microwaving bottles

[beetlgrl]

Just wondering wot your views are on eating bottles in the microwave!Isee so many mothers do it in the parents rooms when i am out that i am confused!:confused: I would make it alot eaiser is it a no no?

[veve]

Hi :)

they say not to do it for two reasons a) microwaves create hot spots in the milk ( I just make sure that I shake it REALLY well when I take it out) - and b) anything cooked in the microwave continues to cook after it is taken out (I just make sure it is only lukewarm... so if it continues... it wont get tooo hot) ..

I used the hot water technique for the first two weeks... then basically thought STUFF THIS!! and used the microwave... haven't looked back!!!

- as long as you are careful with the temps and the 'hot spots' I cant imagine you will have a problem...

((hugs))

[maddysmama]

I think it's considered dangerous as it heats the milk unevenly, and the milk can also can keep heating after it is out of the microwave and burn bubs throat. However I was told as long as you shake the bottle well and leave to sit for a minute it's ok to do.

[melfunction]

I mostly have the bottles already filled with room temp water and add the formula when needed. Makes it a perfect temp for my son.

As for microwaving, I use to do it when he was younger, but only for about 15 seconds. I would then leave it for a few seconds after shaking it to get the temp even IYKWIM...Worked for me.

[~Chick79~]

I microwave Ryan's bottles however i heat the water not the milk... Usually for a 210ml bottle i zap it for 20 secs, then add he formula - that way you are avoiding the 'hot spots' in the milk cause you are shaking the bottle to mix in the formula.

The sooner you can get bubs used to drinking it at room temp though will be easier for you - not all parents room has a microwave!! Ryan will drink it at room temp but will really play with it...therefore taking longer than usual to drink it! But at least he will drink it!

[Abi'smum]

Try heating the water b4 adding formula - you only need 15-20 sec, and give it a good shake before adding formula ( helps it mix better if there are no hot spots)

I have heard that heating bottle with fomula in it can "denature the protein" in the milk whatever that means

If you over time decrease the temp to room temp then there is no need to heat bottles at all, just leave them on the bench until you need them

hope this helps :)

[Seekrit]

just to hijack, what about microwaving Expressed Breast Milk? I've heard it's a no no...?

[Mummabear]

just to hijack, what about microwaving Expressed Breast Milk? I've heard it's a no no...?

They say this because it is said that microwaves diminish the nutritional value of foods. Having said that, the antibodies found in breastmilk die when the milk is frozen anyway.

[Seekrit]

So, if I was to do the occasional EBM feed (shops, show-and-tell at work etc) I could just zap it because it's not as if that's where future baby will get ALL it's nutrients from?
:)

[Mummabear]

IMO, yes. EBM is better than formula if you can express (I formula feed full time so no one attack me for stating the facts). But fact of the matter is that once frozen the EBM will lose some of it's nutritional value. Heating a bottle of EBM for occasional feeds won't do any damage - heck, I microwave the water before adding my formula, so I would say heating EBM is fine. Like the others have said though, make sure you shake well and let sit for a minute or two to settle the temp. I only heat for around 15 - 20 secs to take the chill off room temp water. However your EBM would have to be kept cold until feeding time so you might want to heat longer. Depends on how bubs likes it. Breast milk comes through at around 37 degrees to my knowledge.

[onabreak]

I use the microwave every day to warm up my DD bottles. I only heat them up to luke warm and give it a shake when I get it out. I tried warming her bottles up with hot water when she was first born but it took to long and DD would get impatient, so I found that to zap it in the microwave for 50 sec is a lot quicker and easier.

[Seekrit]

OH yeah, I'm saying this on the occasion that i can actually breast feed. :) No shooting formula mum's at all!! It was a thought that occured to be as I read this thread! :)

I'm thinking ahead for the moment is all

[Mummabear]

OH yeah, I'm saying this on the occasion that i can actually breast feed. :) No shooting formula mum's at all!! It was a thought that occured to be as I read this thread! :)

I'm thinking ahead for the moment is all

Sorry Nikki, I didn't mean that to come across as me telling you to not attack me :eek: . I was saying I didn't want someone to come along and start a whole EBM v's FF bottle debate. I should just shut my mouth now before I stick my foot in it any further :o

[Seekrit]

haha Larissa, we both have our feet in there, I just wanted to put my hands up early and say that I wasn't in there putting in a EBM comment for controversy. :D

[wattle]

I wouldn't recommend eating the bottles at all. They're too crunchy. :eek:

(Sorry, but I know you were all thinking it...... go on, you can all boo hiss now.)

