Reviewed: Yoomi self-warming baby bottle
Call me mean and unkind but one piece of motherhood wisdom I chose to follow was not to warm Minnie’s bottles every time I fed her – if I did, pointed out the sage mums who’d been there, done that, measured the formula, she’d learn to expect warm milk.
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And why not, you might ask? Well, it’s one thing if you’re at home, it’s an added level of hassle when you’re out and about, and it’s a complete pain when you’re travelling. Given that Minnie started off combination fed with formula and breastmilk, about the only thing she didn’t like was milk right from the fridge – and an occasional warm bottle was a nice treat.
But if you have been warming bottles and need a solution for on the go, or just as a quick fix for babies who resolutely resist room temperature milk, Yoomi’s self-warming bottles sounded like a very cunning solution so when they got in touch and asked if I wanted to review one, I jumped at the chance.
Once you’ve got everything set up and into a routine, they couldn’t be simpler either – you charge the warming pod, put it in the bottle, press the button, wait for a minute and you’re ready to go.
But I’d suggest first attempting it after a reasonable night’s sleep. In my sleep-deprived haze, looking through the components, trying to wrap my befuddled head around which bit was the pod and warmer (and how you charge it) made the remaining brain cells ache.
First, after cleaning and sterilising all the sections, you need to charge the warmer – either in the microwave, using the special pod (after a bit of twiddling to get it to fit perfectly), in boiling water or in a steam steriliser (if yours is suitable). The microwave method is so simple and takes less than two minutes, so you’re unlikely to try another if you don’t have to.
Then leave the warmer to cool (for 20 mins in cold water, 75 at room temperature) and you’re ready to go for the feed. After attaching the collar to the teat, you use it to pick up the warmer and screw it into the bottle – it’s another part of the process I found fiddly, as it didn’t seem to want to stay in place, but worked even if it’s not perfect.
Then click the button to activate the warmer, after 30 seconds turn the bottle upside down, wait another 30 and the milk heats up to 32-34C as it flows over the warmer through the teat. It keeps its heat for up to an hour as well and you can’t overheat the liquid.
The instructions (which you’ll need to keep close to hand until you get the hang of it), also have a string of useful tips like when to listen for a rattling noise when you shake the warmer or explaining how it should feel when it’s fully charged. There’s also a tickbox section so you can mark off how many times you use it up to a maximum of 150.
The bottle itself has anti-colic vents, so you don’t have to sacrifice this for the speedy warming. On the downside, the bottle has to be bigger to fit the warmer and it’s a bit top-heavy after a while – but significantly less of a pain than standing with a hungry screaming newborn as milk very very slowly heats up in warm water.
Of course, if you’re going to rely on it for every bottle or even for a single flight, you’ll need multiple ones all charged and ready to go which adds up as the on the go system costs from £50 (although individual extra bottles and warmers cost less).
As Minnie had outgrown the 150ml/5oz bottle I had to test, I didn’t get to trial it on the way to Lanzarote so I’m not sure if security would puzzle over the components either.
But while it might not be 100% perfect (and what is?), it’s a very clever idea – and if you need warmed milk in a hurry while you’re travelling, it could well be the answer.
Image courtesy of Yoomi
Such a great product, makes life so much easier!
Have you used it much yourself?