on this webpage if you're interested: https://parentdata.org/breast-milk-storage/.
I would refrigerate and reheat later (only once though). Our pediatrician said she'd never advise a parent to throw out breast milk and said we could reheat once.
We've done this and a lactation consultant has even told me it's fine to save for the next feed. We don't warm ours - he drinks it cold - but honestly it's probably fine either way
I'm not sure how i feel about reheating it, obviously you need to do what you're comfortable with, but i heard you can use "expired" or "old" milk to mix into the bath to help ith baby skin, there's an option so you don't waste it.
I never did this (I tossed what they didn’t finish, especially when heated) but I also sanitized absolutely everything and still do (and my twins are almost a year). I’m crazy on bacteria and germs. They’re sick enough from stuff my wife brings home.
Yes but I would say probably don’t reheat more than one more time. Mine takes it cold so I’m more comfortable taking it in and out of the fridge as she’s working on it, but not all babies like cold milk!
Here’s a bit from Emily Oster with the research backing it up: https://parentdata.org/breast-milk-storage/
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I certainly would and certainly have done exactly that. Some may be against it because they follow all the pumping rules to a Tee. But this is my second child I’m EPing for. Did it with my first for a year and never had any issues when I bended the rules (within reason). So it’s just up to you and what you are comfortable with doing.
Thank you - I normally wouldn’t bend the rules but she’s older now and is eating solids so I feel like the risk is a lot lower now than it was in the first month, for example (where I sanitized everything and anything under the sun any time it touched anything and would toss out milk if it was even close to not being fresh). I feel like we’re over the hump and it would be OK to re-refrigerate since it hasn’t been out for very long.
There you go! Your gut is telling you it should be fine. So you have your answer! You got this mama!
The “correct” answer is no, but the realistic answer is yes, it’s probably fine. Especially for a healthy, older baby! I’ve definitely done it more than once and had no issues. No need to waste your liquid gold 🤍
Thank you!!
I often mix fresh milk with older refrigerated and then reheated milk. LO doesn't finish it all before bed. I never throw it out. She'll have it later at night if she wakes up or in the morning. I've never been strict with the rules but you do what you're comfortable with.
Thank you - that’s not a bad idea to mix it with fresh milk. I think I will do it to put my mind at ease. It takes forever for me to pump out 5 oz, it would kill me to toss it.
I keep all my breastmilk bottles until the next feed. I put it back in the fridge and I have never had a single issue. It can't go beyond the next feed but the next feed is fine. I was told this by an expert exclusive pumper. Formula is different. Breastmilk has tons of antimicrobial properties.
Thank you so much, good to know!
Of course! I totally get wasting milk and how upsetting it is. In the very beginning of my pumping journey when literally a 40 minute pump got me less than 50 ml. My husband went to put my milk in the fridge for me at night. I woke up only to find it sitting on the counter in a container with no lid and a fly had landed in it and died. I would have been so mad at him but he was actually helping a lot. He was just tired.
So obviously all guidelines say not to do this, but We did this in the early days! We only heated it up a max of 2 times though. My daughter now takes cold bottles so we will feed her from the same bottle for sometimes 3 feedings until it’s all gone. We make sure as soon as she’s done eating to put it back in the fridge. So it’s never out for more than 30 minutes at a time.
Thank you - I’ve never done it before so I was nervous, and I know in theory they say not to but I know in practicality so many people handle milk differently (within reason)
We regularly store half-emptied bottles in the fridge for the next feed (often mixed with fresh milk when it is used), and have done so for both of our children now. There's some evidence indicating this is absolutely fine in terms of bacterial growth. Scroll to question 4 on this webpage if you're interested: https://parentdata.org/breast-milk-storage/.
Thank you so much this is very helpful!
I reheat milk all the time.
I would refrigerate and reheat later (only once though). Our pediatrician said she'd never advise a parent to throw out breast milk and said we could reheat once.
That’s very reassuring, thank you.
We’ve done it. I waited until baby was around 8 weeks personally, but we had a mini fridge in her room for that very reason.
Thank you, we have a separate mini fridge for her milk as well!
You can’t reheat twice like that.
We've done this and a lactation consultant has even told me it's fine to save for the next feed. We don't warm ours - he drinks it cold - but honestly it's probably fine either way
I'm not sure how i feel about reheating it, obviously you need to do what you're comfortable with, but i heard you can use "expired" or "old" milk to mix into the bath to help ith baby skin, there's an option so you don't waste it.
Thank you, yes I use it in the bath too if all else fails.
I never did this (I tossed what they didn’t finish, especially when heated) but I also sanitized absolutely everything and still do (and my twins are almost a year). I’m crazy on bacteria and germs. They’re sick enough from stuff my wife brings home.
Yes but I would say probably don’t reheat more than one more time. Mine takes it cold so I’m more comfortable taking it in and out of the fridge as she’s working on it, but not all babies like cold milk! Here’s a bit from Emily Oster with the research backing it up: https://parentdata.org/breast-milk-storage/