can I reheat breast milk?

[millsa]

quick advice please... I keep finding conflicting opinions on it: can I reheat (previously defrosted) breast milk (in a microvawe?), and how many times? I just hate throwing it away if my baby doesn't finiash her bottle. many thanks in advance!

[Sanne Panne]

I always trust the Kellymom site, here's a page about reusing breast milk, looks like it's ok if you keep it at room temperature: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/reusing-expressedmilk.html

[Helen GV]

i wouldn't, not good to reheat any type of food more than once and not worth the risk.

better to freeze in smaller amounts, i know it's frustrating!

sorry, crossed posts!

[Ruth_Baldock]

I always followed the rule of freeze, thaw, heat to body temp, feed, throw out.

[Saffron]

It's a personal choice really, and can also depend on your baby's taste.

Milk which has been frozen/heated has a slightly different taste, due to the change in protein structure caused by freezing or heating. The more times you do either, the more you change the milk (and decrease its nutritional value). Some babies don't like breastmilk once it's been altered in this way.

Also, breastmilk has antibodies in it that help to deter bacterial growth. These are degraded with every cycle of heating (or freezing). So if you really want to reheat breastmilk, think about the time table over which you do so. The kind of bacteria likely to grow in breastmilk are not likely to multiply rapidly over just a few hours. For example, milk from a feed at 9AM should be fine to reheat for a 12PM feed (although it won't taste as fresh or be as nutritious). As with cow's milk, you can taste the milk for yourself, and just throw it out if you're unsure.

[hpsaucey]

Helen GV Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> i wouldn't, not good to reheat any type of food

> more than once and not worth the risk.

> better to freeze in smaller amounts, i know it's

> frustrating!

>

> sorry, crossed posts!

Second Helen GV. Freeze in small amounts in minimise waste!

And heat up gently so you don't destroy its qualities.

You can always use any you're not entirely sure about but think might be OK in cooking for yourselves rather than for the baby so it won't be wasted.

H