How long can you keep bottled formula milk?

[mwro]

Can anyone tell me how long you can keep formula milk once it has been made up and is in the bottle?

Does it make any difference if it goes straight in the fridge as soon as it is made up?

And can mineral water be used as a substitute for boiled water?

Am thoroughly confused!

We kept ours f0r 24 hours once made up but you can also just keep the bottlesd with water and add formula. My HV said that mineral water contains Sodium so no not really

I think mineral water is a definite no unless you have no other water, as it contains too many minerals (funnily enough) and can unbalance sodium levels etc. However, dont think once would harm a baby, and my DS (now nearly 13 months) does have it sometimes if we are out and he runs out of plain water. As for how long formula keeps, it used to say on the powder cartons that you could keep it up to 24 hours in the fridge, but now it is recommended you make it and use it straight away. However, I did used to make DS's bottles up every evening for the following day and he never came to any harm (this was before guidelines changed). If not stored in fridge then it needs to be used within an hour.

Hope this helps!

Sorry x posts

Thanks - that's all very clear. Do you by any chance know when is a good time to stop using the steriliser? Some people here have said that after 3 months you can stop but I'd like an English opinion!

I stopped at 6 months becasue by then she was eating things of the floor ao didn't see the point. All my bottles went in the diswhaser though and I have to say If i go through it all agin then I think I will jsut wash in the dishwasher as that does the same job i think.

I am STILL using mine at 13 months... Dont have a dishwasher but have heard they are just as effective as use water far hotter than our hands could take from handwashing. DS eats mud, licks his pushchair wheels, puts any bits of food he might find hidden under the fridge, but still I sterilise. No idea why.

Did read somewhere that you should carry on sterilising as long as you still use bottles for milk, as it can get stuck in the tiny holes, again the dishwasher would get rid of that though.