Getting up at night to place chilled baby bottles in hot water can be such a pain. Baby warmers gently heat the baby’s milk, expressed milk, and baby food, making a parent’s life much simpler. If you are planning to buy one, then these simple tips will help you make the right choice.
Did You Know?
Yoomi has introduced the first self-warming baby bottle that heats the baby milk with a push of a button. All you need to do is charge the warmer, push the button, and wait for sixty seconds.
As parents of a newborn or infant, there may have been numerous times when you have woken up at night to heat the baby’s bottle. Instead of having to heat pots of water or risk hot spots caused by heating the bottle in the microwave, a bottle warmer can really help in heating formula milk or breast milk quickly and evenly. This compact appliance not only saves precious time, but also prevents loss of nutrients caused by microwaving food. Whether you want to heat the baby’s formula, milk, or liquid food, a baby bottle warmer helps you do all that. All you need to do is plug it in, place the bottle, and push a button.
There are many types of bottle warmers in the market, in a variety of styles and brands. Most of these warmers heat baby bottles as well as baby food jars and other containers. There are portable bottle warmers also, that allow you to heat baby food on the go. With so many options in the market, choosing the right one can be difficult. In this AptParenting article, we tell you how to choose a bottle warmer that will suit your needs.
Suits Your Needs
A standard warmer will heat a bottle of milk or a jar of baby food when you place the bottle in the central vessel of the warmer. Some standard warmers use heating elements or batteries, while others have a steam warming system to heat the milk. Apart from the standard bottle warmers, there are sophisticated warmers with a cooler section which keeps a couple of bottles chilled, or have extra baskets to steam sterilize pacifiers. There are portable in-car bottle warmers that can be plugged into the car’s cigarette lighter or power socket. The choice of the bottle warmer depends on your needs and use. For example, if you wish to use the bottle warmer often, you would require a simple and durable warmer, while a frequent traveler would need a light and efficient portable bottle warmer.
Accommodates Different Baby Bottles
Choose a warmer that can accommodate any size and shape of baby bottle, magic cup, and baby food jar. No matter if you choose a standard, straight, narrow-neck bottle, the bottle warmer should work just fine with all these types. While you may be tempted to choose an inexpensive baby warmer that works only with standard bottles, you never know when you might have to switch to a fancier, modern baby bottle brand that the warmer may not be able to accommodate.
Heats Quickly and Evenly
Look for a bottle warmer that heats quickly and evenly without leaving hot spots or losing nutrients. The bottle warmer should warm breast milk and baby food gently, ensuring that the vitamins and nutrients are retained. It is important to note that milk, particularly breast milk, when exposed to high temperatures, may lose many of its beneficial and protective qualities. Hence, you need to avoid microwaving baby’s milk.
Has Automatic Shut-off Feature
An automatic shut-off is a boon for a busy mom who can forget that she has left the warmer on, and ends up with a bottle that is too hot for the baby. Moreover, overheating expressed breast milk can completely ruin it. A warmer with a timer and stop signals is definitely the best option.
Is Portable
If you travel frequently, it is obvious that the warmer needs to be perfectly portable. It must be compact so that you can easily fit it in your diaper bag. Some can be plugged into your car while others have a sleeve, gel-like pack or bottle insert. Avoid warmers which are large and have too many extra parts.
Is Safe and Durable
Of course, you need to consider the safety and durability of the bottle warmer. The warmer should have safety features such as lights that indicate warming is complete or an audible alarm. It should be sturdy and durable so that you can use it regularly for a long period of time.
Is Easy to Clean
A bottle warmer with fewer removable compartments is easier to clean as opposed to ones with too many compartments in which fluid or food can accidentally leak into. The bottle warmer should have a simple interior, which can be wiped once for proper cleaning and sanitation. If the warmer uses steam for heating, then mineral buildup could be a problem. Check whether the water compartments are accessible and if it is easy to clean the residue from the inside.
Some good baby bottle warmers are:
★ Dr. Brown’s Deluxe Bottle Warmer
★ Philips AVENT Electric Bottle and Baby Food Warmer
★ Munchkin High Speed Bottle Warmer
★ Kiinde Kozii Breastmilk Warmer & Bottle Warmer
As a mother, you know the importance of warm milk for the baby, which compared to cold or room temperature milk provides the comforting and secure feeling that they need. So take care and invest in a good quality bottle warmer that performs consistently and makes your life with baby just that much easier!