In Short, Breast milk can last 2 hours after warming. But you need to know a few things more!
I want to mention it first that— warming up breast milk after it has been safely stored is not a Must. You can feed your infants breastmilk at room temperature. A little cold should also be okay.
Just thawing the frozen breastmilk is enough for the baby. If you store the expressed milk in a refrigerator, just take it out and wait until it comes to room temperature.
And if it’s frozen, then thaw the milk at least for 1-2 hours. Make sure that the container is sealed and put it under cool running water.
But if you really want to serve it a little warm, then you got to know the right way to do that.The first rule here is, never ever heat breastmilk directly on a stove or microwave.
Heating on a microwave will degrade the nutrients in breast milk. And you definitely don’t want all the hard work to go in vain just like that. Right? Moreover, it can overheat the milk and burn your infant’s mouth.
Simply place the sealed container of the frozen breastmilk into another container half-filled with fairly warm water. You can also put it under warm running tap water. It might take a few minutes to completely thaw the frozen breastmilk.
Make sure that it’s completely thawed and evenly warm. Now, test the temperature by pouring a few drops of it on your hand, if it feels warm but not hot, you are good to go. Swirl the breastmilk to mix the fat that got separated and feed your little champ.
Now, the question is, how long does it last after warming it up? To be a little more specific, for how long after thawing and warming the frozen breastmilk would it be good or feedable?
We would say that once after thawing frozen expressed breastmilk, you should immediately feed your baby. In case there is some leftover, then try to feed it within 2 hours from thawing and warming.
Expressed breastmilk can be stored in a freezer for 6 months in best condition and upto 12 months. But once it is thawed, it should never be frozen again, nor should it be warmed again.
Leftover from fed breastmilk has a potential of bacteria formation from the contact with the baby’s mouth. That is why you shouldn’t refreeze or reheat the leftover breastmilk.
Instead you can store expressed milk in smaller quantities as much as 2-4ounce amounts. That way you can reduce waste of the precious goods.
But in case you have thawed but intentionally left some for feeding later, you can keep it in the refrigerator for the next 24 hours. Although, there are very limited and old references that support this idea.
So, it would be best if you don’t refrigerate already thawed breastmilk. But if you somehow need to do it, then try not to rewarm it in that case. Just bring it to room temperature right before feeding your baby.
We all know it for a fact that breastfeeding infants directly from the mother’s breast is the best and the safest way to feed them. But it gets quite hard for the mothers maintaining their work-life balance.
On the top of that, this pandemic has raised a question regarding whether it is safe to breastfeed a baby when the mother has been tested positive for Covid-19. In other words— can this virus be transmitted through breastmilk?
The answer is yes it may or may not transmit. However, WHO in a recent study found that the chances of babies getting infected with the virus from breastmilk is not much connected. In fact, the benefits of breastmilk might outweigh the effects of Covid-19. It’s best to consult with your doctor!
Final Words
As a mother, you need to do your best for your child, but caring for yourself is also one of those tasks. Besides, it is completely safe to feed expressed breastmilk if you have maintained all of the hygiene rules in the expressing and storing procedure.
