Microwaving Bottles? "Omg U Cant Do That"

Updated on October 21, 2012
S.E. asks from Caldwell, NJ
25 answers

So i asked a question recently about my cousins baby shower and what to get. I ultimatley decided to ask her if there was anything on her registry that she really needed or that she was afraid she wouldnt get at her shower. As i said previously they are very tight with their money and my mom and i want to get her something she could really use/needed. So I asked her and her responce was "Well anything on my registry is fine, everything i put on there is stuff we really really need to get". Now its her first child and believe me i was just as clueless when it came to making a registry when i was pregnant, I actually had another one of my cousins go through it for me and tell me what things i could live without and what things i didnt put on there that i really needed, and if i didnt get them i would end up having to go buy them myself. (i wasnt about to ask her if she needed help with it because she recently told me how one of her cousins-other side of the family- went through it for her and told her it was perfect, so i dont want to seem insulting)

So i once again look through her registry and i saw tons of things that really werent important and also some things that she forgot to put on there. Believe me i am no expert, i was not about to tell what/what not to do with it. So i said "Well I want to get you something really helpful theres some things that i got for my shower that i really could not live without, & i mean theres a whole bunch of things that i never even put on my registry and i do perfectly fine without them, since you guys are tight with money id rather you get things you could use and not end up with a whole bunch of stuff that you may not end up needing & youll have to go buy other things you didnt get"

So she asked me what things she has on there that i dont have/need. The first thing i said was the bottle warmer, i was like "i just throw the bottle in the microwave for 30 seconds" Well she pretty much freaked out. She goes "omg youre not supposed to do that !!thats so bad why wouldnt you go buy a bottle warmer?" I said "i check it on my wrist, im not going to burn her" and she said"i dont think thats the only reason i think its bad for the baby somehow"... Ok i was under the impression that they tell you not to microwave a bottle for the fear of making the formula too hot and burning the baby (it even said that on the last package of bottles i bought).. after some experimentation and alot of testing bottles on my wrist before giving them to my daughter, ive learned that 30 seconds in my microwave for a 4oz bottle ends up with the perfect temperature (i still check it everytime just to be on the safe side) am i missinformed on the matter or is she?

p.s. that still doesnt help me on what to get her.. i think im just going to go with the good old giftcard and get her some diapers and wipes for her wishing well (although my mom insists we get her something to actually open at the shower, so i think im just going to leave that up to her & just let her tell me how much $ i owe her for my half)

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So What Happened?

see, this is why i love mamapedia. totally not the answers i expected to get, but im glad i know now, maybe i will go get a bottle warmer... i was totally expecting a bunch of people saying dont worry about it i microwaved bottles all the time... wwoooppps, so much for my brilliant ideas ... i like the boiling water to heat the bottle idea, i definatley will be doing that
-i guess i shouldve mentiond i use formula and she will be too

Featured Answers

V.K.

answers from Minneapolis on

My doctor told me not to warm bottles in the microwave because the milk loses all of it's nutrients that way. I warmed the bottles up in a bowl of hot water for a while, but after a while I got sick of doing that and transitioned my son to drinking milk that was room temp. Made travel a lot easier, and as someone else mentioned it made transitioning to real milk a lot easier.

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R.M.

answers from Cumberland on

I would only microwave glass and I imagine that's not what you use. The bottle warmer is great-it's pretty fast and safe if used properly.

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S.B.

answers from Houston on

When I was watching my friends baby last year, I'd microwave a bowl of water and then put the bottle in that. It was a little faster than waiting for the water to boil. :-)

Updated

When I was watching my friends baby last year, I'd microwave a bowl of water and then put the bottle in that. It was a little faster than waiting for the water to boil. :-)

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A.B.

answers from Pittsburgh on

You should never microwave formula or breastmilk, esp NEVER in anything plastic. The plastic releases hormone-disrupting toxins into the liquid when heated. In addition, for breastmilk, it irradiates it, rendering the living enzyme and probiotics (which are essential for immunity, digestion, and overall health) dead. Formula is already dead, but you still have the risk of hot spots. When you test on your arm, you're not getting an accurate measurement of the temp of the liquid all the way through.

She's right here. I've never used a bottle warmer, nor would I. The recommendation is to immerse the bottle in hot water, shake, repeat.

I'd get her a giftcard, children's book, and some balloons. =)

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A.C.

answers from Atlanta on

You cannot microwave breast milk because the radiation in the microwave kills off a lot of the good-for you microbials and probiotics in the milk. If you cousin intends to breastfeed, she is absolutely correct that she will not be able to reheat the milk in a microwave. However, I found a crock-pot works just as well or even better than a bottle-warmer, since it is dual-purpose.

