Does formula have to be warmed
Do you have to warm up formula?
Baby formula doesn't have to be warm. It's fine to feed your baby cool or even cold formula. It's all up to your baby's preference – they may prefer it warm, at room temperature, or even chilled, and all of those options are just fine.
Some parents like to give their baby warm formula because it's closer to the temperature of breast milk. Others do so because it seems more relaxing for their baby that way. But some babies don't mind cold formula, which certainly saves time – and makes things much easier when you're traveling.
You don't have to warm up your baby's formula before giving it to them. In fact, the only thing you need to consider about the temperature of your baby's formula is that it isn't too hot – you don't want to burn their mouth.
You can make sure formula is a good temperature by putting a couple of drops on the inside of your wrist. You'll be able to feel if it's too hot, and then you can let it cool down a bit before giving it to your baby.
To cool the formula down, put the capped bottle in an ice bath, run it under cold water, or stick it in the fridge for a couple of minutes.
If you do want to warm up your baby's bottle, it's safest to do so by putting it capped in a bowl of hot water, running it under warm water, or using a bottle warmer. You can also warm the formula by putting it in a pot of hot water – but be sure to take the pot off the stove first.
It's best not to warm formula in the microwave, because the microwave may heat it unevenly and create "hot spots" that you might not feel when checking the formula on your wrist.
One nice thing about your baby drinking a cool or cold bottle (if they'll have it) is how convenient that can be, especially when traveling. If your baby won't drink cold formula and you're traveling, you can try warming it by holding it between your hands or placing it between your legs – that'll at least bring it to room temperature. If you have access to a sink, you could run hot water over the capped bottle.
Or you can make the bottle by mixing premeasured formula powder with warm water from a thermos.
When it's safer to heat up formula
While you can feed your baby cold formula, and in most cases prepare your baby's formula with any temperature of clean water, there are some instances when it's safer to boil the water you use for their formula before preparing it.
If you don't have access to clean tap water or if you're using well water, you'll want to boil it before preparing the formula. (You can usually have your water tested to see if it's clean so you can be sure.) Boil the water for one minute to kill any bacteria, then let it cool to room temperature before mixing in the formula powder.
Other scenarios in which you may want to consider boiling water used for formula is if your baby is younger than 3 months old, was born prematurely, or has a weakened immune system. That's because babies in those categories are more susceptible to infection, and boiling your water and using it to prepare formula helps make sure it's completely free of germs.
Specifically, Cronobacter bacteria can contaminate powdered infant formula and make babies very sick. Though Cronobacter illnesses are rare, they are serious and can even cause death.
To protect your baby from Cronobacter, boil the water and let it cool for about five minutes before making a bottle. Prepare powdered formula with the water while it's still hot (at least 158 F/70 C). Refrigerate the bottle right away or cool it and give it to your baby.
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Formula Feeding FAQs: Preparation and Storage (for Parents)
Whether you plan to formula feed your baby from the start, want to supplement your breast milk with formula, or are switching from breast milk to formula, you probably have questions.
Here are answers to some common questions about formula feeding.
Do I Need to Sterilize My Baby's Bottles?
Before the first use, sterilize nipples and bottles in boiling water for 5 minutes.
After that, you don’t have to sterilize your baby's bottles and supplies each time you feed your baby. Do wash bottles and nipples in hot, soapy water (or in the dishwasher) after every use. You can get a store-bought countertop or microwaveable sterilizer, but it’s not necessary.
How Do I Prepare My Baby's Bottles?
Carefully follow directions on the label when preparing formula. Most store-bought formula comes in three basic forms:
- powders that you mix with water
- concentrates, which are liquids that you dilute with water
- ready-to-use (or ready-to-feed) liquids that can be poured right into bottles without adding water
Do not add more water than directed, or use formula past its expiration date.
Wash your hands well before preparing and feeding your baby. To mix powders or concentrates, use clean tap water. If you have a well, test the water to see if it’s safe before using it to mix infant formula.
If your tap water is not clean (or your baby has a weak immune system), boil it for at least 1 minute to kill germs. Let the water cool to room temperature before using it to mix formula. You also can use bottled water. Talk to your doctor if you’re concerned that your water is not safe.
Once prepared, the formula is ready to feed to your baby right away without refrigeration or warming. Feed your baby or store the prepared formula in the refrigerator within 2 hours.
