Can you reheat breastmilk safely?

Feeding your baby is one of the most important roles of a new parent or carer, so it’s important you get everything just right. One question that crops up frequently is, ‘can you reheat breastmilk?’, and it’s an important one that’s useful to know. Generally, it’s best to avoid reheating, though there are ways you can do it to preserve nutrients and avoid bacterial growth.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at everything from ‘how long can reheated breast milk last?’ to the ideal temperature for your baby’s milk. Make sure you have everything you need to nurture your newborn with these breast milk reheating rules.

Can breast milk be reheated?

 

The answer to ‘can you reheat breastmilk?’ is yes, but only if you really need to. Some babies will be happy drinking milk straight from the fridge, but if yours isn’t or you need to thaw some of your previously frozen breast milk, you can reheat it. If you do, be vigilant about following the correct breast milk reheating rules to keep your baby safe.

This starts with asking the right questions. Is it safe to reheat breast milk in the microwave, for instance? That’s a definite no. When reheating breast milk, the microwave can heat it too quickly, destroying vital nutrients.¹ It also creates hot spots in the milk that could burn your baby’s mouth.

Can breast milk be reheated on the stove? Again, this isn’t a great idea. Heating on the stove creates uneven temperatures throughout the milk, leading to areas that are too hot or too cold for your little one.

Instead, you should follow breast milk reheating rules and only ever heat the milk gently in warm (not boiling) water. Follow these steps to learn how to reheat breast milk safely:

 

1. Check the bottle label to ensure the breast milk is within safe storage limits.
2. Thaw the milk first (if needed) by placing it in a sealed, sterilised container overnight or running the bottle or bag under a cool tap.
3. Fill a bowl, jug, or bottle warmer with warm (not boiling) water.
4. Ensure the breast milk is in a sealed bottle or bag before placing it into the container of water.
5. Test the breast milk reheat temperature on the inside of your wrist, ensuring it’s lukewarm.

Looking for the best way to reheat breast milk? One way you could try is with a bottle warmer. The Philips 2-in-1 bottle warmer and steriliser is safe, efficient, and simple to use, making it a great choice for both you and your little one. Effortlessly warm your bottle to the correct temperature and feed your baby with confidence.

How many times can you reheat breast milk?

 

You should only ever reheat breast milk once. If your baby doesn’t drink it after reheating, you must throw the milk away. Reheating it more than once can reduce its nutritional value while also boosting the chance of bacterial growth, making it less safe for your little one.²

How long can reheated breast milk last?

 

After following the tips on how to reheat breast milk and ensuring it’s the right temperature, it’s best to feed your baby immediately. If you can’t feed them straight away or you have leftover milk, you can leave your breast milk at room temperature. Any leftover milk should be thrown away after 2 hours.³

How to reheat breast milk: Storage tips

 

When reheating breast milk, it needs to have been stored correctly to ensure it’s safe. After expressing milk by hand or with a breast pump, it should be kept in a cleaned and sterilised bottle or breast milk bag.

Ensure you’re following these guidelines before looking at the best way to reheat breast milk:

 

• You can store breast milk in the fridge for up to 8 days, ensuring the temperature is 4°C or lower. If it’s higher than 4°C, use the breastmilk within 3 days.²
  
  
• If you’re storing breast milk in a freezer with a temperature of -18°C or lower, it’ll last for up to 6 months.²
  
  
• If you’ll be feeding your baby in 6 hours or less, you can store freshly expressed breast milk at room temperature.⁴

To ensure you don’t store your breast milk for longer than recommended, label your bottles with both the date and time of expression. You can also add the date and time it will expire, making it easier to find a bottle that’s still in date without making any mistakes.

Is it safe to reheat breast milk: Dos and don’ts

 

Following breast milk reheating rules is vital for keeping your baby happy and healthy. Here’s a quick recap of the dos and don’ts of how to reheat breast milk:

 

• Do store breast milk in sterilised bottles or bags and label with the date.
• Don’t keep milk longer than the recommended fridge, freezer, or room temperature limits.
• Do thaw your milk gently.
• Don’t use a microwave or stove to reheat your breast milk.
• Do warm milk in a bottle warmer.
• Don’t reheat the same milk more than once.
• Do test the temperature on your wrist before feeding.
• Don’t keep leftover milk for more than 2 hours after warming.

 

From ‘how many times can you reheat breast milk?’ to how to store it correctly, asking these questions is a great way to keep your baby safe. With this knowledge and the right tools, like a bottle warmer and steriliser, you can make reheating breast milk simple.

For more advice on safely feeding your baby, read our article on paced bottle feeding.