Keeping bottle warm - quick question

[aubergenie]

Quick question I hope someone can answer. I've got some expressed milk that dp is going to give to ds when he wakes later so I can get some extra sleep.

Can we warm it now and keep the bottle in one of those insulated bottle thingies that come with your changing bag until then? It could be in there for up to 3 hours (probably wishful thinking - he never goes that long!). Will that be safe? I just want to avoid ds screaming the place down until it's warm.

you're not supposed to keep formula milk warmed as it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria (whether it is the same for breastmilk though I dont know). I know you can leave breastmilk at room temperature for several hours though if that helps

Does it need to be warm?

Why are you warming it, aubergenie....it's not necessary. Babies can take it straight from the fridge - if you feel you need to take the chill off it for some reason, running bottle under hot tap for a few seconds should do it.

My son won't take a cold bottle without lots of sobbing & swallowed air, and then colic. I know lots of mothers whose babies do lap it up straight from the fridge, though - and God do I envy them! Perhaps we left it too late to try cold, and he had his own opinions by then. Dunno. I do know that next time I'd give it from cold as soon as I could, just in case it is a habituation thing, because heating is a royal PITA.

If you are unlucky and meet resistance, then in future the fastest way is an Avent steam warmer, but that's a silly expense for an occasional bottle. A hot bowl of water/tap is next best - cheap bottle warmers are far slower, so a total waste of money. Breast milk is naturally antibiotic and sterile, so it might be fine to keep it warmed, but I don't know. And actually warming only takes a minute or two from room temp, and you can safely leave bm out of the fridge for up to 6 hours. You can also warm it twice, if you do so within a couple of hours, so there's no need to bin what she won't take.

Whatever you do don't let him microwave it. It kills off white blood cells, it alters the proteins, and it can apparently leave tiny hot spots even after shaking which burn the baby's mouth.

"Does it need to be warm?"

Very good question! I've no idea. We don't do this bottle thing very often. I just assumed it needed to at least not be fridge-cold. I'll try it though, as it would definitely be easier. Maybe like you Qally we've left it too late as he's 5 months now.

Thanks for the replies. It had never occurred to me to try it cold.