How Long Can a Bottle Keep at Room Temperature?
Throw out any prepared or ready-to-feed formula that's been sitting out for 2 hours or more, or within 1 hour from start of feeding.
Can I Save Leftover Formula to Give to My Baby Later?
No, throw away any leftover formula. Harmful bacteria can multiply since the last feeding, which could make your baby sick.
Can I Prepare Formula Ahead of Time?
Some parents make a fresh bottle just before each feeding. But many parents make and refrigerate enough formula ahead of time to use for the day.
If you know your baby eats every 3–4 hours, for instance, you can make 6 to 8 bottles to last you all day.
If you prepare formula ahead of time, store it in the refrigerator. You can use pre-made formula for up to 24 hours. Open containers of ready-made formula, concentrated formula, and formula prepared from concentrate can be stored safely in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Do not store unmixed powder in the refrigerator.
How Do I Warm My Baby's Bottles?
You don’t have to warm formula before feeding, but some babies may prefer it. To warm bottles, you can:
- Run the bottle under very warm or hot water for a few minutes.
- Put your baby's bottles in a pan of hot water. Be sure to remove the pan from the heat source before putting the bottle in it.
- Use bottle warmers that sit on your countertop at home or are portable.
Never use the microwave to warm bottles. It can create dangerous "hot spots" in bottles that can burn your baby’s mouth and throat.
Before warming a bottle, shake it. Then, test the temperature of the formula by squirting a drop or two on the inside or your wrist before feeding your baby. It should be lukewarm (barely warm), not hot.
Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: November 2021
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How to warm up infant formula
— Polina Alexandrovna, is it possible to warm up infant formula — what do doctors and manufacturers say?
- General recommendations do not prohibit heating the mixture. Another question is how and why to do it. Mixtures that are sold ready-made are naturally heated. Dry mixtures must be diluted with water of the required temperature, and the need for heating in this case is lost.
— And if the situation forces you to prepare the mixture in advance, what should mom do?
- It is theoretically possible to warm infant formula that has been diluted in water and not used for a certain time. But this moment must be avoided. Fresh meals can be prepared just before the baby is fed, using separate containers with a powder dispenser and a thermos of water hot enough to cool down to the right temperature by the time the formula is diluted. When traveling by car, it makes sense to use mobile water bottle warmers, they are often powered by a car cigarette lighter.
— Is it true that some mixtures can be heated while others cannot?
— It is possible and necessary to warm up ready-made liquid mixtures, which are sold in Tetra Pak packages. In another way, it is simply impossible, the child will not eat a cold mixture. On dry milk mixtures there are no markings with contraindications for warming up. However, it is illogical to dilute the mixture with cold water and then heat it up - it is initially poorly bred in cold water.
It is better to dilute the dry mixture with water at the temperature recommended by the manufacturer.
— Can infant formula be heated in the microwave?
- Microwave does not destroy any elements of the mixture. But there are pitfalls that are not immediately noticeable. In the microwave, the mixture heats up unevenly, and very hot spots can form locally. Accordingly, if the temperature rises excessively, proteins can coagulate or certain nutrients can be destroyed. No one can guarantee what will happen in a particular microwave oven - they all have different capacities and configurations.
— Then what is the best way to warm up infant formula?
— To ensure that the mixture is heated correctly, a water bath should ideally be used. Even in the instructions of the manufacturers of ready-to-use liquid mixtures, heating is recommended in a water bath.
— Polina Alexandrovna, is it possible to reheat infant formula?
- Reheating is not recommended.
If the prepared mixture was heated and it cooled down again, it is better to dilute a fresh portion.
Read also
- answers to other frequently asked questions about mixtures
- How long does reconstituted infant formula keep in the refrigerator?
- It is not recommended to store the mixture in cooked form: diluted - fed the child. Yes, there are extreme situations when it is impossible otherwise: there was no mixture at hand, this was the last portion ... But storing the diluted mixture at room temperature is prohibited, and even in the refrigerator they keep it - at the peril and risk of parents - no more than 1 -2 hours. And obviously it is not necessary to store the diluted mixture more than the child can consume at one time. A mixture that the child has not finished eating should not be stored under any circumstances.
- What are the requirements for the reconstituted bottle?
- Sterile - the main requirement: the bottle must contain a formula that the child has not yet consumed.
