Articles and Advice: Your Baby 6-12 Months

There is no nutritional reason to heat milk, but most babies prefer it lukewarm, the same as from the breast. But if your child doesn’t like cold milk, you can continue warming it up.

Put the container of milk in a pot of warm water for a few minutes, until it is lukewarm. Stir it gently. Throwaway bags heat more quickly than bottles.

To check the temperature, sprinkle a few drops on the inside of the wrist or the back of your hand. It should feel neither hot nor cold.

To reheat frozen breast milk, first pour cold water over the container, gradually adding small amounts of hot water until the milk becomes lukewarm. You can also put frozen breast milk in the refrigerator for 10 to 12 hours and then warm it in hot water. Stir it, check the temperature and give it to your baby.

We do not recommend warming milk in microwave ovens, which heat unevenly and create dangerous hot spots.

Some babies have been accidentally burnt this way. Bottles and bags can burst. Also, don’t boil a bottle or bag of milk. All solid and liquid foods lose some of their nutritional value when overheated. Breast milk also loses some of its vitamins and antibodies when heated in a microwave oven.

Don’t leave milk (except fresh breast milk) out at room temperature for more than an hour. Throw it away after that because bacteria can multiply quickly and cause diarrhea.

Introducing formula to my baby

Reference:
Doré, Nicole; Le Hénaff, Danielle. From Tiny Tot to Toddler, Practical Guide for Parents from Pregnancy to Age Two. Québec, Institut national de santé publique du Québec, 2008. Pages 369.