crying over defrosted milk. So fed up.

[holytoast]

Have just been to get omething out of my freezer, and found the door wasn't shut properly.

I have been pumping and storing milk since my baby was 3 months old, for my return to work. I now have 30 oz of defrosted milk, plus another 50 - 100 oz or so which is still frozen, but a little squashy - have put back in the freezer for now, but I am probably going to have to bin this too I think?

I couldn't help it, just sat next to it crying for ages. I have no idea if I will manage to pump at work, so was going to use the milk for the first week or two t give her some continuity, before I possibly have to start using formula.

Think it will last 24hrs? so I can feed DD by bottle and pump to store for 24hrs? she has childminders tomorrow for 2 hrs till 2pm, after that I have to bin it?

Worse than that, there was a whole tub of ben and jerrys in there too...

That must be gutting, I know how hard won expressed milk can be. :(

defrosted milk must be used within 24 hours of it being defrosted. i.e. If I put frozen milk in the fridge to defrost at 7am then it should be defrosted by 7pm and can be used until 7pm the next day as long as it is kept in the frisge.

So I think your defrosted milk you should use with the next 24 hours and your semi defrosted milk should be put in the fridge to fully defrist then used within 24 hours of total defrosting.

In the meantime get pumping to restock you supply!

I think this is a judgement call. Defrosting makes it less bacterially protected, apparently, which is why you need to use defrosted milk soon. But I can't see any evidence that it is actually harmful to refreezee - you probably affect the antibodies by defrosting and refreezing but this does not make it unsafe.

A baby who is mostly bf 'fresh' and direct should be fine, esp as your milk was only a little bit thawed.

Someone here should know more - but honestly I think common sense should prevail. Your baby is not a newborn, you are only using your ebm partially, and it's not even thawed. If it was me, I wouldn't worry. But I am not giving you the view of a biochemist here, sorry!

Forgot to add source for above info www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkstorage.html

If it was me, I'd feed her the most defrosted stuff by bottle over the next 24-48 hours (keep it at back of fridge where coolest) and refreeze the slightly squishy stuff.

I'd then use some of the refrozen milk in the next week or so to check it passes the smell/taste test. Same with the stuff you give her between 24-48 hours.

As tiktok says your baby is not a newborn, and if its "off" you'll be able to taste that it when defrosts.

Thank you both, I just called DH, who is in fact a biochemist! He said it was interesting what you say about the properties of the milk, he thinks the slightly defrosted stuff is nothing to worry about, but he isn't sure either about the defrosted - for now I have bagged up the coldest and stuff which still had frozen lumps in it separately and put it back to freeze until he comes home, will decide then, like you say tictok, DD is 6months, and we havn't sterilised a thing since she was 8 weeks, so with that in mind I will probably use it, I will at most be giving her 3 feeds a day from the frozen anyway. Just will make sure I smell it and only use it for one feed or something, just in case it has gone wrong. At the moment am feeding her from a bottle and pumping, but its hard going, most of it goes down her front, and very slowly some is going in - she thinks it's hilarious, for some reason, me giving her a bottle. going to use some for porridge too.

Feel less teary now! Silly how upset it made me. Still upset about the Ben and Jerrys though...beyond saving!

Sorry, x posts - thank you too, MumNW - what you say makes sense too.

Also had frozen loads of puree, but DH says that will be ok too, as its fruit, was boiled and bagged up into freezer bags. He reckons I am worrying over nothing!

at your DH being a biochemist - how useful!

Very bad news about the Ben&Jerry's - you definitely need to get some more :)

I know, handy! Worrying thing is, I thought of posting here and asking you lot before I thought of asking him!
Would go out and get ice cream, however I have a bad back and can't walk very far...Ben and Jerrys was going to be my treat this PM! Oh well...