When it comes to storing and warming up bottle feeds, it is safest to:
- prepare a fresh feed each time you need one
- give it to your baby as soon as it has cooled to the right temperature
This is because warm milk provides ideal conditions for bacteria to grow, especially at room temperature.
Safely store bottles
To safely store made-up bottles:
- Prepare the bottles following the steps for safely preparing baby formula.
- Place cooled bottles in the back of the fridge. Make sure the temperature of the fridge is 5 degrees Celsius or less.
- Throw away any feed not used within 24 hours.
How to prepare equipment for bottle feeding
Warming up refrigerated bottles
To warm up refrigerated bottle feeds:
- Remove the bottle from the fridge just before you need it.
- Place it in a bowl of warm water. Make sure the water is below the neck of the bottle. You can also use a bottle-warmer. Do not warm it for more than 15 minutes.
- Drip a little milk on the inside of your wrist to check the temperature. It should be lukewarm, not hot.
- Throw away any feed that your baby has not used within 2 hours of starting the feed.
Never use a microwave to warm feeds
Microwaves heat unevenly. They may cause ‘hot spots’ that could scald your baby’s mouth.