How to thaw and warm breastmilk?

(Video uploaded 04/2018)

Transcript

How to thaw and warm breastmilk?

When using frozen milk:

Take the frozen milk from the freezer to the chill compartment of the refrigerator the night before feeding to thaw slowly. Thawed breastmilk should be consumed within 24 hours. You can thaw frozen milk quickly by placing it under running tap water.

When using chilled milk:

You can actually feed your baby with thawed milk directly without warming. If you want you can warm the milk to a suitable temperature by placing the bottle or bag in a glass or mug of warm water at 55 Co or below. Test the temperature of the milk using the back of your hand before feeding the baby. If the milk is warm, it is suitable for feeding. Warmed milk must be consumed within an hour. 

Do not use a microwave oven or stove to heat or thaw breastmilk. Overheating will destroy the nutrients in breastmilk. Microwave oven heats liquid unevenly which may scald your baby. 

Don't worry if you see the stored milk is separated into layers, it is normal and safe. The top layer is actually the fat which is pale yellow in colour. Just remember to shake the milk well before feeding.