Formula - Palos Hills, IL

this is just a suggestion I would go get a can of powder carnation good start and make bottles as needed then you can decide if they need more you can also make a smaller bottle when needed.

I always did that. My daughter had to be on the hypoallergenic (i.e. so expensive you want to throw up) kind of formula and I never threw anything more than 1/2 oz away. But I did always give that at the next feeding, then offering a new bottle of a lesser amount, so I wasnt adding old formula to a new bottle.

My daughter was on a special formula for allergies, we called it liquid gold. If there was more than 2 oz. left we put it back in the fridge, but dumped it in a new bottle for the next feeding. This is what the dr. told us to do when she found out we were saving every drop b/c of the cost. Hope this helps.

I think the biggest issue is when bacteria from the baby's mouth is introduced into the bottle. That bacteria can grow and make baby sick.

Maybe mix up a large batch and start your son on a smaller bottle and add to it during the feeding if needed? It would cut back on what you're wasting and keep the formula fresh. Once made, I think it can stay in the fridge for 24 hours but I would recommend double checking the can.

The waste part stinks, but so does a sick baby...

Hi There,
I think that they say it's okay to use for up to 1 hour, and then it should be discarded. I know how you feel about the waste! and it's expensive.
Congrats on your baby boy!
K.

Hello A.! Are you using powder formula or liquid? Either or can only be used in 48 hours of putting together. Once it is "prepared" however - i.e. warmed up - it only has 1 hour to be used before bacterial growth occurs - then it must be tossed away. It cannot be re-refrigerated. That's the disadvantage of formula to breastmilk; being the storage life. What I've done myself because I use the liquid concentrate - she does go through 1 can in 48 hours - I prepare 1 can's worth in a glass jar and only make bottles for what she eats within a few hours so there is no waste - if it's powder - you only have to make what they eat as it goes along. It's just knowing on average what they eat at a given feeding to know how much to use to cut down waste. Hope it helps! If you need more detail, feel free to e-mail me back! I'm a half breastmilk to half formula feeder, so I understand the waste concern!

Hi A.,
Formula is good for up to 48 hours in the frig. I use to go with a 24 hour rule though just to be safe. I use to mark what time and day it was put into the frig so there was no questions. I would even make the bottles in advance, much easier that way. Hope this helps!

A.

Hi A.,
every can of formula has directions on it - along with how long the formula is good for. I never chance it - it is not worth the child to get sick over. Just think you will be eliminating the formula all together by the time your child is 1. You have 7 months left - I know how you feel about throwing the formula down the drain. But I don't want my daughter getting ill because I did not follow the directions!

K.

A.,

Once you prepare the formula you can keep it refridgerated for up to 24 hours (I'm talking powder now)Once your baby eats from the bottle, you only have an hour or two and then it needs to be tossed. When the baby drinks, some of their saliva mixes with the formula, and this can contaminate it with bacteria. You don't want to reuse it. If you are concerned about waste, then make up smaller bottles. Instead of a 6oz, make a 4oz and a 2oz, and feed accordingly. It is not worth it to have your child possibly get sick. If you are using ready to feed, I think you have 48 hours once opening and the same with concentrate. But this is just to store in fridge. Once the baby drinks some of the bottle, your little window opens.

Hi A.!
I did exactly what you did while feeding my daughter. I would only allow the one/two days with the bottled formula though. If she seemed to not want to take the formula I stuck it right back in the fridge. If she continued to not take it, well I threw it out. LOL... I even mixed the formula and breast milk. She seemed to gobble it down so much quicker! Hope this helps you!!!

I always put un-used formula back in the fridge if we were home. It is not a popular choice and I had lots of people frown but all 4 of my kids managed to survive!

I'm like the first respondent even though I only had one baby. I didn't like the waste and there were never any ill effects from using the leftovers. So I would feed him (although, he was a serious eater so there wasn't a lot leftover usually) and then whatever was left I would put the cover on the bottle and put it in the fridge and use it up the next feeding. It is hard to know how much they will eat at any given time.

Hope it works out for you!

H.

I've saved formula if it was more than half of what I made, if it's only an ounce, I'd pitch it. Sometimes before bedtime I'd make a 5 ounce bottle and he'd fall asleep before getting even an ounce, so I'd put it in the fridge and save for morning. I don't know what the professionals say about this, but that's what I did you until last week when my guy turned one. Now we are on milk. I didn't have any problems, but I know that things like yogurt should be pitched pretty soon after putting a saliva tainted spoon into it because of bacteria. Good luck with what you decide to do.

