How Long Can Baby Formula Sit Out After Heating And Before Feeding?
December 9, 2009 by Guest Author
Filed under Breast Feeding Supplies
Sometimes I heat my baby’s next bottle of ready-to-feed formula, and she falls asleep. I want to wait for her to rouse before feeding. Anyone know how long it is safe to keep the newly heated bottle out on the counter before feeding her with it?
Thanks!
The formula manufacturers reccomend up to an hour before you have to discard or refrigerate it… but based on my own experiences I’d say you can keep it out a little bit longer… no longer than 2 hours though unless you reheat or refridgerate; thats how long warm food can be kept out of the fridge. I have accidentally kept my son’s bottles out longer than that at times and he is fine, but I dont reccommend that.
It should be put in the fridge if you’re not planning to use it within the hour, or it will spoil. I would recommend not warming up the next bottle until you need it. My son gets one bottle of formula a day, and the water is put in the bottle and microwaved for 30 or so seconds, then mix in the formula. Takes much less time, especially if you have a baby who when is ready to eat, is ready NOW.
If it has been opened, the standard is 1 hour.
an hour.
“Formula that has not been offered to a baby may sit on a counter for an hour. If not used by then it should be discarded. Formula remaining in a bottle after a feeding should be discarded.” http://www.brightbeginnings.com/customer…
“Store prepared formula in the refrigerator and use it within 48 hours” http://pediatrics.about.com/od/bottlefee…
If possible, prepare one bottle at a time and feed immediately. If you prepare more than one bottle at a time, store the bottles immediately in the refrigerator and use them within 24 hours. If the bottles aren’t used within that timeframe, throw them out. http://www.babymilk.com/infants/formula_…
Tightly cover and place cans of liquid formula in the refrigerator immediately after filling the bottle. Open cans of ready-to-use formula will remain safe for up to 48 hours. Prepared formula should be used within 24 hours.http://www.nncc.org/Health/cc23_babyfood…
Like everything else, there seems to be a bit of a variance in answers – from 24 to 48 hours in the fridge.