Make late night feedings easy with a bottle warmer and sterilizer
Why use a bottle warmer and sterilizer?
When a baby is hungry, you want to get that bottle ready quickly, especially in the middle of the night. A bottle warmer heats breast milk or formula so you can get feeding right away and is a better alternative to a microwave that can heat milk unevenly and leave hot spots that could burn the baby’s mouth.
After feeding, wash the bottle, then use a bottle sterilizer to eliminate any germs clinging to the surface that could harm baby or make them sick. Sterilizers can also serve as storage for the bottles so you can use your cupboards for other kitchen necessities. And they can effortlessly sterilize other items like a breast pump and its parts, bottle nipples, and pacifiers.
What types of bottle warmers and sterilizers are available?
Bottle warmers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some are designed for certain brand bottles, and others will fit any bottles and adjust to fit bottles of different widths and sizes.
There are travel-sized ones, electric, and portable, all of which can heat milk or formula in just a few minutes. Some bottle warmers can also warm up or defrost baby food.
Sterilizers, too, come in different shapes and sizes, and can sterilize single or multiple bottles at a time in as little as eight minutes, or on cycles of 30, 45, and 60 minutes if you prefer. They typically use natural steam that can kill off 99.9% of harmful bacteria.
What to look for with bottle warmers and sterilizers?
You want a bottle warmer that works quickly and will automatically shut-off when the milk is sufficiently warm, so it won’t overheat it if you get caught up rocking or changing baby. Some have an alarm that sounds when the heating is done, but make sure it isn’t too loud.
Verify that the one you choose fits the bottles you use; and consider where you want to use it and if it would make more sense to get a full-sized or travel option (or both). Easy operation is key for middle of the night feedings while you’re still groggy. A defrost option is handy if you freeze pureed baby foods and want to use it to reheat those for feeding time as well.
Find a sterilizer that can accommodate as many baby bottles as you need in a day and will keep them sterilized while the lid is kept closed; most will do so for 24 hours. Some also have a dry function, which can come in handy; and a removable basket and tongs.
Other features to consider include smart Bluetooth to monitor it from your smartphone, LCD screen, and BPA-free components. Gift sets with a bottle warmer, sterilizer, and bottles are worth considering, too.