How to warm your baby bottle?

It's only safe to warm expressed breastmilk or ready-made formula in a bottle, and there are a couple of easy ways to do it:

Fill a jug or bowl with warm water. Place the bottle in the warm water for no more than 15 minutes, as any longer could cause bacteria to develop. The water should be hot enough to heat the bottle, but cool enough so that you can place your hand in it. Seal the bottle with a cap over the teat while it's in the water. Once the bottle is warmed through, shake it to make sure the temperature is even.

Use an electric bottle warmer. It will take around four minutes to six minutes to heat a bottle to the perfect temperature for your baby. You could also get a travel warmer to use when you’re out and about.

It's best not to heat up a bottle of formula you've made from powder earlier in the day. Mix a fresh bottle of formula for each feed. Even if you store formula milk in the fridge, bacteria can develop slowly.

Having said that, there may be times when you just have to make a feed and keep it in the fridge to heat up when needed. This may be the case if you have twins, or if you're out for the day, or if your baby goes to childcare. Read more about storing formula in the fridge safely.

When you’ve warmed your baby’s bottle, test the temperature of the milk by squirting a little on to your inner wrist. This is a reliable guide as the skin on your inner wrist is thinner and more sensitive than the skin on your hands. The milk droplets on your skin should feel warm, not hot.

Don’t warm your baby’s milk in a microwave, because uneven pockets of scalding milk can form. The milk will also continue to heat up for some time after you've taken it out of the microwave. Some babies have had burns to the mouth and throat after drinking microwaved milk. The intense heat produced in a microwave may also destroy some of the nutrients in your baby's milk.

If you haven't time to warm up a bottle, you may find your baby is happy with milk at room temperature.

Read the full article:

http://kaqiubaby.com/How-to-warm--baby-bottle.html

How to heat baby milk in the microwave?

Everybody knows you're not supposed to heat breast milk or formula in the microwave. Why not? The top two reasons usually cited are 1) it kills nutrients, which is scientifically unfounded, unless you're leaving it in there for 20 minutes, or 2) it creates hot spots, which can scald baby, which would be slightly plausible if we weren't talking about a liquid, which is going to have convection currents and is going to be thoroughly mixed long before it gets to baby's mouth.

No, the only real reason not to heat milk in the microwave is also the best one: because if you do, your baby's momma will kill you. She read all those reports on the internets and she doesn't believe your scientific mumbo-jumbo about upwelling for a minute.

So what's Daddy to do when baby is crying for food and Mommy's out at yoga? Just running hot water from the tap over the bottle takes forever and wastes a lot of water. It takes a while for the water to get hot and then most of the heat is just running down the drain.

Step 1: Heat some water in a measuring cup.

Grab the nearest Pyrex measuring cup. Put a couple ounces of tap water into it. Use the hot tap but don't wait for it to actually get hot--junior is hungry and time's a' wastin'! Stick the cup in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. You don't need a lot of water, because the bottle is going to displace a lot. You don't need a lot of time because, well, this is what microwaves are made for!

Step 2: Insert bottle.

Stick the bottle in the cup of hot water. Swirl it around. After a few minutes, check the temperature by doing that thing they do on TV and in the movies, which you always wanted to do in real life: squirt some milk on your wrist to see how warm it is.

Step 3: Enjoy!

Read the full article:

http://kaqiubaby.com/heat-baby-milk-in-microwave.html

How to buy bottles?

  When it comes to babies and bottles, there’s no formula for success. Some babies will take any bottle with a smile. Some take to a particular type of nipple or bottle and outright refuse a different brand. And some babies have less colic, gas, and spit-up with certain bottles.

  You may also find that your baby doesn't have a preference, but you probably will if, say, a particular brand of bottles and nipples leaks or has too many little parts to clean.

To start, buy or register for a small selection of bottles and nipples – either a few different bottle and nipple combinations or 2 different brands of newborn starter sets. Ask friends which brands they recommend, and check reviews online. To make it easier to transition a breastfed baby to a bottle, manufacturers have designed various types of bottles and nipples to mimic the feel of nursing. Again, you may have to try a few to find one that works for your baby.

Bottle material: Glass, silicone, plastic, and stainless steel are the most common materials.

