How Long Can Expressed Milk Be Kept In Refrigaration?

Posted on Fri, 21 Feb 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 21 Feb 2014 Answered on

Wed, 12 Mar 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : I express milk and give it in a bottle at times. How long( hours) can i keep the bottle in the fridge after she drank from the bottle? HCM43731

Answered by Dr. Praveen G (10 minutes later)

Hello, Welcome to HCM, The expressed milk can be kept for 24 hours in the refrigarator and it can be kept for 6 hours in the normal room temperature. Thank you.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Praveen G (4 hours later)

If she already drank from the milk in a bottle, can i keep that milk? I read that you have to throw that milk away because of bacteria. Is that true or gor how long can i keep the bottle she drank from?

Answered by Dr. Praveen G (3 hours later)

Brief Answer: Milk should be discarded. Detailed Answer: Hello, Welcome to Healthcare magic. Its my pleasure to answer your query. If the baby has already drank from the bottle, better to discard the milk of that bottle because normal bacterial flora present in the baby's mouth will contaminate the milk. Hence, I would advice you to take the milk in the amount required for the baby in a stainless steel bowl and feed with the stainless steel spoon. By doing this you can reuse the milk kept in the bottle (refrigerator) for 24 hours. But you should take all precautions to sterilize the bowl and spoon before each feed. If any further queries,feel free to post them. Thank you.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj