couple of Q about occasional expressing

[Mummy Bean]

sorry I know this a repeated topic, but as Doug now 4 weeks and I felt BF was going good I decided to pump and try a bottle - and what seems to be a success!

however just a few question going forward.
- I heard it should be stored 6 hr in the room, 6 days in the fridge and 6 months in the freezer - is that correct?
So If I am going out for the day somewhere I don't feel comfortable BF I can just take a bottle of BM - I don't need to keep it chilled or anything??

- I only want to give it occasionally like if I am going out without baby so could be every couple of weeks. - will he forget how to take it...or do I need to give a bottle more regularly like 1/2 a week?

- If he doesn't drink all of it can I put what's left in the fridge to use later or is it best to dump it?

- If I am only occasionally pumping how much do you reckon is safe to pump at one time? I seem to have a pretty fast let down and just got 2oz in 5min and I don't feel empty. and does it matter what time of day I do it?

thanks in advance

 

[Katteh]

Replies in blue x

sorry I know this a repeated topic, but as Doug now 4 weeks and I felt BF was going good I decided to pump and try a bottle - and what seems to be a success!

however just a few question going forward.
- I heard it should be stored 6 hr in the room, 6 days in the fridge and 6 months in the freezer - is that correct?
So If I am going out for the day somewhere I don't feel comfortable BF I can just take a bottle of BM - I don't need to keep it chilled or anything?? that sounds about right. Information varies from place to place but breastmilk is pretty robust so I think the lower numbers - 3 hours/weeks/months - are overly cautious

- I only want to give it occasionally like if I am going out without baby so could be every couple of weeks. - will he forget how to take it...or do I need to give a bottle more regularly like 1/2 a week? some babies are happy having infrequent bottles but others suddenly start rejecting them. I know someone whose baby had one a day and still decided to stop taking them, so it probably doesn't matter much.

- If he doesn't drink all of it can I put what's left in the fridge to use later or is it best to dump it? as long as you put it in straight away it is good for another 2 or 3 hours. Bacteria enters the bottle from baby's mouth but breastmilk has antibacterial properties so it is much harder to contaminate.

- If I am only occasionally pumping how much do you reckon is safe to pump at one time? I seem to have a pretty fast let down and just got 2oz in 5min and I don't feel empty. and does it matter what time of day I do it? morning is usually when you have the most milk, so it is easiest to do it then. I tend to get similar from the initial letdown but it can then take me a little while longer to get more from further letdowns.

thanks in advance

 

[calliebaby]

I have also read milk is good in a deep freezer 6-12 months.

 

[misspriss]

Freshly expressed milk is good at room temp for about 6 hours, but if it has already been in the fridge you would have to account for that. So if it has been in the fridge for 2 days, I wouldn't take it out for more than a couple hours.

Of course, I've never thrown any out except some that was thawed (if you freeze then fridge, 24 hours max - freezing kills some antibacterial stuff). I have always figured if it didn't smell off, it was probably good. LO's never gotten sick off it...