Can you put breast milk back in the fridge?

Understanding Breast Milk Storage: Can You Put It Back in the Fridge?
Breastfeeding mothers often face questions about the safe storage and handling of breast milk, particularly when it comes to reusing milk after it has been warmed. The guidelines surrounding this topic are crucial for ensuring the health and safety of infants.
Storage Guidelines for Breast Milk
Breast milk can be safely stored in the refrigerator for up to four days at a temperature of around 40°F (4°C). It is recommended to chill the milk immediately after expressing it to maximize its freshness and safety. When storing breast milk, using glass or BPA-free plastic containers with tight-fitting lids is advisable, and each container should be labeled with the date and time of expression.
What Happens After Warming?
When breast milk is warmed, the situation changes. According to health guidelines, once breast milk has been warmed and offered to a baby, any leftover milk should ideally be discarded. This is because the milk can become contaminated with bacteria from the baby’s mouth, making it a potential growth medium for harmful pathogens.
However, if the warmed milk has not been consumed, it can be returned to the refrigerator as long as it is done within four hours of warming. This means that if a mother warms a bottle of breast milk but the baby only drinks a portion, the remaining milk can be safely refrigerated again, provided it is within that four-hour window.
Best Practices for Safety
To ensure the safety of breast milk, mothers should avoid storing it in the door of the refrigerator, where temperatures can fluctuate due to frequent opening and closing. Instead, placing it in the main body of the fridge is recommended. Additionally, once breast milk has been thawed, it should never be refrozen, and mixing milk that has been stored at different temperatures is discouraged.
In summary, while it is permissible to put breast milk back in the fridge after warming, it is essential to adhere to the four-hour rule and to discard any milk that has been offered to the baby but not consumed. Following these guidelines helps ensure that breast milk remains safe and nutritious for infants.

Can you rewarm breast milk twice?

Breast milk that has been refrigerated or frozen can only be heated once. Never reheat breast milk as this accumulates bacteria the more it is exposed to warmer temperatures. Breast milk that has been heated or brought to room temperature needs to be consumed within 2 hours.

How long is breastmilk good after taking out of the fridge?

4 hours
At room temperature (77°F or colder) for up to 4 hours. In the refrigerator for up to 4 days. In the freezer for about 6 months is best; up to 12 months is acceptable.

Can I refrigerate breast milk after thawing?

Using thawed breastmilk
Milk thawed in the refrigerator must be used within 24 hours. Milk thawed to room temperature or warmer should ideally be used in 1 to 2 hours. If your baby didn’t finish the bottle, the leftover breastmilk can still be used within 2 hours after the baby is done feeding.

Can you put breast milk in fridge after sitting out?

You can store expressed breast milk in the refrigerator overnight. Freshly expressed breast milk can be safely stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. However, if breast milk is left out at room temperature (above 77°F or 25°C) for more than 4 hours, it should be discarded, as it may spoil.

Can you put breast milk back in the fridge if not used?

Don’t put leftover breast milk back in the fridge to use later or refreeze it. It’s important to follow safety guidelines for breast milk because bacteria can grow in it if you leave it out for too long.

Can you put milk back in fridge after room temperature?

Food can hang out in this zone for a bit, but after two hours, the risk of potentially harmful bacteria is significant. The clock rolls back to just one hour if the ambient temperature in the room is at 90 degrees F or higher — all to say, it’s imperative to get that milk back in the fridge as soon as possible.

Can you refrigerate breast milk twice?

If, after feeding your baby, you’re left with half or a quarter of a bottle, you can reuse it, but only if you’re going to do so quite soon. The CDC advises reusing leftover breast milk within two hours of the last feeding. If it’s longer than two hours, you should throw it away. Do not freeze and reuse later.

How to know if breastmilk is spoiled?

It will also smell bad, much like spoiled cow’s milk. And, like spoiled cow’s milk, breast milk that’s old will taste sour. (It’s fine to taste your breast milk to check!) Always label your pumped milk with a time and date so you can tell how old it is.

Can you put baby milk back in the fridge after warming?

If it’s been warmed up, just toss it. Warmed up milk cannot go back into the fridge.

Can I combine breast milk from different days?

Can I add freshly expressed breast milk to already stored milk? You can add freshly expressed breast milk to refrigerated or frozen milk. However, thoroughly cool the freshly expressed breast milk in the refrigerator or a cooler with ice packs before adding it to previously chilled or frozen milk.