Breastfeeding question....?

Question

When you are breast feeding and your baby is willing to take expressed milk from a bottle, how long will the breast milk keep in the fridge? Is it possible to freeze the milk to make it keep longer and then warm the bottle as you normally would in a jug of hot water?

I hope this makes sense?

I am planning to breastfeed.

Thank you.

Thank you for all your helpful info - I will be attending classes etc to learn this sort of stuff but I like an opinion as I think of things...little impatient!!
As a response to one answer - the reason I don't just "but the breast in the babies mouth" is that I have a partner that would like to be a part of the feeding of our new child too!!

Answer 1

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

Answer 2

Breastmilk can be at room temperature for 4-8 hours, in the fridge (in the back so it isn't getting warmed up every time you open the door) for the better part of a week (4 days but I never trusted it after 2 days, I'm weird like that) and in the freezer in your kitchen for three months. Deep freezers can keep breastmilk for 6 months. To freeze your milk it needs to be in a sealed airtight container (bags or hard plastic bottles). Bags are easiest and you can get them everywhere, grocery stores (sometimes) Walmart, Kmart, Taget etc. You are right to warm the milk in a jug or cup of hot water. Never the microwave as it can heat unevenly and will destroy a lot of the nutrients and nearly all of the antibodies in the milk (although freezing can do that too). The milk doesn't need to be warmed (just thawed) but breastfed babies like their milk warm so it is usually easier to just warm it up instead of arguing with an infant. Great questions, and your doctor or the lactation consultant at the hospital should give you a book or pamphlet with this information and you can double check at La Leche League and breastfeeding.com (both excellent websites for breastfeeding). Kudos on the decision to breastfeed, and congrats on the baby.

Answer 3

Good on you, dads always end up a bit left out when u breastfeed and expressing milk into a bottle is a great way to keep him included, plus it means u can get him to do the night feeds!! Breast milk lasts 48hours in the fridge. Yes u can freeze ur breast milk as long as it is before the 48hours have passed. It will keep in the freezer for 3 months. When u wish to use ur frozen milk allow it a good few hours to defost, simply take it out the freezer and put it in the fridge, once defrosted the milk will be 'good' for 24hours and can be warmed as normal once it is defrosted.
Another good tip for breastfeeding babies who have the bottle is to lay them on their side, its to do with the flow of milk from the teat being much similar to ur breast. U literally lay the baby on ur lap facing you, u might prefer him/her on a pillow and pop the bottle in their mouth, then sit them up as normal to wind. It also reduces nipple confusion, which is a term thrown around when breastfed babies are given bottles and it basically means the baby getsconfused between the teat of the bottle and ur nipple. But in my experience its not a big problem, just make sure ur baby is well established at the breast first and then they should be able to go from one to the other quite easily.

Answer 4

You can keep fresh breast milk at room temp for up to 6 hours, In the fridge for up to 48 hours, and in the freezer for 3 months. Never keep milk in the door of the fridge. If you can only express small amounts at a time you can add it all together as long as you cool it first and date it from the first expressed. Never add fresh milk to frozen or frozen then thawed. Be prepared to have a few attempts at getting your baby to take the bottle the first time and its best if your partner or someone else feeds as baby will smell milk from you and want to nurse instead.You can but cups from avent that are suitable for freezing and for the microwave and once you take the lid off you can put teat on use straight from the cup. Good luck hope this helps. x x

Answer 5

I had to return to work so I pumped all the time. It doesn't have to be all or nothing with "breast"feeding. Giving your baby your milk via a bottle is just as good of an option!

Freshly pumped breastmilk is good at room temp for 4-6 hours, 7 days in the frig, and 2-4 months in the freezer.

Never refreeze breastmilk, and once you thaw breastmilk, use it within 24 hours.

Good luck! (I did the same "impatient" research before my baby came. You will be glad you did!)

Answer 6

You can purchase bags to freeze the breast milk in and then warm them as normal. This is a great way to involve daddy in the feeding process and still provide breast milk for the baby. Kudos for planning to breastfeed and remember to drink PLENTY of water to keep the milk up!!

Congratulations and good luck!!

Answer 7

Sterilise the containers that you are going to express milk into and store milk in. Make sure they are clean first, then boil them for five minutes or soak in sterilising solution.
Express milk straight into sterilised containers.
Store milk in sterilised plastic or glass. Plastic is better for freezing.
Cover the container and keep it in the back of refrigerator where it is coldest (not in the door).
Milk stored in the refrigerator is best used within 48 hours.
Frozen milk will keep for 2 weeks in a freezer section inside a one-door fridge, or for 3 months in the freezer section of a fridge with a separate door, and for 6 - 12 months in a separate deep freeze (write the date on a label on the container).
You can add more breastmilk to a container in the freezer if you chill it in the fridge first. It will only keep for as long as the OLDEST milk in the container.

Answer 8

Breast milk is good in the fridge for 24 hours. Also it is fine to keep the breast milk in the freezer. It is very safe and a good way to store it.

You can just take it out and warm it up like normal. Or have it thaw in the fridge over night.

Hope that helps a little.

Answer 9

Sounds like you need some basic support. :) First, try talking to the hospital where you plan to give birth about meeting with their lactation consultant. (Or ask your midwife to recommend one.) Also, try visiting http://www.lalecheleague.org/ for information and local support groups.

As for your specific question. Breastmilk keep for about 4 hours at room temperature, 7-10 days in the fridge, and 3-6 months in a regular freezer. (Like the freezer part of a fridge combo.) If you want to keep it even longer, you can keep it in a deep freezer (like a chest freezer) and it should keep about 6-12 months.

I would recommend pulling out frozen milk a day or so before you plan to use it, to allow it to thaw. Othewise it takes forEVER to melt and reheat it to feeding temperature. And always use hot water to warm the milk- NOT the microwave. It will destroy the nutrients in the milk.

Good luck, and if you have any other questions, feel free to contact me. :)

Answer 10

24 hours in the fridge and 1-2 months in the freezer. You can buy special, sterilised freezer bags especially for breast milk.

Drink plenty of water and if you are using an electric pump don't turn up the pressure too high to start or you'll hurt your self. A photo of the baby will also help stimulate the milk flow if you are expressing at work.