Expressed Breast Milk - storage

[Munz]

any one know how long it's safe out of the fridge for if I was to take a bottle into town with me, hope to feed b4 we go out then Joey feeds 2-3 hours after that, so is that ok the EBM has been in the freezer since yesterday morning.

Hi Munz
This page on kellymom is really good: \link{http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkstorage.html}
Hope this helps!

don't know why that link didn't work - I'll try again - \link{http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkstorage.html\here}

hi. i fed my baby 8 month! with expressed breast milk.normally it would last for about 5-6 hours or if its not warm even longer. after this LOOONG month i can say that i am an expret in expressing milk

and u can store the fresh ebm in the frige for 48 hours and in the freezer for 3months. i was milking for 1200ml a day minimum.i had so much milk that i had to throw it away.

and u can store the fresh ebm in the frige for 48 hours and in the freezer for 3months. i was milking for 1200ml a day minimum.i had so much milk that i had to throw it away.

i live between 2 houses. if i freeze my milk can i transport it in a cool box and then put it back in the freezer or not? i know you can't refreeze thawed milk but i don't know about if it has been in a cool box during transportation.

Mummytotoby, when I did the same I reckoned as long as it never got a chance to warm up in between it would be fine, though I threw some away once as it had totally defrosted (coolbox was on floor of car just over engine - doh).
Probably technically you shouldn't though!

Hiya
As breastmilk is live containing antibodies etc it keeps much better than formula milk at room temperature.
It is fine at room temperature for upto six hours.
Here is a really good leaflet with guidelines for storing breastmilk. The leaflet was compiled with a micro-biologist and is what most brastfeeding organisations refer to:
www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/pdfs/BFNExpressing&Storing.pdf
HTH
Berry :)

ukrainianmum, it's 8 days in the body of the fridge and up to 6 months in the freezer.

anyone know about refreezing frozen milk after keeping it in cool box for 2 hours?

ok i have found out as long as it is still frozen solid when taken out of the cool box you can refreeze it, but does anyone know how long it will stay like this before beginning to thaw out?

ok just taken a bottle of EBM out of the freezer, defrosted it as DS is thrashing when feeding but he actually fed nicely for a change this week! so do I have to throw the milk or can I get DH to feed it to him tonight at about 7.30 if it's kept int he fridge? (please say I can do thaht! lol)

Much too late for Thursday's query, Munz, but yes, you can do that.

HM - what if Munz had heated the defrosted EBM - could she then keep it to use later? SOmetimes I get out the EBM and defrost it and warm it in the bottle but then DD falls asleep or wont take the whole bottle - do I need to discard it or can I put it back in the fridge and warm up again later?

Thanks

Lucy

Not 100% sure of the official line on this, but I tend to reheat it for that feed - so if DS2 has a bottle at 10pm (as he is now, actually!), he can have it warmed once it goes cool until 11ish, say. He likes it very warm though - body temp. Did this with DS1 too and he had no ill effects. We have an electric bottle warmer that we just stand it in between him feeding.

I'm not comfortable with cooling it right down and reheating it hours later. But I do keep it from fresh in the fridge for 8 days - much easier than defrosting IMO.

Thanks HM....is it different rules for fresh (upto 8 days old) EBM? If I heated a bottle for DD at 10pm and she didn't drink it can I put it back in the fridge then reheat it for a feed around, say, 4am?

cheers

Lucy

Not sure if this will help but I have a chart which I followed for storage :.

Fresh EBM - Stored room temp below 72f - up to 10 hours.
Fresh EBM - stored room temp below 60F - up to 24 hours.
Fresh EBM - stored insulated cooler bag at 60F with ice packs upto 24 hours.
Fresh EBM - fridge at 32g-39f upto 8 days
Frozen EBM then thawed fridge at 32-39F upto 24 hours.

store milk at the back of the freezer and never in the door section.

Frozen mik - stored in freezer compartment inside fridge - upto 2 weeks
Forzen Milk - stored in fridge freezer with own door - 3 to 4 months.
Frozen mik - separate deep freeze at 0f - upto 6 month.