Here's why you should NOT use a microwave to heat expressed breast milk

Here's how to warm stored or refrigerated breast milk to feed an infant, explained by lactation expert, Dr Geetika.

When pressed for time, most women, especially working moms, take the microwave route to warm expressed breast milk to feed the baby. But is it the right measure? Can you warm expressed breast milk in a microwave? Is it healthy? Well, here's what Dr Geetika Gangwani, Business Manager, Fortis Mamma Mia, Lactation Consultant at IBCLC, Member of Medela s LC Club has to say about warming expressed milk in a microwave. Also, read why you should not mix breast milk with formula EVER!

Dr Geetika says, 'We do not recommend microwaving expressed breast milk because if you do that, the heat is not circulated homogenously, leaving patches of hot and cold milk. And hence, there are high chances that the child might get hurt, as feeding hot breast milk can lead to burns.Moreover, microwaving also kills a lot of immunological factors and other infection-fighting compounds. Hence, if you are planning to use this technique or are already following it, stop it. ' Here's everything you need to know about breastfeeding.

How to warm breast milk?

Well, according to Dr Geetika, you can keep the expressed breast milk for three- four hours at room temperature in Indian conditions. If it exceeds more than four hours, it is better to throw it away as there are high chances of the milk getting spoilt. Here are 10 things you should NEVER do while breastfeeding.

If you are a working mom, then you can refrigerate expressed breast milk to store it. However, ensure to use it within five days to prevent spoilage. And if you want to use it, rather than to heat it directly or microwave, you need to thaw it. To do this, take a bowl of lukewarm water, let the container with expressed breast milk stand in it for a few minutes and once it is at room temperature, swirl it and once it is homogenously mixed, feed the baby. As said earlier, microwaving lowers the overall nutrient and immunological properties of the breastmilk, it is wise to thaw it rather than to heat it directly. Also, read four common breastfeeding problems and their solutions.

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