Why not microwave?

[NoSleepTillWeaning]

Could someone remind me what the thoughts are about heating bottles in the microwave - I have a feeling that people think there is an issue besides hotspots but can't remember what it is and can't find any threads onthis despite searching.

BTW I am aware of the current guidance on making bottles with boiled water cooled for 30 mins but my timing isn't always right and sometimes have to make in advance.

Thanks!

I microwave a little cooled water to mix with the powder then top up bottle with cooled water so the feed is room temp. i do 1oz hot for 3,4,5oz feeds and 2ozs for 6+oz feeds.

Feed is good for 2 hrs so usually make it up before going out as feed time is often within an hour of leaving home.

Some sources state that there is a possibility of toxins from the plastic bottles leaching into the milk also that the nutrients can be adversely affected.

I don't think that there are any definitive studies on this. If anyone knows of any - then please link.

It is best to use bottles which do not contain BPA (it's been banned in some countries).

Personally the risks were enough to make me decide to just use a jug of boiling water to warm the bottle. (Obviously a risk of scalding yourself with that one .

You state that you are "aware of the current guidance on making bottles with boiled water cooled for 30 mins but my timing isn't always right and sometimes have to make in advance".

Actually the guidance is to make sure that you use water which is at least 70 degrees C. This in practice means boiling at least 1 litre of water and allowing it to cool for no more than 30 mins.

WRT to MoneyNoPockets method - what worries ma about this is whether the water is at 70 degrees and whether the small volume of water is sufficient to kill the potentiall lethal bacteria.

Here are some useful leaflets:

FSA leaflets for HCPs

FSA press release from February

WHO leaflet

FSA research report

I've microwaved both DCs bottles and they are not dead yet.

Right - back to that old chestnut again .

Resorts to standard reply to such comments:

You could run across the motorway and not die - but it doesn't make it advisable.

NB - I think that the risks are very unclear - but OP asked for what the thoughts are on this. I am sure OP will make her decision based on your evidence CoteDAzur .

I'm not saying she should. Nor that anecdotal evidence in general means much.

There is no evidence that microwaving water for babies does them any harm, either. Not even any anecdotal evidence, as far as I'm aware.

Unless anyone here would be able to provide a long term study on babies whose bottles were heated in microwaves, who then developed some serious condition and suffered immeasurably, while those in the control group who drank from sun-warmed bottles lived prosperous lives?

Re the temperature - I bought a food thermometer to check the temperature of the water to make sure it was over 70 so now I know exactly how long I can leave the kettle before using the water. Because some kettles allow water to cool more quickly than others so the whole 30 minutes thing can be a bit vague. I've never used the microwave myself but then again I make feeds up as I go but I know that when I cook a jacket potato or whatever you can wind up with it scorched on the outside and raw on the inside. Maybe that's why it's not recommended, because it might heat the milk unevenly.

Yes it is to do with the risk of heating the milk unevenly - but a good shake will sort this out. Also, good practice to leave the milk for a minute or so before testing temperature once the microwave has 'pinged' as the milk may carry on heating for a short time.

I couldn't go back to warming bottles using a jug of boiled water whilst a screaming baby demands its feed!

Brings back memories.. DS is now 2 years old so we have been making his feed up with mostly cold tap water mixed with some hot water to make up his milk since he was 15 months old. I have to say, it's comments like the ones that tabouleh have made that made my life as mother miserable. I had a hungry baby and was constantly making up feeds CORRECTLY. My life was miserable from when my son was 10 days old till 15 months old!

All my friends and family told me I was being ridiculous and nothing happened to their children, i.e. vomitting, diarrhoea. In fact, my son had more vomitting and diarrhoea than all the other children, even though I always made his milk with least 70 degree hot water, never give it to him after an hour etc. At the same time trying to cool it down in record time because 1. Baby was screaming whilst I was messing about 2.My mum kept frightening me about BPA because I was using hot water (tommee tippee was still selling them at that time). Strangely, his vomitting and diarrhoea stopped as soon as I started to make his milk out of cold tap water mixed with hot water.

I may be just as careful again should I have another child, but I really wished I enjoyed motherhood more than just constantly trying to make milk the right way, which I had spent over a year of my son's life doing. Not one of my family or friend's children had any problems having their milk made up of cool boiled water. I know that some babies do get infections/die from milk powder which was why I got so frightened and made milk the hard way, but then surely a 6 month old who puts all sorts in his mouth would have just as higher risks.

Have to say that it's only on MN that I've ever even heard of anyone making the milk with water of 70 degrees etc. I'm still doing the old add powder to cool boiled water for the one ff I do as I did with my others and as everyone IRL I know does. Like everything one has to weigh up the pros and cons and I'm still to be convinced that it's a problem in practice when all other hygiene is adhered to.

OK I can't leave the thread like this!

"it's comments like the ones that tabouleh have made that made my life as mother miserable."

anonMum2 and fiveweeksandcounting and anyone else reading - you don't have to make your life miserable by making each feed up freshly - there are other alternative which are also within the guidelines.

The thing is FORMULA IS NOT STERILE - the actual powder cannot be guaranteed not to contain harmful bacteria.

The bacteria which it may contain are ones that can be introduced during the production phase - they are not your common kitchen/household bacteria.

I don't care whether you think no one IRL uses hot water or whether it is only on MN that you've heard about this - I am passionate about making sure that parents and HCP have the correct information, understand the risks and the alternative "easier" methods.

I can totally understand it being difficult to make each feed freshly each time. I didn't do this.

First I used liquid formula and then I started making 3 bottles for the day and 2 for the night/morning.

Yes that's right the guidelines explain how you can make it IN ADVANCE provided you use water > 70 degrees C and cool rapidly.

Please at least read
this leaflet. and this one. Especially the last one shows the making in advance method.

Please can people either take the time to look properly into this or just heed the warnings and do it - particularly for new borns.

The risk of serious illness is reduced in an older baby due to the more developed immune system.

anonMum2 to answer some of your post directly - you weren't making the feed up correcly if you were using some cold water in with the hot. Sorry I wouldn't want someone else reading this to misunderstand the guidelines. You can't infer anything about his D&V as you are using a sample of 1.

"I know that some babies do get infections/die from milk powder which was why I got so frightened and made milk the hard way, but then surely a 6 month old who puts all sorts in his mouth would have just as higher risks." No - this is where the key misunderstanding is - the bacteria in the formula is a particularly lethal one and is being introduced into the perfect breeding ground (milk) - therefore rapidly growing. Six month old picking up plastic toys/licking things - these items are not the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and are unlikely to contain that type of bacteria.

fiveweeksandcounting - you are right that other hygiene is required to mitigate angains the risk of introducing bacteria from your hands/the bottles/kitchen surface etc - but the science shows that water of at least 70 degrees C is needed to kill the bacteria which may already be in the powder.

You will never know when a batch of formula is issued which contains these bacteria. I think there has been a recognised outbreak in this country but there have been in other EU countries and in the US.

How about looking at this video - from US TV - it is about a baby's death from contaminated formula in the US.

This is quite a useful thread.

tabouleh: Only started milk with cold tap water when DS was 16 MONTHS old. That is only added after the milk poweder has been mixed wtih already. (see how my life is still full of fear)

Also, when I saw he puts all sorts in his mouth, I really mean ALL sorts. Especially at nursery, when I am there and the other parents aren't, I see the other children are allowed to do strange like eat soil and sand, before I quickly tell the nursery nurses who casually walk across and stop them, half-heartedly.

sorry, I just thought, this really isn't answering the initial question anymore so won't post on this now.