Is Heating Baby Bottles in the Microwave Safe? l The Best Ways to Heat up Your Baby's Milk

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Microwave ovens have become so popular because they are convenient, save time, and let you quickly cook entire meals or heat leftovers. As a parent, we always try to find shortcuts to make our lives easier with all the necessary things to take care of a new baby, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! And due to how easy it is, you’ve probably thought about heating our baby’s bottles in a microwave.

Unfortunately, heating breast milk or infant formula in the microwave is not recommended by the FDA as it is not safe for your baby. Studies have shown that microwaves heat a baby’s milk and formula unevenly. Although heating the baby’s bottles in a microwave won’t ruin the feeding, it may cause slight changes to the baby’s food.

· Heating breast milk can harm its natural immunity-boosting properties.

· Heating infant milk formulas can result in the loss of vitamins and minerals when overheated.

Real Dangers of Microwaving:

· The liquid within the bottle can become extremely hot in just a few seconds, though the bottle itself may not feel warm on the exterior. This can result in the baby’s esophagus, mouth, and throat being burned from drinking a scalding hot liquid.

· Steam and pressure builds up in the bottle as the liquid heats, and since the bottle is closed, it can result in the bottle exploding.

Microwaves are not a safe way to warm your baby’s bottles, and you must avoid any practice that will heat the milk past 104 degrees. Anything under this temperature is acceptable, and giving your baby cooler or even cold milk are completely safe options if your baby will take it this way. Giving your baby body temperature milk is ideal as most babies prefer warm milk.

There are several ways to warm your baby’s bottle safely while keeping all its valuable properties intact.

In a bowl of warm water:

Using a bowl of warm water is the easiest and most cost-effective bottle-warming method, and it requires no special equipment. Heat some water on the stove or in the microwave. The water should be warm but not boiling. Remove the water from the heat source, fill a bowl with the warm water, and place the bottle inside until the bottle comes up to a lukewarm temperature. Swirl the bottle occasionally to make sure all the milk gets heated through, but avoid shaking vigorously as this can introduce air bubbles.

Holding it under tap water:

You can quickly warm a bottle by holding it under a tap of warm running water. Just like when you use a bowl of warm water, you want to make sure that the water coming from the tap is not too hot. You should be able to hold your hand under the running water. If you have to pull your hands away, then it’s not suitable water to use to warm your baby’s breastmilk.

Prepare formula bottles with warm water:

Boil local tap water on a stove for one minute and then allow it to cool to the appropriate body-like temperature before making your baby’s bottle.

Bottle warmer:

Bottle warmers offer convenience while making the warming process less time-consuming. There are many different options available in the market, so make sure you choose one that fits the size and shape of the bottles you’re using. A simple touch of a button warms your bottle to the perfect temperature, but you still need to be mindful of safety and ensure the temperature is even. There are even some that are made for the car in case you’re away from home. And if you’re formula-feeding, you can choose one that dispenses, mixes, and heats the water all in one at the same time.

Below we are listing some fantastic brands of bottle warmer.

Philips Avent Fast Baby Bottle Warmer:

This bottle warmer is an easy way to make mealtime more comfortable for the baby. It gently heats a 5-ounce bottle in as few as 3 minutes. Milk circulates continuously while it’s warming, so it won’t cause hot spots. The warmer can also be used to defrost frozen breast milk and baby food. It is compatible with almost all leading baby bottle brands and baby food jars. It has sensors that automatically adjust the heating pattern for different milk volumes.

Grownsy Bottle Warmer 5-in-1:

This is 5 in 1 bottle warmer includes warming, steaming, food heating, average warming, and defrosting. You can quickly warm a 240 ml milk bottle only in 3 minutes. It turns off automatically to prevent overheating. It is made up of food-grade PP material.

Dr. Brown’s Deluxe Baby Bottle Warmer:

This baby bottle warmer has electric steam heat that quickly warms baby bottles and food jars. It fits Dr. Brown’s bottles and most other bottle brands. It is so easy to use and operate. It has easy-to-use programmable LCD control panel features, an easy-to-read keypad plus, and a one-button start function. It has audio and a visual alert to let you know when the warming cycle is complete. It automatically shuts off after eight minutes plus features a cycle memory to repeat the preferred heating time. Adjustable basket fits different sized bottles.

All mothers want to feed their crying babies as quickly as possible, but we have to make sure that we’re doing it the right way. No matter which option you choose, make sure you test your baby’s milk in a bottle by placing a drop on your wrist. It should feel lukewarm.

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