Last night I went to register at Babies R Us, and as I was looking at the breast pumps with a sales associate she showed me the small cups for milk storage... While talking about them she mentioned that they are freezer safe and "boil-able"... When I asked about using them in the microwave she said you couldn’t microwave breast milk. Not wanting to sound like any more of an idiot I just said okay and went on. Is that accurate? Why is micro waving breast milk not okay? Is boiling okay then I guess? If it's frozen how long can you keep it? I am almost 22 weeks pregnant with my first child and have never breast fed before and haven't seen a lactation consultant as of yet. So any advice as to the whole breast milk storage thing would be very helpful!!! Thanks!!!
2007-03-23 08:06:32 · 9 answers · asked by Abbott*Lee's*Mommy 3 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Other - Pregnancy & Parenting
You can store the milk in the freezer and just run the bags under warm water in the sink and that is sufficient. Heating up breast milk too much gets rid of some of the good nutrients. Also, it doesn't heat equally in the microwave and can cause pockets that will get too hot and can burn the baby's mouth. It only takes a couple of minutes to unfreeze the milk using the warm water and it's not a big deal at all. When drinking from your breast the milk is room temperature and that's what you want to warm it to.
2007-03-23 08:10:35 · answer #1 · answered by Melissa 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You should never boil or microwave breast milk, it can kill the antibodies and other good stuff in it. Plus it can get hot spots in the milk which can burn the baby. If I knew I needed it in advance I would put in the fridge to thaw, and then in warm {not too hot} water to heat it. If you need it right away from the freezer, just set in in a large bowl of warm water, and shake it every few minutes. Keep adding warm water until thaw. As for storage, it should only be kept in the fridge foe 3 days, freezer for 6 months and a deep freezer for over a year. Hope this helps some. Good luck!!!
2007-03-23 15:13:46 · answer #2 · answered by Kari B 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When thawing frozen milk, you would normally place the bottle into warm or hot water. Microwaving frozen milk doesn't work very well and causes the fat to clump.
Now, if your milk is just refrigerated and you want to heat it, go ahead and use the microwave. Just make sure the milk isn't too hot and that you shake it well to distribute it (my cousin's GF typically heats formula for about 15-20 seconds on high).
There are some folks who say that you can't microwave breast milk at all, but I don't really see how this method of heating is detrimental OTHER THAN microwaves tend to heat unevenly.
Boilable bottles is mostly marketing for most moms. If you have well-water, however, you will need to boil the bottles. For most folks though, it just means you can put them in the dishwasher.
2007-03-23 15:17:51 · answer #3 · answered by CarbonDated 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
You shouldn't microwave breastmilk because it breaks down the nutrients and can lead to 'hotspots' in the milk, which can burn the baby's mouth. For storage you can either freeze the milk and thaw it out as you need it, or you can simply put it into the refrigerator (if you're going to use it within 24 hours), and warm it up by putting the bottle into a bowl of hot water for a few minutes.
2007-03-23 15:12:14 · answer #4 · answered by alimagmel 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
congrats on being pregnant!
No, you cannot microwave breastmilk. it kills the nutrients. You also cannot put breastmilk in boiling water to heat it. it has to be very warm, but not hot hot or boiling so no, you cannot boil the milk. I guess she is talking about boiling the containers to sterilize them. You can freeze and I liked to put in ice trays and them put the squares in the freezer bags - its easier when its time to thaw. I think you can keep it for a couple of months. always label with date you pumped but you can keep in fridge for a day or so. There is a good book thats called "the womenly art of breastfeeding" I think I got mine at babies R US. It tells you alot of info and was very helpful to me.
Oh-one more thing. I thought it was faster to heat the milk in a bag rather than in a bottle.
2007-03-23 15:38:12 · answer #5 · answered by jon jon's girl 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Microwaving and or boiling breast milk destroys some of its nutrients, so you should not do either.
Thaw it out in the refrigerator (several hours in advance), or by running the bottle under warm water. Or submerse the closed bottle in warm water -- until it reaches the desired temperature.
Fore more info, consult La Leche League.
and good for you for breast feeding, which is better for you and better for baby!
2007-03-23 15:12:25 · answer #6 · answered by EmLa 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Basically, microwaving kills some of the good stuff in there. All the reason to bf. What I did, was get oversized coffee mugs, boil the water, then drop the bottle of milk in there to warm. Oh and I liked the bags better for freezing too.
2007-03-23 15:10:42 · answer #7 · answered by lillilou 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the micro-waves in the microwave can break down the milk....boiling she is referring to sterilizing the container...not boiling the milk....you can pump your milk, stor in the freezer, take it out and set it in some warm water to warm up and then feed it to the baby...then take the containers and and throw them into boiling water (or a dishwasher) to sterilize them...then pump again....
2007-03-23 15:14:17 · answer #8 · answered by motherhendoulas 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
well, it's not suggested to microwave any kind of baby milk, because that can cause hot spots
i have never heard of not being able to microwave just breast milk though.
yes, boiling is ok, and i think you can keep it for like a month frozen, as long as it's not unfrozen and re-frozen.
2007-03-23 15:11:16 · answer #9 · answered by TN girl 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