Warming up Breastmilk - Infant Care (up to 18 months old) Message Board

laurabelle1317 · 05-03-2006, 08:31 PM

What is the best (and fastest) way you have found to warm up frozen breast milk? I freeze it in the bags then run it under warm water to thaw and warm it. But if I put it in the bottle and it still isn't warm enough, then it is way too hard to warm it up more once it is in the bottle. So I am not sure what to do.

Thanks in advance!

debating · 05-04-2006, 07:43 AM

I use my Avent bottle warmer to thaw and warm the milk. I turn it on the lowest setting to thaw it, and a 4 oz bag takes about 4 minutes to thaw, then I pour it in the bottle, swirl it around, and if it's still cold, or there is an ice chunk in it, I stick it back in the bottle warmer on the regular setting.

From the time it takes me to take a 4 oz bag out of the fridge to feeding it, is about 7 minutes.

FLAngel · 05-04-2006, 09:44 PM

I would always unthaw in the bag before putting in the bottle. I would place the bag in a small bowl of nearly boiled water for several minutes and that would usually do the trick. I didn't like my bottle warmer as it always seemed so unpredictable and many times I'd end up with a boiling bottle.

One thing I did learn was that baby really didn't mind if the milk was cool. She had no problems taking it cool from the bottle or warm when nursing. That was always helpful since I didnt have to worry about warming a bottle when we were out.

muffintop · 05-05-2006, 10:39 AM

My 2 cents...

The way my family warmed up my pumped frozen or refridgerated milk was to microwave water in a glass bowl for a minute or two then place the frozen bag, storage bottle, or nipple bottle in the bowl - occasionally shaking the milk to help distribute the heat thruout. Then testing the liquid's temp on the underside of the arm before giving it to him.

We were lucky as well with DS drinking not requiring to drink anything but warm temperature bottles. Now that we have begun supplementing with formula (DS is 6 months) we just use room temperature bottled water to make his bottles.