Dear fellow parents, It has always been bothering me regarding heating up breast milk. My wife pumps milk regularly and keep stock in the fridge and freezer. What's the take in terms of heating it up? Do we heat up to warm or just room temperature? As I do read book about traditional Chinese medicine, there is cold/寒气 that will be within food, so if just heat up to room temperature then there is no way this cold/寒气 will dissipate. My wife had been reasoning with me that if too hot nutrition from the milk will be gone but then what if our kids health is affect by this cold/寒气, such as asthma or cough due to effect on airway by the cold. Appreciate if someone can share with me your view or info.

You can try to feel a bottle of freshly expressed milk. It is about body temperature, slightly warm. Your wife is right that nutrients will be gone if the milk is too hot. You should never warm it up using hot water. You can defroze it overnight in the fridge and warm up using tap water. In fact some babies drink chilled breastmilk and they are fine.

No need to heat it up. Can store in fridge/freezer to prolong its life, but just leave out in the room before you will need it. Room temperature is best (after all, when direct latching, it's not "heated").

There are precious antibodies and immune proteins which are damaged by heat beyond 40 degrees Celsius. You don't want to heat up the BM to a point where this important stuff are denatured.

Sorry to ride, was just wondering chilled breast milk? How does that work, could you explain further. Never heard of this before.