We already know that it is mandatory to keep the milk in the fridge. It is the only way to preserve its taste and to prevent any bacteria formation. Even if you have formula milk that you prepare for your baby, you will still need to place it in the fridge. But formula milk is different compared to other boxed milk. It is because it doesn’t last long in the refrigerator compared to other kinds of milk. How long can you keep formula milk in the fridge? – You can keep it from 24 to 48 hours. After that, you will want to throw the batch away if you have extras.
Difference Between Storing a Milk in a Room Temperature and Fridge
There are a lot of parents who like to prepare bottles of milk in advance for their babies. Storing the formulated milk mix at room temperature and a fridge will make a huge difference. The milk will remain fresh for two hours in a room temperature when it is not touched or heated. It is also advisable to consume the prepared milk within this hour so that it will not stale. But it is advisable to check with the brand of milk that you have for your baby. It is because some brands only advise you to keep them at room temperature for an hour. But if you store it in the fridge, it can last up to 48 hours. All you need to do is to heat the bottle until it reaches the ideal temperature that your baby can drink.
How To Prepare Mixed Formula Milk In The Fridge
It is ideal to know how long can you keep formula milk in the fridge, especially for the new parents. It is because it will be a lot easier for them to feed their baby whenever they get hungry. But preparing formula milk is not the same as mixing ordinary milk with water then place it in the fridge. Baby formula milk preparation requires following these steps to prevent it from staling inside or outside your fridge:
- Sterilize the bottles – Even if you hand washed the bottles and got them out fresh from the dishwasher, you will still need to have a separate bottle sterilizer to be sure.
- Make sure the bottles are dry – One thing that you need to remember before mixing the milk is to have a dry baby bottle. It is to make sure that you pour in clean and sterilized water as you mix the formulated milk.
- Pour in the milk formula powder – There are different measurements for every size of a bottle, so you need to know how much scoops of formula milk you need to place in every bottle size.
- Add warm water – Adding warm water can help you mix the formula. It is not advisable to add boiling water because it can ruin the taste, and at the same time, it might melt and deform the bottle. Once everything is ready, let it cool down before placing it inside the fridge.
Things You Need to Know About Storing Formula Milk In The Fridge
Formula milk can cause Cronobacter, a serious infection from the bacteria buildup from formulated baby milk. It is the reason why you should finish the milk as soon as you make it, or store it safely in a sanitized bottle and place it in the fridge. It is great if you already know how long can you keep formula milk in the fridge. You should also know what to do with the milk when you take it out. It is to prevent the milk from being stale and to make sure that your baby is drinking fresh milk that they need.
- Warming the baby bottles – There are two ways that you can warm a baby bottle. First, you need to warm up a bowl of water and place the bottle inside. Double-check from time to time until the milk is warm enough for your baby to drink. Second, bring the bottle out so that it will warm up until it reaches the room temperature.
- Don’t reuse the left-overs – If your baby did not finish the entire bottle, do not place it back in the fridge and reuse it. It will have bacteria buildup making the milk stale.
- Don’t reheat the bottles with formula mix – Once you warmed a bottle and your baby did not drink it, do not place it back in the fridge. Because once you reheat the milk, bacteria buildup will happen.
- Make enough bottles – You should know how long can you keep formula milk in the fridge so that you can make enough bottles that can last up to two days. It will always depend on how much bottles of milk your baby can consume.
Conclusion
Safety is our top priority when it comes to taking care of our babies. They are sensitive and vulnerable beings that need our help so that they can grow healthy and strong. Giving them the right amount of milk can help them grow up healthy. Knowing how long can you keep formula milk in the fridge is the first step in preventing any harm that can happen to them. Be sure to prepare and sanitize their bottles before mixing the milk formula and cool it down before placing it in the fridge. Know more about baby milk.