Let’s admit it – we rely on microwave ovens to heat basically everything these days. Be it frozen foods, beverages and leftovers, the most convenient way to heat them up is throwing them into the microwave.
Can we heat formula in the microwave, though? Is it safe to warm up formula in the microwave? What precautions need to be taken when we heat up formula in the microwave?
Read on for everything you need to know about heating formula milk in the microwave.
Can You Heat Formula in the Microwave?
Though it could be an extremely convenient way to warm formula, it is NOT safe to put formula in the microwave. And there are a variety of reasons for this.
Safety Risks of Heating Formula in the Microwave: Overheated Inside
The most serious one would be that it could pose some real health hazards. It traces back to the working principle of microwave ovens.
A microwave oven uses a special type of electromagnetic radiation called microwaves to heat food. When a microwave oven is activated, it would produce microwaves to penetrate food.
When the microwaves enter the food, they would cause water molecules in food to vibrate rapidly. And this process generates heat that will heat up the food from the inside out.
This is completely safe for us to warm our common food. However, it’s another story when it comes to heating formula for infants.
As we’ve mentioned before, during the heating process, microwave ovens cause food to heat up from the inside out.
Therefore, when we heat formula in the microwave, it would be difficult for us to test the real temperature of the formula milk from the outside after heating.
Safety Risks of Heating Formula in the Microwave: Hot Spots
Moreover, chances are there would be hot spots hidden within the formula milk after it’s heated in the microwave due to the possibilities of uneven cooking.
Unfortunately, this would make it even trickier for us to test the temperature to see if it’s okay to feed our loved ones. And we could not take the risks feeding our loved ones with formula milk that could be too hot and contain hot spots.
Health Risk of Heating Formula in the Microwave: Nutrition Loss
Another reason why we won’t recommend you to put formula milk in the microwave lies in that it could lead to nutrition loss.
The instant high heat produced by the microwave could quickly degrade the delicate nutrients in infant formula, potentially compromising its nutritional value. Therefore, it would be wiser to use other methods to warm the formula milk.
To sum up, we would not recommend you to heat formula in the microwave for it could cause serious safety problems.
Precautions to Take When Heating Formula in the Microwave
If you don’t have any other options for heating formula at the moment and you just have to warm the formula milk with a microwave, here are some precautions you have to take to make it safer.
- Use a microwave-safe bottle only. You need to make sure the bottle is microwave-safe before you put it in the microwave with the formula milk. It is recommended to manufacturer’s information for the specific use advice.
- When you heat the formula with a bottle in the microwave, you should always remove the nipples or tops before you put it in the microwave. It could help prevent explosions and melting from happening.
- Heating formula in the microwave will require careful attention. You will need to monitor it closely to make sure the heating process is going smoothly. Also, it is recommended to heat the formula with short bursts of microwave time (in seconds) to avoid overheating.
Better Methods to Warm Formula Milk
Instead of heating up formula in the microwave, there are better and safer ways to warm the formula milk. These methods can significantly help prevent uneven heating and nutrition loss.
Method 1. Warm Water Bath
This is simply the most common way to heat up formula milk, and it’s tested by many households for so many years.
Here’s how to warm formula milk with the warm water bath method:
- Get some warm water ready in a bowl or pot.
- Place the formula bottle in the warm water.
- Let it sit for a while so the formula can gradually get the heat from the warm water.
The warming time varies depending on how hot the water is, how much water there is, how much milk is in the bottle, and the type of bottle.
Method 2. Bottle Warmers
A modern and convenient way to heat formula milk is to do it with bottle warmers. Bottle warmers make it such a no-brainer to heat up formula milk. And bottle warmers are usually designed to be easy-to-use and easy to carry around.
Many bottle warmers today even feature smart temperature control so you don’t have to worry about overheating anymore.