Can You Reheat Breast Milk More Than Once?

Breast milk is like liquid gold. It is so valuable to a baby and the person who is pumping it. If you are pumping your breast milk because of access or just because, storing your breast milk properly is integral. If your baby does not drink all of the breast milk in one sitting, can you restore it?

To ensure that you can reheat breast milk more than once, you have to be sure that you are storing breast milk correctly. If breast milk is not stored correctly, it can go bad and if fed to your baby, it can make them very sick. No one wants to waste breast milk!

Breast Milk Storage

Storing breast milk just takes a little bit of organization! Make sure to label your milk with the date. Use the oldest breast milk first so nothing goes to waste. The CDC has some excellent recommendations on storage temperatures and thawing options. They even have a magnet sized printable! This is great when you go to the fridge or freezer in the middle of the night if you need a reminder!

Can You Reheat Breast Milk More Than One Time?

It would be great to be able to reuse your breast milk over and over again to feed your baby. Unfortunately, that is not the case. You can only freeze and thaw your breast milk once. If you were to do it more than once, the milk would lose its nutrients. At this stage in their life, your baby needs every bit of nutrients they can. When milk is refrozen over and over again, it loses its nutritional value. This can be very dangerous for the baby.

However, we have some great tips on how to express your breast milk and how to optimize your breast milk storage organization.

Top Reasons Why You Do Not Refreeze Your Breast Milk Over and Over Again

When you are tired, in a time crunch or just not wanting to lose your precious breast milk, the idea to refreeze your breast milk for a second time may be tempting. Here are the top reasons why you do not refreeze your breast milk over and over again.

It loses its nutritional value

We all want what is best for baby. We want to make sure that our baby gets the most nutrients they can during every feeding. If a baby was refed old breast milk that was previously frozen more than once, they will be losing nutrients and not getting the minimum requirement that they need to live and grow.

The milk can produce harmful bacteria over time

Over time, milk that is refrozen and thawed can develop harmful bacteria. Keeping baby healthy during these formative months is integral. Bacteria can grow in the bottle and enter babies mouth.

It Can Go Bad

The breast milk can go bad. It can start to smell and go bad which is a waste of breast milk and most importantly, not good for your baby.

The Fat Can Separate From The Rest of The Milk

As breast milk ages, the fat from the milk begins to separate from the rest of the milk. This could mean an imbalanced feeding that can make the baby sick or not taste right. Even if you shake the breast milk, it never goes back to the same consistency that it was when it was pumped fresh.

How To Express Breast Milk

There are different ways to express breast milk. You can do whatever is most comfortable for you. It is your body and your choice. Each decision you make is only what is best for you and your baby.

Hand Expression of Breast Milk

One great way to express milk is by hand. This can be a great comfort to breast feeding Moms.  Here is a great example on how to express breast milk with your hand.

Breast Pump

A breast pump is another great way to express milk quickly and for many people, fairly easily. The first step is to chose whether you want a manual breast pump, a battery operated breast pump or an electrical breast pump. A manual breast pump is expressed through your hand pumping. A battery breast pump fits into your bra and does the pumping while you can walk around. The electric breast pump is plugged in and pumps your breasts for you.

With the breast pump, you can store the breast milk in the bottle or in another manner that you prefer. Many people look to get a free breast pump and use these top tips to save some money.

Can You Microwave Breast Milk?

For any tired parent, it could be so easy just to microwave your breast milk so it can be fed quickly to your baby. You may be in a time crunch, exhausted, or your baby wants milk asap. It is not recommended to microwave your breast milk. During the time it is microwaved, the milk can lose its nutrients. The baby needs every bit of nutrients to live and continue to grow. Do not microwave your breast milk.

Instead there are other recommendations on how to reheat your breast milk safely.

How To Heat Breast Milk From Frozen

It is time to use your breast milk but it is frozen! Since the microwave is not recommended, here are other safe ways to heat up your breast milk for your baby. Remember, your breast milk does not have to be heated to hot or very warm. It just needs to be room temperature.

Let it Thaw Itself Out

Depending on how frozen it is, let is thaw out naturally. The nutrients will stay in tact and not be challenged by a quick heating method. Make sure not to leave it out too long, as breast milk can eventually go bad.

Heat It With the Stove Top

Putting the frozen breast milk in a container in a pot with water and heat it slowly. We never want the breast milk to cook, but slowly to reheat so it is ready for consumption.

