Can i save leftover breast milk

Such factors include milk volume, room temperature when milk is expressed, temperature fluctuations in the refrigerator and freezer, and cleanliness of the environment. Do you have other questions, such as where to store breast milk at work, and what to do when the power goes out?

Visit Frequently Asked Questions. Always thaw the oldest breast milk first. Remember first in, first out. Over time, the quality of breast milk can decrease. Carefully clean, sanitize, and store pump equipment, baby bottles, and other feeding items to protect your breast milk from contamination. See CDC guidance on how to safely clean and store pump equipment and infant feeding items. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link.

Section Navigation. It goes without saying that nobody wants to throw away precious, pumped liquid gold. Here are tips and tricks on what you can do with your leftover breast milk so you can make the most of it and never waste a single drop again! Your baby developed an intolerance to a food you were eating.

You have excessively high lipase in your breast milk which causes your frozen breast milk to have a sour smell and taste although this is rare and treatable. Your baby weaned and you still have milk left in the freezer. Breast milk contains live cells which kill bacteria which helps it stay fresh for longer than pasteurized cows milk or formula.

Up-to-date breast milk storage guidelines are done by the U. Storing your milk in ounce bags is perfect and then you can add some extra if baby is still hungry. We also recommend storing some 1 oz. Ice cube trays are 1 ounces and freeze breast milk perfectly! After 2 hours, leftover breast milk should be discarded. This can help you avoid having to dispose of already-thawed breast milk that does not get finished. Per the CDC, there are three best practices for thawing your breast milk:.

When reusing breast milk, never thaw or heat it in your microwave. Microwaving may also destroy important nutrients in your breast milk before it even reaches your little one. Download our storage guidelines infographic - also available in Spanish - for a convenient printable resource that you can keep on hand, stick on your fridge, or store in your pump bag!

Clearly labeling your stored breast milk with the date it was pumped can help you remember to always use the oldest milk first, while keeping your refrigerated and frozen supplies organized. This is also beneficial because the quality of your breast milk can decrease over time. You may also wish to download a printable feeding and pumping log to help you record your baby's feedings and your pumping sessions, so you can stay as organized as possible during those early days and nights at home - Doing so can also help you remember which pumped milk to use or freeze, so none of that precious liquid gold goes to waste!