Are you planning to bottle feed your new arrival? It is extremely important to be aware of how to handle and clean your infant's bottles to prevent them from getting sick. Every parent wants to make sure that their child is healthy and happy. Your baby's bottles need to be sterilized to the best of your ability and stored in the fridge to prevent any harmful bacteria from growing. Used or contaminated bottles have germs that could cause stomach problems. Any stomach problems could cause your baby to have chronic colic (gas pains), keeping uncomfortable and crying.
Baby bottles get a better scour in the dishwasher, however if that is not available, washing all bottles, nipples, and bottle caps in hot water with mild soap will work as well. Most bottles come apart. Make sure you break them down properly. Mold grows where formula or milk sits. After rinsing all of the bottle contents, you should boil them in a pot of water for five minutes. This ensures a better sterility. Let them cool completely before putting your breast milk or formula in them.
Prior to mixing the baby's formula, the water needs to be boiled and cooled. The boiled water removes unwanted additives that could make your baby sick. New bottles need to follow the same process.
When stepping out with your infant, make sure any formula or breast milk is kept on ice or drank within an hour of leaving the fridge. Powdered formula and bottled sterile water is also convenient for travel.
Opened liquid formula is good only for 48 hours. Powdered formula stays fresh for 30 days on the shelf after opening. Do keep in mind that if there is any milk left at the end of your infant's feeding, throw the unused portion away. Do not reuse it at another time or put it back in the refrigerator to use again. A bacterium immediately starts to grow. Bottle feeding is time consuming but simple to do.
