Guidelines For Preparing And Storing Infant Formula
The World Health Organization has issued guidelines for the safe preparation, storage, and handling of powdered infant formula.
Boiling water when preparing baby formula is very important in many parts of the world, especially developing countries that do not have safe water supplies.
The WHO recommends cleaning and sterilizing feeding and preparation equipment and making a fresh bottle of powdered infant formula for each feed. The recommended steps for preparing formula are:
Follow baby formula mixing instructions carefully and don’t dilute or concentrate the baby formula unless your pediatrician tells you to.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
When Should You Introduce A Bottle To Your Baby
If you’re only bottle-feeding your baby, you should obviously start right after birth.
If you’re breastfeeding, however, it’s recommended that you wait about three weeks until introducing a bottle. Bottle-feeding earlier could potentially interfere with the successful establishment of breastfeeding, not because of nipple confusion , but because your breasts may not be stimulated enough to pump up supply.
If you wait much later, though, baby may reject the unfamiliar bottle in favor of the breast because that’s what she’s gotten used to.
Combination Feeding A Newborn
Combination feeding means breastfeeding and bottle-feeding with the bottle containing either expressed breast milk or formula milk. Its best to wait until breastfeeding is well established any changes to breastfeeding routine may interfere with mums supply. Read our tips on how to introduce combination feeding
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Bottle Feeding A Newborn: The Basics
Lets get back to basics on how to bottle feed a newborn. When it comes to how much and how often you should bottle feed your baby, both depend on your childs individual weight and growth spurts, as well as his or her age.
The best way to know how often you should be bottle feeding your newborn is to feed when he or she is hungry. Learn how to spot those baby hunger cues, here. The length of the feedings may vary depending on each individual baby, but they generally dont take longer than 20 minutes.
Below are some general guidelines to follow for feeding by your babys age: 1
- Birth to three months old: every two to three hours
- Three to nine months old: every three to four hours
If you are considering a combination of both breastfeeding and bottle feeding, check out this article for more information.
How To Rewarm A Feed
- Rewarm a refrigerated feed no more than 15 minutes. Rewarm the feed by placing the bottle in a container of warm water. Make sure the water level does not touch the cap or the teat. Swirl the bottle occasionally to ensure the milk warms up evenly.
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions if you use a bottle warmer.
- Never rewarm leftover feeds.
Key facts
- A formula feed should be consumed within 2 hours of rewarming. Throw it away if it is not consumed within that time.
- Never use a microwave oven to rewarm refrigerated formula feeds. Microwave heats the feeds unevenly. This can scald the baby.
Q. How can I prepare formula feed away from home?
- If you need to feed your baby away from home, you can choose sterile ready-to-feed liquid infant formula. If you choose to make up feed with powdered infant formula away from home, pay special attention to the procedures and ensure all feeding equipment are sterilised.
- As sterilisation needs time, parents are advised to prepare in advance sterilised feeding bottles and containers. Before going out, place the powdered infant formula in a dry container. Pour the water that has just been boiled into a vacuum flask and screw the cap tightly. This helps keeping the temperature of water at 70 or above for making up a formula feed.
Q. Is it OK to prepare the formula feed first before we go out?
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How Long Is Stored Formula Good For
The unopened formula you have sitting in your pantry is good until the expiration date on the cans or ready-to-feed bottles. Once opened, powdered formula lasts one month. After that time, formula makers cant guarantee nutrition quality. Its best to start with a fresh can.
Bottle-feeding is one of the many skills new parents have to learn, but within no time, youll be a pro. With these tips in mind, you can keep your little one safe, nourished and healthy.
How To Get Baby To Take A Bottle
Even if youre planning to exclusively breastfeed, at some point youll likely need some pointers on how to get baby to take a bottle. I tell my clients to introduce baby to a bottle once breastfeeding has been established, which depends on each mother-baby dyad, but on average, its around one month, ODay says. Even if theyre not planning to regularly bottle-feed, doing so can give peace of mind if an emergency comes up, and can also be a way for mom to get a break.
