All parents are aware that if there is one thing to always keep in hand or at the ready, it is the bottle of milk. When your baby wakes you up in the middle of the night, you reach out for a bottle of milk. When your baby suddenly cries on a peaceful afternoon, you run towards your readied bottle of milk. When your child reaches out towards you and starts fussing, they are probably looking for a bottle of milk. In the first few weeks, milk is what keeps the babies going day in and day out.
So, preparation is essential with a baby in the vicinity. Some parents even refrigerate the baby bottles to keep it from spoiling. With this, a good bottle warmer is nice to have. Know the ins and outs of bottle warmers and understand how long can you keep baby milk in bottle warmer.
How to Warm Breastmilk With a Microwave
Not all parents can afford a baby bottle warmer. But most parents need to find ways to warm breastmilk for feeding as a lot of babies prefer milk that is of proper temperature, rather than cold or too hot. So, here is a step-by-step guide on how to warm milk and will answer how long can you keep baby milk in bottle warmer.
- Prepare a heat-safe plastic bag that seals well. Pour your refrigerated breastmilk into a plastic bag that seals properly.
- Defrost the milk. Make sure that you have defrosted the milk beforehand. If not, run the frozen milk under hot water to help it stop clumping up. After a few minutes, the milk should be liquid and defrosted.
- Look for a microwave-safe bowl or mug. Many materials are safe for microwaving. The materials include ceramic and glassware.
- Fill the bowl or mug about half-way or around three-quarters full. If your cup is regular-sized, you can put it in for around a minute, and it should be ready.
- Use a funnel. If you have a funnel around the house, use it for the pouring. Put it into the baby bottle to make sure that you will not lose even an ounce of milk.
- Situate the plastic bag full of milk into the warm mug. After warming the cup, take it out of the microwave oven. Let the container of milk sit in hot water for a couple of minutes.
- Check the temperature of the milk. To know if the milk is warm enough, take out the bag from the mug and press it lightly. You can then make a rocking motion with your hand to successfully distribute the temperature evenly across the bag, and consequently, the milk.
- Pour the milk into the baby bottle. When you feel that the temperature of the milk is at a comfortable level, you can finally pour the milk into the baby bottle.
- Double-check the temperature of the milk before feeding.
Why Should I Get A Baby Bottle Warmer
A warm bottle of milk is a delight to any baby. So, it is useful to get a baby bottle warmer. But why should you get a baby bottle warmer? Doesn’t a microwave do the same? Isn’t it just a waste of money? With a warmer, don’t you also need to know how long can you keep baby milk in bottle warmer? The following are some reasons why you should get a warmer:
- Baby bottle warmers are safer. When you microwave milk, there is a huge chance that the milk’s temperature is not even. One-half of it may be a bit hotter than the other half that you successfully checked. If this unfortunate event happens, you will find your baby screaming due to burns in the baby’s mouth.
- Retain the composition of the milk. It is common knowledge that microwaving food and drinks make them lose the nutrients or structure initially present. This fact is the same with milk—whether from powdered formula or breast milk.
- It is faster. Other methods require much more time than merely placing the baby bottle in an excellent old warmer.
Know-Hows of Baby Bottle Warmers
When you are just starting and just recently bought a baby bottle warmer, you must have several questions. How long can you keep baby milk in bottle warmer? How long can formula stay in bottle warmer? Is keeping breast milk in bottle warmer recommended. First off, bottle warmers come in different sizes, shapes, and colors. Each one has the same end-goal of heating milk, but you should refer to the manual the brand or company provided with the warmer’s package.
Some baby bottle warmers have timers and alerts, so you know that the milk is ready and at its best temperature. Others don’t have these functions. Thus, you need to pay close attention, so the milk does not overheat. Some companies successfully produced bottle warmers that perform well and get your bottle ready in 90 seconds. Others might take longer at three minutes or four minutes.
The point is, each bottle warmer is different. It would help if you read and understand the contents of the manual before and after making your purchase. This step will help you make sure that you get the bottle warmer you need and that you keep your baby’s sensitive mouth safe from overheated milk. Find out more about baby bottles.
Conclusion
Baby bottle warmers can be costly in contrast to using the ever-ready stove or microwave you can easily find in your kitchen. There is so much variety you can find on the market. Leading brands like Philips, Dr. Brown, Munchkin, and many others have all produced baby bottle warmers to add to their line. Some are more technologically advanced, while some require more attention.
Even after all the confusion, the most crucial task to accomplish is to keep your baby safe, happy, and well-fed. So, make sure that you are well-informed about your baby bottle warmer purchase and know some points about it like how long can you keep baby milk in bottle warmer.