Bottle Warmers – Why Do You Need Them?

Mom should be careful when heating expressed breast milk or formula. If you microwave breast milk, you can change the composition of the milk, causing the milk to lose certain anti-infective properties and nutrients even when it is heated in the microwave for a short period of time. This is why they are very effective and why most parents of newborns buy them. Breast milk is generally very sensitive to warm temperatures and can easily lose its vitamin C content. Heating breast milk on the stove is also ineffective because it causes a central temperature spike that causes breast milk to break down. Like microwaved breast milk, it causes a loss of minerals, immune properties, vitamins and micronutrients very quickly. So what can you do? Obviously, you can put expressed breast milk in a sterile bottle and put it in hot water for ten minutes, but who wants to do this when a newborn is screaming because he is starving? The same goes for the formula. For years, doctors have said that microwave formula causes horrible heat distribution that can burn babies’ mouths and wombs. Although most people shake the bottles to avoid this, it doesn’t always work because the heat tends to re-build up right away. Heating the water is a much safer method.

How are bottle warmers used?

Most can easily heat expressed breast milk and formula in about one to three minutes. They are very convenient because if the baby’s room is upstairs, you can also keep the heat there. By the time your newborn’s diaper is changed, the bottle warmer could easily have warmed 3 or 4 ounces of milk. They are very easy to use, fast and reliable. You never have to worry about your new babysitter overcooking a bottle in the microwave. I bought one of the Philips Avent iQ bottle warmers and it works like a charm. Just add water to the container and select the setting. You put the bottle in, close the lid, and put it down. The bottle warmer heats the milk by evaporating the water very quickly and heats the breast milk without hot spots and without breaking the composition of the milk. Now that my baby weighs about 4 ounces, I can warm up a bottle in about 3.5 minutes to warm the milk to a perfect temperature.

Who would have known that heating breast milk or formula would be such a big science! In addition to the great benefits mentioned above, I find that my baby simply prefers warm milk, which is why it is perfect for me. It’s very convenient, doesn’t take up much space, and I can easily store it in any closet when I’m done using it. It is very compact and you can take it to any room! A little hint for most bottle warmers out there: If you can use distilled water, go ahead. Otherwise, if you use tap water, the bottle warmers will have a build-up of minerals.

So are bottle warmers a necessity?

I think so. I think if parents are going to bottle feed their baby with expressed breast milk from time to time or with formula, it is an absolute necessity. Not only do they have many advantages but they are very easy to use. Add water and put the bottle. When it’s done heating, the bottle warmer turns on and you’re done. Shake the bottle and feed the baby. The bottle warmers on the market today can hold both large and thick newborn bottles as well as short, tall or thin bottles. They work great at night and you can do the whole process with one hand.

Which ones would you recommend?

Definitely the Philips Avent. It has been fantastic for my husband and me. The First Years Day & Night Bottle Warmer System is good because it’s a bottle cooler too. If I had to do it again, I would probably buy the Gerber Bottle Warmer or Munchkin Deluxe Food and Bottle Warmer with Pacifier Cleaning Basket. The Gerber Electric Bottle Warmer has rave reviews and is great to travel with. The Philips Avent Express Baby Food and Bottle Warmer is also an excellent bottle warmer.

Remember to use a microwave for expressed breast milk and formula is never recommended to warm the bottle. Not only is it difficult to judge how long the bottle should be heated, but it breaks and causes a loss of minerals, immune properties, vitamins and micronutrients very quickly. Hot spots are a danger to sensitive babies. You can put the bottles in with hot water, but why wait ten minutes and keep checking? This is the best gift we have for our newborn. These are revolutionary products that will warm frozen breast milk very safely, quickly and without destroying the important vitamins and nutrients that babies need. Advanced thermostatic controls in them and thermal fuse allow you to heat baby bottles, disposable bags with frozen expressed breast milk without boiling or overheating. Another hint: get one with a timer!