Yes, if you give your baby a bottle of breast milk and they don't finish the bottle, you may leave the bottle out and offer it again within 2 hours.   Some may argue this is just a rule for formula and not breast milk, we recommend throwing the bottle out after 2 hours because bacteria from saliva can for in the nipple of the bottle.

If the bottle has been heated or warmed, you need to use the bottle or toss the unused amount after 2 hours.  Do NOT put the bottle back in the refrigerator.

No breast pumping Mom ever wants to throw out their "liquid gold," which begs the question... How Long Can Breast Milk Sit Out?  A lot of the answer depends on what happened to the breast milk prior to sitting out. 

Freshly pumped breast milk will usually last about 6-8 hours at room temperature.  This is assuming you don't have lipase issues which break down your milk faster than normal.

Freshly pumped breast milk stored in a cooler with an ice pack is good for about 12 hours before it needs to be refrigerated or giving to your baby.  This is a very loose estimate since cooler and ice pack temps can vary greatly, but it gives you a good idea for instances like pumping at work where you do not have a refrigerator on hand.

Breast milk that has been frozen and then thawed has a MUCH shorter lifespan since some of the breast milk is broken down in the freezing process.  It is best to defrost your breast milk slowly in the refrigerator, which takes about 12 hours.  Once the breast milk is completely thawed it should be used within 24 hours.

Thawed breast milk has a lifespan of about 2 hours at room temperature, after 2 hours it should be discarded.

Once heated (in a glass of warm water or a bottle warmer, never in the microwave) breast milk should be given within the two hour time frame or be discarded as well. Regardless if previously refrigerated or thawed.

Once a bottle has been partially used, it is best to only offer the same bottle within the original two hour time frame that the breast milk was heated or served. Much controversy exists here between LCs, Moms, Experts, etc. because little research exists at the moment.  To avoid bacteria risks we choose to recommend staying within the two hour time frame.

All this being said, it's still best if you plan to freeze the milk to do so within 24 hours and if you're not planning on using fresh milk to refrigerate it as soon as possible.

There is little research on expressed milk and thawing/use, so please remember these are just guidelines.  You milk should not taste sour, most of the time it has a sweeter taste/smell to it.  Although, some mothers have reported a soapy smell/taste once thawed, which is thought to be safe as long as baby will drink it. Also, please note these these guidelines are for full-term healthy babies. 

When to start adding in pumps if you are going back to work is really up to the mom and what her milk/feeding plan is ideally.  I say "ideally" because we all know baby runs the show! 

If you want to maintain breastfeeding and pumping once heading back to work practice  pumping at home the same pumping schedule you plan to have at work for the week or two before you go back, so your body and baby are adjusted.  See if you can have your lunch and break time at work spaced similar to when your baby normally eats. Continue to nurse in the evenings and on weekends.  This method has you pumping for the next day's supply at day care and requires the least amount of storing and pumping.

If you plan to pump exclusively or switch the majority of your sessions to pumping once you start working, start pumping 4-6 weeks before heading back to work.  Once or twice a day add 5 minutes of pumping in after your baby is done nursing. You can start with any session, but I highly recommend starting with yomorning session when your hormone levels are higher.  These extra pumps will signal to your body to make more milk and you'll start to collect any milk in your breast that your baby didn't finish. Continue to pump after every few sessions,  then 2-3 weeks prior to heading back to work (or when you have a little stash of milk built up) you can start swapping feedings for pumping sessions and transition in bottle feeding.

Regardless of the method, it's also a good idea to start bottle feeding at home a week before during the day when your baby will be getting a bottle.  This often helps ease the transition into daycare, so you baby doesn't have to adjust to body feeding and being away from mom at the same time.

This is a question I hear all too often from friends or other pumping moms that email with questions.

The best answer is... the one your baby likes.  I know, I know, not what you're looking for when creating a baby registry or worrying about nipple confusion.  I did some checking around and according to onsumersearch.com the bottles below are what other moms are rating as the best bottle in each specific category.

Best Plastic Bottle: BornFree BPA-Free Bottle

Best Bottle with Disposable Liner: Playtex BPA-Free Drop-Ins Premium Nurser

Best Breastfeeding Friendly Bottle: Adiri Natural Nurser

Best for Colicky Babies: Dr. Brown's Natural Flow

Best Glass Bottle: Wee-Go Glass Bottles

Personally, my favorite bottles were the wide (not standard) playtex drop-ins and avent bottles.  I tried numerous bottles including all of the listed winners except Adiri Natural Nurser and Wee-Go - sometimes for research and sometimes for baby needs (reducing spit-up/gas) and there is a difference and babies do have a preference. 

Lately I've even seen the insulated bottles (think like a travel coffee mug).  Those sound interesting - if anyone's tried some I'd love to hear your review.  I think I'll order some and try them out for our followers.

Whatever you pick for a baby bottle - make sure its BPA free!

click here to read the complete consumer search review

Many moms decide to enter the breast pumping world around the time they start thinking about heading back to work.  Finding the right daycare, coping with leaving your little baby, and managing a workload can be stressful enough let alone finding time to pump at work!  Here's some ideas to help the transition go a little smoother...

• Try thinking about your typical work schedule and what time the best opportunities to pump will be and start mimicking that pumping schedule at home.
• Introduce the bottle to your baby at least a week before you head back to work - this can take time for babies to adjust to, especially if you were full time breastfeeding before.
  
• Pack your pumping bag as much as possible the night before.
• Rinse & store your parts in a refrigerator at work in-between pumping sessions to save time & washing.
• If you're comfortable and have a decent amount of commute time - think about pumping while you're driving - be sure to get the Hands Free Pump Bra first!
• Bring a picture of you baby with you.

Happy Pumping!

One of my big questions as a mom was always, how much should my baby be drinking? The real answer completely depends on your baby, but here's a guideline for what most babies drink...

Baby Age    Amount     Schedule
1 month       2-3 oz.       every 2-3 hours
2 months     2-4 oz.       every 3-4 hours
3 months     3-5 oz.       every 4-5 hours
4 months     4-6 oz.       every 4-5 hours
5 months     5-7 oz.       every 4-6 hours
6 months     6-8 oz.       every 4-6 hours

In the first 12 weeks of breast pumping you're working with your body to build a great supply of milk and you should be pumping at a MINIMUM 8 times per day. Ideally is every 2-3 hours. To kick start your supply here's what I recommend...

• 0-4 weeks: every 2 hours pumping both sides at the same time
• 4-8 weeks: every 2.5-3 hours pumping both sides at the same time
• 8-12 weeks: every 3 hours pumping both sides at the same time

For the duration of each pumping session I recommend 20-25 minutes.

Around the 10 week mark many moms start to question - how do I do this. Don't worry it's completely normal to think this, you meeting a very demanding schedule and your at what is commonly seen as peak exhaustion for your body trying to adjust to your new "sleeping" or not really sleeping schedule. It gets easier, I promise!

Happy Pumping!