Saving expressed milk

[Haahoooo]

I express some bm every day. Happily DS is fine with a bottle so I can have a break every now and then.

However, it is sometimes difficult to predict how much he will take from a bottle. If there's too much I feel so sad pouring it away!

Do you think it would be ok to put back in the fridge? At this point it would have been warmed a little bit (in hot water for 1-2 minutes to take the fridge cold off) and at room temperature for half an hour or so.

Expect probably not ok but just wondering..

How old is your baby, OP?

Oh sorry he's 7 weeks.

Why warm it all up? Just warm half or so and if that gets guzzled down then warm the rest. DS is also inconsistent in how much he'll take so that's what we do. Just swirl the bottle to mix the cream in and pour out half as a starter.

Yes, I agree with Nutella. Reason I asked about age was that the older the baby the less you have to worry about this sort of thing.

7 weeks is still small enough to be concerned about avoiding circs when you would heat and then use again a bit later...but this is common sense talking, not anything based on real research with babies of different ages.

Thank you - makes sense. The slight issue is that my breaks tend to be at night when DH offers to do one if the feeds from a bottle, so he'll have to traipse up and down a bit to get more milk if the first portion wasn't enough, but better that than taking too much and having to pour it away. Nearly makes me cry to pour breast milk away!!

Ha yes, whoever said not to cry over spilt milk has never spend hours on end milking themselves to get only an ounce! Liquid gold!

I exclusively express for 20 week old DD.

My fridge is full of expressed milk. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 7 days

If not, freeze it. You can get special bags for freezing expressed milk and it lasts for up to 6 months

Expressed milk is also fine out of the fridge for up to 7 hours - as long as the room isn't too hot

I've just done my last express and it will be beside the bed until DD wakes up

Which will probably be longer than 7 hours

I've never made her or DS sick bit the recommended time is 7 hours

Once you've heated it up you're not supposed to put it back in the fridge - milk is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria.

I know how you feel though! Expressing is hard work. I found it easier first thing in the morning with the baby on the other boob...

If you've just warmed it a tiny bit, I do think you will be fine.

Given that the recommendation is that it can sit out for 7 hours and be given.

I expressed for DS when he was in SCBU and it was never refrigerated (as it was given within the 7 hour limit) just left beside his cot for his feed

It was pretty hot in the ward but he never had any stomach problems. The paeds were aware of the system an entirely happy with it.

Sorry for the late response. Thank you everybody. I wonder if I'm best of trying DS with room temperature milk that hasn't been actually warmed, just out of the fridge for a bit. That might be a solution of sorts..

haa - yes. I'd keep it out (no more than 7 hours) to take the chill of it and stick back what he doesn't drinking a clean sterilised container in the fridge

kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/milkstorage/reusing-expressedmilk/

The main issue is whether the EBM has been in contact with the baby. See link above.

Ah thanks for that link, very interesting.

Here's what I'd do OP

• when you go to bed, leave with DH (out, so at room temp) 1) a half full bottle of EBM 2) another half full bottle of EBM

DH takes both to do the feed. No warming required as it's room temp, especially in summer.

He starts with 1)

If DS finishes 1) then DH can top up with 2)

If not then DH takes 2) downstairs and puts in fridge

So no extra effort for DH (it's still only one trip to the fridge just at the end rather than the beginning) - actually less effort as no warming required

I would be careful on hot nights though. On hot nights you might want to leave 1) and 2) in the fridge. DH brings both upstairs at the start of the feed but warms one at a time (using hot water from bathroom tap).

As bonkers says I believe the main thing is not re-using BM from a bottle that's been fed from - since DS's germs will have gone into it.

mini has cracked it!

And I do agreed hatter milk should go in the fridge if the room is hot. Anything over 21, I do pit back in. Monitor it via the temp thing on the baby monitor

Both DS and DD will take straight from the fridge and cold milk has not made them spew

Perfect mini, thank you, that's exactly what we will do. A very good solution.

I haven't tried but actually I expect DS would even take bm straight from the fridge - he's been exceptionally easy going as long as he gets his food

Yep my DD would take milk straight from fridge at quite a young age. Only thing is that it might wake him up a bit more in the middle of the night whereas warmer milk is sleepier!