Events like storms, floods, wildfires, earthquakes, power outages and disease outbreaks can leave you without shelter, supplies, electricity, or safe water, making it harder to safely feed your baby. Babies are at a higher risk of getting sick from unsafe food or water because their immune systems are still developing.
There are steps you can take to safely feed your baby human milk (breast milk) or formula during emergencies.
Chestfeeding is a term that is becoming more commonly used when discussing infant feeding. It’s often used by trans-masculine or non-binary parents to describe how they feed their baby from their bodies. Both chestfeeding and breastfeeding are used below to ensure that all parents feel represented and included.
Families with babies have special considerations when preparing for emergencies. The information below can help you prepare for emergency situations, such as evacuations and power outages.
Have these items ready in case of an emergency.
If you breastfeed or chestfeed your baby:
If you express your milk:
If you provide formula to your baby:
Consider having a single burner camping stove and a pot to boil water for preparing liquid concentrate or powdered formula and for disinfecting feeding equipment.
Hand expressing milk is a safe and effective way to feed your baby during emergencies. It can be especially helpful when you do not have electricity to use electric pumps, safe water to wash pumps, or when you will be away from your baby.
Hand expressing takes time and becomes easier with practice. Steps for expressing milk by hand:
Talk to your health care provider, a public health nurse or a lactation consultant if you need help expressing your milk.
Breastfeeding or chestfeeding are the safest ways to feed your baby during emergencies. Human milk can help protect your baby from infections, diarrhea and vomiting.
Breastfeed or chestfeed often to offer nutrition and comfort to your baby.
Emergencies can cause stress. But even if you’re stressed, your body will keep making milk. If you think you have less milk than usual, breastfeed or chestfeed more often to increase your milk supply.
It’s possible that stress can also affect the release of your milk. Breastfeeding or chestfeeding can help by releasing hormones that relax your body.
You can still breastfeed or chestfeed your baby when you have a common illness like a cold, the flu or a stomach bug. Your milk can help protect your baby from illness.
If you’re feeling very unwell or need medications, discuss the safety of breastfeeding or chestfeeding with your health care provider.
Ready-to-feed (RTF) infant formula is the safest option when you do not have electricity or safe water. If available, use single-serve RTF formula. Liquid concentrate or powdered infant formula can be used if you have access to safe water.
Powdered infant formula is not sterile. Some babies are at higher risk of getting sick from powdered formula and should be fed RTF or liquid concentrate formula. This includes babies who:
For detailed steps on making and storing infant formula, see HealthLinkBC File #69b Feeding your baby formula: Safely making and storing formula.
Take extra caution to use safe water when you prepare formula, including when you clean and disinfect feeding equipment.
When preparing formula:
When you clean and disinfect feeding equipment:
If you cannot clean feeding equipment safely, infants can drink milk from a disposable cup.
Check current water notices and advisories to see if your water is safe. Follow any guidance provided by local authorities. If you’re not sure if your water is safe, check with your health authority contact: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/air-land-water/water/water-quality/drinking-water-quality/health-authority-contacts.
If your drinking water comes from your own private well, you’re in charge of testing your water to see if it is safe. It’s recommended you re-test after events like a flood or wildfire to see if water quality has become a problem. Learn more about well water testing here: HealthLinkBC File #05b Well water testing.
Freshly expressed human milk can be stored in a clean container, marked with the date, for up to:
These recommendations are for healthy, full-term babies. Storage times may be shorter if your baby was born premature or has a medical condition.
Thaw frozen milk overnight in a fridge if possible. You can also run the container under, or place it in warm, safe water if you need the milk right away. Keep the lid of the container out of the water. Do not defrost milk in a microwave. Microwaves heat unevenly and create hotspots that can burn your baby’s mouth.
Once thawed, human milk:
After your baby has finished feeding, throw away any leftover milk.
If you make more than one bottle of formula, store unused bottles in the fridge. If making powdered formula with boiled water that was cooled to 70 degrees, quickly cool bottles before storing them in the fridge. To do this, put them under cold, safe running water. Do not get water on the nipple or ring of the bottle.
Use stored bottles within 24 hours or follow label instructions. Once you start feeding, use the bottle within 2 hours. Throw out any leftover formula. Do not reheat formula during a feed. Do not refrigerate a partly used bottle.
Keep refrigerator or freezer doors shut whenever possible. When doors are kept shut:
Events like floods, wildfires or supply chain disruptions can impact access to infant formula. If you cannot find your usual infant formula, speak with your community pharmacist. They may be able to find a local source or place a special order.
You can also consider:
If switching formula, remember:
For more tips on what to do if you cannot find your usual formula, see Health Canada: Information for families on the limited supply of infant formula.
Cup feeding can be used for babies of all ages. Clean, disposable cups are a safe option when feeding equipment like bottles and nipples cannot be cleaned properly.
To feed your baby with a cup:
In some cases, it’s possible to restart milk production (relactation) after stopping for weeks or months. If you wish to try relactation, get help from a lactation consultant or discuss with your health care provider.
Your baby is getting enough to eat if they’re growing well and have enough wet diapers and bowel movements.
After the first week, your baby will have around 6 or more wet diapers each day. The number of bowel movements can vary a lot between babies, especially after the first week of birth.
If your baby is breastfed or chestfed:
If your baby is fed formula:
If you’re worried about how your baby is growing, contact your health care provider, a public health nurse or lactation consultant.
You can also call 8-1-1 to speak to a registered nurse or registered dietitian.
If you’re in a shelter setting, ask the shelter staff or emergency relief workers for support.
For more information, see the following:
