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Author:
Khushboo Kirale
- >> Post Created: December 12, 2020
- >> Last Updated: September 19, 2024
How to Warm Breast Milk - Table of Contents
If you are a busy mommy like me, breast milk storage can become that reserve of milk that you need when you are not around to personally feed your little one.
You must have heard it time and time again, and I am just going to repeat it once more, that breast milk is the best source of nutrition that your baby can get. Feeding babies exclusively on breast milk for the first 6 months is highly recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
So to know the right way of breast milk storage and then how to warm breast milk is very important.
In this article I will cover the different methods of warming breast milk along with some tips and guidelines on breast milk storage.
To assist in storing breast milk, you can look at using breast milk storage bags as against bottles. Primarily because they are compact and take less space. You can refer to our article on ‘12 Best Milk Storage bags‘ which will surely assist in selecting the right breast milk storage bags for your little one.
Recommendations on handling expressed breast milk
Before we dive into how to warm breast milk and it’s storage, it is important to understand how to handle expressed breast milk.
- Always properly with soap and water or you can even use a sanitizer before expressing milk.
- If you are using a sanitizer, ensure you use an alcohol-based sanitizer that has at least 60% of alcohol content.
- We don’t need to stress the importance of cleaning and sanitizing, you already know how important it is, especially in these COVID-19 times.
- Your breast pump needs to be regularly cleaned to avoid any formation mold.
- Regularly check the breast pumping equipment, and replace or discard parts that are faulty, broken, or moldy.
- The expressed breast milk should be stored in special breast milk storage bags or other food-grade containers with air tight lids.
- It is better to avoid plastic bottles or containers with the recycle symbol number 7 on them, as it indicates that these bottles or containers may contain BPA.
- Avoid using any disposable plastic bags or disposable bottle liners to store breast milk. It is always better to use products that have been made specifically for breast milk storage.
Breast milk storage guidelines
Before we understand how to warm breast milk, we should know breast milk storage guidelines as set by CDC, it will help you maintain the quality of the expressed milk to ensure your baby’s good health.
According to CDC depending on the location you are storing the breast milk and the type of breast milk (i.e. freshly pumped breast milk, thawed breast milk, and leftover breast milk after a feed), the recommended time of breast milk storage will alter.
Freshly pumped breast milk can be stored at room temperature (77°F/25°C) for up to 4 hours, but it can be kept in the refrigerator (40°F/4°C) for about 4 days. The same milk can be kept in the freezer (0°F/−18°C) for about 6–12 months, although using the milk within 6 months is recommended. You can store food in the freezer indefinitely, but the recommended time frames ensure the quality of the food is not compromised.
Thawed breast milk that was previously frozen can be stored at room temperature (77°F/25°C) for only 1–2 hours. But you can refrigerate (40°F/4°C) it for up to 24 hours. Refreezing the thawed breast milk is not recommended at all.
Leftover breast milk after a feed should be used within 2 hours. If the milk has not been used within 2 hours, it is better to discard it completely.
Breast milk is any day better for your baby than formula, but freshly expressed breast milk is even better than refrigerated breast milk, and refrigerated breast milk is better than frozen breast milk. This is because freshly expressed breast milk has higher amount of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, antibodies, etc. than refrigerated or frozen breast milk.
Breast milk temperature guidelines
Breast milk should neither be too hot or too cold. It should be a little warmer or the same temperature as your skin. If that is not the best indicator for you and you need proper temperature ranges to understand the best temperature of breast milk then the following guidelines will help you:
32–78°F
This temperature is a little colder than room temperature and babies may refuse to drink milk at this temperature as they may prefer warm milk. You can feed babies milk at this temperature, but warmer milk helps in the baby’s digestion.
98.6°F
This is the normal body temperature and is ideal for feeding your baby as your breast milk is also of this temperature naturally.
When milk is warmed to this temperature, it retain all the nutrients of the milk perfectly.
99–105°F
Although this range is a little higher than our normal body temperature, it is still lukewarm and can be given to your baby without any issues.
This temperature range will not destroy the nutrients of the help and will also help in the baby’s digestion.
106°F and higher
This temperature is not recommended for the baby, as it way past the lukewarm stage and will hamper the nutritional value of the milk. At this temperature, the milk can also cause your baby’s mouth to burn.
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Breast milk storage tips
The question how to warm breast milk is often asked with how to store it. Below are some tips.
