How Long Is Formula Good For? How to Feed Your Baby Healthily

To help your baby stay nourished and growing, you’ll need to make sure that he has the proper milk formula. Whether you purchase the quality formula or store breast milk for your baby, it needs to taste now only good, but still be healthy for him to drink. That’s why it’s crucial to know about how to make formula correctly, as well as how to store it for later consumption. But how long is formula good for anyway? You’ll need to make sure you know the expiry date so as to avoid harming your baby!

Read on as I talk about baby formula and the facts you should know how to prepare and store it.

How Long is Formula Good For?

Sometimes your milk flow has lessened, which is why many mothers opt to use a formula to keep their baby strong and well-developed. You can find various types of formula, may it be liquid concentrate or ready-to-feed. But no matter what kind of formula you use, it is only good for about two hours when sitting out at room temperature. During warm climates, it shouldn’t be left outside for over an hour.

The refrigerated liquid formula would be good for two days, while powdered formula will last for a day and should be used by then. If it is still in powdered form, then it should be used within a month.

In a nutshell, your baby should consume prepared formula within a day or two before it becomes spoiled and unusable.

How to Know If Formula Is Spoiled

Sometimes, you won’t be able to know how long a bottle of milk formula has been sitting out or left in the fridge. To determine whether it’s safe to ingest or not, you can pour a bit into a glass to see if it still has the similar smell and consistency.

The spoiled formula would have ingredients separating, similar to milk curdles. Also, it may have a slightly sour smell. Even with a small change, it’s still best to throw it out. If you see that the milk formula is past the expiration date, then do not hesitate and throw it out immediately. Since babies have weaker digestive systems than we do, they may not be able to take the spoiled milk. Again, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Tips on How to Prepare Formula

If it’s your first time making formula, here are some tips to help you out:

• Make sure that you wash your hands well before touching or working with the formula. The container should be clean as well, along with the utensils you will be using.
• Sterilize your utensils and baby bottles when it’s the first time you’ll be using them.
• Shake the ready-to-feed formula containers to ensure that all ingredients are combined and smooth to ingest.
• If you boil water for powdered formula, only let the water boil for a minute before turning off the heat and let it cool. Excessive boiling would make it more susceptible to impurities.
• Correctly measure the amount of powder you’ll be using. While it doesn’t need to be packed, use the scoop that comes with the container. Shake it well in the bottle, moving your wrist in a twisting motion for quicker and more thorough mix).
• You can check if the formula isn’t hot and warm enough to give to your baby by adding drops to your wrist. Only let it cool for about 10 to 20 minutes.

Tips on Storing Formula

To avoid contaminants from entering the formula when storing it in the fridge, here are some quick tips you can follow:

• Store the formula in an airtight container or adequately cover the bottles. Store it in the fridge and do NOT attempt to freeze formula, as it would break down its components.
• It’s best to label the bottle with the date it was prepared, as well as when you should use it. This will avoid any confusion.
• If you notice that it’s been over a day or two since you stored the formula, throw it out immediately.
• Put powdered formula containers in a cabinet or shelf away from sunlight or any area that would conduct heat.

Here’s a video with great tips explaining how to properly create and store formula:

Conclusion

Caring for your baby requires the safe and nutritious milk formula. You’ll need to know when it’s good for to avoid wasting the milk or accidentally feeding your baby spoiled ones that would detriment his health. Also, it’s best to also learn about storing milk to keep your breast milk or formula free from bacteria and ready to use.

I hope that this article answers your question: “How long is formula good for?” Now that you know the basics on milk formula, you can confidently feed your baby what he needs to develop into a healthy child.

If you have any questions or would like to share your opinions on formula, then comment down below. I would love to hear what you have to think.