can I check I've got my facts straight about defrosting and feeding expressed bm please?

[deaconblue]

Am going out tomorrow night (hurrah!) so dh needs to try to get dd to take a bottle. I have 3 pots with 4oz of breast milk in each pot in the freezer. I suspect it will take several attempts and maybe several hours before she gives in and accepts the bottle. So am I right that I need to put the containers in the fridge tonight so that it defrosts in the fridge. He then needs to warm the milk in a jug of hot water. I think it will need to be thrown away if she hasn't drunk it within an hour so I've told him to only warm one container at a time. Am I right so far?
She's 6 months old, do we need to sterilise the bottle/cup (he's going to try both)?

I used to defrost in the fridge - would recommend that he uses 4oz at a time and refills if needed (as you say she may not drink it all).

Also I think EBM can be left out for longer than an hour, but maybe check Kellymom to be sure... I wouldn't bother sterilising at 6 months either.

Warm only 1oz @ a time to save waste , and according to kellymom you don't have to throw like formula anyway because of the anti bodies. & you can re heat once.

oh that's good to know, so he doesn't really need to clockwatch while he's battling her. Luckily she doesn't feed to sleep so I think worst cast scenario she'll just go to bed without a feed and I can feed her when I get back about midnight.

In the past we have defrosted it directly in the little sterile plastic bag thingy in the bottle warmer, to save waste.

If the cup or bottle you feed it to her in has been through the dishwasher on the hottest wash it should be OK.

Why don't you try a cup instead of a bottle? Baby might take to it better at 6 mths. If she really won't take it, then put a bit on a teaspoon and feed her a little that way just to keep her going. She will probably wait for you to get home.

thanks everyone. dh tried bottle and cup and nothing doing but amazingly she just went to sleep as usual and didn't wake up til her usual 7am for food. My boobs were ENORMOUS by then after 19 hours without feeding her. She's fed like a demon today though to make up for it