Some babies take a bottle no problemafter all, sucking is an instinctive reflex, which is why bottle-fed babies tend to get the hang of it in the first few days of life. But other breastfed babies may initially be reluctant to take a bottle. And sometimes breastfed babies have no issue taking a bottle when theyre one month old, but if a bottle hasnt been regularly offered, by 3 or 4 months of age, theyre less happy to accept a bottle. Bottle resistance is pretty common, but luckily there are some tried-and-true tips for what to do when baby is refusing a bottle.
Offer often. Even if youre breastfeeding, ODay recommends giving baby at least one bottle a week, once breastfeeding has been established. That way its part of their routine, so theyre less likely to resist it, she says.
Let others try bottle-feeding. Some moms have success leaving the house and allowing their partner to try feeding baby a bottle. Again, try it at a time thats not babys must-feed time.
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Fluoride And Preparing Baby Formula
Experts often recommend that children should get fluoridated water to help prevent cavities. However, powdered formula is often fortified with fluoride too, so infants who are fed powdered or concentrated liquid formula which is mixed with fluoridated water can get too much fluoride.
Getting too much fluoride when your child’s teeth are still forming can lead to enamel fluorosis, which can cause tooth staining. This staining may appear as faint white markings on your child’s baby teeth, and even more importantly, may also affect permanent teeth as they are forming underneath your baby’s gums.
Fortunately, fluorosis is usually very mild when it is caused by fluoridated water and baby formula and the staining is barely noticeable. You don’t have to be concerned about fluorosis if you’re breastfeeding your baby or using a ready-to-feed baby formula, and supplement with powdered formula.
To reduce your baby’s chance of developing even mild fluorosis, it can help to use low-fluoride water when you prepare your baby’s formula. This may mean some types of tap water, or water that has been purified, deionized, demineralized, distilled, or filtered by reverse osmosis.
Express And Collect Breast Milk
The first step in preparing a bottle of breast milk is expressing the breast milk. Though hand-expression is possible, its far from ideal. Youll need a pump that allows you to comfortably and effectively express milk. By effectively, we mean a pump that allows you to completely drain your breasts every time you pump.
The easiest and fastest way to pump is with a double electric breast pump . Though in certain situations, perhaps if you only want to pump while your baby is feeding on one side, you may want to consider a hand pump or a single-electric pump. If you arent sure which is right for you, we go over each type as well as how to get the proper fit in our post, Best Breast Pumping Tips for New Moms.
No matter which method you choose, youll need to collect the breast milk in clean bottles or breastmilk storage bags. Storage bags work best if you plan to build up a large freezer stash of milk to feed your baby at a later time.
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What You Will Need To Bottle Feed
When it comes to bottle feeding, there are a few must-have items that you should stock up on: bottles and nipples. Learning how to introduce a bottle begins by choosing the right bottlefor your baby so that he or she can feed efficiently and safely. And with so many choices of bottles and nipples, we know this decision can feel overwhelming at times.
We recommend that you choose a bottle with an anti-colic valve built into the nipple to help reduce any stomach discomfort. You should also consider a bottle that is easy to hold and that is BPA free. If you are exclusively bottle feeding your newborn, try this anti-colic baby bottle that is clinically proven to reduce fussing and discomfort. It has a flexible teat for easy latch-on, as well as a built-in anti-colic valve to make for quick and simple cleanings after feeding your little one.
And if you plan on both breastfeeding and bottle feeding, consider this natural baby bottle designed with unique comfort petals to increase softness and flexibility without nipple collapse. Its ultra-soft nipple and overall design is ideal for combination feeding.
What you need
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Use Quickly Or Store Safely
- Prepared infant formula can spoil if it is left out at room temperature.
- Use prepared infant formula within 2 hours of preparation and within one hour from when feeding begins.
- If you do not start to use the prepared infant formula within 2 hours, immediately store the bottle in the fridge and use it within 24 hours.
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Babies Fed With Breastmilk
Babies fed with breastmilk need frequent feeding because the milk is easily digested normally around six to eight times a day.
- Newborn babies sometimes feed up to 12 times a day.
- It varies a lot between babies, but between the ages of one to six months breastfed babies drink an average of 750-800 ml of breastmilk per day.
Time To Feed Your Baby
Once the formula is prepared and warmed, its ready to be given to your baby.
To feed your little one:
- Always hold your baby . This is important bonding time!
