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Microwaving For Baby:
Warming Bottles
This is the first of a two part
series on microwaving for the baby
m your house. If you don’t have a
baby, share this with someone who
does! A microwave can be a big
help to a new mother. Not only will
it make family meals easier, a
microwave does wonders for
baby’s needs.
You can take the chill off a bottle
of refrigerated formula or warm
most solid baby food in about a
minute. With a microwave, you
can prepare your own solid baby
foods in just a few minutes.
Today, we’ll start at the
beginning with the bottles of milk
or formula your baby needs at
first. Next week, we’ll cover solid
babyfoods, both commercial and
homemade.
Is It Safe? microwaves present “absolutely in a be very careful
Yes, all glass and plastic baby no danger to either the milk, the not to overheat it. Liquids at 100-
bottles and the disposable nursing baby, or the plastic components.” no°F. feel just slightly warm and
bags are safe for warming in a The Evenflo company said, “our are a good temperature for babies. _ _ || .
microwave, as long as they have products are perfectly safe for A temperature probe will give you Ddllllkifl fji)
no metal parts. However, these microwave use.” an accurate warming time, lr«M|rtllll w*« I II 01
products can cause problems if The warnings not to use the regardless of bottle size and n h- r ♦ ■
they are overheated. The bags and products in a microwave are for starting temperature. ™ ers are
plastic bottles may burst or melt people inexperienced with if you’re not sure how long it will p P ann B tor their Fifth Annual 4-
LANCASTER FARMING ISSUE
Featuring
1985 AG PROGRESS DAYS
To Be Held Aug. 20,21,22 at Rock Springs Research Farms
Near State College, Pa.
We’ll have the information
our readers will need to
make their visit to 1985
AG PROGRESS DAYS
more enjoyable... maps,
lists of exhibitors,
schedules of events and
related stories.
Over 40,000 Paid Subscribers. Invest Your
Dollars Wisely By Reserving Your Space Now
In This Special Issue.
PUT YOUR MESSAGE ID WORK IN THE
AUGUST 170) ISSUE OF LANCASTER FARMING!
Normal advertising rates apply...deadline is Friday, August 9. Call (717)
626-1164 or (717) 394-3047 to reserve your advertising space!
!
and the glass bottles may crack or
shatter if overheated. These
problems are caused by liquids at
high temperatures, not
microwaves.
Since these products are safe in a
microwave, you may wonder, as I
did, why most of the nipple, bag,
and bottle packages say “Do not
put in a microwave.” I checked
with several baby product
manufacturers, and they said that
these products are safe for
microwaving, in spite of the labels.
The companies are not putting
microwave directions on their
products because the microwave
time varies so greatly between
different models and brands of
microwave ovens. In the space on
their labels they do not have room
for accurate times for all ovens.
The Playtex Company said that
COMING AUGUST 17th
microwave ovens. The company
doesn’t want a “dummy” injured
by heating a bottle for 5-10
minutes!
Do not try to sterilize equipment
or prepare formula in your
microwave. Use conventional
directions. Use your microwave
for safely and quickly warming
bottles after they are prepared.
Bottle Nipples
Baby bottle nipples are safe in a
microwave too, but constant
microwaving will shorten their
life. The microwaves cause the
rubber in the nipple to deteriorate.
A nipple that would last three to
four months may wear out after
one month of microwaving.
Because of this deterioration, it
is recommended that you remove
the nipples before warming a
bottle in the microwave. Oc
casionally exposing the nipples to
microwave energy will not
significantly shorten their life. If
nipples are soft, sticky or grow
larger with use, they should be
replaced.
If you choose to leave nipples on
in the microwave, make sure that
the nipple hoods and caps are off,
and the rings are loosened. If the
bottle is sealed tightly when
warmed, it may burst from steam
pressure.
Warming Baby
Bottles
When warming milk or formula
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 20,1985*89
take to warm a bottle, try using
your temperature probe. If your
wen doesn’t have a probe, the
accompanying chart will give you
an estimate of the time.
From my own experience, I
found two problems in using a
microwave to warm bottles. The
first is that if the liquids are
overheated, they will quickly
bubble over the rim of the bottle
and end up all over the bottom of
the oven. Microwaves heat small
quantities very quickly so warm
bbttles carefully.
The second problem is that some
formulas and stored breast milk,
especially, may curdle or
coagulate if heated too much or too
quickly. I recommend using a very
low power level when warming
these liquids. This will help
prevent overheating, curdling, and
boiling over.
Amount
Liquid
4oz.
6oz.
Boz.
Note: The'times above are for
microwaves with 600-700 watts of
power. For 50W500 W, add 10
seconds to each minute; for 400-500
W, add 20 seconds.
Copyright 1185, Lanl Bloomer.
Low power (30%, 30, 3, defrost)
is good for defrosting and warming
stored breast milk without cur
dling. Stir or shake the bottle
frequently. When breast milk
curdles, it gets tiny little solid
flecks in it that you might not
notice...until the nipple clogs
during feeding (and your baby gets
screaming mad!).
A medium power, (50%, 50, 5)
can be used for formula or plain
milk. The accompanying chart
shows some average times for
warming baby bottles on medium
power.
After microwaving baby bottles,
always shake the bottle and test
the temperature of the liquid.
Since a microwave heats small
quantities so quickly, the liquid
might be hotter than you think.
Shaking the bottle before testing
the temperature will even out the
temperature in the bottle.
Warm Bottles On
Medium Power
(50%, 50,5):
Time If Time If
Room Temp. Refrigerated
30-40 sec. 60-00 sec.
40-60 sec. 70-90 sec.
1-1% min. 1%-2 mm.
is get set fur Fair
H Fair, at the Farm Show Com
plex, Aug. 1,2, and 3 for judging,
fashion show, auctions, awards
and much more.,
The Fair will be open Thursday
from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Friday, the fair will open to the
public at 8 a.m. Throughout the
morning, there will be judging in
general, family living, beef and
sheep projects. The afternoon will
include dairy goat judging as well
as a fashion show.
Evening activities will include
an auction school and cake sale.
The auction school, using cakes
donated by local 4-H clubs, will
give the public an opportunity to
learn the auction process.
Following the school, visitors will
have an opportunity to use these
skills and buy a hog or sheep.
On Saturday, the fair will open at
8 a.m. with horse and pony
projects in the large arena and
dairy in the small arena
throughout the day.
At 11 a.m., noon and 1:30 p.m.
respectively, general, family
living and livestock Clover Award
competitions will take place. This
is the highest award given by
Dauphin County 4-H to a member
of one of these clubs. To win this
award, previously selected project
champions must show their skill in
other project areas. For example,
with the livestock Clover Award,
the 4-H’er must be able to show
proficiently all six species (hog,
sheep, beef, horse, dairy goats and
cows) of livestock.
The fair will close at 3 p.m.,
Saturday.