Allergen note
Breast milk is not a common allergen, and nearly all babies tolerate it well. Rarely, a baby with cow's milk protein allergy reacts to traces of dairy protein from the mother's diet, with mucus or blood in the stool, rash or unusual fussiness; talk to your pediatrician before cutting foods from your own diet.
How to serve
Breast milk stays your baby's main drink through the first year, alongside solids from around 6 months, and WHO recommends continuing breastfeeding to 2 years or beyond. Keep breastfeeding as usual, and use expressed milk to thin purées, mashed foods or iron-fortified cereal, or offer sips from a small open cup.
Preparation
Store expressed milk in clean, closed containers: up to 4 hours at room temperature, 4 days in the fridge, or about 6 months in the freezer (up to 12 months is acceptable). Thaw it in the fridge or in warm water, never in the microwave; use fridge-thawed milk within 24 hours, use warmed milk within 2 hours, and never refreeze it.
Texture and choking risk
Breast milk needs no chewing, so the main thing is to avoid big gulps. Hold an open cup for your baby and let them take one small sip at a time, and when you mix expressed milk into purées or cereal, start runny and thicken gradually as skills grow. Always supervise, and never prop a bottle.
Sources: cdc.gov · cdc.gov · healthychildren.org · healthychildren.org · nhs.uk · nhs.uk · nhs.uk
Starting ages are typical guidance for healthy, full-term babies who show signs of readiness. Your paediatrician may advise differently, especially where there is a family history of allergy.
Recipes with breast milk
Track first tastes and reactions
Log when your child first tries breast milk, note any reaction and see it in the allergen tracker.
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