How long should nurseries leave bottles/cups of milk 'out' for?

[WilfSell]

I'm somewhat disturbed by my nursery saying 'they just leave the cup out for him' to help himself to...

I tried to clarify what they meant today: did they mean till he'd finished it; all day; an hour or what?

They were somewhat vague.

He's still in the baby room and it seemed no coincidence to me that some weeks back, a day after they told me they just left his bottle on the side for him to help himself from through the afternoon, he ended up puking his guts out for 24 hours...

I am concerned they are being equally vague about it with his Tommee Tippee cup of cows milk at snack time...

I think they ought to have more of a 'policy' than this but maybe I'm being precious. An hour max especially in the heat I'd have thought?

Hmm an hour max seems a long time, any more is surely asking for trouble.

I give the baby a bottle, and any left overs are discarded asap; the older children have milk with snack and then I wash up the cups and plates.

They always have fresh water in clean cups available.

(I am a CM, btw)

Does the nursery have a website that you could have a quick squizz at, or have their policies pinned up in the entrance hall/notice board ?

Think I'm gonna have to have a word with the room leader, aren't I BALD?

Wilf, did you speak to Nursery yet?

Hi BALD,

Not the room leader yet (she finishes before I normally get there) but did ascertain from other staff that it isn't as bad as I feared.

They are still pretty casual but what they seem to mean is they give him the milk with snack and then let him come back to it for about 15 mins after that...

Still will check what their actual policy is though...

Having cups out all the time meets an Ofsted requirement that drinks are readily accessible, so that might be why the nursery said this. Current guidance is that baby milk can be left up to 2 hours. I don't think much of that, personally I discard after about an hour. As you say, weather/room temperature is relevant.

www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Maternity/Maternalandinfantnutrition/DH_4123674

HTH