Medical experts say that breastfeeding is ideal for babies. This gives them the best nutrition and also helps to fight infections and many other conditions in baby’s early age. This is also a fulfilling experience for the new moms. But this may not be possible for all women because of medical conditions and lifestyle choices. In such cases, formula feeding is the only alternative. While breast milk is always safe, formula milk is prone to contamination. So, the question of how to store formula milk for night feeds naturally comes up. Here are some useful tips for reaping maximum health benefits.
Tip for how to store formula milk for night feeds
Pick the right baby feeding bottle
A good baby feeding bottle is a first and foremost requirement in your journey on how to store formula milk for night feeds. You should always opt for the reputed brands that are guaranteed free form hazardous chemicals.
Buy only those bottles that can be safely used in a microwave. They must have lids. Since frequent sterilization is necessary, these should be heat-resistant as well.
Always sterilize the baby bottles
Whether you feed the formula milk immediately after preparation or store for later uses, sterilization is vital for newborns. Even if you are the busiest mom, you have, have to invest your time in this.
The most important part of storing formula milk is to fight microbes. Only cleaning the bottle properly lets you do that. Always clean the bottle with soap and warm water after every use and also before preparing the formula.
Sterilization can be done by rapidly boiling the bottles in water for 5 minutes. Or you can sterilize them in the microwave. You can check our top picks of baby bottler sterilizer.
Preparation is vital for formula milk for night feeds
Preparation of formula milk is also important for knowing how to store formula milk for night feeds. Always follow the recipe given. Otherwise, your baby may not get all the nutrition needed.
Never add water more than what is suggested. This will dilute the nutrients. Making it thick adding too much powder should not also be done. It may damage the kidney of the baby.
How to store formula milk for night feeds
While fresh formula preparation is a better option, it may not be possible for night feeds. So, you have to store it. Consider the following. Your baby will get the best formula milk in the night.
Place the formula milk in the fridge as soon as it is prepared. Ideally, it should be placed in the fridge immediately after preparation. In other words, this should not be left outside for more than an hour for avoiding bacterial growth.
Never store the formula milk for more than 24 hours. Daily preparation is the best for night feeds.
Store in more than one bottle to meet multiple feeding needs.
Throw away all leftovers. Also, discard everything that crossed the 24 hours limit.
Reheating formula milk at night feeding time
Babies must be fed on lukewarm milk only. You can reheat the stored milk in a microwave using a milkymeter. This will give you a warm bottle of milk without overheating and preserving the nutrients. Alternatively, you may use a hot water bath for the same. Personally, I prefer to use a baby bottle warmer to reheat the milk.