How to safely thaw and reheat breast milk

Thawing Breast Milk Methods

1. In the fridge

   1. leave breast milk in the refrigerator in a clean dry spot for 4-12 hours.

   2. *This method preserves the essential nutrients the best

   3. Can stay in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

2. Warm Water Bath

   1. Submerge breast milk bottle in a bowl or basin of warm water that does't exceed 37.2ºC/98.96ºF

   2. Do not allow water ingress

   3. This method helps retain nutrients from breast milk

3. Under Warm Running Water

   1. Hold bottle under warm running water up to 37.2ºC/98.96ºF

   2. Do not allow water ingress

4. Bottle Warmer

   1. Follow manufacturer's instructions

   2. Always test the milk with a drop or two on the inside of your wrist

Reheating Breast Milk Methods

1. Water Bath

   1. Same method as above

   2. Keep submerged until desired temperature is reached

2. Bottle Warmer

   1. Follow manufacturer's instructions

   2. Always test the milk with a drop or two on the inside of your wrist

3. Warm Running Water

   1. Same method as above

Guidelines

1. Avoid microwaves (can cause hotspots in the milk leading to potential burns) and boiling water (nutrient loss+overheating)

2. Always test temperature before giving to baby

3. Breast milk should never be heated beyond 40ºC/104ºF (destroy essential nutrients+beneficial bacteria)

4. DO NOT REHEAT TWICE

5. Discard leftovers - use within 2 hours of warmed/thawed breastmilk

6. Do not freeze breast milk after thawing

   
   

FAQs

1. Cold breast milk can be perfectly fine to feed to most full-term infants!

2. Thawed breast milk can be kept at room temp or 25ºC/77ºF for 4 hours

3. Refrigerated breast milk can be stored for up to 24 hours

4. 4-4-4 Rule - 4 hours at room temp, 4 days in the fridge, 4 months in freezer

Read full article here:

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/healthy-mums/a64340719/how-to-safely-thaw-and-reheat-breast-milk/