  Plastic is light, ubiquitous, shatterproof and inexpensive, but parents worry about chemicals even in BPA-free plastic (read more about BPA in Important Safety Notes, below). Plastic bottles also deteriorate, so they need to be replaced regularly.

  Glass is heavy and can shatter (you can buy silicone sleeves that go over glass bottles to prevent this), but it’s BPA-free. Glass bottles are sold widely and last longer than plastic ones but are more expensive.

  Silicone bottles are light, unbreakable, BPA-free, and often soft but more expensive than plastic and glass. Often silicone bottles aren’t sold in drugstores or grocery stores, which can be inconvenient if a nipple cracks or breaks and you need a quick replacement.

  Stainless steel is light, unbreakable, BPA-free, and lasts for a long time, but like silicone, these bottles can be expensive and hard to find.

  Bottle shape: Bottles come in a wide variety of shapes. Traditional ones are tall and slightly curved or angled. Many bottles on the market claim to be easier for babies to hold, have an ergonomic design, or angled necks to make them easier for you to hold. Wide-necked bottles may make measuring formula easier; they may also not fit into drink-holders on strollers or in cars.

  Disposables: Bottles with drop-in plastic inserts filled with formula or breast milk can be handy while on the go and are easy to clean: just toss the liner and wash the nipple. Each insert can be used only once.

  Venting systems: Many bottles are marketed as preventing colic; they may have straw-like components that fit into your bottle to prevent your baby from ingesting gas-causing air bubbles, or may have venting systems built into the nipple or bottom of the bottle. The jury’s still out on whether these systems work, but many parents firmly believe they do.

Size and number: The number of bottles you'll need to own can range from about 4 to 12, depending on whether you'll primarily be bottle-feeding or breastfeeding. Start with 4-ounce bottles. They're perfect for the small amounts of breast milk or formula newborns eat in one sitting. Shift to 8- or 9-ounce bottles at about 4 months, or whenever your baby's growing appetite makes bigger bottles more practical.

How to Buy Nipples?

Nipples generally come in either latex or silicone varieties. Latex nipples are softer and more flexible, but they don't last as long and some babies are allergic to them. Silicone nipples are firmer and hold their shape longer.

Nipple shape: Traditional nipples are shaped like a bell or dome. Orthodontic nipples, designed to accommodate your child's palate and gums, have a bulb that's flat on the side and rests on your child's tongue. Flat-topped nipples and wide nipples (used with wide bottles) are said to feel more like Mom's breast and may be a good bet if you plan to switch between breastfeeding and bottle-feeding.

Size and flow: Nipples come in a range of sizes and flow speeds, from slow to fast. Preemies and newborns usually need the smallest size (often called "stage 1"), which has the slowest flow. Babies graduate to larger sizes and a faster flow as they get older, can suck more effectively, and drink more breast milk or formula.

Nipples are marked with the size and a suggested age range. Don't be concerned if your baby doesn't follow these guidelines exactly. You may have to try a few different nipple sizes to find one that works best for your baby. Watch to make sure your baby isn't having a hard time getting milk or getting so much that he's choking or spitting up. And, of course, discuss any feeding concerns with your baby's doctor.

Disposables: Disposable nipples can come in handy when you're traveling or on the go. These are sold prepackaged and sterilized, so they're convenient to pop on a bottle. But they have to be tossed after one use.

Breast milk or formula should drip steadily out of the nipple, not pour out in a stream. This can happen if the flow is too fast for your baby, or if you've been using a nipple for a while and the hole has cracked and gotten larger. Find out more signs it's time to replace nipples and bottles.

Concerns about chemicals in plastic baby bottles – particularly the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) – have driven a renewed interest in glass bottles, as well as sales of alternative materials like silicone and stainless steel. In 2012 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned BPA in the manufacture of all baby bottles.

Though research on BPA continues, the American Academy of Pediatricians recommends parents take precautionary methods to reduce BPA exposure:

Avoid clear-plastic baby bottles or containers with the recycling number 7 and the letters “PC” imprinted on them. Many contain BPA.

Consider using certified or identified BPA-free plastic bottles.

Use bottles made of opaque plastic. These bottles (made of polyethylene or polypropylene) do not contain BPA. You can also look for the recycle symbols with the number 2 or 5 in them.

Because heat may cause the release of BPA from plastic, do not boil polycarbonate bottles, heat them in the microwave, or wash them in the dishwasher.