Also, most plastics are not microwave safe, so unless your cousin has glass bottles to use, even in the case of formula, microwaving is not a good idea.

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J.B.

answers from Boston on

She's right, actually, about the bottles. Who knows what's in that plastic being leeched into the milk via microwave heating? I don't microwave plastic at all if I can help it - I certainly wouldn't feed my baby from plastic that has been nuked. And there can be hot spots in the bottle that you don't feel on the wrist test. Granted I never fed my kids bottles, but when I baby-sat, it was understood that the safe way to warm bottles was in a pan of water, which is similar to what a bottle warmer does.

I understand that your heart is in the right place but you are a) over thinking this and b) being a bit condescending. Not all first time parents are idiots. Maybe she WILL use the things you don't think are necessary. Just buy her some things from the registry and be done with it.

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C.V.

answers from Columbia on

Okay, are you prepared for an off the wall answer?

Once I stopped breastfeeding (I was not able to continue), I never warmed bottles. All formula was room temperature.

It made traveling so much easier...and transition to cow's milk was easy too.

But that doesn't help you decide what to get your cousin. :-)

My go-to gift these days is the Exergen temporal thermometer. It's AWESOME. Every parent should have one.

3 moms found this helpful

A.S.

answers from Iowa City on

Some studies have shown that the nutrients in breast milk are degraded when the milk is heated (whether it is microwaved or on the stove in hot water). But other studies have shown that heating it is fine. I don't know about formula.

My best guess: using the microwave is fine as long as the temp is checked. However, bottles with unfinished milk/formula that are reused can allegedly harbor bacteria so I guess the theory is that they should not be microwaved.

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D.N.

answers from Chicago on

I've never used a bottle warmer either. I usually heat a mug of water and then put the bottle in. Perfect temp. I rarely used the microwave. The danger of the micro is that you have get hot spots in the liquid. I used playtex drop ins for my kids though so they did heat faster since the liner is thinner than a usualy bottle. For my niece, they used regular bottles and I just almost boiled some water and let it sit a bit longer. Byt the time baby is changed and ready, the bottle was also.

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D.B.

answers from Fargo on

Yes microwaving milk kills nutrients.... which is why i don't microwave our food either.

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L.F.

answers from San Francisco on

It is bad to put the bottle in the microwave. It causes uneven temps and just because you test on your wrist, doesn't mean the middle of the bottle or the bottom of the bottle is the same temp. You can still burn your baby. I would go for the bottle warmer-----Also, microwaving can cause the plastic in the bottle to leech out especially in bottles that aren't BPA free. So please be careful. As for what you can get her---why not get her diapers, wipes, and a bottle warmer :)

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M.W.

answers from Detroit on

The only reason you are not supposto put it in the microwave is due to it possibly getting hot. There is no other danger in microwaving. If so, we wouldnt be using it for food either. Liquids and food heat unevenly, liquids more so. I say as long as anyone uses common sense (as you do) and are mindful to shake it up well and test it, then theres nothing wrong with it. I asked my peditrician this before and she said the same thing. I'm a mom of 5, and have never used a bottle warmer as they dont heat bottles up well. It is her first baby tho and she sounds like she is just being cautious. I did sterilize until my kids were a year tho.lol So we all have our things. She will realize tho in time, and also that all the "must haves" are not such "must haves" I think we all learn after our 1st babies on that.

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A.V.

answers from Washington DC on

I was told never to microwave a bottle because it can affect the plastic and make the bottle too hot/have hot spots. You should also never microwave breastmilk because it affects the milk. It should be warmed in a bottle warmer or in a hot cup of water. I once checked a bottle on my wrist, it was OK and then the baby got freaked out. To my horror, I had given her a bottle where part of it was OK and part of it was too hot. So...regardless of what you did, she wants a warmer. So give her one. Let her use what she wants.

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C.R.

answers from Kansas City on

Okay, from reading some of the responses I guess I'm a really bad mom! When my kids were babies this is how I warmed their bottles. First I poured the number of ounces of water that I need into a bottle. Next I microwaved the water only for a few seconds. Once it was ready I added the formula and shook it up. I then poured that into a Playtex bottle using my finger to hold the bubbles back. By the time it got to the bottle I was using to feed my baby with there was no uneven temps from the microwave. Yes I know this seems like a lot to do, but in my opinion it worked great! My girls had the right temperature milk and they very rarely had gas issues. I still believe that is beause I did not allow bubbles in the formula they drank.

