How many times can I warm refrigerated ebm?

[MrsMar]

Is it ok to warm up ebm that's been in the fridge (I usually stand it in a bowl of hot water until it's about body temperature) and then put what's not been used back in the fridge to use later (rewarming it again later)? How many times is it ok to do this? My ds sometimes manages to guzzle 4oz of ebm after his late feed and sometimes doesn't, but I usually don't freeze the leftovers but reuse them the next day. I never keep it more than 48 hours but I was worried about the rewarming and cooling.

I don't think re- warming is recomended at all. Every time something is warmed, more bacteria grow, and then as it cools, more again, and then as you warm it again, even more.... I'm sure someone else will know the specifics of it.

Just the once I'm afraid

Unfortunately body temp is ideal growing temp for most bacteria so it isn't a good idea to keep anything at that temperature for too long. Cool it as quickly as you can once you've expressed and only reheat once.

oops! Ok, from now on I will do. I do hate throwing away good milk though... it's so hard to predict when he's going to have a greedy day. I suppose the same rules apply to freezing any left overs too?

From Children, Youth and Women's Health Services web site Australian
"Thaw milk slowly in the refrigerator or more quickly in warm water.
If it is thawed in the fridge, it will keep for 24 hours in the fridge.
If it is thawed in warm water, use it straight away or put it back in the fridge for no more than 4 hours.
Do not re-freeze thawed milk.
Once a baby has started to feed from a bottle, throw away any milk left after about an hour."

More advise

astrophe... sorry, reading back your message, does that mean I shouldn't refridgerate ebm at all? It obviously comes out of my body at body temp, I then put it in the fridge for the day and then warm it in the evening for his top up. Is that wrong? I thought giving him fridge cold milk would mean it would come straight back up.

No, its fine to refrigerate it once and warm it once. Get it cool as quickly as possible once you have expressed. Every time its room/body temp (ie, when you have just expressed it, or after you warm it, or as it cools back down to fridge temp again) it is a prime breeding ground for bacteria, so you want to limit the amount of time the emb spends at above 4 degrees.

Oh I see, thanks for clearing that up. I guess I've been lucky he hasn't had an upset tummy as I've been doing that for a few weeks now. double oops!

ooo just had a lightbulb moment, I'm going to put 2 of my 4oz in to a clean bottle and warm that up, if he wants more I'll warm up the second bottle... simple really but sleep deprivation has turned me in to a bit of a dimbo!

MrsMar - kellymom has a section on re-using bm:
www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/reusing-expressedmilk.html

terramum, that's brilliant, thanks! I did search kellymom for advice but couldn't find it.

Starlight, he's ten weeks old.