Did you know?

Breast milk is a living substance that contains live cells, including stem cells, which go on to become other body cell types like brain, heart, kidney, or bone tissue.

1. Breast milk should be brought in daily and kept in a fridge at 4°C or lower. If you need to purchase a fridge thermometer you can find one here.
2. Follow the individual care plan in place, regarding times and quantities for feeds, for each child.
3. Ensure that the child’s bottle and teat has been sterilised before preparation (check out our instructions on sterilisation in How to: Prepare a Formula Bottle Feed.
4. Sterilise and dry the surface area where the feed is to be prepared, and wash hands thoroughly.
5. Warm milk by using a bottle warmer (following the instructions), holding the bottle under warm running water or by sitting the bottle in a jug of warm water.
6. Use a sterile thermometer to check that the milk is at body temperature (36.7°C). You can find a suitable baby food thermometer here.
7. Dry the outside of the bottle and feed to child.
8. Any milk not consumed within an hour of heating up should be thrown away.

Remember

DO NOT use a microwave to warm milk, even if checking the temperature with a thermometer, as microwaves can cause uneven hotspots which can burn a child’s mouth.

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