There is one question new moms always ask; can you warm up formula? We have answered this question and many more in this guide, just read through! Knowing what to do, how and when to do certain things that concern your baby’s affair can be a problem, especially if you are a first-time mum, and this includes formula feeding.
When it comes to your baby’s affairs, you can’t be overly careful, especially with what they consume. As a parent, your role is to take proper care of your little one and that’s not an easy task.
If you are having trouble or questions about whether to warm your baby’s formula or not. First, you must know that you are not alone and will never be.
Questions like this keep crawling up due to parents’ quest of giving their babies the best and helping them stay far away from dangers of poor nutrition. So, your question or contemplation is a sign that you are a good parent and that you value your child.
In this article, your questions will be answered. Furthermore, you will get information on the benefit and also how to warm your baby’s formula.
Also Read: What Happens If Baby Drinks Spoiled Formula
Can You Warm Up Formula?
Yes, you can if you wish to and if your baby accepts it.
But you must understand that it isn’t compulsory. So long as the temperature of the formula is similar to room temperature, you can feed your baby.
You can warm the formula if you stored it in the refrigerator but there are ways to do this to avoid hurting your baby with it. Also, ensure that you allow the formula to cool before feeding your baby with it.
There’s another option though if you don’t want to go through the process of warming formula. You can bring out the formula from the refrigerator and leave it for some time. Once it gets to room temperature, you can feed your baby with it. To know when it’s safe for consumption, place a drop on your wrist.
Benefits of warm formula
Warm formula does not have any special benefit. It is the same as the formula prepared at room temperature. The only difference is your baby’s preference or choice.
It is advantageous if your baby enjoys it but note that babies grow to love what they are used to. No baby rejects normal formula from birth. They only reject it if it wasn’t what they were raised with.
This means that you are free to give your baby formula prepared at room temperature. It has no negative effect.
Also Read: Symptoms Of Baby Drinking Spoiled Formula
How to Warm Formula?
There are several ways to warm formula for babies’ consumption. You can choose to practice one out of them or go with all.
1. Place under warm running water
If you have a warm tap at your disposal, switch it on, place your already prepared baby’s formula under it, and leave for some minutes.
If you don’t have a warm water tap, pour warm water into a cup and run it over the bottle for some minutes.
Note that you must ensure the bottle lid is well tightened to avoid tap water from entering the milk. Alternatively, you can place only the lowest part of the bottle in the running water to prevent the entrance of tap water.
2. Use the bowl mechanism
This is simple to do.
Pour warm water into a bowl large enough to accommodate your baby’s formula bottle. Get the already prepared formula out of the refrigerator, place it inside the bowl and leave for some minutes.
Check the milk from time to time to know when it’s up to room temperature. It must not exceed room temperature, or else it will burn your baby’s lips and tongue.
3. Make use of bottle warmers
You can achieve your goal with electric warmers faster than you can imagine. Place the bottle into the warmer and keep watch.
Check it after a few minutes by placing a drop on your inner wrist. Ensure the milk is warm and not hot. If it’s hot, remove it from the warmer and leave it on the table until it becomes normal.
If you want it fast, run it under cold water and be vigilant.
FAQ
Does Warm Formula Help With Gas?
Some rumours say it helps with gas but no study proves it does.
If your baby has gas and isn’t comfortable due to it, there are reliable ways to take care of situations like that. They include:
1. Practice tummy time
As the name implies, this procedure has to do with placing your baby on his belly after feeding. When this is done correctly, your baby’s belly gets pressure.
Due to the pressure exerted, the gas will get displaced and your baby will burp it.
Ensure you don’t practice this immediately after feeding. Allow the formula to digest for about 30 minutes before practicing this.
2. Practice the bicycle method
This might sound too risky for babies but it isn’t if done according to instructions.
Begin by placing your baby on his back. You can place him on your lap, on the bed, or couch. Just ensure you make use of a good and neat surface.
After that, hold his legs with your hands and move him upward in a bicycle manner. You must be careful while at it, babies are delicate you know?
3. Switch formula
If you noticed that your baby experience this too much, you can consider trying out other brands. If the previous brand is the problem, the gassing will reduce drastically.
Some brands claim to deal with gas production in babies. You need to look for them or consult your doctor for advice.
Also Read: Can Blueberries Make Your Baby Poop Black?
Does Warm Formula Help with Spit Up?
No, it doesn’t. Warm formulas do not help with spit-up.
If that has been your theory, it’s best you drop it and look for possible ways to tackle spit-up.
Below are the proven ways to deal with spit up in babies:
1. Change formula.
The formula you are feeding your baby might contribute to his spitting up. There are formulas out there that are specifically manufactured to tackle spit-up while giving your baby the nutrient he needs.
2. Hold your baby upright after feeding
After feeding, ensure your baby isn’t bent in any direction. He must be in an upright position. This will aid proper digestion and reduce the level of spit-up.
Allow him to sit upright for at least 20 minutes and ensure you don’t move him around.
3. Make him feed slowly
The chances of spit up to occur are higher if your baby feeds fast. Reduce how fast he gulps the milk by reducing the size of the nipple.
If the nipple is big, get a smaller one that suits your baby’s age.
4. Feed him bit by bit
If you feed your baby 5 scoops every 30 minutes, try reducing it to 3 every 20 minutes. There’s a possibility that the spit-up is due to overfeeding. When you reduce the scoop and the interval, your baby will get the same supply of nutrients but in a small quantity.
5. Make him burp
The presence of gas in your baby’s tummy can cause him to spit up. So, you must get rid of the gas to reduce your baby’s spit-up.
You can achieve this by placing your baby on your chest 30 minutes after feeding and patting him gently. You can decide to rub his back gently instead.
You can also use other methods which include placing him on your lap with his head higher than his chest. After that, rub and pat him gently until the gas gets displaced.
Does Formula Have to be Warm?
Yes, it has to be warm.
The temperature of the formula you feed your baby must be the same as room temperature. It must neither be hot nor cold.
If the formula’s temperature is below that of room temperature, you should warm it up by following the means listed previously.
If it’s hotter, you have to either allow it to get cold naturally or you run it under cold water for a few minutes.
Also Read: Signs Your Baby Is Teething
Why do you Have to Warm up Formula?
There are no special reasons to warm up formula. In fact, baby’s formula does not require warming in the first place especially if it’s within the room temperature.
If the baby’s formula is too cold, then you have to follow the appropriate guideline to heat the formula up to room temperature, and never too hot for the baby.
Can you Microwave Formula?
You can’t microwave formula due to various reasons.
1. The formula might not be heated evenly. It will cause one part to be hotter than the other part.
2. Your baby’s lips might get burned. If you heat the formula inside your baby’s bottle, there’s a chance that your baby’s lips and tongue might suffer the consequences.
3. It is can be poisonous. Some formulas are manufactured with certain active ingredients that become dangerous to the health when heated. Don’t put your baby’s life at risk by doing so.
Conclusion
Whatever kind of formula you feed your baby, ensure that it is neither hot nor cold. The formula must be the same as the room temperature.
If you are a career woman that needs to prepare formula for storage, ensure you prepare it under good condition, and warm following the guidelines.
Your baby’s health matter a lot. Not just to you and your partner but to your community as well. Hence, you must do all you can to safeguard their growing immune system from microbial attack.
