Marie, my name is Chantal, and I was wondering why I always have to heat my baby’s milk. He is 2.5 months old, and sometimes I find heating the milk long. Why do we have to heat it, and until what age? Thanks for your help, Chantal. 

Chantal, your baby is still very young and has to learn about his environment. When a baby breastfeeds, the milk is naturally warmer than room temperature. Are there reasons for this? Does it help babies better digest the milk? Does warmer milk absorb better? I don’t know, but current research seems to indicate that babies automatically prefer warm milk vs. cold milk. But heating milk doesn’t provide any additional nutritional benefits. Don’t forget that you should never heat a bottle in the microwave.

 

We also suggest that you should heat your baby’s milk for the first six months, and starting from five months you can start giving them warm milk. At about 10 months they can begin to drink cold milk from the fridge.

Chantal, I hope this answers your question and helps you understand why we recommend heating milk. It requires a bit of patience, but your baby is growing fast, and soon you won’t have to heat their milk anymore.

Talk soon,

 

Marie

The Baby Expert