How to Use Frozen Breast Milk

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding infants for 6 to 12 months. Many mothers return to work or school full time, yet still wish to continue feeding their infant breast milk exclusively, requiring the need to freeze breast milk for later use. It's very important to properly handle frozen breast milk to ensure that the milk does not become contaminated, posing a danger to the baby.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Wash your hands. Always wash your hands before handling breast milk to reduce the chances of contamination.

2. Clean and sterilize bottles, nipples and caps. Do this to kill any unwanted germs and bacteria that could infect the breast milk and cause the baby to get sick. You can submerge these items in a pot of boiling water or use one of the many bottle sterilizers on the market.

3. Remove frozen breast milk from the freezer. Always put dates on your frozen breast milk containers or bags so you can keep track of them and rotate the milk you use, always selecting the oldest milk first.

4. Thaw frozen breast milk. Frozen breast milk can be thawed in the refrigerator, under a warm running faucet or by sitting the frozen breast milk container in a bowl of warm water.

5. Feed the baby the entire bottle. If the baby stops eating midway through the feeding for any reason, throw the milk out. Once the baby has been eating from a bottle, the bacteria from her mouth can get into the milk and multiply, making her very sick.

Tips & Warnings

• Never heat a bottle of frozen breast milk in the microwave or on the stove. The high heat will kill the nutrients and special antibodies present in the milk.

Resources

• Visit The American Academy of Pediatrics website for more information.

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