During discharge teaching for a breastfeeding client, which statement indicates understanding of breast milk storage?

• A. Feed the remaining milk later
• B. Discard any unused breastmilk that is left in the bottle.
• C. Mix with fresh milk
• D. Warm it and offer again

Answer: (B)

When teaching about safe handling of expressed breast milk, the important idea is to prevent bacterial growth by discarding milk that remains after a feeding. Once the baby has fed from a bottle, any leftover milk in the bottle can be contaminated by the baby’s mouth and, if kept, may spoil or harbor bacteria. Rewarming and offering it again or trying to mix it with fresh milk can increase the risk of illness, so the safest practice is to discard it.

If you plan to store milk for later use, do so safely by refrigerating promptly in a clean container and using it within the recommended time frame, or freezing it for longer storage. Always label with date and time, and avoid refreezing thawed milk or leaving milk at room temperature too long.