Put The Breast Milk in A Warm Bowl of Water

Put the breast milk in a warm bowl of water to slowly dethaw. This is a great way to keep the nutrients in the breast milk and to thaw it out safely. However, this method can take too long. Be sure to watch the time and do not exceed a couple of hours. If it is not working, make sure to lightly heat it on the stove top, as instructed above.

Heating your breast milk from frozen is a great way to keep the milk supply in great use and never wasting any. For more ways to warm your breast milk, talk to your doctor on what method is best for you and your baby.

Can You Re-Freeze Breast Milk After It Is Thawed?

You cannot re-freeze your breast milk after it has thawed. It looses its nutritional value and your baby needs that nutrition every few hours.  Make sure to use all of the breast milk after it is thawed. If your baby does not want anymore, use the breast milk on your nipples if they feel dry. It can act as a natural moisturizer. Your body is incredible.

The milk fat begins to separate from the rest of the milk. This is another reason why you can’t leave breast milk thawed for too long or re freeze it.

Reheating Breast Milk

Like cows milk or goats milk, human milk goes bad after a time. Reheating anything takes the nutrients out of the food and of course, food ages, even when refrigerated. A way to avoid worrying about reheating breast milk is to have an organizational system in place so you keep as much breast milk as possible.

Breast Milk Storing Tips

Storing your breast milk can be really helpful to keeping and using as much of your breast milk as possible. Keeping organized and understanding your breast feeding needs is important. Some people have what feels like an unlimited supply of breast milk. Other people seem to have a limited supply no matter what they do. Whatever situation your breast milk supply is in, storing breast milk is important to everyone.  Here are the best breast milk storing tips to get you started.

Here are some breast milk storing tips that will help you keep organized while you store your liquid gold:

-When storing the breast milk, make sure to label it with the date it was pumped so you always use the oldest milk first.

-use BPA and paraben free storage options

– keep in the refrigerator for up to four days.

-keep breast milk in the freezer ideally for 6 months though many people can store up until a year.

What To Do With Extra Breast Milk

If you pumped or expressed your breast milk, it is a lot of work. It can be both physically and mentally draining. This is why some parents get upset if they have to dump breast milk. Realistically, there will be times that your child will not drink all of their bottle. There are other things you can do with extra breast milk that you cannot reheat. Here are some ideas to help you get the most out of that extra breast milk so it does not go to waste when your child will not drink anymore.

Remember that you can have breast milk up to two hours at room temperature. If you think your child will spot feed in that time you can use it for a tiny top up feeding.

Here are ideas for what to do with extra breast milk:

Use The Breast Milk to Treat Sore Nipples

If your breasts are sore due to pumping and/or breast feeding, consider using your breast milk on your nipples. Many people claim it helps them a great deal in between breast feeds. It nourishes the nipple while it is resting from baby!

Make Soap Out Of Breast Milk

Some parents swear by making their own soap out of breast milk. Making soap out of your breast milk becomes a hobby for some parents. They buy soap molds and find the perfect recipe that suits them. They use the soap to nourish their skin and claim it has amazing benefits. This is a nice treat for yourself and it puts your milk to good use.

Put Your Breast Milk Into Your Bath

Do you love baths? Pour some of your breast milk into your bath and enjoy your very own milk bath. As mentioned above, your breast milk will have great benefits for your skin. Schedule some relaxing time for your self and enjoy your very own milk bath.

Donate Your Breast Milk

Consider donating your breast milk to those who may not be able to feed their children breast milk but desire to. Talk to your doctor about donating your breast milk to milk banks near you. It is a wonderful gift that you could give another family.

These are some of the many ideas that you can do with extra breast milk. You can do some or all of these ideas!

Cooking With Breast Milk

Some people use the extra breast milk to use in recipes that they consume. Talk to your doctor about cooking with breast milk and if it is right for you. There are many recipes online that you can choose from to have for yourself.

Reheating Breast Milk Over and Over Again

You may not be able to reheat breast milk more than once, but there are some great ways for you to be organized with your breast milk storage. With the simple tips listed, you will be making sure your baby gets the breast milk they need. Don’t forget some of the great ways to use that extra breast milk. Even though you may not be able to reheat your breast milk, there are great ways to make sure it works out.