Expressed milk logistics help please!

[FlightofFancy]

My DS is 10 weeks and my DH does a night feed (or two) at the weekend with bottles of expressed milk. However, I'm having some challenges with the logistics of how much milk/when/how and could do with some advice.

It's worked well up until now as DS has been waking twice a night - once for a big feed, then again for a small top up. So, DH did big feed and I did top up, so I could sleep from 11-5 (more-or-less) uninterrupted.

However, I think he's on the cusp of dropping to one feed between 11-7 (think he only woke once last night - though do night feeds on auto so can't remember ). So, sometimes he wants a decent feed in the night, and sometimes just a 5 minutes 'splash and dash'.

Challenge is - I don't want to waste expressed milk, and need quite simple instructions for DH (as otherwise he wakes me up to ask what to do ). I know it would be easier to just do night feeds myself, but it's a bit of a point of principle to get DH involved (longer story!).

How long can expressed milk be left at room temp (am I best to take out of fridge at bedtime and keep in insulated thingy until needed?). It's been frozen then defrosted. Am I right in remembering that once a bottle has been started, you've got to chuck anything that isn't finished away straight away? Or is there a timescale within which it counts as still the same feed (e.g. started at 2.30-45, wakes again at 3.30). To add to the fun, DH insists on warming the milk rather than giving at room temp - though DS will happily drink it however it comes!

Am thinking it's best to have two bottles ready - one with a decent feed in it (he'll cheerfully take 6-7oz if hungry), and one with just a couple of oz top up. Then say to DH - if he wakes before x give him this, if after y, give him this (might be really patronising and stick labels on the bottles )

So complicated! Help!

no advice I'm afraid, but very interested in the answer? To date I've done ALL the nightfeeds with DD (5 months). I've suggested to DP that he feeds her once in a while and Isleep in the spare room just to allow me to get a full nights sleep. Apart from him acting like I've suggested we split up (!) I can't work out how best to do it without him having to go downstairs/warm bottle etc, which would mean DD screaming adn defeating the purpose of me sleeping on my own!

Have a look at this thread for some idea of how EBM keeps out of the fridge.

Isn't it weird how EBM seems more precious than gold? We can't bear to waste any and feed leftovers to our 2.5yo DD.

I know that if it were us, I'd leave DH a big bottle of milk (more than one baby can feasibly drink overnight) and he would warm it up once (yes, I know that they drink it cold too ) and if DS didn't drink it all the first time, he'd stick the lid back on and leave it in case it were needed later. We often give half feeds and put it back in the fridge for later, but someone will probably post and say this is really dangerous/stupid and their baby was really ill.

DH does know what EBM is supposed to taste like (o yes) so will check it isn't rancid before feeding.

Our 8 week old DS is our DC3 so we are probably a little bit more laid back than some.

HTH

Thanks motherof...

Agree about EBM and gold - am seriously contemplating slipping some in to the rice pudding I'm about to make, to use it up! Sure DH wouldn't notice and could cut down on the sugar in the recipe .

Useful to see on that other thread that you can basically treat as if cows milk. I'll teach DH to check it before he feeds - it's generally only an hour or so between feeds, so may well take a chance on continuing with the same bottle.

Have discovered the bottles fit in to the insulated 'stubby holder' beer coolers, so saved ourselves a few pence on special bottle insulators!

I'm pretty relaxed about my own food hygiene, and keep having to remind myself to be more careful with the little one - no doubt by the time he's grown up he'll have an iron constitution with all the germs...

The good thing about breastmilk is that it is naturally microbicidal, so you can be more relaxed about what you do with it than with formula, where you must chuck it away after you've used it once. I keep bottles of breastmilk chilled if they are not used, and then reuse at the next feed or to make porridge in the morning. Never had any issues. Kellymom has more on this. If I was you I would put 2 bottles in the cooler, tell husband to use first one whenever needed, then put it back in the cooler til morning, and use second one if he wakes a second time. That way no bottle is being heated more than once, and if you have a bit left over in the morning you can use it then.

Does that work?