Breast milk is an optimal source of nutrition for your baby. Freeze it to to build up a reserve is a brilliant idea, but requires a few precautions once it's time to defrost. 🥶
How do you defrost breast milk properly and preserve its nutritional properties? The truth is, you have several options...
Whether you choose to take frozen milk out of the freezer and immerse it in a container of cold or lukewarm water, or warm it gently in a bain-marie, guaranteeing milk's wholesomeness and quality is a mission to be taken seriously.
Contents
Option 1: Transfer frozen milk to the refrigerator>.
Option 2: Plunge the frozen milk container into a container of warm or cold water.
Option 3: Gently warm the milk in a bain-marie
Can you defrost breast milk in the microwave?
Can thawed breast milk be refrozen?
Option 1: Transfer frozen milk to the refrigerator
For this method, remove the frozen milk from the freezer and place it in the fridge. It's common sense, of course, to keep your hands clean when doing this.
This is the slowest thawing method, but also the one that best preserves the milk's nutritional properties.
For the milk to thaw completely, it's best to wait at least a minimum of 12 hours.
For a bottle taken in the morning, it is advisable to take out the milk the night before, and vice versa.
Once the milk has thawed, you can use it within 12 hours of thawing total defrosting (i.e. a 24-hour cycle outside the freezer). You can warm the bottle under warm tap water, in a bain-marie or with a bottle warmer, before giving it to your baby.
Option 2: Plunge the frozen milk container into a container of warm or cold water.
This method, which is quicker than the previous one, requires you to leave the hermetically sealed milk jug or sachet in a basin of water. L'watertightness water must not come into contact with the milk, as this could contaminate it with pathogens.
Warm water will speed up the defrosting process.
Defrosting time varies according to the quantity of milk you wish to defrost. Allow 1 to 3 hours for this operation to be completed.
The main risk with this method is forgetting the milk in the container. However, once the thawing process is complete, it is imperative to place the container in the fridge to keep it fresh.
Elhée tip:
Don't hesitate to program an alert on your phone about 2 hours after taking the milk out of the freezer if you're feeling light-headed 😉 This will allow you to go and check how the milk looks.
Option 3: Gently warm the milk in a bain-marie
If you need the milk more quickly than with the above methods, you can opt for the bain-marie method. The milk will be ready in less than 10 minutes ! Be careful, however, if breast milk is stored in a plastic container: the risk of microplastic migration into the milk is greater when the plastic is heated.
- Fill a saucepan with hot, but not boiling, water. but not boilingand place the container of frozen milk in it.
- Stir the milk gently while it heats up.
- Avoid pouring milk directly into a saucepan or in the microwave, as this tends to destroy its nutritional properties.
- To ensure that the milk doesn't get too hot, which can happen very quickly, we recommend using a kitchen thermometer to control the temperature (36.5° is ideal!). You can also test the temperature by pouring a drop of milk onto the front of your wrist to make sure it's neither too hot nor too cold.
- Once the milk is ready, you can pour it into a bottle and offer it to your baby.
Can you defrost breast milk in the microwave?
It is not advisable to defrost breast milk in the microwave, even though this may technically work.
- In fact, this can destroy some of the precious nutrients present Excessive heat can alter the quality of proteins, antibodies, enzymes, vitamins and minerals essential for the baby's development.
- In addition, the action of the microwave heats the milk unevenly, creating zones that are hotter than others. zones hotter than others which can burn your baby's mouth.
- If the container used to heat breast milk in the microwave is made of plastic, there is a risk that plastic microparticles may be released. plastic microparticles migrate into the milk as a result of the heat.
Can thawed breast milk be refrozen?
Thawed breast milk should never be refrozen. Once thawed, milk should be used within 24 hours (if kept refrigerated) or 1 hour at room temperature to maintain its nutritional quality. If you don't use all the thawed milk within this time, avoid refreezing it and dispose of it down the drain.
To conclude
Thawing breast milk should be carried out with caution.
- Whether you take your time and place the milk in the milk in the fridge,
- to opt for the bain-marie for faster defrosting,
- or immersing milk in cold or lukewarm water Following good practices is essential for preserving milk quality and freshness.
Please note note the date of each expression on the jar, using a delebible marker or a self-adhesive label, and to respect respect the shelf-life limits depending on the type of freezer you use. To be on the safe side, avoid defrosting breast milk in the microwave.
