Preparing a bottle

How to prepare a bottle?

Best practice is to make up each feed as required.

Directions for parents

1. Fill the kettle with fresh tap water and boil. Allow it to cool to no less than 70^oC. In practice, this means using water that has been left for between 25 and 30 minutes after boiling.
2. Make sure all equipment is sterilised.
3. Clean the work surface where the bottle will be prepared.
4. Wash your hands thoroughly.
5. Measure exactly the required amount of cooled boiled water into the sterilised bottle (careful - the water will still be hot). See manufacturer’s instructions for the amount of water required.
6. Using the scoop provided with the infant milk powder, add the exact amount of scoops of powder to the bottle, levelling off each scoop with a clean, dry knife. Do not pack the powder down in the scoop as this will over concentrate the feed and could make the baby ill.
7. Additional water or formula should not be added to make a baby’s feed stronger or weaker unless advised by a healthcare professional.
8. Food should never be added to a baby’s bottle.
9. Place the sterilised teat and cap on the bottle and shake well.
10. Cool the bottle under cold running water until lukewarm.
11. Before giving to the baby, test the temperature by shaking a few drops onto the inside of your wrist.
12. Throw away any milk that has not been used within 1 hour if the bottle has been fed from. And after 2 hours even if it’s untouched.

Visit the FSA website for further guidance on preparing infant formula.

Warming a bottle

If a parent is using ready-to-use formula, they need to warm it up by either placing the bottle in a jug of hot water or using an electric bottle warmer. Milk should never be warmed in a microwave as this may cause uneven heating and could scald the baby’s mouth.

Bottle-feeding positions

• The bottle should be held at an angle, so the teat and neck are always full of milk. This way there’s less chance of the baby getting trapped wind
• The baby should be held in an upright position before and after feeding
• If wind is an issue, the baby should be winded frequently during the feed

For more information on how much formula and how often, click here

For more information about moving an infant from bottle to cup, click here