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Do you worry about overheating baby’s milk? Read how to do it right as well as some top tips for easier bottle feeding.
Baby milk is your baby’s superfood that ensures all the important nutritional elements and vitamins baby needs to grow and develop. Which is why we’ve consulted the experts at Milkymeter for some top bottle feeding tips.
Sometimes milk comes from a bottle instead of the breast and knowing how to treat the milk right is important for protecting the nutrients in the milk that are so important for baby.
Bottle feeding can be a challenge. Not least during those nightly feeds when baby is crying loud and you need to go back to sleep. The need to find a way to make bottle feeding as easy as possible while protecting the nutrients in the milk led two young Danish dads to invent a technology that can do just this for you. We have looked closer at the technology and the challenges with bottle feeding and gathered Top 5 tips for easier bottle feeding.
A warm bottle soothes baby
The natural temperature for baby is body temperature, the same temperature as the milk if you are breastfeeding. This means milk at the right temperature will be soothing and confidence-building for your baby. For most babies it also means that they will be more likely to finish the bottle if it has body temperature.
Serving a bottle too hot must be avoided as it may burn baby. Serving the bottle cold does not pose any risk to baby – except it may cause the hiccups.
Protect the nutritional elements in the milk with correct warming
Regardless if you are feeding your baby breast milk, milk or formula from the bottle, it is important that milk is treated carefully to protect the valuable nutrients in the milk.
Baby milk must be kept cold. Just before use it must be warmed to body temperature (the same temperature as the milk if breastfeeding baby). If breast milk is heated above 45 degrees for a longer time period, such as by standing for several minutes in a bowl of hot water, the vitamins and other nutritional elements in the milk start to deteriorate. Scientific research show that warming milk for a short period only to the correct temperature is best for protecting the nutritional value in milk. This is exactly what the new Danish invention milkymeter™ enables you to do.
Milkymeter™ is the first thermometer in the world for use in your microwave. It tells you straight from the milk how the milk temperature is developing while warming in the microwave. All you do is to pop Milkymeter into the milk bottle, start the microwave and wait for a bright flashing green light to tell you when milk has the right temperature and you should stop the microwave. Stir or shake the milk, and it is ready to serve in seconds. With the right temperature and all the nutrients preserved.
See how:
A bottle can be warmed in the microwave
A lot of people will tell you never microwave baby milk. The reason for that is that microwaving warms the milk really quickly and increases the risk of overheating which may burn your baby’s mouth and damage nutrients in the milk. However, this advice is outdated as it applies to a time when you did not have the possibility to measure and alter the temperature in the microwave.
With the Danish invention Milkymeter™ it is possible to warm the bottle in the microwave with confidence. Milkymeter measures milk temperature while the milk is being warmed in the microwave. It signals with a bright green flashing light when the milk has reached body temperature and you should stop the microwave. All you then have to do is to shake or stir the milk in the bottle, and it is ready to serve without dangerous hotspots and with nutrients preserved.
Do not listen to rumours about microwaves being bad for baby’s milk. Scientific research has documented that microwaves do not in any way harm human milk. Overheating does.
Do I have to prepare the bottle fresh every time?
If you are using formula milk from powder, it is recommended to always make a bottle fresh when needed. This is especially important if your baby is prematurely born or less than two months old.
If your baby is older than 2 months and it isn’t possible to make up the feeds fresh, if you need to transport a feed, or during nighttime if you need your sleep, the NHS Choices advice that you prepare the feed and cool it quickly right after preparation, store it cool and warm it when it is needed.
Guidelines for how long it can be kept are as follows:
- If made-up formula is stored in a fridge – use it within 24 hours.
- If kept in a cool bag with an ice pack – use within 4 hours.
- At room temperature – use within 2 hours.
Left-overs after a feed should never be kept.
Top bottle feeding tips for feeding on the go
If you are using powdered formula, prepare it at home. Cool it for at least an hour in the back of the fridge and transport it in a cool bag with an ice pack and warm when needed. Most places, whether shopping centers, restaurants or even airplanes have microwaves, and with a milkymeter in your changing bag the bottle is warmed quickly to the right temperature even in a different microwave.
Ready made formula is easier when you are on the go. But more expensive.
If you don’t mind carrying stuff around with you, there is the alternative to bring a thermos with freshly boiled hot water, one with freshly boiled cold water and the powder. And make the bottle feed fresh when you need it.
When making up a bottle feed, remember to always follow the instructions on the pack in terms of the amount of milk powder to add. If you add too much, your baby may not get a sufficient amount of liquid and you may be damaging baby’s kidneys. If you put in too little powder, baby is not getting the nutrition it needs.
For more information about Milkymeter or to find a stockist, visit their website: https://www.milkymeter.com/?lang=en or contact us e-mail at info@milkymeter.com.
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