Q&A: Do I need a bottle warmer?

The quick answer to this question is no. But as we all know, nothing's really a quick answer when it comes to Baby!

Our philosophy is that you need very few things when bringing Baby home from the hospital, and a bottle warmer doesn't make the cut. As lovers of practicality, we believe that you can get the job done the good old-fashioned way—running the bottle under warm tap water and/or serving it at room temperature.

That being said, bottle warmers are meant to be a quick, easy, and safe way to heat up your baby's bottles thoroughly and evenly in just minutes. We call it the "Goldilocks" syndrome, meaning you want Baby's food just right (temperature-wise) to avoid tantrums of all kinds. And yes, there are some excellent bottle warmers on the market that will do just that.

So if spending $60 or so to get a quality bottle warmer is in your budget, and you feel you can't get the bottle just right without it, then splurge. Keep in mind, one of the downsides of this device is that you won't have it with you at the park, in the grocery store or even the pediatrician's office. That is another reason why The Baby Planners don't consider a bottle warmer a must have.

Of course, if the thought of a bottle warmer is keeping you up at night, go for it. Warm milk might just be the thing you need to get through this baby product dilemma!