People who are in favor of bottle warmers emphasize on its utility and remark that it does not involve much time at all in preparing the food for the baby as well as ensure hygiene too. But those who oppose this new gadget, object to it and say that there is hardly any need of it and it’s all commercial gimmick. Moreover, it enhances the chances of accidents too if not handled properly. If you are parenting a neonate and are confused whether to buy a bottle warmer then follow the discussion in this article:
Bottle warmers are useful
It is said that the bottle warmers are best suited to boil pumped breast milk, which otherwise looses its minerals, immunological elements, vitamins and micro nutrients much easily in the traditional food preparation devices like microwave ovens, traditional cooking ovens, etc. Moreover, the process is always faster in case of bottle warmers which can boil as much as three to four ounces of milk in just a few seconds. Some of the experts even remark that heating milk in the microwave ovens makes it so hot that the parents can hardly make out if the temperature is suitable for the baby’s tender cells and flesh inside the mouth. Consequently the mouth and tongue can burn.
Bottle warmers are useless
The first and quick answer for your decision whether to buy a bottle warmer or not will be ‘no’. The apparent hazards associated with the gadget always cast all votes in opposition to it. Actually a section of people believe it is an escape route for today’s parents to get away with the hazards and the tantrums associated with parenting. Moreover, when the traditional method of sterilizing the kids’ feeding bottles and boiling their milk still reins, spending bucks uselessly on something like this is sheer drainage of money.
Another very important factor that some of the pediatricians put up against it is that it is not at all a portable device. So, it is not going to serve your purpose at all when you are in a park or a store or even at the pediatrician’s office with your baby. Therefore, your baby will be deprived of warm milk even now, even after buying bottle warmer. Thus, it will hardly make much difference in the life of your kid in comparison to traditional methods. The growing popularity of this gadget has inspired leading companies dealing with kid’s products to invent portable and compact bottle warmers that are powered by battery and can warm milk while traveling too.
Alternatives that can be used
Attempts have been made to find some of the better alternatives of bottle warmers. Have a look at them:
1. Microwave ovens
As an alternative to the bottle warmers the traditional food preparation devices always score over the same. The best among them is the microwave oven, which is easy to handle and operate. The chances of accidental burns are also very rare in absence of flame. But there is hardly much that can be done to compensate for the loss of vitamins and minerals while cooking in a microwave. This is where bottle warmers challenge traditional methods. Those who intend to feed their newly born babies pumped beast milk will never find microwave ovens the best alternatives of bottle warmers as the former deteriorate the nutritional value of beast milk.
2. Manual method
Breast milk need to be boiled much. But even then if you wish to feed your baby with warm beast milk, then in a saucepan, pour sufficient water and set it to flame until it starts boiling. In the meanwhile, fill up your baby feeder with pumped breast milk and cork well. Check to see if there is any seepage. Now, put the bottle inside the hot water and wait for not more than fifteen minutes till the bottle gets heated. After the said time, check the temperature of milk inside the feeder. It you find it suitable for your baby, start feeding.
