Breastmilk - Washington,MO

For such quick (overnight) visits... store some breastmilk in an ice cube tray. Each cube is 1 oz, and they can be warmed up 2 - 3 cubes at a time (2-3 oz) so no milk is wasted.

I'm not sure what the official recommendation is, but I know breast milk has different recommendations than formula does. I read a study recently that says breastmilk can be kept at room temperature for much longer than originally believed, and there was something in the article about being able to keep a bottle that had been drank out of for up to 24 hours.

I am not making any recommendations, but I think you should do some research...

I always warmed the milk, but I have never had a kid who would take it otherwise at that age!! As they get older they are better about that, but he is used to your nice warm milk, so I think it will have to be warmed. The general rule for amount is the number of months the baby is +2oz per feeding. So in your case, baby is 4 months to 4+2 is six ounces of milk per feeding. He may want more or less at times but most likely 6 ounces at a time will satisfy him while he is at your mom's. My MIL is a nurse and that is what she always told me and it worked well. Once they get up to taking about 8oz, you don't have to use the rule anymore, 8oz at a time is good when they are 6mo+. As far as the milk sitting out, I have heard it can be out up to like 4 hours or so. I have never used it much past an hour or so, but I am funny about stuff like that, so I would think checking with La Leche League online would be an excellent source of info. Also, my MIL told me to never re-heat the milk after the first time. I can't remember why, she's a nurse and had five kids of her own so I think I just took the info, filed it and ran with it. You can check into why, but I don't think you can re-heat. Take care and good luck leaving him with your mom overnight, wish you the best!

My kids usually ate less during night feedings, about half to 2/3 a daytime feeding. I was told breastmilk can sit at room temp for 4 hours (some even say as much as 8 hrs) if it is not in a bottle that has been drunk from. Also, formula you can get away with microwaving but not breastmilk--it kills some of the cells. But you can microwave a mug of water to heat the milk in. I would start with 3-4 oz and have 2 more ready if needed but not in the same bottle. Just add it to the bottle if the baby is still awake and hungry after the initial amount. I had low milk supply and supplemented both of mine with formula so I learned how not to waste any breastmilk.

When my babies were young I always gave them a bottle right before I went to sleep (they halfway woke up to eat). It saved me a bit of sleep.

Warm the milk... it helps baby digest better and helps vitamins absorb better. Plus babies like it warm, naturally supposed to be that way :)

It is fine to give it, my son would only drink cold bottles but my daughters had to be nice and warm. I was always told that once it is warmed you cannot save whatever is left. And I wouldn't let a bottle sit around for more than 2 hours, I would get a new one after that.

Check out kellymom.com. They have all the latest recommendations for times for leaving in room temp, in the fridge, etc but breastmilk can technically be left for the next feeding unlike formula. This is because of the protective antibodies in breastmilk.

While you can give cold breastmilk it really is much nicer for baby to have it warmed and it always seemed to me that the fats mixed back together better when it was warmed a bit.

I think there is also a calculator tool on kellymom or breastfeeding.com that will help you determine about how much a ebf baby will eat at a sitting based on weight and the numbers of times per day they nurse total.

I would check out Le Leche League International. They work worldwide and have many great tools and answers on their website.

Technically speaking if the bottle touched his lips he is not to save any part of it for later as the bacteria from his mouth are then growing in the milk even if refrigerated. When my kids were real little babies I would not have risked it, once they had a little better immune systems and I had less milk to use, I would give them reheated milk. You can leave breast milk out at room temperature for up to 8 hours. I gave my kids milk straight out of the fridge when real hungry but if just snacking they preferred it about body temp

I did a LOT of research, talked to LLLI and my ped, and read as much as I could about the subject when my son was an infant (under one year) because his daycare would warm his breastmilk ONCE to offer it and when he would refuse it or only take 1/2 ounce, they would DUMP IT!! They must have never sat for an hour pumping to try to get ONE 3.5 oz. bottle!! So I felt I HAD to find out if it was safe to rewarm or otherwise keep it. I even had to get a note from his doctor so they wouldn't throw it out! Here is what I learned:

~ You can rewarm breastmilk ONCE (as in if refrigerated, warm once and offer it and if it is not completely consumed you may refrigerate it until the very next feeding then warm it a second time, but then you have to dump what is not finished)

~ Breastmilk does NOT need to be warmed at all! :) If baby will take it cold, that's one less step you need to take. (When I learned this, I tried it and my son took it. After all, he would have to learn to drink cold milk sooner or later!)

~ Fresh pumped breastmilk is safe on the counter for 7-8 hours, in the refrigerator (NOT near the door) 6-7 days, in the back of the freezer 3 months, and in a deep freeze for up to 6 months.

~ Babies will take different amounts at different times, depending on countless factors. Just do what you feel is right. Nurse as close as you can to time for you to leave or to bedtime brfore you go.

~ Keeping in mind all babies are different, my son NEVER took more than 4.5 ounces at a feeding. He usually took about 3.5 to 4 ounces. Sometimes 3 ounces if he wasn't that hungry. Since breastmilk is WAY more dense in nutrients than formula, babies don't usually take as much as formula. (I have heard of formula babies that take 6-8 ounces at once! What?! Where do they put it? Their bellies are so tiny!)

Here's some things I found that I thought were helpful..(from www.breastfeedingbasics.com)

--Many babies don't care if the milk is served cold right out of the fridge. It won't upset their stomach. If you want to try cold milk, be sure to run the nipple under warm water if it has been refrigerated. Most babies dislike cold nipples more than they dislike cold milk.
--You may want to freeze your milk in ice cube trays. Clean the tray first with hot soapy water and air dry. Each cube is about an ounce, so you can pop out as many ounces as you want and put them into freezer bags. They are great to have on hand for snack or cereal feedings when you just need an extra ounce or two.

Because human milk is a living substance, its antibacterial properties help it stay fresh longer than formula. How long you can store it depends on the temperature.
1. Freshly expressed milk can be stored at room temperature for up to ten hours. Colostrum or milk expressed within one week of delivery can be stored for twelve hours at room temperature. However, whenever possible, milk should be placed in the refrigerator soon after expressing.
2. Fresh milk can be kept in the refrigerator for up to eight days. Store it toward the back.
3. Fresh milk can be stored in a cooler with icepacks for up to 24 hours.
4. Fresh milk can be placed in a freezer compartment inside a fridge for up to 2 weeks. (These are usually only found in older type refrigerators).
5. Fresh milk can be kept in a self-contained freezer compartment for 3-6 months, depending on how often the door is opened. Store it toward the back.
6. Fresh milk can be stored in a separate chest type deep freeze for 6-12 months.
7. Milk that has been frozen and thawed can be kept in the fridge for 24 hours. Thawed milk should not be refrozen.

Don't use glass bottles if you are going to store the milk for less than 24 hours, because some of the white blood cells will adhere to the glass, but not to plastic. Since the cells detach after 24 hours, the composition (glass versus plastic) doesn't matter if you are freezing the milk. Since many of the white blood cells are destroyed by freezing, it makes sense to refrigerate milk whenever you will be using it within 8 days. You don't want it to thaw and then refreeze.

--With all these guidelines, remember that fresh milk which has been stored at room temperature or in a cooler before being placed in the fridge or freezer may not keep as long. That's why you should always place milk in the fridge as soon as possible after expressing it.

Sorry its so long, hope you found something useful :)