In order to ensure the safety of your infant, you will need to know how to properly store breast milk and formula because contamination can occur easily; which could lead to your child becoming seriously ill. There are fundamental differences in storing breast milk and formula, so take care to learn about each, depending on what you feed your baby.
First and foremost, you must store expressed (pumped) breast milk in sterilized bottles with screw caps, hard plastic containers with tight lids, or pre-sterilized nursing bags. Always make sure to clearly label the container to identify when the milk was expressed. You can always store breast milk at room temperature for 4 to 8 hours, in the refrigerator for up to eight days, and in the freezer for up to four months in a regular freezer, and up to 6 months in a deep freezer. Never store breast milk in the door of the refrigerator or freezer and be sure to never refreeze thawed breast milk.
When it comes to storing your baby’s formula, keep in mind that it is not recommended that you prepare powdered formula in advance for refrigeration or freezing. Powdered formula should be made within a half hour of boiling the water and discarded after feeding because the milk powder is not sterile and harmful bacteria can begin growing quite rapidly. The milk powder should always be stored in a cool, dry place and tightly sealed. Ready to use and concentrated liquid formulas can be refrigerated for up to 48 hours but no more.
Before you fill any container with breast milk or formula, you must make sure that the container is properly sterilized. This means that you will need to boil bottles, nipples, breast pump accessories, and any other container that will come in contact with the breast milk for 10 minutes, no less. After boiling the containers, always wash them with hot, soapy water or in the dishwasher.
Always take care to prepare and store your baby’s food supply properly to ensure his or her protection. As long as you adhere to storing breast milk and baby formula properly, you can rest assured that you will not make your child sick. Remember to follow these key tips for storing milk and formula so that you and your baby can enjoy each feeding.
|
 |
| print it |
comments
