Breastfeeding/thawed breastmilk

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Expert: - 5/28/2008


Question
I freeze my breastmilk and use on the days I work.  Last night around 11:00 pm, I took a bag out of the freezer and MEANT to put it in the fridge to thaw, but then the baby started crying and I accidently left it out on the countertop.  It sat out until 6:00 am.  My husband, not realizing what happened, put the milk in bottles and sent it to the babysitter's.  As soon as I realized this, I called the babysitter but she had already fed the baby one bottle of this milk.  She said he didn't take it very well and has been fussy today, but no other symptoms.  I am now in a total panic that I have given my baby food poisoning or something.  My question is, do you think the milk was spoiled, and are there any symptoms I should watch for in my baby that would indicate something is wrong?  Also, how long would it take for him to start showing signs of something like this?  It has now been about 6 hours since he took the bottle in question and the babysitter is still saying he is fussy but hasn't spit up or anything. Could he get an infection of some kind from this that wouldn't appear until weeks later?  Thank you for your help.

Answer
Dear Kim,

First, congratulations for giving your son the best start in life by breastfeeding him!

While you won't be making a habit of leaving your milk out for seven hours (!), accidents do happen -- and chances are that your son has not been harmed. It generally takes about four hours for milk to go through the system, so if that bottle had been bad, your baby probably would have shown some signs of illness by now -- like throwing up, which is the most common sign of food poisoning. It's very unlikely that he would develop an infection that wouldn't show up for some time. Watch him closely for the next couple of days to see if he seems to be developing anything. And I would discard any other bottles of that milk, just to be on the safe side.

Good luck!

Sally
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Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters. Now in revision for a fourth edition, with Laura M. Marks, M.D.  

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Sally Wendkos Olds

Expertise

What do you want to know about breastfeeding? I can tell you what`s good for the baby, what`s good for the mother -- and the father, how it`s related to a woman`s sexuality, how working moms can nurse, how to overcome obstacles, and lots more. As the author of THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING and author or coauthor of 8 other books and more than 200 articles about child and adult development, I can offer sound, sensible advice on breastfeeding, child care and family issues.

Experience

I nursed my 3 daughters and am the grandmother of 5 breastfed children. My book THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING (written in consultation with pediatrician Marvin S. Eiger, M.D.) was first published in 1972, and in 1999 came out in an updated 3rd Edition by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books. It is now a classic, with over 2 million copies in print. I am now revising this book for a fourth edition, consulting with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D. This new edition will be published September 2009. I welcome any and all suggestions for the new edition. I coauthored college textbooks A CHILD'S WORLD: INFANCY THROUGH ADOLESCENCE, and HUMAN DEVELOPMENT; both are leading texts in their fields and have been read by 2 million students. I am the coauthor of HELPING YOUR CHILD FIND VALUES TO LIVE BY and RAISING A HYPERACTIVE CHILD, and author of THE WORKING PARENTS' SURVIVAL GUIDE & THE ETERNAL GARDEN: SEASONS OF OUR SEXUALITY. My newest book, A BALCONY IN NEPAL: GLIMPSES OF A HIMALAYAN VILLAGE, published in 2002, tells the story of the way of life in a remote village in Nepal, where all the women breastfeed! My book, SUPER GRANNY: COOL PROJECTS, ACTIVITIES, AND OTHER GREAT STUFF TO DO WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS, will be published March 2009. I speak often to professional, parent and general audiences and make many radio and TV appearances.

Credentials I received my B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, where I minored in Psychology, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude.

Other points of interest I have received national awards for my writing, and am a former president of the American Society of Journalists & Authors. I am listed in the World Who's Who of Women, International Authors & Writers Who's Who, and Contemporary Authors, and am a member of several professional and civic organizations. I believe: that all parents are working parents; that parents employed outside the home need special support; that mothers' well-being is crucial to their children's welfare; and that the family is the best institution in the world and the one for which we are least prepared. My thrills come when parents or kids tell me they were helped by my writing or speaking or just understanding. To find out more about me, go to

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