Heating Expressed Milk For Babies

[Chasingcars]

Hi,
As a new mum ive stuck to breast feeding and its going well. I have now started to express to get our little girl used to a bottle to give us a bit more flexibility for going out etc.
Im planning a trip to town today, if i warm milk before i go, will that be ok for a couple hours? ( i have an insulated bottle pocket in changing bag...not sure how good they are?) If milk was to cool down, and i wasnt able to warm it up when we are out, is i still safe to give to my little girl?
Also when heating up a bottle, how long should i stand it in hot water for and how do you know right temperature?
Thanks!

[ummmm]

Are you storing it in the fridge or expressing before you go out?

[Hopkirk]

A few years since our two were little, and we only used powdered not expressed.

However I would advise to keep it cool, and just heat it when it is needed.
We never had a problem finding someone prepared to give us some hot water to stand it in.

Also you could consider taking a flask of boiling water and a beaker.

[knowabit]

I never used to heat the millk... makes it much easier when out and about, and baby is used to having it at that temp.

[cassa333]

Put it chilled into a cool bag and ask the (cafe) for a jug of hot water and leave it in till warmed enough.

Most cafes will. If they don't, go somewhere else that is more family friendly.

I wouldn't try to keep it warm for any lenght of time though.

[tiggerblue10]

Thats what I did Hop. A flask of boiling hot water comes in very handy.

[ummmm]

Like knowabit...I never used to heat it.

[Hopkirk]

Eventually you can get the little un used to drinking cool milk, but it might be unwise to start on your first trip out.

[tiggerblue10]

I stored all expressed milk in the fridge so I wanted to bring it to room temperature or a little bit warmer.

[Chasingcars]

The expressed milk has been in the fridge since yesterday, sorry forgot to add that!

[ummmm]

I would just heat it to room temp then.

Is it still ok to use from yesterday?

[ummmm]

Wow, just checked. You can store it in the fridge for 5 days...

[bednobs]

i had the exact same dilemmas 5 months ago, I would take it from the fridge and put it in an insulated bag straight away to keep cool. Then warm it just when you are about to use it. You soon learn the shops and cafes that are good for warming baby stuff (debenhams and morrisons is good in my area) and the places you may as well not bother (costa in my area wont give a jug of water because of "health and safety" seemingly forgetting they are at the same time giving me a boiling cup of coffee!
in my debenhams they have a bottle warmer. Please don't warm the bottle before you go out - once you have warmed it it's only good for an hour

[diddlydo]

Why not just breastfeed your baby while you're out? No bother then with bottles - you've got it with you!

[sherrardk]

I'm with diddlydo on this one, one of the advantages of breast feeding.

[losgigs]

Has your little one already had a bottle? If she's not used to it yet, she may not be too keen to take it from you, preferring the'real thing'. Then again, she may quite happily take to it. Agree with other advice about not heating the bottle till you need it. Lots of babies are quite happy to drink cold or cool milk, especially as they get older. Good luck!