Thawing frozen breast milk
- Use the older milk first unless recently expressed milk is recommended .
- Thaw the breast milk by placing the collection container in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
- You can also thaw quickly or warm refrigerated milk by placing the container of milk under warm running water or placing it in a cup, pot or basin of warm water.
- Do not thaw breast milk in very hot water or in the microwave. This decreases some of the properties of the milk. It can also produce hot spots that may burn the child’s mouth.
NOTE
It is normal for your milk to separate during storage. You will see a layer of cream ( fat ) that has risen to the top. You can recombine the cream with the rest of the milk by gently swirling the bottle. Avoid vigorous shaking.
DO NOT refreeze breast milk once it has thawed .Thawed milk must be used within 24 hours.
Content SourcesThawing breastmilk. Stanford Children’s Hospital. https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=thawing-breast-milk-90-P02682&sid=33205. Accessed January 13th, 2019
Storing and thawing breastmilk. Medela. https://www.medela.com/breastfeeding-professionals/education/lactation-period/storing-and-thawing-breast-milk. Accessed January 13th, 2019
How do i safely thaw frozen breastmilk. Tommee Tippee. https://www.tommeetippee.us/parent-room/how-do-i-safely-thaw-frozen-breast-milk. Accessed January 13th, 2019