How to correctly prepare your baby’s bottle.

When making your baby’s bottle, it is very important to carefully follow the instructions on the package. Proper hygiene, preparation, dilution, use and storage are important when preparing infant formula. Powdered infant formulas are not sterile and should not be fed to premature infants or infants who might have immune problems unless directed your baby’s doctor.

Here are a few instructions for preparing your baby’s bottle of routine formula. A few formulas have special mixing instructions:

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before preparing formula. Make sure to re-wash after any interruptions.

• Discuss with your pediatrician the need to use cooled, boiled water for mixing and the need to boil clean utensils, bottles and nipples in water before use. Be sure to let your pediatrician know if you use well water. If it is not necessary to boil water to clean your equipment, you can simply use your dishwasher, or wash utensils in hot, soapy water with dish washing detergent, and then rinse them thoroughly in hot, clean water.

• Follow the mixing directions on the product label.

• For accurate measurements, use a standard household measuring cup rather than the marks on the side of a bottle. Formula cans usually comes with a scoop included.

• Prepare concentrated liquid or powder formula with cool water (35-75°F); it should feel cool on your wrist. If you prefer, you may mix with warm water but only if you feed or refrigerate the formula immediately. Warm water is about 100°F; it should feel neutral (neither warm nor cool) on your wrist.