Is A Bottle Warmer Necessary? Let’s discuss it!
People are full of good advice for parents, from essential gear to child-rearing.
You may be planning to share the responsibilities of caring for your infant(s) with others.
Such as your partner, a babysitter, family friends, or your next-door neighbor. If that’s the case, a piece of baby gear you may be considering for the task is a baby bottle warmer.
Utilizing a bottle warmer can invite parents to share feeding duties when it comes to babies.
It can also allow parents of multiples to share in the double-duty feeding responsibilities.
This begs the question, is a bottle warmer necessary? Should you bother?
Or should you focus on something else?
You should be able to decide whether it’s a piece of useful baby equipment or not after reading this article. Please share it with friends if you like the article.
Bottle Warmers — Baby Gear Essential, or Countertop Clutter?
But are baby bottle warmers essential baby gear or just countertop clutter?
Unlike a microwave, which can cook food and drinks unevenly or break down some of the nutritional value in foods, a baby bottle warmer usually has more in common with the hot plates you may have used in high school chemistry than a microwave.
Bottle warmers generally have the central heating element housed internally, and automatic shutoffs built-in.
This means there is little worry about them overheating due to their advanced safety features.
Parents and gift-givers might consider a bottle warmer for unforeseen circumstances.
Such as when a breastfeeding parent falls ill and needs to take medications that the baby can’t. These are situations where the need for a bottle warmer or similar equipment might be needed.
The Use of Bottle Warmers Then vs. Now
In the past, this question might easily be met with scorn. Then, most parents won’t even know what a bottle warmer is. And would probably only guess at the usefulness of such an item.
In that period, people would simple warm their baby bottles in a large pot. While there is a bit of difference between different cultures, the process is quite similar.
However, in modern times, the usefulness of the bottle warmer cannot be over-emphasized. They’re a great time-saver, especially for moms that store breastmilk. Or those that feed their babies at night.
A bottle warmer is also specifically designed for that purpose. This means there is less probability of accidents. Moreover, there is a higher chance that the building blocks of breastmilk in bottles that are heated in the warmer are preserved.
As long as you are following instructions in using your bottle warmer, there shouldn’t be much to worry about.
Bottle Warmers vs. Microwave (And Where Everyone is Heading)
There are a lot of parents out there that still think using a microwave is the way to go. After all, they are fast and convenient. However, they are generally not a recommended way to heat food for babies.
Microwaves can produce unsteady results, i.e.- the formula is too hot, or unevenly heated. This is where a bottle warmer may come in handy.
Circumstances, where a bottle warmer might be handy, are the dreaded “middle of the night feedings” when breastfeeding is beyond a parent’s skill set due to lack of sleep.
Another instance might be when baby wants food ASAP and you are juggling a million other tasks. A bottle warmer can streamline the feeding process. This is even more important when the baby is capable of holding his/her own bottle.
What You Should Know About Bottle Warmers and Baby Feeding
A bottle warmer does what it says on the box. It heats up the sustenance you plan to feed your baby, i.e.- breastmilk, formula, and canned baby food to a suitable, and depending upon the model, adjustable temperature.
This all happens within minutes. Most bottle warmers are user-friendly for all bottles or jars.
This versatility means the warmers usually don’t require a whole system of specific bottle or jar products for feeding the baby.
You can mix, and match depending on your own needs and wishes – whether you plan to use glass or plastic containers, for feeding your baby.
Again, a bottle warmer isn’t just there for heating your baby bottle. It’s a tool that can really make your life easier. As long as you’re storing breast milk, a good warmer is something that can benefit you.
In fact, some moms don’t even think too much about it. Once they give birth, they know buying one is necessary.
Is A Bottle Warmer Necessary?
Baby bottle warmers are also useful for parents on the “go.”
There are models of baby bottle warmers that are mobile and can be used in the car. Utilizing a USB port or 12volt plug-in port, a bottle warmer for your car will warm sustenance for babies in minutes.
Car bottle warmers work like the household countertop models and can handle pre-pumped breastmilk, formula, or a delicious jar of fruit or veggies.
These models often display the time remaining and product temperature.
As long as you get the right one for yourself, a bottle warmer is a good baby product to invest in. They might cost you a few more bucks, compared to other baby items like baby bottles.
However, the tremendous benefits they offer make them invaluable in every home.
This doesn’t mean life will be difficult without one. Far from that. Just think about your preferences and that of your baby. And make your decision based on what you think will serve you most.