do you have to pump and throw any milk before feeding a baby if you havent pumped any out in more than 24hrs?

Question

my niece just had a baby and she is both bottle feeding and breastfeeding. last night she pumped out about 2 bottles but was told not to give it to the baby because it wasnt good anymore since she hadnt done it since the day before. Can breastmilk go bad even while its still in your breast if you leave it in there for a day or 2? I have never heard of this before.

Answer 1

Good lord no!
DO NOT throw out pumped milk!

Breastmilk doesn't "go bad" while still in your breast. What an absurd notion!

If she goes a long period without nursing or pumping, she can get plugged ducts or a breast infection, which is very uncomfortable! It's still fine to feed the baby, but painful for mom. She needs to keep removing the milk from her breasts by pumping (AND GIVING IT TO BABY) or by nursing. Going long periods without nursing or pumping will also eventually harm her milk supply. Her body must get the signal to make milk or else she will dry up.

Answer 2

Breasts are not milk bags just storing milk all day long until it's demanded. They are glands that produce somewhat "on demand" (but have some demands of their own if you wait too long in between) Milk inside your breasts has not been exposed to air and cannot spoil (however certain medications can pass through mom's body into the milk). The majority of the milk your niece got when she pumped was produced by her body while she pumped- pumping doesn't drain out the milk that has been sitting around all day, it does relive the pressure build up from some production, but it mainly stimulated the body to produce and that is the majority of the milk you're getting anyway- Made fresh on demand. There's got to be a great sales pitch in there somewhere. But don't you hate the lame advice people give new moms?

Answer 3

I have never heard of breast milk going bad while still inside the breast. If the person who told her to throw it out was a professional lactation consultant then I would follow the advice, otherwise it sounds like someones personal opinion or perhaps an old wives's tale of some sort. When my 2nd child was a few weeks old, I developed mastitis in one of my breasts and could not nurse on that side for several days. I did not have to pump the milk, but did express enough to prevent engorgement either into a towel or in a warm shower. When I was able to nurse on that side again, I was able to go right back to normal nursing without having to discard the milk.

Answer 4

Breast milk does not go bad while still in the breast... just like it won't freeze if your cold, or spoil if you're sweating. As long as she is putting the expressed milk in the fridge after it is at room temperature, do not throw it out. Breast milk will keep in the fridge for a few days, some say it can last in the fridge up to 8 days, but I did that only once, as the milk smelled sour, I guess it depends on the temp of your fridge.

Answer 5

My dear goodness, who in the world said your breastmilk would spoil before it was pumped??? The only reason to dump breastmilk is if after being pumped it wasnt refrigerated, or if you have taken medication that would pass through and potentially harm the baby. Breastmilk is like gold, dont throw it away unless you have to! And this is certainly NOT one of those times...

Answer 6

Breastmilk doesn't go bad while it's still in your breasts. You can even leave it out at room temperature for several hours. Your niece has been given some bad information. If she'd like to continue to breastfeed and be successful at it, she should contact the La Leche League, and also check out www.kellymom.com. They're both great resources with up-to-date information.

Answer 7

Feed then pump. Its of no benefit to precise and shop it to feed at a later time. provide your toddler the milk on the instant out of your breast. while i replaced into breast feeding, i fed first and then expressed after my daughter had fed - i knew she had had a sufficient quantity of milk and any expressed milk replaced into an advantage! In my adventure my milk supply lessoned as time went on no longer greater suitable. sturdy success x

Answer 8

That's ridiculous!
Breastmilk can't go bad inside the breast.

Answer 9

The milk will not go bad in the breast. Breasts are the best storage unit around!

Answer 10

No.. I have never heard of that. To my knowledge as long as the milk is in your breast it should not go bad.