PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. — Pumping breast milk can take time, effort and emotion, leaving new mothers with an important question: How long is breast milk safe to keep before it should be discarded?

A video circulating on social media is challenging some of the guidelines new mothers have traditionally been told to follow.

Dr. Sharell Bindom, a neonatal-perinatal medicine specialist with Memorial Healthcare System, said parents should be cautious about changing their breast milk storage practices based on information posted online.

For freshly expressed breast milk, Bindom said the general guideline is four hours at 77 degrees, four days in the refrigerator and six to 12 months in the freezer.

Once frozen milk has been thawed, she said, it is safe on the counter for one to two hours.

But a social media video has prompted some mothers to question whether breast milk can safely be kept longer than two hours after a baby has started drinking from it.

The video has drawn more than 40,000 likes and more than 1,000 comments, with reactions from women and mothers ranging from support to concern.

Some commenters wrote, “I’ve been doing this forever!” and “I’ll take things moms have known for decades for 300,” while another said, “She would’ve liked to hear this before because she wasted so many bottles of breast milk.”

Bindom said the research behind the claims does not provide enough evidence for her to recommend that mothers wait longer before discarding leftover milk.

“The problem with that study is that the actual samples that they took, where they looked at the safety of discarding the milk, it was a very small sample size,” Bindom said.

She said another concern is that researchers looked at the number of bacterial colonies rather than necessarily identifying the types of bacteria present.

“The big thing in there is that we’re only looking at the number of colonies of bacteria that are growing,” Bindom added. “We’re not necessarily looking at the types of bacteria that are growing, and we don’t know if when you take small amounts of bacteria, if it’s safe to actually feed a baby and not make it sick.”

Bindom said she would like to see more research before changing the current recommendations.

“You don’t know what happens until you actually feed that leftover milk to a baby and would you want to take the risk that if you fed that?” she said.

Bindom also cautioned parents about relying on social media for medical advice.

“I think social media runs on sensationalism,” she said. “It runs on the attention economy and so, of course, something that sounds great and is very interesting is what they’re gonna put out. But it’s not always the safest thing for your baby.”

For first-time mother Stephanie Mentore-Blanc, the issue hits close to home. She has been pumping breast milk for 10 months for her son, Maximus.

Mentore-Blanc said she took classes at the Memorial Hospital while she was pregnant and did extensive research before deciding to breastfeed.

“While I was pregnant, I did take a lot of classes at the Memorial Hospital and did a lot of research and some of the benefits. And it was like it’s a personal decision that I wanted to make to try to give him that opportunity,” Mentore-Blanc said.

She said one misconception is that breastfeeding and pumping are easier than they actually are.

“It sounds a lot easier than what it is. I can say earlier it is a little overwhelming. It does require a lot of patience, time and planning,” Mentore-Blanc said.

The work involved in pumping can also affect mothers emotionally, she said.

“I didn’t get a little in my head. You know, going on social media and seeing other — it’s usually pumping moms or nursing moms — may show, ‘Hey, I just made 30 ounces in 20 minutes,’ and it kind of like makes you feel like, ‘Oh my goodness, I’m not enough,’” Mentore-Blanc said.

Mentore-Blanc has also experienced the frustration of having to discard breast milk.

“I’ve had to discard some milk and not just willingly. There’s been some times where I’ve made a mistake and turned too quick and I’ve knocked over my collection cup. If I knocked over a bottle and I have to watch the ounces just drip down the counter, and it’s been quite an emotional,” she said.

She said she has followed the “444” guideline she learned from lactation consultants.

“I was always taught by lactation consultants and whatnot to, you know, follow the 444. So four hours, you have to discard things of that nature,” Mentore-Blanc said.

After seeing the social media video, Mentore-Blanc said she understands why some mothers may be tempted to keep leftover milk longer.

“So I choose to follow that method. It is — I can see where you would, as a pumping or nursing mom, like, ‘I’m leaving some ounces. Like, it took me a lot to make that and now I just have to discard it.’ So, you know, I understand everyone’s choice,” Mentore-Blanc said.

But for now, she said she is not ready to change her own approach.

“I would need to know more and see what the research yields in the future to make that decision,” Mentore-Blanc said.

While breast milk is widely valued for its benefits to babies, Mentore-Blanc said mothers should also give themselves some grace throughout the process.

“I would say every journey is different. As long as you are doing what’s best for you, your family, your child, give yourself grace and understanding and understand that there’s no perfect way to do motherhood,” Mentore-Blanc said.

Doctors say parents with questions about breast milk storage and feeding should consult their health care provider or a lactation professional rather than relying solely on information shared on social media.

Leftover breast milk that is no longer considered safe for feeding does not necessarily have to go to waste. Bindom also suggests using it in a baby’s bath as a gentle way to moisturize and soothe the skin.

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