Breastfeeding during an emergency
These pantry lists outline the food and equipment required for 1 baby if water and electricity have been interrupted for 3 days, based on the national infant feeding guidelines.
Your baby’s nutritional needs depend on their age:
- 0–6 months rely on breast milk. Offer breastfeeds more often during hot weather. Water or other drinks are not needed unless recommended by a doctor.
- 6–12 months need food and fluids in addition to breast milk. During hot weather, you can give small amounts of cooled boiled water after or in between breastmilk feeds.
- over 12 months need solid foods and drinks, continue breastfeeding, or give full cream milk via a cup. During hot weather, give cooled boiled water after or in between meals.
Adapt the list for babies with food intolerances and allergies.
Babies aged up to 6 months
To stay safe:
- Offer breastfeeds more often during
- ensure you drink enough water if you are breastfeeding
- do not give water if your baby is aged less than 6 months, unless recommended by a doctor.
- You can continue to give expressed breastmilk in a feeding bottle if the electricity and water supplies have been interrupted. Please ensure feeding bottles and eats are washed with cold soapy water using wet paper towels. Then sterilise with chemical sterilising using cold water.
Item | Approximate quantity |
Disposable nappies | 30 |
Nappy wipes | 80 |
Nappy sacks | 30 |
Disposable gloves | 30 |
Hand sanitiser | 1 bottle |
Solid storage container with lid | 1 (big enough to store all the supplies) |
Babies aged 6-12 months
To stay safe:
- continue to breastfeed as you did before the emergency. If it is hot, offer your baby more breastfeeds or small sips of water between feeds.
- do not give your baby expressed breast milk during an emergency where electricity and water supplies have been interrupted
- consider how much complementary food your baby is eating and use this information to guide your purchasing
- buy small or single serves and discard any opened food that may spoil if not eaten immediately
- do not give your baby food that has passed its best-before date
- wash your baby's hands (and your own) before feeding
- throw out used utensils to prevent contamination.
Item | Amount |
Nappy wipes | 80 |
Nappy sacks | 30 |
Disposable gloves | 30 |
Hand sanitiser | 1 bottle |
Ready-to-eat food | 9 jars or pouches: |
Disposable teaspoons | 10 (to feed solid foods) |
Bottled water (for drinking) | 3 x 500ml bottles |
Solid storage container with lid | 1 (big enough to store all the supplies) |