Parents have enough to worry about when it comes to nurturing their little ones—especially when it comes to feeding. But do you know if warmed breast milk can be refrigerated again?
Let’s take a look at why this is the case and how you can safely handle warming and storing breast milk.
The Problem with Refrigerating Warmed Breast Milk
When breast milk is warmed, its molecular structure changes, making it more vulnerable to bacterial growth.
Because of this, once a batch of breast milk has been warmed and then cooled back down again, it can no longer be refrigerated—it must be discarded.
This means that if you warm up a bottle of breast milk for your baby but don’t end up using all of it, the remaining milk must be thrown away.
Fortunately, there are ways to avoid wasting any precious breast milk by warming only as much as you need for each feeding.
Some tips on how to do this include heating one ounce at a time in a bowl of hot water or microwaving two ounces at a time for 15 seconds before testing the temperature (and repeating if necessary until it’s just right).
Doing so ensures that your baby gets the nutrients they need and that no precious liquid gold goes to waste!
Storing Warmed Milk Properly
Once heated, breast milk should be used right away; however, some parents may find themselves in situations where they need to store heated milk for future use.
In these cases, experts recommend storing heated milk in clean containers at room temperature and using within four hours; otherwise discard immediately after use.
By following these storage guidelines, parents can rest assured knowing their babies will receive fresh and safe nutrition every time they feed!
In conclusion, warming breast milk is an important part of many infants’ feeding routine; however, parents should be aware that once warmed and cooled back down again, warmed breastmilk cannot be re-refrigerated—it must either be used immediately or discarded.
Fortunately there are ways to heat only what you need so that none of this liquid gold goes to waste!
Additionally, proper storage guidelines should always be followed when storing heated breastmilk for later use—otherwise bacteria could form in the stored product which could cause harm to your little one.
All in all, with proper precautions taken and safe handling practices put into place parents can continue enjoying the joys—and nutrition—of breastfeeding without any worries!
