Can I give my baby the bottle she didn't finish?

Question

I hate asking questions at this time of day..because some of the wierdos come out of the woodwork...but here goes...

I am feeding my baby pumped breastmilk because we failed to breastfeed properly. Anyway, there are many times where she does not finish the bottle. Do I need to discard it? If not, can it be put back into the refrigerator? If so...for how long?

Also...can it be left out of the fridge (aka at room temp)? How long?

Thanks in advance for your answers!

Answer 1

The official answer is that it must be discarded within an hour after 1st use, because the baby's mouth backwashes bacteria into the bottle which then begins to reproduce within the milk. But many more experienced mommies get away with being quite lax about the '1 hour rule'...The older the baby, the more lax you can be: strict sterility is probably best with a newborn (under 1 month). If you are not trying to nurse the baby to sleep on the bottle, you could avoid the issue by offering a smaller amount of milk in the bottle, and adding more if she finishes it.

Answer 2

Breast milk is okay at room temperature (no higher than 77 degrees Fahrenheit) for 4-6 hours, but not if the baby has started drinking it. A bottle has a life of 1 hour, after that it should not be re-cooled or reheated. It needs to be discarded so bacteria doesn't have the chance to grow. I agree with the person who suggested putting smaller amounts in the bottle at a time. If she's still hungry you can give her more. Breast milk is like gold, I know how it feels when it's wasted!! Good luck!

Answer 3

I have been pumping since day one. I asked two different pediatrician the same question. They both told me it is OK to use it for an hour, and then the milk should be discarded (it can be kept in the room temperature).

I wonder how long you have been pumping. I know it gets challenging sometimes (it takes twice as long as nursing). If your milk supply is not established yet, make sure you pump at least seven times a day, for at least fifteen minutes (however, if you still get milk after 15 minutes, keep pumping until two minutes after there is no more milk coming).

Answer 4

Breast Milk can be stored:
At room temperature (less than 77°F) for 4 to 8 hours
At the back of a refrigerator for 3 to 8 days
At the back of a freezer for up to 3 months
In the deepfreeze 6 - 12 months

Answer 5

You can leave breast milk out for up to 6 hours at room temp. if the baby hasn't sucked on the bottle. If the baby did suck on the bottle its good for an hour only, due to bacteria going back into the bottle, can't put back in fridge.

Answer 6

If your child is hungry within the hour, it is ok to give her the refrigerated portion of milk. To avoid this "waste" problem, try putting smaller amounts into her bottle--even if you have to refill an qounce or two at a time (your partenre could burp the baby while you refill.) Try not to worry too much-- your baby will eat when she is hungry. Keep offering. Best wishes.

Answer 7

Stacy's idea is very good. Buy a few of those smaller bottles and put two ounces in one. I breastfed both my boys, but never from the bottle... I certainly would not try to feed one that was rejected a while back.

Answer 8

If it's been warmed once since being pumped and refrigerated, I would discard it. It can be left out but I'm not sure how long...

Answer 9

You are supposed to throw out any unused breastmilk in the bottle. They say that the bacteria in their mouth contaminates it and must be thrown away after one-hour. So if she drinks it and then snoozes for 20 min and then finishes it...that's OK. But after one hour it is running the risk of making her sick :(

Answer 10

yes u can give ur pumped breastmilk that she didn't finish if it hasnt been more than 4hr at room tempeture. what u can do is store ur fresh pumped milk by 2 and 1oz depending on how much ur baby drinks on each feeding so u won't have 2 be wasting ur milk