Anisah's Natural Living

🚨 Recent research is challenging the CDC's strict guidelines on breast milk storage—especially for partially used bottles after feeding.

The CDC currently recommends using or discarding leftover breast milk within 1–2 hours after a baby finishes feeding from the bottle, to limit bacterial risks.

A 2026 German study (preprint on medRxiv, with 44 healthy full-term infants) tested this directly by measuring bacterial growth in leftover human milk after actual bottle feeds.

Main findings:

• Bacterial levels rose after feeding due to contact with the baby's mouth, but showed no meaningful further increase at 4 hours or 8 hours—whether kept at room temperature (~20°C) or refrigerated (4°C).

• Significant growth appeared only after 24 hours at room temperature.

• Refrigerated leftover milk stayed low-risk and stable for up to 24 hours.

For healthy, full-term babies, this suggests it's generally safe to:

• Refrigerate a partially used bottle and reuse it within 24 hours, or

• Leave it at room temperature for up to 8 hours when needed.

Unused pumped milk also proved more stable than the CDC's 4-hour room-temperature rule, with very little bacterial growth even up to 24 hours in many cases, consistent with other recent studies.

The current guidelines are understandably cautious, especially for preterm infants, NICU babies, or those with health issues, who should stick to stricter rules and check with a doctor.

For most parents with healthy babies, though, this new evidence provides real relief: less wasted breast milk, fewer stressful discards, and guidelines that better match actual safety data and everyday feeding life.

🔗 Full preprint: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.13.26346179v1.full-text

Cold and flu season…aka low Vitamin D and high processed sugar season.

It’s ! 🤱🏽

August 9th would have made 9 years that I have been breastfeeding. I weaned my youngest last month when I went to Guyana 🇬🇾. It only took two weeks of her constantly asking once I returned 😅

The ambivalence I feel regarding my almost decade journey is wild 🤯:

9️⃣years. 9 years I shared my body. 9 years of being exhausted, constantly hungry and thirsty. 9 years of being touched out.

But.

9️⃣years my body provided nourishment and comfort for my four children. 9 years my body provided antibodies to keep my children healthy. 9 years my body created the perfect blend of vitamins, minerals, fats, sugars, carbohydrates, proteins, and antioxidants. For 9 years, my body provided my children with leukocytes, which are living cells that can only be found in breastmilk, to help fight against infections.

Alhamdulillah, all thanks is to God for enabling me to provide for my children in best of ways that He commanded 🤲🏽🙏🏾

Breastfeeding is the most natural aspects of motherhood that does NOT come naturally to most. The majority of us lack the proper resources, support, and guidance to make our journeys successful.

Our providers fail us in so many ways. We have family members who are completely ignorant of breastfeeding, but want to give us advice about what we’re doing wrong. We have communities that shame us and demand that we stay hidden while feeding our children. We have a society that demands we return to work before our supply is even established and make pumping difficult, if not impossible. We are set up to fail.

None of that changes the *fact* that . Fed is the bare minimum.

Set yourself up for success with proper education. Get a doula and research your birthing options because your birth can play a major role in your breastfeeding journey. Seek out an IBCLC for education and support. DO NOT LISTEN TO ANYONE (and that includes your pediatrician) who does not provide you with support and encouragement. Find yourself a pediatrician who is supportive (not tolerant) of breastfeeding.

I have breastfed four babies. Each child came with their own set of challenges. All of my children had tongue and lip ties (my third also had cheek ties-ouch!). I went back to work six weeks after having my third and three months after having my fourth. Knowledge about paced bottle feeding is *essential* to your breastfeeding journey for a baby receiving a bottle.

Trust in your body. Believe in your abilities. And never, never, ever quit on your hardest day ❤️

It’s that time of year!

is on deck. The jars will remain in a cool and dark spot in the cabinet for about six weeks while everything ferments. I’ll then strain it, add in some local raw honey, and pour into individual jars.

They’ll be ready in time for cold and flu “season”.

Most twins do not need to be born via cesarean section. Period. You have choices and deserve explanations when those choices are resisted.
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We need to normalize photos like this and take fear out of twin birth!
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Link in bio for one of my blogs about a birth center twin birth.
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