How to properly prepare baby formula
When choosing baby food, pay attention to the instructions. Be sure to read it. Each brand of mixture, be it Malyutka, Similak or Nestozhen, has its own shelf life and recommendations for its use.
Important! Among the many types, the most popular is the Nutrilon mixture.
There are general rules for preparing baby food:
- Sterilize your feeding bottle. This can be done using a special sterilizer or boiled in pans.
- Boil water and cool to body temperature.
- Pour the required amount of water into the baby bottle. The volume of liquid depends on the size of the finished portion for the child. You can see how many milliliters of the mixture you need on the box or jar.
- Pour dry powder into water. The number of measuring spoons is also indicated in the instructions.
- Whisk the finished product thoroughly until all lumps are dissolved. Be sure to cover the nipple with a cap, otherwise the milk mixture may splash out.
- Before directly feeding the baby, check the temperature of the liquid. To do this, place a couple of drops on the back of your wrist or elbow. You should not feel any burning or cold. If the mixture is not the right temperature, dip the bottle in hot or cold water, respectively. There are also devices to maintain the required indicators.
Follow the sequence of these processes and preparing baby food will not bring you any difficulty. But there are exceptions to every rule. For example, you go for a walk for a long time or go on a road trip, and you will not have the opportunity to heat the water. In this case, there should be another feeding bottle into which you can pour the required amount of dry formula when you are at home. Boiled water can be poured into a clean thermos. This food should be prepared immediately before eating.
How to prepare milk formula?
To prepare formula milk, follow these rules:
1. Prepare to prepare the mixture as described above.
2. Boil a small amount of purified baby water without gas in a clean saucepan (even if you buy bottled baby water, it is still better to boil it). Do not boil a lot of water - only the amount needed to dilute the mixture with a small margin.
Remember that you cannot boil the water for the mixture the second time. Therefore, either pour the remaining boiled water into a water bottle and give it to your baby, or drink it yourself.
3. Now let the boiled water cool to 40 degrees (you can check the temperature with a special thermometer). The mixture cannot be poured with hot water - it can “curdle” and all the beneficial substances in it are neutralized - lacto- and bifidobacteria, vitamins and minerals, and protein needed by the child’s body.
4. When the water has cooled to the desired temperature, pour it into a sterile bottle in the amount required to dilute the mixture (read the instructions for the mixture).
5. Now take the baby formula, measure out the required amount of formula with a measuring spoon (follow the instructions for the formula and the pediatrician’s recommendations for the amount of formula for feeding), and pour it into the bottle.
6. Close the bottle with a lid and shake the contents well until the mixture is completely dissolved.
7. Now remove the cap and place the nipple on the bottle. Check the mixture for temperature using a special thermometer, or you can drop a couple of drops of the mixture on your wrist. The ideal temperature of the mixture is 36-37 degrees Celsius.
8. If the mixture is at the right temperature, you can start feeding the baby.
9. After feeding, pour out the remaining mixture (if any) - the finished mixture is stored in the refrigerator for no more than an hour.
10. Now thoroughly wash the bottle with a special brush, rinse the inside with boiled water, wash the nipple with boiled water, let the bottle dry, put it in a clean place and cover with a towel.
Before the next feeding, the bottle and nipple still need to be sterilized.
11. If you need to prepare a mixture for night feeding, boil water in advance, cool it to 40 degrees, pour the required amount of water into a sterile bottle, and close the bottle with a lid. Place the bottle in a bottle warmer to keep the water warm.
12. If you don’t have a bottle warmer, you can pour boiled water into a thermos - the water will remain hot there for several hours. Before preparing the mixture, water must be poured in the required amount into a sterile bottle and allowed to cool to 40 degrees. And only then can you pour the mixture into the bottle and stir it until dissolved.
How long to store the diluted mixture?
Many parents ask the question: “How long and can the prepared formula be stored in the refrigerator?” Each package indicates the date of production and sale. But this is the period for consuming packaged goods.
There are other shelf life periods for dry mixtures. If you have printed the packaging and opened the foil, then such products cannot be stored for longer than 3-4 weeks, depending on the manufacturer. Try to keep the opened package closed, use paper clips. Avoid direct sunlight and sudden temperature changes.
Ready-made powder is best used immediately and prepared immediately before feeding the baby. But there are times when this is not possible. You can prepare food in advance. For example, you go to bed, but you need to feed the baby in an hour and a half, then prepare the pacifier. The diluted mixture can be stored for one to two hours at room temperature not exceeding 20 0C.
If you have prepared the required amount for feeding, but the baby only ate a small part, then you can save it for another hour. The complementary food may be useful, but if there is only a little left, throw it away without even thinking.
It is also practiced to keep finished products in the refrigerator on a shelf for up to 4-6 hours. But do not abuse this time; before feeding your child such porridge, make sure that there is no unpleasant odor in it.
Important! Be careful not to confuse the shelf life of dry and ready-made mixtures.
How long can Nestozhen mixture be stored?
Nestogen®1 mixture with prebiotics and lactobacilli for children from 0 months .