- Label your breast milk storage containers with the dates they were expressed. This way, you will always use the oldest stored breast milk first.
- Never store the breast milk in the doors of the refrigerator or freezer as the constant opening and closing of the door causes temperature fluctuations which can affect the quality the stored milk.
- Breast milk storage containers should be kept in the back of the shelf that you use less frequently to ensure a better temperature control.
- If you feel the breast milk will not be used within 4 days, then immediately freeze it to maintain the quality.
- Always use milk storage bags or small bottles or containers for breast milk storage, and approximately store only 2–4 ounces (or the approximate amount of milk required in one feeding) of breast milk in each container. Smaller amounts of breast milk storage will ensure it is used up completely in one feed without any wastage of precious breast milk.
- If you are freezing the breast milk, ensure you leave at least an inch of space at the top of the bottle or container, because milk will expand when it is frozen and the bottle or container may crack if it is filled to the brim.
- Have a word with your day care center or childcare provider about their breast milk labeling and storing norms, because you want to clearly label your breast milk to ensure only your child receives it.
- Breast milk can also be temporarily stored in insulated cooler bags along with ice packs for about 24 hours. This can come in handy while travelling. But as soon as you arrive at the destination, use the milk right away or store it in the refrigerator or freezer.
- As the stored breast milk gets older, the acidity in the milk can rise up causing the nutritional value of the milk to decrease. Therefore, it is best to use stored breast milk within 6 months.
- Some babies may not like frozen breast milk that was thawed. So if your baby is among this group, then it will be better to just refrigerate the breast milk and go through it quickly.
How to thaw breast milk?
Prior to getting in the details of how to warm breast milk we should know a bit about how to thaw it. When you are thawing frozen breast milk, ensure you take the milk which is the oldest. Your breast milk storage labeling will help you here. Always remember, first in and first out. This is a good practice because over time, breast milk can decrease in nutritional value. So if you don’t use the oldest stored milk first, you may have to throw it away eventually.
- The easiest way to thaw breast milk is just keeping it in the refrigerator. This way you can use the milk within 24 hours of thawing.
- You can also leave the container on the countertop so that it comes to room temperature. But you need to use this milk within 1–2 hours of thawing.
- If you want the milk to be thawed quickly, you can just keep the bottle or container of frozen milk in warm water bath, but use the thawed milk within 2 hours.
- You can also place the bottle or container of frozen milk under running warm water to thaw it. But use the thawed milk within 2 hours.
- Never use a microwave to thaw or heat the milk, as microwaves heat the milk unevenly and there might be hot spots in the bottle that can cause skin burns. Microwaving also tends to destroy essential nutrients in the breast milk. So avoid microwaving at all costs.
- Never refreeze thawed milk. You can refrigerate and use it in 24 hours.
Why should you warm breast milk?
Many babies prefer warm milk because your breast milk is naturally warm when you directly breastfeed them. So they have developed a taste for warm milk.
Another reason to warm breast milk is energetics, or the way in which the temperature of the food affects the way the food will be digested. It is known that room temperature food or warm food are easy to digest and are also more nourishing than cold or frozen food.
So based on that, warm breast milk should make it easier for the baby to digest it.
Another reason to warm breast milk is that when breast milk is stored, the fat separates out. But when you warm the milk, it helps in bringing the consistency of the milk back to its original form.
At the end, warming breast milk is a personal choice and you can decide whether you want to do it or not.
Different methods of warming breast milk
There are a few methods for warming breast milk, the most common methods of warming breast milk are as follows:
- Running warm water method
- Warm water bath method
- Countertop method
- Bottle warmer method
We will elaborate each method with a step by step guide. But before you start using any method, if you are using frozen breast milk, then you will have to thaw it first and then proceed with a method to warm it or continue the method for a longer duration so that the milk gets thawed and warm at the same time.
We have elaborated how to thaw breast milk earlier in the article, please go through that if you have any doubts. Once you have thawed you milk, you are ready to learn how to warm breast milk.
Method 1 – How to warm breast milk with running warm water??
Step 1:
You need to first run warm tap water (not hot, you don’t want to burn yourself).
Step 2:
Take the thawed, refrigerated, or room temperature breast milk bottle, bag, or container and place it under this running warm water.
Step 3:
Keep rotating the container under the running water for a few minutes till the milk becomes warm.
Step 4:
Swirl the container or bottle so that the separated fat gets incorporated in the milk again.
