reheating BM?

kimberley wrote: so i have been pumping milk for K every morning.. about 4oz.. and DH never uses it all BUT warms it all up to try to feed her. can this milk be saved?

i am mad tired so sorry if that didn't make sense

PrairieMom replied: I don't think so. Can you divide it up into smaller portions so it soesn't get wasted?

amynicole21 replied: No, you shouldn't re-heat. I would just try to give it to her in smaller portions. If she doesn't finish it all, try again in an hour. I don't put the milk back in the fridge after the first feeding because I want it to get to room temp instead of cold again. I have been known to push that hour "re-try" limit, but they tell you not to because bacteria is beginning to grow.

coasterqueen replied: I agree with Amy (btw Amy, long time no see ) on this.

IF he warms the bottle and she doesn't take any of it it can be rewarmed but that's the only circumstance that can be done. And this is because the baby's saliva causes bacteria to grow in the milk like Amy mentioned.

Go with smaller increments of milk for sure. FWIW Megan is 11 months and barely takes 3 ounces at a sitting. Course Kylie was a HOG and took a lot more. It's so hard to tell with each baby.

kimberley replied: ok now that i am more awake.. let me ask what i really need to know

i leave dh the 4oz at 9am and it is *just* expressed fresh, not refigerated. usually by 9:30am he warms it a bit then tries to feed her the same bottle periodically (she still hates the bottle ) til about 1pm never putting the milk in the fridge. i am thinking that isn't a great idea cuz he warms in up about 3 times. so should i tell him to only warm an ounce in the bottle at a time and do i have to refrigerate the rest? the avent stuff said it is good for 10hrs at room temp

amynicole21 replied: Firstly, I think room temp is ok... he may just want to offer that in 1oz increments anyway. You really don't want it too warm. I would split it up though. Once she has taken a sip, the enzymes in her mouth which digest the milk have gotten into the bottle. They will continue to "digest" the milk while it's in the bottle making it go bad. If he tries with 1oz at a time at least only *that* ounce is contaminated, you know?

coasterqueen replied: Hmm, I'd have to check Kelly's site. That seems like a long time to me to keep it out at room temperature.

holley79 replied: Thanks for Asking this Kim. I was wondering the same thing. I need to get back on Kelly and check it out.

Is it the nipple maybe that she is not accepting. I bought the Playtex drop in bottles. There is a nipple that is just like her paci and very soft. That is the only one she will take. I hope that it gets better. Annika won't take a bottle from me but at least she will take it from DH.

kimberley replied: thanks. i am totally clueless when it comes to this pumping/storage stuff.

dh thinks she just doesn't like him . he's tried different nipples and positions etc and none of it takes. she still won't take any paci either. i ended up telling my boss i can't stay the 6mos he needed me for cuz DH just can't handle her screaming the 4-5hrs i am gone then have to go in and work for 10hrs. i am training a new girl on friday and for next week, then back to being a sahm. oh well.

holley79 replied: I'm with you on this whole clueless thing.

Shawn found that putting her on the ottoman, propped up with her boppy was the best to get her to drink. I am leaving him with it for 6 hours Friday night so we will see how it goes. He can't handle it when she cuts loose either. I'm trying to get them both to where they know one another. I have only a few more weeks then my time is up. I wish there was some way for me to be a SAHM but just can't do that right now. Told him he needs to get a second job.

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied:
I think leaving the freshly expressed milk out of the fridge from 9-1 is fine, I think 4 hours was my rule, but reheating it 3 times IMO is not a good idea whether she had a taste of it or not. Every time you heat it, the composition of BM breaks down some, especially if he's using a microwave. I always used a bottle warmer, but I have a friend that only used a microwave which IMO is a bad idea. If I've reheated leftover food let's say, I would never reheat what I didn't eat. I would suggest making smaller batches.

kimberley replied: i would never use a microwave. he just puts the bag in a bowl of warm water.
i will separate it into 1.5oz bags for him tho. that should be enough, right?

coasterqueen replied:
1.5 ounces is good Kimberley.

And NO, I sincerely hope NO ONE uses a microwave or a pan of hot water to warm a bottle of BM OR formula.

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied:
Okay, I don't want to hijack your post Kimberly, but yeah, I have a friend that I noticed always put frozen bags of BM in the microwave! Freaked me out, but she's very sensitive and I just couldn't say anything. Her daughter is going to an allergist right now because she has been sick for like three months...and I was actually wondering if this could be a result? I would imagine the plastic gets into the milk, right? Scary. Totally different topic, sorry, but I was just wondering if there is any connection.