- shelf life in packaging – 18 months;
- Shelf life after opening – 3 weeks;
- The shelf life of the prepared (diluted) mixture is not subject to storage.
Nestogen® 2 formula is designed for children from 6 months of age as a complement to complementary foods.
- shelf life in packaging – 18 months;
- Shelf life after opening – 3 weeks;
- The shelf life of the prepared (diluted) mixture is at room temperature for no more than 2 hours, in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Nestogen®3 formula for children over 12 months . Used as a replacement for cow's milk in a child's diet.
- shelf life in packaging – 18 months;
- Shelf life after opening – 3 weeks;
- The shelf life of the prepared (diluted) mixture is at room temperature for no more than 2 hours, in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Nestogen®4 mixture is a balanced diet for children over 18 months .
- shelf life in packaging – 18 months;
- Shelf life after opening – 3 weeks;
- The shelf life of the prepared (diluted) mixture is no more than 3 hours at room temperature, no more than 30 hours in the refrigerator.
Nestogen® 3 Fermented Milk Blend - designed to improve digestion in babies over 12 months . Used as an alternative to cow's milk and kefir.
- shelf life in packaging – 18 months;
- Shelf life after opening – 3 weeks;
- The shelf life of the prepared (diluted) mixture is within 2-3 hours.
Nestogen® 1 Comfort Plus mixture - used for children with digestive disorders .
- Shelf life in packaging – 18 months;
- Shelf life after opening – 3 weeks;
- The shelf life of the prepared (diluted) mixture is not subject to storage.
Nestogen® Low Lactose Formula is a dry formula for children with lactose intolerance .
- Shelf life in packaging – 15 months;
- Shelf life after opening – 3 weeks;
- The shelf life of the prepared (diluted) mixture is not subject to storage.
How to store the diluted mixture
Ready-made baby food should be stored only in sterilized containers, in this case, a baby food bottle. For cooking, you do not need to use an additional container and pour out the nutrient. Be sure to cover the nipple with a bottle cap to prevent the entry of microorganisms, dust, dirt and other foreign substances.
How to store the mixture in summer
In hot summer weather, be very careful. Do not leave the bottle with the finished drink on the table at a room temperature higher than 20 0C. The consequences can be extremely unpleasant. The baby may develop not only colic, but also diarrhea at best.
To avoid consequences, it is necessary to keep diluted adapted infant formula only in the refrigerator on a shelf. It is not recommended to leave a bottle of drink on the refrigerator door, since opening it causes a sharp temperature change, and this is extremely undesirable.
Advice! Try to prepare baby food immediately before meals. This way you can ensure safety for your baby’s health.
How to store Nestozhen baby formula in the summer
In the summer, you should be more careful when storing milk powder. Failure to comply with the requirements may result in deterioration of the child's health. Therefore, the optimal temperature in summer is no higher than 20 °C, air humidity is no more than 75%. Pediatricians advise that in the summer, if possible, avoid long-term storage of the prepared solution and use a freshly prepared mixture. Before a trip or walk, the finished milk can be placed in a container with ice or in a thermal bag. High temperature, high humidity in the room, dirty dishes for storing and preparing the solution - all this will lead to the growth of bacteria and rapid deterioration of the finished mixture.
Can the prepared mixture be stored in the refrigerator?
If circumstances do not allow you to prepare fresh milk, then it can be made in advance and kept exclusively in the refrigerator. The product can be stored in the refrigerator in a sterile container with a tightly screwed lid at a temperature of +4 °C to +7 °C for 24 hours. It is better to place the bottle on the top shelf, not in the door. This way you can avoid temperature changes and keep the product fresh longer. If the child has not finished the milk, the leftovers cannot be stored.
How to keep baby formula warm
To keep the prepared mixture warm, you can purchase a special heat-resistant bag. It will keep you warm for 2-3 hours. With such a bag you can take prepared milk on long walks. If you don't have such a bag, you can use a regular towel. Wrap it tightly around the bottle to keep it warm. Instead of a towel, use foil in the same way.
Why can’t the mixture be stored for a long time?
Prepared milk is not intended for long-term storage due to the growth of dangerous bacteria. The mixture contains nutrients that provide a favorable environment for the development of pathogenic microorganisms. And temperatures above 20 °C will only contribute to this process.
Why can't it be stored for a long time?
As you know, adapted mixtures contain many useful substances that are needed for the development of a tiny organism. It contains various vitamins, minerals, fats and amino acids.
The high capacity of biologically active substances is an excellent environment for the development of bacteria. They begin to reproduce within a few minutes in an environment conducive to this.
For example, vitamin C decomposes upon contact with oxygen, and some microelements are generally afraid of direct sunlight. Pay attention to this fact when choosing a baby bottle; do not buy containers that are too large for newborns. Excess oxygen in the bottle will lead to rapid breakdown of ascorbic acid.
All of the above processes reduce the shelf life of adapted baby food many times over. A product that is not of good quality can harm your baby’s health.
The health of the child directly depends on the responsibility of the parents. Carefully read the instructions for preparing your particular formula for feeding your baby. All these and other tips will help young, inexperienced parents properly prepare and store baby food.
