As we saw, refrigerated breastmilk is one of the most common options for busy mothers. Note that many, though not all, bottle warmers can also double as baby food warmers for when your child starts eating solids and cereals. There are actually 4 different ways to warm breast milk safely, and in a way that preserves the nutrients. Help your child learn how to stay safe online. according to the BabyGearLab review. Always pull the pot of water off the stove before preparing to put the bottle or container of breast milk inside. According to a review from BabyGearLab, “microwave ovens do not heat liquids evenly. % of people told us that this article helped them. After you warm milk you can put it back into the fridge after 30 minutes or when it's at room temperature. High heat can also deplete the nutrients in breast milk, and waiting for the water to boil is just too time-consuming. Refrigerating already warmed breastmilk is not recommended. Only use cool water until you feel that the breast milk has thawed. Gently shake the container to feel for hidden chunks of frozen milk. Heated breast milk should be used within an hour. Some steam warmers have reservoirs that stay filled until the levels dip too low, at which point a refill sensor light goes off. "An older baby might not be picky, but a newborn may not accept a bottle of milk unless it's close to your body temperature. Check the temperature of the warmed breast milk before giving it to your baby. Increase the water from cool to room temperature, from room temperature to warm, and from warm to hot. She runs Family Picnic in Chicago, Illinois with her mother Sue Gottschall, where they teach new parents about childbirth, breastfeeding and child development and education. Your baby could become fussy, exhausted, and experience stomach aches. This could add germs to it and contaminate it. How to warm breast milk Warming frozen breast milk Remove frozen milk from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator overnight or hold it under cool running water until thawed. Never directly heat the breast milk over the stove. Once thawed, gradually increase the temperature of the running water to heat the milk to the appropriate feeding temperature. It’s great for warming last night’s leftovers but will ruin the nutrients in breastmilk because of the high heat. Protect your liquid gold by warming it properly. Yes, you can. Just like any other milk, it will spoil or, if the baby tries to drink it, it could burn the baby. You could also even out the temperature by stirring the breast milk with a spoon or coffee stirrer. The front of the refrigerator is slightly warmer than the back but still safe enough to thaw the milk. There are a few methods to warm up the refrigerated breast milk, namely manual methods or using bottle warmers. The water should be just slightly cooler than room temperature. Find the answers here. When stored in a deep freezer, it can last from 6 to 12 months, but when stored in a standard freezer attached to the refrigerator, it only lasts 3 to 6 months. Looking into the container, you should only see liquid and no floating chunks of frozen breast milk. }); If you defrost too much milk and you are left with a quantity that your baby can’t finish eating, can you refrigerate thawed breast milk? Nature intended for babies to drink warm milk, so why not serve them what nature wants? Your baby could become fussy, exhausted, and experience stomach aches. You can warm breast milk from a frozen or chilled state using this method. You should allow it around 2 minutes to sit there, properly sealed. Then remove the water from the heat and place the container of milk in the hot water. Microwaves also don’t heat evenly which can be dangerous to your baby. Place the container of breast milk in the refrigerator. Quick Warm on the other hand is ideal for formula. Step 1: Run warm, not hot, tap water Step 2: Place a closed bottle or bag of breast milk under the running water Can you mix breast milk from different days? Rebecca taught preschool through 3rd grade for 10 years, and she received her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Illinois in 2003.