- Hold your baby upright and keep their head straight. This will help with swallowing to cut down on gas and spit-up.
- Look for signs of fullness. Once your baby starts turning away from the bottle and refusing to drink, theyre sending the message that feeding time is over! Never force your baby to finish a bottle.
- Burp your baby. Gently patting your baby on the back will help release any trapped air from feeding and help your baby feel comfortable.
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Any Questions Formula Preparation Faqs
Can I reheat formula milk?
Parenting is the ultimate plate-spinning exercise. You wont be the first, and you certainly wont be the last, to prepare a formula feed only to be distracted by a leaking nappy or an unexpected knock at the door. Or it might just be that your baby isnt in the mood to drink the whole bottle of milk youve just prepared.
So the question is, can you reheat formula?
The answer is a simple E-I-E-I- no. Any formula feed that you prepare should be given to your little one to enjoy straight away. If your baby starts a feed but doesnt finish it, its always safest to discard it and make a fresh bottle. And there are two very good reasons for this.
Firstly, the formula milk may reheat unevenly , and be a little too hot for your baby to handle. Secondly, theres the possibility that bacteria might be lurking, potentially causing an upset to your little ones tummy.
Twinkle twinkle little star, can I prepare in advance that far? Preparing bottles for night feeds
At the end of the day , feeding your baby as soon as youve prepared their milk reduces the risk of upsets to tiny tummies.
We know that when it comes to parenting, it can feel as though there just arent enough hours in the day. And whilst preparing formula feeds in advance to use throughout the night is tempting, its always advisable to prepare formula and feed it to your baby as and when they need it.
You can also use a ready-made formula to feed your baby during the night.
Boiling Water To Avoid Infection
The advice to boil water is based on the idea that hot temperatures can kill most microorganisms. For those using tap water from public water supplies, there is little danger, as the water supply is constantly monitored and warnings are issued if there is a risk of contamination. But because babies have weaker immune systems, many parents choose to boil tap water.
In addition, using freshly boiled water can kill any bacteria that may be in the formula itself. This is beneficial, unless the formula contains added probiotics. Boiling water will kill the probiotics.
In the past, packaging on infant formula stated that water should be boiled prior to preparation. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that if you have any concerns about whether your tap water is safe, you should boil it for up one minute and then use the boiled water within 30 minutes to mix the formula.
However, the AAP does not make an official statement about whether you need to boil the water that you will use in mixing your baby’s formula. Instead, it recommends that you check the safety of your water with the local health department.
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How To Make A Baby Bottle
Guidelines on how to mix and store baby formula for your little one
Whether youre feeding your baby with formula only or are breastfeeding and supplementing with formula, its important to know the basics of formula preparation and storage. This not only saves time, but also helps keep your baby happy and healthy.
With all the mixing, storing, and warming dos and donts, theres a lot to remember. We get it. And were here to help. If you have more questions, you can also talk to your doctor.
How To Clean Sterilise And Store Feeding Equipment
All feeding equipment for breastmilk or infant formula must be washed thoroughly and sterilised. They include feeding bottles, teats, bottle covers, rings, and other accessories such as tongs and knives.
How to clean feeding equipment
Bacteria grow at the cracks easily. Check carefully when washing bottles and teats. Discard damaged ones.
Sterilising the feeding equipment
You can choose from the following methods for sterilising the feeding equipment:
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How Much Fluid Should A Newborn Puppy Take In A Day
The quantity of intake depends on the newborns weight. Obviously, different breeds of puppies will weigh different amounts at birth. For example, small breeds-from 75 to 350 grams medium-from 200 to 300 grams large-from 400 to 850 grams.
A general rule: feed a puppy 180 ml of fluid per kilogram of body weight. At a thousand grams in a kilogram, a medium puppy, would need between 36 and 54 gm per day. As the newborn grows and increases in weight, increase the size of the feedings. How will you know? By weighing the puppies once a day, at the same time, and increasing the fluid accordingly. There will be individual differences among the litter mates some will take a bit more at a feeding, some a bit less. If the pups show steady weight gain and normal stool, all is well. If pups develop diarrhea, back off the amount of formula or dilute with a little water. If the stool continues to be diarrhea, it may be sign of a more serious problem. Then its time to notify the vet.