How to warm a baby bottle safely

Bottle feeding? Wondering how to warm a baby’s bottle safely? What is the best temperature to serve breastmilk or formula? 

While every baby is different, and some will even take a cold bottle, most babies will take comfort from a warm bottle. Especially if they are used to being breastfed, and now you want to transition them to bottle feeding. So, in this blog, we aim to answer all your questions about the best way to heat a bottle.

Does A Baby Bottle Have To Be Warmed?

There are no hard and fast rules that say you have to warm your baby’s bottle. However, your baby is more likely to accept a warm bottle rather than a cold one. This is especially true if you have been breastfeeding as your baby will be used to feeding on milk that is already at body temperature. So while there are no nutritional benefits to warming your baby’s bottle, a warm bottle may make feeding time easier.

How Can I Safely Warm A Baby Bottle?

Everyone should be aware of the importance of hygiene and safety during milk or formula preparation and storage, and warming a baby’s bottle is no different. There are many ways to warm your baby’s bottle, but the following are the safe methods:

Using An Electric Baby Bottle Warmer

Nowadays, many busy parents invest in an electric baby bottle warmer. This is one of the easiest ways to heat up a baby’s bottle. A simple touch of a button will heat your baby’s bottle to the right temperature and removes any guesswork.

There are different types available but most work with a central chamber that has a thermostat to heat the bottle which turns off when it reaches the correct temperature.

Make sure to not leave the milk in your baby bottle warmer for longer than 15 minutes. 

Using A Portable Baby Bottle Warmer

With today’s busy lifestyles more and more parents are investing in portable bottle warmers.

Portable baby bottle warmers come in many shapes and forms. There are portable warmers which plug into your car’s 12v outlet, and warmers with instant heat technology.

Rechargeable portable baby bottle warmer is perfect for outings and can also be used at home, so you don’t need to have multiple warmers. 

The goal is to warm a baby’s bottle and not heat it. A baby’s bottle should be no warmer than body temperature or around 37°C. If baby milk or formula gets too hot you run the risk of burning your baby’s mouth and destroying the good nutrients your baby needs.

Can I Safely Heat Breastmilk Or Formula In The Microwave?

Using a microwave might seem like a quick and easy solution to warming a baby’s bottle, but the experts all agree you should never heat your baby’s bottle in a microwave.

A microwave actually distributes heat unevenly. Have you ever noticed when heating a meal, that the food looks piping hot but it’s still cold in the middle? The same happens when heating a baby’s bottle. 

If you use a microwave to heat breastmilk or formula the liquid may develop uneven hotspots which can burn your baby's mouth. In addition, the intense heat created by the microwave will almost certainly destroy the good nutrients in your baby’s milk.

How Can I Warm A Baby Bottle On The Go?

For most of us, the days of being a stay-at-home-mum are a distant memory. The modern world is a busy place and not easy to juggle with a young baby.

While heating a bottle at home is pretty simple, warming a baby bottle on the go can be a bit more of a challenge. That’s where portable baby bottle warmers come in. 

There are many brands and types of portable bottle warmers out there, and they’re not all up to the task of heating a bottle quickly. 

What’s The Best Portable Bottle Warmer?

A portable baby bottle warmer has become the go-to tool for many busy mums.