Why You Should Warm Your Baby’s Bottle [And How to Avoid Doing It Wrong]

Does it really matter what temperature your baby’s bottle is?

To answer that question, think about this:

Would you want a cold cup of coffee on a chilly winter morning?

We didn’t think so.

A warm, steamy mug is much more inviting. The same is true for your baby’s bottle of breastmilk or formula.

Nature intended for babies to drink warm milk – so it makes sense to give your baby a warm bottle.

Here is the ‘why’ and ‘how’ behind warming your baby’s bottle. Read up, then it’s time for your baby to drink up!

Why Your Baby Would (Probably) Like a Warm Bottle

There is no specific parenting law against giving your baby a cold or room temperature bottle of milk.

But here are a few reasons why many babies prefer a warm bottle:

• Breastmilk is at or near the average human body temperature of 98 degrees.
• A bottle made with tap water (or filtered water from the fridge or countertop) could be as much as 40 or 50 degrees colder than breastmilk. That is a big difference!
• Baby’s body must use energy to heat the cold liquid as it digests.
• Some parents report that drinking a cold bottle causes their baby to have a stomachache.

It might feel like an extra step, but heating your baby’s bottle will likely make for a more comfortable and relaxing feeding for your little one.

How to Heat a Baby Bottle – the Right Way

Ok, so you’ve decided that you should be heating your baby’s bottle – but before you head for the microwave or start boiling a pot of water to dunk the bottle in, read this!

Don’t heat your baby bottle in the microwave.

Here’s why:

Microwaves don’t always heat things evenly – that’s the reason why those frozen dinners have you peel back the plastic and stir halfway through the heating time. This is true for your baby’s bottle, too.

Avoid hot spots that could burn baby’s mouth by skipping the microwave. Additionally, if the formula or milk gets too hot, it can destroy precious nutrients.

Don’t put your baby bottle in boiling water.

This is important for three reasons:

1. If you’re using a plastic baby bottle, it could melt or become damaged. Seems obvious, but when you’re sleep-deprived, it’s easy to forget these things.
2. High heat can change the properties of breastmilk and deplete the nutritional value.
3. No one wants to watch a pot boil. Seriously. In the middle of the night with a crying baby, you will not want to wait for water to heat on the stove so you can place a bottle inside and let it slowly come to the right temperature.

Use a Bottle Warmer

There are a lot of reasons to use a baby bottle warmer, and you’ll probably find the one that means the most to you. But here are 3 of the top reasons that moms love using the Safe + Smart Bottle Warmer from Baby Brezza.

• It heats formula OR breastmilk the right way.

If your baby is formula-fed, choose the ‘Quick Warm’ option. A safe steam mode will quickly and evenly heat the bottle up in no time at all.

For breastmilk babies, the ‘Steady Warm’ feature is a lifesaver. The bottle warmer uses a water bath to provide constant, even warming that keeps breastmilk within a safe range and preserves all the nutrients your baby needs to grow big and strong.

Don’t ‘guess and check’ the temperature of your baby’s bottle by squirting milk or formula onto your wrists. Using a bottle warmer, it will be heated to the right, safe temperature every time.

• It has parent-friendly controls.

We get it. Your time is precious, and your attention is short. You don’t want to learn a complicated machine just to warm a baby bottle.

Don’t worry – the Smart + Safe Bottle Warmer is super easy. Simply push the power button to turn the unit on and tell it whether you are starting with a room temperature or cold bottle.

The final step is selecting ‘Quick Warm’ for formula or ‘Steady Warm’ for breastmilk.

It’s not too hard to master, and you’ll be grateful for the 5 minutes you can walk away and snuggle your baby… or crash on the couch for a mini power nap!

• It tells you when the bottle is ready.

Since you’ll be taking care of baby or getting a moment of rest, the Safe + Smart Bottle Warmer is designed to alert you when the bottle is ready.

Using a simple free app you can download on your smartphone, receive an alert when the heating cycle is complete. That sure beats standing over the sink waiting for hot water to heat your bottle or watching a pot on the stove!

Don’t want to use an app?

The bottle warmer also has an audible beep that lets you know the cycle is done.

Drink Up, Baby! 

Feeding time is a special bonding experience for parents and babies. Give your baby a warm bottle that will make them feel cozy and cared for.

Use a bottle warmer to make the process simple and safe. You’ll have peace of mind that the formula is heated evenly or the breastmilk is still full of vital nutrition.

Now that you know why and how to heat a baby bottle, you may feel like a super parent! But we already knew that about you – after all, you were born to do this!