Warming Infant Formula

Warming the formula isn't necessary for proper nutrition, says William MacLean, M.D., a pediatrician at infant formula manufacturer Ross Laboratories. "There is nothing magical about having [the formula] warmed up to body temperature," he says. "But if it's cold, some babies may refuse it. It's the baby's preference."

Bottles should not be heated in microwave ovens because the ovens don't heat evenly, MacLean warns. "The drop a mother tests on her wrist could be fine," he says. But, he explains, undetected "hot spots" in the formula could seriously burn the baby.

If you must use the microwave oven to warm formula, be sure to remove the cap before heating. After warming bottle, replace the cap and shake a minimum of 12 times to distribute heat. Lastly, test to wrist.

The best way to warm a bottle of formula is by placing the bottle in a pot of water and heating the pot on the stove, according to Christine Watson, a nurse who specializes in maternal and newborn care at the Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in Gaithersburg, Md. "You can also run hot tap water over the bottle, but that isn't very quick," she says.

Some suggestions from visitors to Robyn's Nest:

"I'm a grandmother now, but I used to warm my daughter's bottles by putting them in a tall container of very hot tap water (mostly submerged) and leaving them for as long as it took to change her diaper. By the time that was done, the bottle was ready and the temperature was perfect. (No risk of too-hot formula which then requires a cool-down under the tap while the baby cries to be fed!)" "This really is a neat bottle-warming trick--and it was my husband's idea! I filled a plastic container that was a little shorter than the bottle. Cold formula is lukewarm after a few minutes. I'd rather have it a little on the cool side than too hot. I always tested it on my arm anyway, just to be sure." Suzanne Sherwood

How does your baby like her/his formula...warm or cold? Email us!

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How to Warm Infant Formula