As a mom, your top priorities when feeding your baby are convenience and safety. Every day, you are pumping, yet there’s always a leftover. And you are stressing out about what to do with leftover milk, wondering if you can put breast milk back in the fridge? In this article, you will explore everything about it and how it works.
Can You Put Breast Milk Back in the Fridge?
The answer is yes. If you have breast milk at room temperature and your baby hasn't touched the milk, you do not need to throw away your preparations; you can put breast milk back in the fridge for 24 hours.
But if your baby starts drinking from the bottle, you warm the milk, or you use water warmer than room temperature to rehydrate freeze-dried milk you cannot put it back in the fridge. It is safest to use the milk within 2 hours and dispose of it if not consumed.
Why Warmed Breast Milk Should Not be Put Back in Fridge?
When breast milk is warmed, the present bacteria can start multiplying faster than they would if the milk were kept in a cold or at room temperature. For instance, you prepare and warm a bottle of breast milk. A second after the milk is heated, bacteria and growth speed up.
If your baby does not finish the bottle or does not touch the bottle, it can be tempting to store the leftover milk back in the fridge. Even though refrigerating breast milk may slow down bacterial growth, the function won’t reverse the multiplication of bacteria that grow during the milk is warm.
Any bacteria that grew during that time will remain, and if you feed this milk to your baby may expose them to harmful bacteria, which can result in foodborne illnesses.
How Long Does Breast Milk Last After Warming?
Once the breast milk is warmed, it should ideally be used within 2 hours. After that, any leftover milk should be discarded to avoid bacterial growth. It’s also important not to reheat the milk more than once.
Can I Reheat Breast Milk?
Most experts and pediatricians agree that the best practice is to warm breast milk only one time. This is because reheating breast milk repeatedly can increase the risk of bacterial growth and can affect your breast milk’s quality. Each time you heat the milk, you also may lose some of its benefits and nutrients.
Tip: Avoid using a microwave to reheat your breast milk. Microwaves heat unevenly, which can create hot spots that may burn your baby’s mouth. Additionally, microwaving can break down some of the valuable nutrients in the milk.
What is the Quickest Way to Warm Up a Bottle of Breast Milk?
While it might seem simple, there are important things to follow to ensure the milk retains its nutrients and is safe for your baby. Having the most convenient, hygienic and safe way to warm your milk can be a big ease for everyday struggle. Here are the quickest ways to warm up a bottle of breast milk.
- Warm Water - You can use warm water to heat your milk. Place the bottle of a sealed bag of milk in a bowl or warm water. This method helps heat the milk evenly and gently. Make sure that the water is not too hot. You should think of it as a nice warm bath, not a hot tub.
- Bottle Warmer - A bottle warmer is a handy appliance made to heat breast milk, formula, or even baby food jars safely and efficiently. You can think of it as a specialized heater just for your baby bottles. It looks like a small chamber where you can place the bottle, and it uses gentle steam or hot water to warm the milk evenly. This method helps keep the nutrients in breast milk, and it avoids creating hot spots.
Why use a bottle warmer?
- Unlike microwaves, which can heat evenly, a bottle warms milk evenly. This means the milk is at a consistent temperature, making feeding time more comfortable for your baby.
- By heating the milk gently, a bottle warmer helps preserve the important nutrients in the breast milk, ensuring your baby gets the best nourishment.
- Many bottle warmers come with different settings to suit your needs.
- Bottle warmers can usually accommodate various types of bottles, glass, plastic or silicone. So you can use them with whatever bottles you have.
You can use Momcozy Cordless Portable Baby Bottle Warmer for Travel. It is perfect for busy moms on the go, and it offers more than just milk warming. It can also heat baby food from frozen, cold, or fresh, and it fits over 80% of milk bottles and bags. It can heat 4oz of milk in just 2 minutes. It is made from food-grade materials, has a ceramic heating plate that ensures fast, even heating, and is leak leak-proof design. It is also easy to clean. Just wipe down the ceramic plate and stainless steel parts.
Can I Thaw Frozen Breast Milk at Room Temperature?
No, it is not safe to thaw frozen breast milk at room temperature. Thawing your breast milk this way can allow bacteria to grow, which might make the milk unsafe for your baby. Instead, the best methods for thawing frozen breast milk are in the refrigerator, in warm water, and using a bottle warmer.
Can I Refreeze Frozen Breast Milk?
If the power goes out and you are worried, if you can refreeze your breast milk when the power returns. The answer is it depends on how long. You will need to check your frozen breast milk to make sure it’s still safe to use. Here’s what you need to do:
- If your breast milk is starting to thaw but still has ice crystals in it, it’s okay to refreeze ice crystals mean it has not thawed completely. It is still safe to put back in the freezer.
- If the breast milk is fully thawed but still feels cold to the touch, you should put it in the refrigerator. You can use it within the next 24 hours.
What Can I Do With Leftover Warmed Breast Milk?
If your baby did not finish all the breast milk during feeding, you can still use the leftover milk for up to 2 hours. After that, you need to throw it away to keep your baby safe from bacteria.
To reduce waste breast milk, it is a good idea to warm and store breast milk in smaller amounts. For example, instead of thawing or warming a full bottle, you can divide the milk into smaller portions. This way, if your baby doesn’t finish one portion, you won’t have to throw away so much.
There are several creative ways to use leftover breast milk that your baby can’t drink. Instead of throwing it away, you can repurpose it for other uses. Here are a few ideas:
- Milk baths - Simply add the leftover milk to your baby’s bathwater to help with a variety of skin conditions. It can help soothe dry skin, cradle cap, rashes, eczema, and itchiness from bug bites or simply provide a gentle skin conditioner for overall skin health.
- Breast milk lotion - You can find simple recipes online that mix breast milk with oils like coconut or olive oil. Breast milk’s anti-inflammatory properties and natural moisture make it a great base for skincare products.
- Syringes for first aid - If you have small amounts of leftover breast milk, you can store it in 1 ml syringes to use for first aid purposes. It can be useful for cleaning wounds or helping with eye infections, ear infections, or minor skin irritations.
- Dilution - If your baby is refusing milk due to a high lipase content, you can try diluting the warmed milk with fresh breast milk. This can help reduce undesirable tastes and make the milk more palatable for your baby.
- Breast milk soap - If you want to make something long-lasting, breast milk soap is a fantastic option. Like lotion, breast milk soap carries nourishing and moisturizing properties of breast milk, making it gentle for sensitive skin. You search online for how to make it.
How to Tell if Breast Milk Has Gone Bad?
To ensure your baby has clean and safe milk, it is essential to know how to tell if breast milk has gone bad. Here are some signs to look for:
- Fresh breast milk has a milk, sweet smell. If your breast milk smells sour or rancid, it is a sign that it has spoiled and should be discarded.
- Breast milk should be smooth and slightly creamy. If you notice any clumps or changes in color, such as a yellowish or grayish tint, the milk has gone bad.
- You can taste the milk using a clean spoon, and it should taste slightly sweet. If it tastes sour or off, throw it away.
- Freshly pumped breast milk is typically smooth. If you see any separation into layers or if it appears curdled, this can be a sign of spoilage.
Conclusion
To sum up, maintaining your breast milk safe and quality is the key. It is okay to have questions like ‘can you put breast milk back in fridge?’. Asking these questions means you are doing good. Prevent any harmful bacteria from your nutritious breast milk. By knowing all these, you can ensure that your baby receives the highest quality milk, keeping feeding time both safe and convenient.
