How to Make a Bottle of Formula

1. If there's any formula left over after your baby's finished feeding, you should dispose of it within two hours.
   
   Fill the kettle with at least 1 litre of fresh tap water.
2. Boil the water.
3. Leave the water to cool for no more than 30 minutes, so that it remains at a temperature of at least 70°C.
4. Wash your hands and stand a sterile bottle on a clean, disinfected surface.
5. Pour the amount of cooled boiled water you need into the bottle. Read the instructions on the formula's label carefully so you know exactly how much water you need.
6. Use the manufacturers' guidelines to add the exact amount of formula powder you need. Adding too much powder could cause your baby to become constipated or dehydrated. Using too little powder can potentially lead to your baby not getting the nourishment they need. Then, reseal the formula's packaging to protect it from germs and moisture.
7. Put the teat into the retaining ring, screw on, and cover with the cap, then shake the bottle until the powder is dissolved. and there are no clumps visible.
8. Once mixed, cool the bottle down by holding it (with the cap still on) under cold running water or placing it in a bowl of cool water.
9. Test the temperature by pouring a few small drops of formula onto the inside of your wrist. It should be body temperature and feel lukewarm, but not hot.
10. If the temperature is correct, you’re ready to feed. Then, thoroughly clean the bottle and teat, and pop them back in your steriliser, so they're ready for baby's next feed.

Don’t forget

If there's any formula left over after your baby's finished feeding, you should dispose of it within two hours.

Now that we've covered how to make a bottle of baby formula at home, let's tackle how to prepare a feed for your little one when you're on the go. 

If you need to feed your baby when you're away from home, you'll need: 

• The correct amount of formula powder measured out and stored in a clean and dry container. 
• A clean flask of hot boiled water that's only used for your baby. 
• An empty sterilised bottle and teat with a protective cap on. 
• To be able to cool the bottle (with the lid on) under cold running water once it's prepared. 

If you're not able to follow the above steps or need to take a feed to your baby's nursery, you can make up their bottle at home, cool it, and pop it alongside an ice pack in a cool bag. 

Formula stored: 

• in the fridge must be used in 24 hours 
• with an ice pack in a cool bag must be used in four hours 
• at room temperature must be used within two hours. 

Alternatively, you can use a carton of ready-to-feed liquid formula to feed your baby when away from home. Liquid formula milk is sterile until opened. However, all feeding equipment will still need sterilising.  

Once it's been opened, any liquid infant formula that is unused should be stored on the top shelf at the back of the fridge, for no longer than 24 hours. 

Formula bottle preparation: Dos and don'ts 

• Do get in touch with your midwife, health visitor or doctor if you need help and support with bottle feeding your baby. 
• Do use freshly boiled tap water to prepare a formula feed.  
• Do only make up a fresh feed when your baby needs it, and only make one feed at a time. 
• Don't mix cereals or sugar into your baby's formula. 
• Don't use a microwave to heat formula milk. This can cause an uneven temperature and dangerous hot spots that can scald your baby's mouth. 
• Don't use synthetically softened water or water that's previously been boiled to make up a formula feed.