Which do you prefer and why?

Question

I have read that you can do any of the following three with bottle feeding and I was wondering which you use and why? I have heard you can feed the baby the bottle cold, room temp., or warm. I was interested in room temp to save the hassle of heating up bottles and for greater ease when in public.

Answer 1

There is controversy about all of them which is best and which is best not to do. I have been told that warm is better for digesting the formula and think about it, mother's milk is 98.6 degrees in her body. I did warm milk with my baby.

Now I had a friend who tried to do warm milk with her baby but he actually preferred it cold. He is just fine today, his bowels seem to move fine, and he seems to be an all around happy kid. I think personally the whole thing about the milk being a certain temp is malarky. My mother said she never warmed any of our bottles because we screamed to loud while waiting, that was before mircro waves and either you heated up water on the stove or ran it under a hot water facet. I am none the worse for the wear. So I say if you want to do room temp go ahead and giver a whirl, but don't be surprised if your baby has his her on ideas about how his her milk will be,

Answer 2

I have been a daycare provider in my home for 20 years and have cared for numerous infants over the years. Some babies have had expressed breast milk and some formula. Each infant has been different. I had one breast fed baby who liked her expressed milk cold right out of the refrigerator. If you are using powdered formula, it is easy to go the room temperature way. Simply mix formula with bottled water that is at room temperature. I have had as many babies who like their milk warm and that is also easy. I pour the water into the bottle then heat it to the desired temperature in the microwave. I let it sit for 1 minute than add the appropriately measured powdered formula. Shake well and it's ready to feed after you have double checked the temperature on your wrist. Most infants like their milk to be at least room temperature or slightly warm. As the baby grows, they are more apt to accept cold milk, but some will take it cold. You may have to experiment a little and go with the method that you baby likes best.

Answer 3

The reason you'd serve it cold is because you can prepare it and leave it in the fridge/cooler and not have to worry about it going bad.

You want to have it warm if your baby is a newborn, they have a hard time with temperatures.

After a few months and if you are using powder, I'd suggest just leaving some bottled water in your diaper bag and a canister of formula and mix it when you need it. It won't go bad and you'll only make what you need when you're out.

Answer 4

Its obvious that you would prepare formula and keep it in the fridge so it doesn't go bad. When I had my daugther in September the hospital told me to use room temp formula, so basically when I take it out of the fridge, I heat it to room temp, but if we are out and about, and I know she is going to eat it soon, I take it out and leave it in diaper bag, by the time she is ready for it, its chilled to room temp. Its easier to use room temp then warm so that way you don't have to worry about finding something to warm it up with when your out. Its a preference though, the hosptial where my cousins baby was born told her to warm it up, so it really doesn't matter, just what you find easier. But cold is not good for baby, probably would make her stomach upset.

Answer 5

Warm is supposted to be easier on their tummy but we have always just used luke warm tap water to make her bottles....shes 8 months old and perfectly healthy. If you make the formula ahead of time then it needs to be kept in the fridge until you're ready to use it and warmed up. I generally keep a bottle of water in her diaper bag and use that when we're out of the house to make bottles. You can buy a divided container in the bottle aisle that keeps a few portions of powdered formula.....that way you just put the water in the bottle and dump in the section of formula.

Answer 6

Never heard of keeping formula that's been opened at room temp. My Ped's doctor told me never to give cold formula to a baby under 6 months. I always made sure mine was heated and when I left home, I wrapped them in a cloth diaper to keep them warm. I'm mom to 3, aunt to 12 and been babysitting since I was 10..I'm now in my 40's..lol. This was a new one on me.

Answer 7

I prefer to warm my bottles up. But I never make it ahead of time, I just use warm water to make the bottle. Unless I am going out, but there is usually access to warm water, or just carry the bottled water and the powder. I would never use it cold.

Answer 8

my baby drank room temp formula. it was awesome because when we were out and about we didnt have to worry about warming it up or anything. we just carried water bottles and those single serve formula pouches by Enfamil and we were set. if you want to do it this way you have to do this from very early with the baby, otherwise they may reject it if its not warm.

Answer 9

at first I kept it at room temp, if not a little cold so he who get used to it.
But in the end I started warming it up because he was getting really fussy when it was too cold ajd kept spitting out the bottle.
Sometimes the baby will tell you what he wants.

Answer 10

i boil the water in the morning, prepare water in bottles and use it at room temp - it is fab and so far is keeping bub happy. just add the formula when bub is ready to eat