Inspect bottles regularly to make sure they’re free of cracks that can harbor bacteria. Sticky or discolored nipples can be a sign of deterioration, while cracked nipples can be bitten or chewed off to become a choking hazard.

Baby-bottle recalls are infrequent but do occur. Use BabyCenter’s Product Recall Finder to see if your bottles have been the subject of a recall.

Guide to Firsts: Giving your baby a bottle

Whether you're formula feeding or pumping breast milk, get tips on preparing and giving your baby's first bottle.The follow is the guide to feeding your baby by using baby feeding bottle.

Start clean

Wash or sterilize bottles and nipples as directed on the packaging before your first feeding.

Heat things up

Use a bottle warmer or bowl of warm water (not a microwave) to heat breast milk or formula. Test on inner wrist before feeding.

Or try it cold

You can also try serving the bottle at room temperature, or even cold – some babies like it this way.

Get cozy

Choose a comfortable place to sit with your baby, and have a burp cloth on hand.

Support your baby

Use your arm or a pillow to keep your baby propped up slightly while you hold the bottle with the opposite hand.

Take burbing breaks

TIf your baby gets fussy during the feeding, pause and see if gentle burping helps.

Try, try again

If your baby is used to nursing, the bottle may not be a hit at first. Don't force the issue, but keep trying every day.

How to Buy Bottles and Nipples?

When it comes to babies and bottles, there’s no formula for success. Some babies will take any bottle with a smile. Some take to a particular type of nipple or bottle and outright refuse a different brand. And some babies have less colic, gas, and spit-up with certain bottles. (Many bottles are designed to prevent these feeding problems by venting air from the more effectively.) You may also find that your baby doesn't have a preference, but you probably will if, say, a particular brand of bottles and nipples leaks or has too many little parts to clean.

  To start, buy or register for a small selection of bottles and nipples – either a few different bottle and nipple combinations or 2 different brands of newborn starter sets. Ask friends which brands they recommend, and check reviews online.To make it easier to transition a breastfed baby to a bottle, manufacturers have designed various types of bottles and nipples to mimic the feel of nursing. Again, you may have to try a few to find one that works for your baby.

What to look for when buying

Bottle material: Glass, silicone, plastic, and stainless steel are the most common materials.

Plastic is light, ubiquitous, shatterproof and inexpensive, but parents worry about chemicals even in BPA-free plastic (read more about BPA in Important Safety Notes, below). Plastic bottles also deteriorate, so they need to be replaced regularly.

Glass is heavy and can shatter (you can buy silicone sleeves that go over glass bottles to prevent this), but it’s BPA-free. Glass bottles are sold widely and last longer than plastic ones but are more expensive.

Silicone bottles are light, unbreakable, BPA-free, and often soft but more expensive than plastic and glass. Often silicone bottles aren’t sold in drugstores or grocery stores, which can be inconvenient if a nipple cracks or breaks and you need a quick replacement.

Stainless steel is light, unbreakable, BPA-free, and lasts for a long time, but like silicone, these bottles can be expensive and hard to find.

Nipples

Nipple material: Nipples generally come in either latex or silicone varieties. Latex nipples are softer and more flexible, but they don't last as long and some babies are allergic to them. Silicone nipples are firmer and hold their shape longer.

Nipple shape: Traditional nipples are shaped like a bell or dome. Orthodontic nipples, designed to accommodate your child's palate and gums, have a bulb that's flat on the side and rests on your child's tongue. Flat-topped nipples and wide nipples (used with wide bottles) are said to feel more like Mom's breast and may be a good bet if you plan to switch between breastfeeding and bottle-feeding.

Size and flow: Nipples come in a range of sizes and flow speeds, from slow to fast. Preemies and newborns usually need the smallest size (often called "stage 1"), which has the slowest flow. Babies graduate to larger sizes and a faster flow as they get older, can suck more effectively, and drink more breast milk or formula.

Nipples are marked with the size and a suggested age range. Don't be concerned if your baby doesn't follow these guidelines exactly. You may have to try a few different nipple sizes to find one that works best for your baby. Watch to make sure your baby isn't having a hard time getting milk or getting so much that he's choking or spitting up. And, of course, discuss any feeding concerns with your baby's doctor.