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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

As long as you leave the lid off and the nipple is not in the microwave it is okay. The rubber doesn't like the microwaves and it breaks it down.

Usually 15-20 seconds will make the contents of a bottle room temperature so it's not too hot.

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H.P.

answers from Houston on

Microwave heating changes the chemistry in ways that aren't good for baby. It can turn a nutritious meal into something with no nutritional value at all. My mother has a bottle warmer for my little one. I always either boiled water in a pot (and set the bottle in it) or microwave heated water in a large tumbler and then set the bottle in the hot water.

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S.R.

answers from San Francisco on

I followed what my best friend did with her first kid...that was not heating it at all. It made live SOOOO simple. I did this with both kids. I just used room temp water (refrigerator or bottled), mixed it and gave it to both. For the first month they got breast and formula. I couldn't produce enough for them. They maybe got 5oz in an entire day from me. I never heated it. My friend heated the bottle in the microwave for their 2nd. She wouldn't take it cold/room temp. She did the same, maybe 30 seconds and then shook it really well to make sure there weren't any hot/cold spots.

Every person is different, I thought the bottle warmer was a waste. I would just buy something off her registry since that is what she wants (just don't buy the warmer...lol) then she has something to open whether or not she will ever use it more than once. =)

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L.M.

answers from Reno on

I used the micro with all my kids' bottles with no health/heat problems. Keep in mind that especially with the first child, most parents are very cautious and want to do everything perfectly. As far as the diapers go, may I suggest that you buy the size up from newborn? Everyone gives the baby/momma newborn, and they grow out of them so quickly... :)

1 mom found this helpful

A.R.

answers from Houston on

Like everyone else said the concern comes from whatever is leeched out of the plastic bottles during heating.

We formula fed our son from 8 weeks onward and never heated bottles. We kept water at room temperature for mixing his bottles. With the formula premeasured, it made bottle making (especially in the wee hours of the morning with a half asleep parent and a hungry customer) a snap. It did also make travel so much simpler since our son didn't need heated bottles. Combine water and formula, feed kid = happy family regardless of settings.

My go to gift for first time parents are the non-glamorous things - nail clippers, hair brush/comb, medicine dispensers, basic medicines (teething gel, gripe water, etc.), a thermometer, cloth diapers (good for burp clothes, spills/messes, etc.) and other assorted practical items. Whatever fits my budget determines how much goes in the gift bag. I am sure whatever gift you decide on will be appreciated, though, so I wouldn't worry too much. Good luck.

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S.G.

answers from Grand Forks on

We use a bottle warmer in the babysitting room at the Y. It is the same as using hot water. It is very fast and efficient, and always heats to the right temperature, as long as you put the right amount of water in. When I worked in a restaurant we were not allowed to heat baby bottles in the microwave for safety reasons. I would be concerned about microwaving plastic bottles. My kids were exclusively breastfed, so that is the only experience I've had with heating bottles.

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J.C.

answers from Anchorage on

I have not read so this may be a repeat, but there are a couple reasons one should not microwave a bottle. For one, it does not heat evenly so there may be a hot spot even if the part you put on your wrist was not. For another thing, the microwave kills nutrients. In studies Plants watered with water that was boiled on a stove and cooled did great while those watered with microwaved water allowed to cool died.

I did not warm my bottles at all. I used bottled water that I kept and served at warm temperature and that always worked great.

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L.F.

answers from Washington DC on

I did the bottle warming for the first week. Been microwaving - in plastic - every bottle, ever since.

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D.R.

answers from Albany on

I guess everyone told you the microwave makes for hot spots I. The bottle that you cannot test. I am also concerned about nutrients being destroyed by the microwaves. Though I am less sure that is an issue.

This is another reason I liked breast feeding. The milk was always the right temperature and always available.

I liked sheet protectors for the crib to remove from under messy bums. Another good idea is the faucet bumpers for the bathtub to keep little heads from banging on the faucet and little fingers from turning on the water to prevent scalding or freezing my little one.

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H.L.

answers from New York on

I use glass bottles and heat them up in a pot on the stove with water. Once i bring the water to a boil the bottle is lukewarm. It doesn't take more than a minute normally. You can get glass bottles that have rubber covers over them, they sell them at motherhood maternity, to prevent them from breaking. There great!

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C.B.

answers from Boston on

I always nuked everything just not in plastic, since that can melt or leach into the food, but anything that is microwave safe is certainly fine. Just make sure to stir or shake and test to make sure temperature is even.

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