I received this question today:
If breastmilk has been thawed and wasn’t used, can I refreeze it? If not, and I store it in the fridge, what’s the shelf life?
Good questions! If breast milk has been thawed and was not used, it should not be refrozen. In the back of the refrigerator (not in or near the door), thawed milk can be stored up to 24 hours for later use.
For more information on storage and handling of expressed breast milk, see:
LLLI.org: La Leche League Storage Guidelines for Pumped Milk; For an update from June 2008, see La Leche League Updates Breast Milk Storage Guidelines
Kellymom.com: Breastmilk Storage and Handling
Kellymom.com: Human Milk Storage — Guidelines for Premature or Hospitalized Infants (these guidelines are more restrictive)
I have been having the same problem with my daycare kindercare, murrieta as other mothers with them not being able to handle it unless it is in a bottle, and then the red hazard labels. It is just plain sad that here they promote it as a healthy positive thing and then when you are actually a mother who cares about her childs health they try to punish you for it. shame on them and whoever it dishing them a bunch of crap!!!
[...] a follow-up question to this one about breast milk storage guidelines, I got this question: My husband was supposed to feed the baby with my breastmilk while I was away [...]
24 hours! Dang… there goes 5 oz of white gold…