How long prepared formula good

The packaging on the side of the formula container will tell you how much to use. Carefully follow the directions. You can use tepid room temperature tap water, as long as your local or state health departments have labeled it as safe to drink. Test to see if the water is cool enough for your baby to drink by shaking a few drops of water on the inside of your wrist.

If it stings, it's still too hot. Once water has cooled, don't let it sit longer than 30 minutes before adding it to the formula. Once prepared, the formula is ready to feed to your baby immediately without additional refrigeration or warming.

Formula that's been prepared should be consumed or stored in the refrigerator within 1 hour. If it has been at room temperature for more than 1 hour, throw it away. And if your baby doesn't drink all the formula in the bottle, throw away the unused portion — do not save it for later.

Formula may be prepared ahead of time for up to 24 hours if you store it in the refrigerator to prevent the formation of bacteria. Open containers of ready-made formula, concentrated formula, and formula prepared from concentrate also can be stored safely in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.

Some babies may actually prefer cold or room-temperature bottles to warm, especially if you start serving them that way from the get-go which can make things easier for you in the long run.

But if your baby does prefer a warm bottle, remember that the microwave can create dangerous "hot spots" in bottles, so you should never microwave formula. Whichever way you choose to heat your baby's bottles, be sure to shake the bottle vigorously. But if you need to transport bottles of formula already mixed with water, make sure the formula is icy cold when you leave the house.

Carry it in a thermal baby bottle pack or a cool bag with ice packs. You can put the bottle of formula back in the fridge if it has been in the bottle pack or cool bag for less than two hours. But make sure to use it within 24 hours of when it was first prepared.

But many babies do like their formula lukewarm or warmed a little. The safest way to warm formula is to stand the bottle in a jug of warm water. Bottle warmers are convenient and safe as long as they have a thermostat control. This might cause bacteria to breed in the formula or breastmilk. These bacteria are a common cause of diarrhoea. Gently swirl the bottle or container to mix the formula after warming.

Test the temperature of the formula by putting a few drops onto your wrist. If you accidentally make the formula too hot , cool it down by holding it under cold running water or placing it in a jug of cold water. Swirl the bottle and recheck the temperature on your wrist before feeding. Baby How long does formula last? Photo: iStock. Joseph Communications uses cookies for personalization, to customize its online advertisements, and for other purposes.

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