How long should I leave a bottle until use?

[enjay2712]

Hi,
New here!

I have an 11 week old son and we are bottle feeding and have been from birth.
I have just been told by my mother in law that I leave his bottles out too long before use.
We prep with boiling water and then add formula and make 2 or 3 bottles in advance. I don't refrigerate them and they are out a maximum of 6 hours. I dispose any unfinished milk.
Our son is absolutely fine and is a very healthy weight.
Just after some advice really so any comments will be appreciated.
Thanks 😊

I believe the guidelines are once you have mixed the formula to throw away after 1 hour, however if I am going out for the day I will make 2 bottles before I go and allow them to cool in my bag ready for when he wants them. If he starts a bottle and doesn’t finish I will throw away after an hour but untouched I’d leave out for longer.
I do find it easier to prep 5 bottles, leave them to cool then put in the fridge as they can stay in there up to 24 hours.
Hope this helps😊

Little bit rusty as our DS is now 2 and was combi fed, but I'm sure formula is 2 hours max. Having said that we'd also make in advance and then put in the fridge (but always use within 6-8 hours of putting it in the fridge). I believe the fridge method is safe but not recommended, using it at room temp after the 2 hours not so much. Bacteria growth apparently.

Sorry I should have clarified that you can keep the formula for up to 24 hours in the fridge but we always used it quicker than that. :) It's a minefield!

You should definitely be at least putting the made up formula in the fridge. I am sure it states this on formula tins.

NHS suggest not leaving made up milk out for longer than 1 hour. Are you making the bottles up with boiled water left to cool for no longer than 30 mins?

Just because your son is healthy doesn't mean he isn't at risk of an upset tummy from not properly made up and stored milk.

Yes 6 hours is far too long. Milk grows bacteria very quickly. It’s 1-2 hours max.

Make them with hot eater the. Quickly cool them in a sink of cold water and refrigerate. They last 24 hours

I agree with your MIL.

If you make them up in advance then definitely put them in the fridge. Would you still drink out of a glass of milk that was 6 hours old.

Thanks for the above! It's really appreciated.
I'm making bottles with boiling water that has been left to cool for 20 minutes as per our health visitor's guidance.
How should I make up bottles if I am out for the day? Surely prepping them and leaving them in his baby bag for a few hours is no different to them not being refrigerated?
I'm open to any advice and suggestions.
Thanks again 😊

Oh my, milk that's left out for 6 hours surely you know that's not ok? You wouldn't leave milk out and drink it yourself hours later, would you?

Please read the guidelines and instructions.

I sometimes find it easier to buy the small cartons of ready made formula and take empty sterilised bottles with me to pour it in.
Or take them out the fridge and put them insulated bottle bags to keep them cold as long as you’re going somewhere you can warm them up.

What I used to do was boil and cool the water, then store the appropriate amount of water in each bottle in the fridge. When I needed to feed I would warm for a few seconds in the microwave so it wasn’t cold, then add in the powder and mix thoroughly. Just be careful not to overheat it and warm just for a few seconds.
When going out I would take a bottle of water and a tub of the powder to add in when we needed to make up a feed.

I bought specific milk powder holders that are designed to tip into the the bottle. The benefit of those was if you lost count how many scoops you’d already done, you could just tip back into the tin and start again!

Anyone I know who bottle feeds tales a thermos of boiling water or asks in a cafe for boiling water.

Also NHS suggest making up feed as normal, cooling quickly under running tap and putting at the back of the fridge for at least an hour before packing it in a cool bag with ice pack for up to 4 hours. Or within 2 hours if no ice pack and cool bag.

Definitely no leaving it out of the fridge for 6 flipping hours. That's ridiculous.

@dropyoursword

You do realise that is completely pointless right? The boiling water is for killing bacteria in the milk powder not the water????

No

I pissed around for nearly a YEAR doing that unnecessary shit.

I thought you meant you just have the boiled water in the bottle which is fine but then realised you said you add milk in advance which you shouldn't do. You should only add the milk once bottle is ready to be used.

When I go out I make a fresh bottle as I have an insulated pocket in changing bag and pop it in there and stays warm for a couple of hours and also take a flash if I need more bottles to be warmed through. I take the formula milk pots and fill them up and add to changing bag and add to milk once needed.
The guideline on formula is 2 hours. You shouldn't use it past that.

Formula used be used within two hours of being made or one hour of the baby starting to drink the bottle, you go by whichever is soonest. Does it not say on the instructions of to ur formula?

Out and about either use premade formula -same rules apply of two hours from opening or one hour from from the baby drinking it or you make it up as you need it with hot water.

Leaving them out for 6 hours is not safe. 2 hours is the maximum. If you must make them up in advance you should keep them in the fridge until you are ready to heat them up. Honestly I would just save yourself the bother and get a perfect prep machine.

If you are going out for the day I found it easiest to take milk power in a separate plastic tub, empty bottles and one flask for boiling water, one for cooled boiled water and just make them up as you need them.

Properly hot water needs to hit the milk powder to kill any bugs in it. We used to used a manual version of the perfect prep method - a shot of boiled very hot water onto the milk and then top up with cooled boiled water. This is possible to do outside the home (just take two flasks) but we tended to use the ready made stuff for ease.

Honestly wish people would follow advice. There is absolutely no point boiling water and sterilising if you're just going to add unsterilised powder to cool water.

It's the powder you need to sterilise. It's the powder where there is harmful bacteria. It's the powder that you need to add to boiling water to ensure it's safe for your baby.

Please don't add powder to cold water.

The boiling water sterilised the formula, it isn't to ensure it's combined etc. I didn't realise that people didn't know this, including a friend who was recently on her third DC!

Make up the bottle using boiling water, cool for 10 mins or so then into the fridge. I used to stay one bottle ahead when DC were around 6 months, so I'd feed then make up another straight after so it was cool enough for next time. I've also known people to make up a full day's bottles but that doesn't sit right with me, it's too far ahead even when they're kept in the fridge.

On the flip side, I've had friends make up a bottle each and every time DC is due a feed - that's the longest 6 mins to cool that bottle down to drinkable temperature

The boiling water sterilises the formula, it isn't to ensure it's combined etc. I didn't realise that people didn't know this, including a friend who was recently on her third DC!

Make up the bottle using boiling water, cool for 10 mins or so then into the fridge. I used to stay one bottle ahead when DC were around 6 months, so I'd feed then make up another straight after so it was cool enough for next time. I've also known people to make up a full day's bottles but that doesn't sit right with me, it's too far ahead even when they're kept in the fridge.

On the flip side, I've had friends make up a bottle each and every time DC is due a feed - that's the longest 6 mins to cool that bottle down to drinkable temperature

6 hours isn't remotely ok. Thank God it's not warmer outside! Your MIL might have just saved your baby. You need to use premixed while out or take a flask of boiling water or ask for some in a cafe. You shouldn't be walking around with a bottle in your bag for hours and then feeding it to your baby.

"Prepared infant formula can spoil if it is left out at room temperature. ... 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."

Two hours max unrefrigerated. Why not just put them in the fridge?

2 hours max.

My little one isnt 2 yet and off the record our midwife told us to:
Make all bottles up with boiling water and formula.
Place in fridge once cooled
Warm bottle as required
Use bottle within 2 hours
Do not store in fridge for more than 24 hours.