[kuz78au]

I used the hot water technique for the first two weeks... then basically thought STUFF THIS!! and used the microwave... haven't looked back!!!

Me too! I was using the water thing and basically it wasn't quick enough! Bubs would be screaming the house down while I was testing every bloody 10 seconds and begging it to get hotter! Plus after a while you test so much you don't know how hot it is anymore! Lol! So we went to the microwave and it's soooooo much easier. As long as you shake and swirl the bottle after microwaving and test it, that's fine :) You don't want to burn their little mouths!

As for nutirition value decreasing, I've heard it only applies to breast milk.

[Mummabear]

haha Larissa, we both have our feet in there, I just wanted to put my hands up early and say that I wasn't in there putting in a EBM comment for controversy.

"Who's that over in there in traction?"

"Oh, that's Seekrit and MummaBear - they forgot to close their mouths before inserting their feet"

:p :D :o :eek:

[jarrahsmumma]

To start a whole new topic, microwaving plastic can release lots of nasty chemicals into the food. Plastic contains synthetic oestrogen, which in high doses can have adverse effects... Glad wrap is the WORST thing to microwave.

So I would not microwave bottles. to answer the op question...:)

[Mummabear]

Bubs would be screaming the house down while I was testing every bloody 10 seconds and begging it to get hotter!

Same here :p And then I'd have the bright idea of rushing back to him to try and calm him while waiting for the bottle, then I'd get back to the bottle and it would be too darn hot then :rolleyes:.

Then I moved to the room temp water and then boil the kettle when bubs needs a feed and add a dash of boiling water. Got sick of waiting for the kettle too :o

Now I love my microwave, lol ;)

[Mummabear]

To start a whole new topic, microwaving plastic can release lots of nasty chemicals into the food. Plastic contains synthetic oestrogen, which in high doses can have adverse effects... Glad wrap is the WORST thing to microwave.

So I would not microwave bottles. to answer the op question...:)

Yes, cling wrap is the worst thing for toxins :eek:

Wonder if this theory still applies if you are just taking the chill off the water and not actually heating it :confused:

[jarrahsmumma]

I don't know, but I guess it is the radiation waves in the microwave that alter the state of the plastic which releases the toxins. (Does that make ANY sense, lol) I am sure even defrosting still has the same effect, because the microwavew does not heat the item, it 'vibrates' it until it heats up as the molecules move around...:confused:

[hayleylea]

I heat the water up in the microwave then add the formula too. However i recently brought a SHARK kettle where you can set the temprature...they say the bottle temp should be around 37-38 degrees...with the shark kettle you can set it to 40 degrees and that is luke warm so i sometimes just use this method. The kettle is GREAT and i think it cost me around $23 at bigW!!

[brooke]

the kettle sounds like a great idea...

we mostly use the avent bottle warmer. its such a great idea.. we just put the bottle in there close to when we know she is going to be due for a feed soon and it keeps the bottle at a constant temp
but on the odd occasions ie.. if we are out or she is desperate and we havent out one in the warmer we use the microwave!

[hayleylea]

yeah the kettle is great.....it holds the temp all day if you want it too....they had the exact same kettle at harvey norman for over a hundred bucks...thats because it was the stainless steel version...but the one i got from big w isnt stainless steel but its still classy for a fraction of the price!!!!!!!!! cant go wrong really.

[Mum2Lucas]

I only microwave at night because i dont want to wait for the warmer even though it only takes 4 minutes. I always use the warmer during the day even when i go out because they have them in the parents rooms at chermside too and i dont really shop anywhere else.

[madvoice]

I used to heat the water (not formula itself). I no longer do it as bub prefers room temp formula.

[caz]

I use the microwave but its only to take the chill off the water not to warm the formula

[reAllytee]

I microwave bubs bottles & have done since he was around the 3mth mark.
I only get it up to room temperature but like someone else said the reason i changed was it is very hard at times to judge when he would want a bottle as we didnt necessarily feed every 4hrs or the likes somedays he wanted every 2hrs but then others every 3hrs & i couldnt handle how he would scream & cry like i was strangling him just so i could make a bottle up. So i changed & havent had a drama yet.