Emergencies can make it harder to safely feed your baby. Storms, floods, wildfires, earthquakes and power outages can leave you without shelter, supplies, electricity or safe water. Babies are at a higher risk of getting sick 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.
Note on terminology: Chestfeeding and human milk are terms that are becoming more commonly used. They’re often used by transmasculine or non-binary parents to describe how they feed their baby from their bodies. Chestfeeding, breastfeeding and human milk are used in this handout to ensure that all parents feel represented and included.
If you’re able to, breastfeed or chestfeed often during an emergency. This can help you and your baby stay healthy and calm.
Feeding at the breast or chest is the safest way to feed your baby during emergencies. This is because:
Stress may slow down your milk flow, so your baby may need to take longer to feed. Milk production may decrease if you become dehydrated or feed less often. To help keep up your milk supply, try to:
Though feeding directly at the breast or chest is the safest option during an emergency, there may be times when this is not possible.
Expressing milk can be helpful if you:
Milk can be expressed by hand or with a pump. Hand expression is the safer option when you do not have safe water and supplies to clean pump equipment.
To learn how to safely express and store your milk, visit Baby’s Best Chance: Expressing Your Milk (PDF, 2.2MB).
Talk with any available health care providers, public health nurses or lactation consultants if you need help expressing your milk.
Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors shut whenever possible. When doors are kept shut, milk will stay cold and be safe to use for up to:
If power returns, milk that is partially defrosted but still has ice crystals can be refrozen. If completely thawed but still cold, put it in the refrigerator and use within 24 hours.
If you’re temporarily separated from your baby, it’s important to:
During an emergency, you may consider other feeding options, such as informal or peer-to-peer milk sharing. This is when you get human milk from others, such as family members, friends, or online groups. However, human milk from informal sharing is usually not treated to kill harmful bacteria or viruses.
Some parents feel the benefits of human milk outweigh the potential risks of informal milk sharing. Human milk that is informally shared comes with possible health risks. These include:
When weighing the risks and benefits of informal human milk sharing, consider:
To ensure your baby stays healthy, discuss all feeding options with a health care provider, public health nurse, or lactation consultant before considering informal milk sharing.
Cup feeding can be used for babies of all ages and is a safe option when feeding at the breast or chest is not possible. Cups are easier to clean than bottles and nipples. Clean disposable cups can be used if supplies cannot be cleaned properly.
To feed your baby with a cup:
Infant formula may be used for various reasons, such as when human milk is not available.
Ready-to-feed (RTF) infant formula is the safest option when you do not have safe water. Liquid concentrate or powdered infant formula can be used if you have access to safe water. Some babies are at a higher risk of getting sick from powdered formula because it’s not sterile. This includes babies who:
Check current water notices and advisories to see if your tap water is safe. Follow any guidance provided by local authorities. If you’re unsure, check with your health authority contact.
If your drinking water comes from your own private well, you’re in charge of testing for safety. It’s recommended to re-test your water after events like a flood or wildfire to see if the water is still safe to use. Learn more about well water testing here: HealthLinkBC File #05b Well water testing.
During an emergency, take extra caution to:
For detailed steps on making and storing infant formula, visit HealthLinkBC File #69b Feeding your baby formula: Safely making and storing formula.
First, wash items with soap and safe water. Then, disinfect items by boiling them in a pot of safe water for 2 minutes. Air dry before using. Find detailed steps here, Baby's Best Chance: Cleaning and disinfecting feeding equipment (PDF, 463KB).
Events like floods, wildfires or supply chain disruptions can impact your access to infant formula. If you cannot find your usual formula, consider the following options:
If switching formula, remember:
For more tips on what to do if you cannot find your usual formula, visit Health Canada: Information for families on the limited supply of infant formula
Do not make homemade formula. Many recipes are not safe and do not provide enough nutrients for your baby to grow and develop. If other options for feeding your baby are not available, call 8-1-1 to discuss how to best feed your baby.
Reach out to your local emergency reception centre for support on accessing safe water, facilities with electricity, and supplies to feed your baby safely. Reception centres are often located in a school or community centre and may be staffed with trained emergency support services volunteers. In an emergency shelter, reach out to staff and volunteers for support.
If you have access to a phone, call 8-1-1 to speak to a registered nurse or registered dietitian.
For more information, visit the following:
