Can You Microwave Breast Milk? | Safe Heating Guide from a Mother

Can You Microwave Breast Milk On Your Breastfeeding Journey?

Having my second baby I wanted to try feeding myself but with a poor latch and a screaming baby, I turned to pumping. My supply was amazing and I turned to freezing batches but I then had to learn the best way to feed my milk to my darling daughter. Needless to say, when you are standing at 3 am looking at frozen or refrigerated milk because you forgot to pull a bag out you ask yourself the question can you microwave breast milk? The accurate answer is no, microwaving breast milk and any type of baby food can lead to hot spots which can scorch and burn a baby’s mouth. Read further to see what else I found out about warming breast milk. 

Can You Heat Up Breast Milk in Microwave?

So, is it ok to microwave breastmilk? Microwaves are a great way of heating our food but have you ever gone to tuck into a reheated meal and found that it is cold in the middle? The reason behind this is that microwaves don’t warm our foods equally. If you were to put your breast milk in the microwave for a quick zap then STOP! 

Warming with the microwave will create hot spots in your milk and even when testing the bottle you could potentially scorch your little one’s mouth. 

The CDC (Centers for disease control and prevention) has also said that research has shown that when warming breast milk you can actually damage the nutrients and ruin the antibodies. Let’s be honest you have taken on this humongous task of using your body to feed your baby so why would you compromise on its goodness?

How Does Milk Deteriorate When Heated?

Hot spots are a big concern when heating breast milk in the microwave but we also need to turn our attention to how the nutrients and goodness of our milk can deteriorate if heated too much. 

How Brest milk Deteriorates When Over Heated

Breast milk begins to lose its nutritional value when it is heated over 104 degrees. 

This is what happens to breastmilk when it is heated past this point.

• Digestive enzymes become inactive.
• The fat content that is vital to your little one’s growth and development decreases.
• Probiotic bacteria that is hugely beneficial are destroyed.
• Components that support the immune and anti-inflammatory systems such as AlgA antibodies, lactoferrin, and lysozyme are decreased.

What Temperature is Perfect to heat breast milk?

Human milk nutrients are thought to lose their value once the temperature hits 104 degrees. At 122 Fahrenheit the milk’s nutritional value has decreased significantly. 

This is why microwaves are not a suitable method for heating your baby’s milk. The uneven heating element can actually create the hot spots to become this hot and ruin the milk as well as cause harm and injury to your precious bundle. 

Aiming for a temperature as close to 37 degrees will ensure that your baby’s tummy has an easy time digesting and also if your baby was drinking directly from you then this would be the natural temperature. Babies who drink their milk at this temperature are more than likely to find it easier to feed on a bottle. 

Please note this does not cure bottle fussiness! Breast like teats are available but some children just prefer the real thing!

Breast Milk Expressing, Storage, and Defrosting Tips

Expressing

Your journey may lead you down the expressing path. When expressing, you must ensure that all components of your pump are sterilized before use. 

1. Wash your hands thoroughly before you start.
2. When pumping ensure you have nutritious snacks and gallons of water! Believe me, the thirst is unreal!
3. Once you have finished your session, store your milk in bottles or stored in milk bags.

Fridge

If your supply is to be kept in the fridge then the rule of thumb to remember is 4! Your refrigerator should be set at 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 Celsius) for up to 4 hours!

If storing in bottles then make sure they all have their lids attached to prevent contamination.

Freezer

If you are lucky to have an oversupply then storing breast milk in the freezer is the answer. Once you have pumped you need to label the bag with the date. I used to put the time on the bag as well. Milk pumped in the evening is considered to include more melatonin (sleepy nutrient). I would aim to feed this milk at bedtime! 

Once in the freezer, your milk can be stored at zero for up to 6 months (12 months is thought to be acceptable.)

Thawing

If you are bringing your breast milk out to thaw for the next day then slot the bag of goodness into the fridge overnight. If the milk is needed straight away (our mom brains can be fuzzy) then placing the frozen bag into a jug of boiling water is the only way to safely bring the milk to room temp.

The same would apply if warming from the fridge. Placing a bottle in a jug of boiling water will warm your little ones’ feed evenly with no risk of hot spots. 

The only thing I found was that you may need to change the water if doing it from frozen. 

Room temp

Of Course, it is perfectly fine to keep your breast milk at room temperature too. Milk that has been freshly pumped can be left at room temp (25) or cooler for four hours. 

If the milk has been through the thawing process then you can leave it at room temp for up to two hours. 

Essentials You May Need

If you are just starting on your breastfeeding journey then look at some of the essentials that you will need. Be organized and get yourself a good routine!

• Pump/ electric manual.
• Storage bags.
• Teats that are breast-like.
• Bottle warmer.

How Do I Warm My Breast Milk?

We have covered can you put breast milk in the microwave and why it is not a good option so what alternatives are there?

Warming From the Refrigerator

To warm breast milk from the fridge:

• Remove breast milk from the fridge and put it to one side.
• Heat enough water to cover the amount of milk you are heating, either using a kettle or microwave, and place in a jug or bowl.
• Place your sealed bag or bottle of breast milk in warm water.
• Leave the milk to warm for 1-2 minutes or until it reaches the desired temperature.
• Next with clean hands either pour the milk into a bottle or if it is already in a bottle, attach the nipple.
• Swirl the breast milk around in the bottle to mix all the fat together, as it can separate when stored.
• Test the temperature of the milk on the inside of your wrist before serving it to your baby.

Warming From the Freezer

To warm breast milk from the freezer:

• Remove the breast milk from the freezer and place it in the fridge to defrost overnight.
• Once defrosted follow the same guidelines above for heating breast milk from the fridge.

If you do need to use the milk straight away then you can add the frozen breast milk straight to the warm water as per the instructions for the fridge heating. It will take around 10-15 minutes for the milk to defrost.

Bottle Warmers

As previously mentioned the recommendation would be for you to put the cooled milk in the bottle then in a jug of warm water. This can take time and if you have a screaming newborn then you could also look at a bottle warmer.

Bottle warmers have been developed over the years to help moms and dads warm their little ones feed safely. Many manufacturers swear by the even warming technology and at how much time they save. Sounds like a dream right? Finally, something that is safer than a microwave yet faster than a warm bottle bath. 

With everything in the baby world many moms swear by having a bottle warmer yet many opinions are seen to be mixed when declaring it is ‘easier’ than the bottle bath.

The flipside to using a bottle warmer is in fact the milk can still become too hot and leave you having to cool it down. When doing this the risk of killing the good nutrients becomes greater. 

For more evidence on this, a study was completed in 2015 by The National Library of Medicine. They tested out the nutritional value of breast milk using a bottle bath and a bottle warmer. The results highlighted a negative effect on the milk that was warmed using a bottle warmer.

My advice would be to research the warmer you are looking at in-depth. Many moms couldn’t live without their bottle warmers and their children still thrive. 

What About Stove Top Heating?

If you are thinking about warming your baby bottles on the stove then you need to realize that this is just as dangerous as warming breast milk in the microwave. The same dangers and deterioration apply. You are more likely going to scorch the nutritional value out of the milk if boiling it directly on the stove.

Also, think of the packaging that you are storing your milk in, will this damage or leak during the boiling process? I would hate to see wasted breast milk because a storage bag or bottle has burst through extreme heat. 

I have literally cried over spilled milk so I urge you not to even consider this method!

Can You Reuse Reheated Milk?

Once you have warmed breast milk it is not advised to offer it again if the time limit has been reached.

Reheating any food comes with a risk and breast milk is no different! 

Once you have warmed milk you need to go by the 1-2 hour rule if it was once frozen, and the 4-hour rule if refrigerated. If your little one has had enough then to minimize an upset tummy the bottle should be discarded. 

Reheating breast milk also diminishes the nutrients you work so blinking hard to provide too so best if you avoid doing this if you can!

Microwaving Breast Milk FAQs

Should You Microwave Breastmilk?

The FDA states, “Heating breast milk or infant formula in the microwave is not recommended. Studies have shown that microwaves heat baby’s milk and formula unevenly. Which results in “hot spots” that can scald a baby’s mouth and throat.

Can You Microwave Breast Milk Bags?

No, It is not recommended to heat your breast milk bags in the microwave because the uneven heating can cause the nutrients to diminish.

What Is the Best Way To Warm Up Breast Milk From the Fridge?

Use hot water but not boiling around 70 degrees into a large jug. Place the sealed bag/bottle of breast milk inside the jug. After two minutes the milk will be at the desired temperature. 

Can Newborns Drink Cold Breast Milk?

Babies of any age can consume cold formula or breast milk. If formula feeding then ensure that the feed is made with hot water first and then fed within the hour. Breast-fed babies can drink cold milk but many moms prefer to warm it to take off the chill.

Can I Mix My Breast Milk Together?

Mixing old and fresh milk together is not advised as the older milk may turn the fresh milk. Also, you need to keep checking the dates/times of when the milk was pumped to ensure that you keep within the guidelines. If you are combining pumped milk from the same day then recommendations are for you to cool the milk before adding it to the stored batch.

Can I Pump Into the Same Bottle All Day?

Don’t go into panic mode if you have left some milk on the side last night! Pumping into the same bottle is deemed ok even three hours later! You need to ensure that you do not go over the four-hour window!

Is It Safe to Microwave Breast Milk?

No, it is not considered safe to microwave breast milk as it can create hot spots in the milk as well as destroy its nutritional benefits.

Conclusion

So to finalize our thoughts on the question Can you warm up breast milk in the microwave? The answer is no! Not only does this pose a danger of scalding but it also ruins the milk’s magical formula of immunity and nutrient goodness. 

As breast milk is thought of as a magical liquid of a mom’s body we should ensure that we always follow the correct guidelines from our health care providers and information you can find on the web. 

As a reminder:

• Microwaves can cause hot spots.
• Scalding the milk will decrease its nutritional value.
• Reheating breast milk more than once can cause it to spoil and give your little one a bad tummy. 

If you are ever in doubt about whether you can still use your breast milk, be safe and dump it!

More to read:

• How Long Is Reheated Breast milk Good For?
• Baby Pushing Bottle Away But Still Hungry
• How To Make Your Baby Stop Grinding Teeth
• Does cold milk cause gas in babies?