They say you can reuse it if it was put in the fridge and with-in 24 hours. I don't use it after that.

S.

Once they eat form the bottle it's only good for 1hr. I know that with the formula that I use, Enfamil with Lipl, that you can make a bottle and as long as they haven't eaten from it, it's good for 2hrs. All formula is different, so read the can. Hope it helps.

Hi A.,

It is true as others have said that you should use the formula within one hour if it has NOT been refrigerated. However, as I recall with my daughter (now 2), it is ok to reuse it if it has been in the fridge for 24 hours or less. Anything more than 24 hours and I would not use it.

Hope this helps!

Hi A.! I have twin boys (who where also born November 2007!) Due to complications after my pregnancy I was only able to breast feed about a month - been doing formula ever since. The rule of thumb is that the formula should be refrigerated within an hour after preparing/warming it up (i've left it out longer - never noticed any problems with the boys tummies or anything). So to answer your question - I always refrigerate the leftovers - even if its only an ounce it adds up!(Especially with two babies - I've calculated we've spent well over $1000.00 on formula in 3 1/2 months!). when its time for bottles again I just add room temp. water and subtract whatever is already in the bottle from the amount of formula I use - but even then if they don't finish, back in the fridge it goes (in the evening I usually throw away any formula remains from the day). Hope I helped! E.

A.,

I must say, I break all the recommended rules of the formula cans. having 4 formual fed kids, none of them have had ill effects by my habits, but... some may disagree if their kid had issues.

I microwave the bottles (find the right amount of time for the ounces, for your microwave thru trial and error). the important thing is to shake it before hand and then test it on yoru wrist to make sure there are no 'hot spots'. liquid will not hold onto hot spots if it's shaken... don't trust the bottle temp as the milk temp. if it gets heated too hot, i throw it out.

i never let a bottle stay out more than about 45 minutes. if i offer my 2 month old 6 ounces and she only wants 3, i put the rest in the fridge until later. i use it up within about 12 hours though...

i also dont wash their pacifiers every day... if my son's 'sucker' falls on my floors, we pick it up and put it back in his mouth. my floors are clean... we dont wear shoes in the house, or bare feet and our white socks never get dirty. if it falls outside, or in the store, i dont give it back though.

so.... i'm like you... i hate to see the waste... and it has worked well for me so far (knock on wood)

good luck!

A., Everything you read will tell you not to do this because bacteria can grow in the fridge...but I felt the same way about not wanting to waste. I would save the leftovers, warm it, and even mix it with fresh (as long as it was the same day) with both of my daughters (now 3 and 17 months)...they are perfectly healthy, and we saved lots of money I'm sure.

i saved it and re-used it for 1 day. my daughter is 18 months and perfectly healthy.

I always threw out any remaining formula left in a bottle from my child. Fortunately for us, my son is an eater and this rarely happened.

I know people break rules and I know the chances of cross-contamination is low, but it's just not a risk I was willing to take with my son's health. I was more comfortable being safe than sorry.

I alwys put left over formula in the fridge for later its expenceve. L. D

Hi A.,

I agree with those who are saying the formula needs to be dumped after an hour. That is what the experts say and therefore should be followed. People will often do what they want despite the advice of experts but in doing so you are taking chances and I refuse to take chances at the expense of my baby's health.

In fact, I believe I remember reading on the La Leche League website, you are also not supposed to re-refridgerate breast milk once it's been warmed.

Also, you are not supposed to reuse baby food if you have fed the baby from the actual jar, which is why you should scoop out as much as you might need into a seperate cup and refridgerate the rest in the jar. The reason for this, as I am sure is the same with formula, once the baby's saliva gets into food or drink, the enzymes in the saliva start breaking the food down and the food can be harmful. If you feed a baby from the jar and put it in the fridge, look at it after a few hours and you will see a small puddle of water on top where the saliva has begun breaking the food down.

I understand the worry of wasting formula, formula is expensive. Perhaps have formula pre-made in the fridge and give smaller bottles, topping up with you pre-made supply if necessary.

I am not an expert by any means but I have done a lot of research on the topic. My 19 month old is a poor eater and I didn't want to do anything that might lead to a food born sickness that would make getting her to eat even more difficult.

Hope this helps!

I did that all the time. But I would never reuse it more than once. If he did not finish a bottle I would put in the fridge for later and if he did not finish the remainder of that bottle I would then toss it.

If the baby starts drinking the formula, it should be finished within one hour. AFter that, you need to dump it. You can make the formula and store it for 24 hours.