Why Heat Up Baby Bottles & How To Do It

Does it really matter what temperature your baby’s bottle is? Do you have to heat up formula for your little one?

To answer these questions, 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!  Let’s discuss baby milk temperature specifics below.

Bottle Temp for Baby: Why Your Baby Prefers 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 benefits of warm milk for babies, as well as 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.

Choosing a Better Milk Temperature for Baby: Is Warm Formula Easier to Digest?

Baby bottle temperature matters for a variety of reasons. Warmed baby formula is easier for babies to digest, as they don't need to use extra energy to warm it up in their tummy. Because of this, many parents have found that warm milk is less likely to cause tummy aches. Additionally, warm water helps the formula dissolve better, thus preventing bubbles from tons of shaking.

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 Warm up Formula – 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 to learn the best way to heat up formula!

When trying to get milk temperature for baby right,  don’t heat your baby bottle in the microwave.

Here’s why you shouldn’t use a microwave to set bottle temp for baby:

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, a microwave heats up breastmilk too high and destroys your "liquid gold's" precious nutrients.

Don’t put your baby bottle in boiling water to try and find the desired baby bottle temperature.

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. It's too hot and will destroy the proteins in your breastmilk.
3. It takes too long! Who 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.

What Temperature Should Baby Formula Be?

The ideal temperature for formula or breast milk is at or just below body temperature. More specifically, the temperature should be around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Instead of using a thermometer, consider the wrist method to test the temperature of your baby’s milk. If the newborn milk temperature feels warm– NOT hot– on your wrist, it is safe to drink.

Best Baby Bottle Warmer - Use The Right One That Safely Warms Breastmilk and Formula

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. Here are the top 3 reasons that Moms love using the Baby Brezza Safe + Smart Bottle Warmer for getting the perfect baby bottle temperature.

1) It's the only bottle warmer that safely heats formula and breastmilk because it has two different warming settings - one for each.

Finding the right bottle temp for baby is easy. For formula, choose the "Quick Warm" option which uses Steam Heat to rapidly and evenly warm up formula.

For breastmilk, choose "Steady Warm" which uses a warm water bath to evenly warm up breastmilk, preserving its nutrients. Virtually all other bottle warmers use Steam Heat to warm up breastmilk which is too hot and will ruin your "liquid gold".

Dialing in the right baby milk temperature isn’t a guessing game anymore. 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.

2) It is the only bottle warmer with Bluetooth so you can operate it from your phone and get alerts.

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, and get ready for the perfect newborn milk temperature. 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? You can operate the warmer using the LCD control panels and listen for beeps that lets you know when the cycle is done.

3. 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.

Getting milk temperature for baby right is 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.

If You're Just Warming Formula, Do It Instantly With The Instant Warmer

The Baby Brezza Instant Warmer lets you make a warm formula bottle instantly -- what could be better? It dispenses warm water 24/7. Then just add formula, mix and feed. You won't have to wait up to 5 minutes for a traditional bottle warmer to warm a bottle anymore.

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 the Baby Brezza Bottle Warmer to make the process simple and safe. With the best baby bottle warmer, you’ll have peace of mind that the formula is heated evenly or the breastmilk is still full of vital nutrition.

Start saving time and find the perfect baby milk temperature with Baby Brezza!