Step 5:
Always test the temperature of the milk by placing a few drops on your hand or wrist before you feed the milk to your baby to ensure the milk is not too hot.
This is an effective method of warming breast milk, but it is definitely not the most environmentally friendly, as you will be wasting a lot of water while trying to heat the breast milk. Using a warm water bath is a much more environmentally friendly, as far less water is wasted in that method.
Method 2 – How to warm breast milk with a warm water bath??
Step 1:
Take a bowl and fill it with enough water in which you can submerge your breast milk container.
Step 2:
Warm the water and then place the thawed, refrigerated, or room temperature breast milk bottle, bag, or container in the warm water for a few minutes.
Step 3:
Once the milk is warm, remove the container or bottle and swirl it so that the separated fat gets incorporated in the milk again.
Step 4:
Always test the temperature of the milk by placing a few drops on your hand or wrist before you feed the milk to your baby to ensure the milk is not too hot.
This is the most common method of warming breast milk. But you need to ensure the water is warm and not hot.
Heat the water first on a stove and then remove it from the stove before placing the breast milk storage container in it. Directly placing the container in the water bowl when it is on the stove will heat the breast milk very quickly.
Method 3 – How to warm breast milk on the countertop??
Step 1:
Place the closed breast milk storage container on the countertop and leave it there till it reaches room temperature.
Step 2:
Once the milk reaches room temperature, just swirl the container or bottle so that the separated fat gets incorporated in the milk again.
Step 3:
Always test the temperature of the milk by placing a few drops on your hand or wrist before you feed the milk to your baby to ensure the milk is not too cold.
Many moms leave their breast milk on the countertop for as long as 8 hours and don’t encounter any problems. But it is recommended that you don’t leave the breast milk out for more than 2 hours. This is very important for people with preemies or babies with fragile immune systems.
Method 4 – How to warm breast milk in a bottle warmer??
Step 1:
Place the thawed, refrigerated, or room temperature bottle of breast milk bottle in the bottle warmer.
Step 2:
Connect the bottle warmer to the electric outlet and turn the machine on as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
Step 3:
Change the setting as required based on the instructions manual.
Step 4:
Switch the machine off and remove the bottle.
Step 5:
Always test the temperature of the milk by placing a few drops on your hand or wrist before you feed the milk to your baby to ensure the milk is not too hot.
This method of warming breast milk will require an investment on your end, as you have to buy a machine. But many parents swear by it and say it is hassle-free and warms the milk to the right temperature with just the press of a button. There are good bottle warmer brands available in the market.
But you will have to do some research to buy a machine that can fit the bottles that you have or buy the accompanying bottle that many bottle warmer brands come with.
It is travel friendly and can be used easily when you are on the go.
How to warm breast milk tips
- Always keep the bottle or container sealed when you are warming the milk.
- Never heat the breast milk directly on the stove.
- Don’t use a microwave to warm breast milk, as microwaves don’t heat evenly and may cause hot spots that can burn your baby’s mouth.
- Always test the temperature of the milk on your hand or wrist before giving it to the baby.
- Swirl the bottle to ensure the separated fat gets incorporated into the milk again.
- If your baby has not finished the bottle, then the leftover milk should be finished within 2 hours or else it needs to be discarded, as the bacteria from the baby’s mouth have already been transferred to the milk and storing it longer is not advisable.
Is the breast milk spoilt?
Yes, breast milk can also go bad. Although breast milk is very resilient, but if you leave it out for a longer duration, then it might get spoilt.
There are a few signs that can indicate that the milk is spoilt:
- The milk is smelling foul or soapy
- The taste of the milk is strange or sour
- There is change in the color and texture of the milk
- If the separated fat refuses to mix even after swirling constantly
- If the milk has started curdling
But at the end just follow the expert advice “when in doubt, just throw it out.” If you have any doubts it is better to throw the milk away rather than feeding it to your child and then stressing out. It is better to be safe than sorry!
Final thoughts
Although warming breast milk is a common practice, but it is still a personal choice. If you feel you don’t want to warm the milk and just go with room temperature milk, then it is completely fine and acceptable. Just swirl the milk to incorporate the fat back into the milk and you are good to go.
But always give room temperature milk to your baby, as cold milk may affect your baby’s health, and it is not easily digestible as well.
Don’t forget that breast milk storage is also as important as knowing how to warm breast milk.
Hope our articles helps you in answering all your queries regarding how to warm breast milk and breast milk storage alternatives.
Khushboo Kirale
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Superb article thanks