How to Make, Store and Heat Formula

Parents often assume that feeding their baby a formula only diet in their early days will be easy, but there’s more to formula feeding than meets the eye.

As well as finding the right formula for your baby (we recommend speaking to a doctor about it), you’ll need to properly make, store and heat the formula to ensure your child isn’t at risk of illness from the formula being improperly handled.

So to help you understand that, let’s have a look at the proper way to make, store, and heat formula. While formula is available in liquid form, we’re talking about using it in the more common powdered form.

Making Formula 

Time to make the formula, so there’s a few things you’ll need.

1. A Bottle And Nipple

Parents need to sterilise the bottles and nipples they will be using at first use, and then keep them very clean thereafter. Many parents choose to repeatedly sterilise their bottles, nipples and other feeding equipment like bottle rings and spoons, just to be safe. The process is very easy. Just pop all the equipment you want to sterilise in a pot filled with cold water and bring it to the boil. Keep it on a rolling boil for five minutes, then cool.

2. Formula

Make sure the formula that you’re using is suitable for your baby first by talking to your doctor about their dietary needs. Before you make the formula, always check that the can is within its use-by dates, and does not have any dents. A dent in the can may cause a crack to the tin inside, which could cause rust or spoil. Keep the formula dry, and always use an entirely dry scoop.

3. Water

Some parents use tap water for their bottles, providing that the water in their area has been labelled by their local authority as safe to drink. Other parents prefer to use sterilised water. You can sterilise water very easily yourself by running cold water in a pan and bringing it to the boil. Keep it boiling for one minute, then allow it to cool entirely before using it in your baby’s bottles.

4. Clean Hands and Space

This is very important for the health of your baby, so always make sure you have correctly washed your hands with hot soapy water before making your child’s formula. Be thoughtful about where you dry your hands as well, using paper towel if needed. Also make sure that the space where you’re making the bottle/s up is clean and disinfected.

Next Page: Mixing, Heating and Storing the Formula