After you have chosen the brand of the mixture and learned all about its dosage, other questions are put on the agenda. Namely - how to store the mixture, dry and diluted, at what temperature, for how long it is suitable for consumption. Since the health and well-being of the child depends on the freshness and quality of food, it is necessary to approach the solution of these issues responsibly, competently. Let's get started.
The unopened container of the mixture can be stored at room temperature and normal humidity. If the jar is already open and used as intended, then it is better to move it to a cool and dry place, but not to the refrigerator. You also need to avoid direct sunlight on the container with the powder, so as not to destroy vitamins and not to shorten the shelf life of food.
When a jar or box is closed, you can store it for a long time, focusing on the date that is indicated on the package. If the baby has already tried the mixture, but for some reason it did not go (switched to GV, another brand, it appeared, etc.), the period of use is reduced to 3-4 weeks. If you see that this type of baby food is not used, then just get rid of it.
And the bottle with the diluted mixture?
If everything is clear with a dry mixture, it is specially made so that it is convenient to transport and store it, then with an already prepared mixture, the situation is more complicated. The best thing is to prepare meals just before it is time to feed your baby.
- boil water;
- let it cool to the desired temperature (indicated on the package, it may differ for different brands and types);
- pour water into a bottle, add the mixture, stir (it is the powder in the water, and not vice versa);
- shaking the container, make sure that the composition is homogeneous.
It goes without saying that the container for preparing the mixture and the nipple must be clean, well washed or sterilized with a special device (you can also pour boiling water over them).
But it so happens that the mother and the baby leave home for a long time, and the conditions of the place may not be adapted for a comfortable stay with the baby on artificial feeding. For example, the same children's clinic, despite its focus, rarely boasts teapots and sterilizers, which are provided for the use of visitors. Or do you like long walks, during which the child needs to eat at least once. Or maybe the baby's regimen has not yet "settled down" and guessing the feeding time is problematic. In any case, sooner or later there is a need to take food for the baby with you, keeping it fresh and fit.
So how long should you keep the diluted mixture?
When you take the already diluted mixture with you, remember that you can store it at room temperature for no more than 1-2 hours. The same rule applies to the mixture prepared for night feeding. If you go to bed late and know for sure that your baby wakes up to eat after a short period of time, then it is perfectly acceptable to make a nutritious drink and leave it on the bedside table. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the air temperature in the room, since the mixture is not stored in a warm room for a long time. Smell it after opening, there should be no sour or rotten smell.
Fortunately, for modern moms, a refrigerator is not a luxury. This achievement of civilization will also be useful for storing infant formula, which one of the parents prepared in advance. In the refrigerator, it can stand for about 12 hours, without the risk of disappearing or losing its properties. Before giving chilled food to a child, it must be slightly warmed up to body temperature by placing the bottle in warm water.
Here it will be useful to note that an open diluted mixture should not be left for storage either in warm or cold conditions. The hole in the nipple on the bottle should be covered with at least a clean napkin, or better with a special cap that will prevent dust, bacteria and foreign substances from entering the baby's food.
If the child does not drink all the prepared mixture at once, then, if possible, do not give him the same portion a second time, but dilute a new one. It so happens that the baby is not hungry enough, and the mixture remains decently - then it is permissible to leave it at room temperature or place it in the refrigerator. But you need to focus on all the same storage standards.
What caused the timing?
The fact is that infant formula is made taking into account the needs of the child in nutrients, vitamins, fats and other important components. Each of them plays a role in the processes of formation and development of organs and systems of a small person. Some vitamins can be destroyed by light or improper storage.
In addition, the adapted mixture is a tasty food for all kinds of bacteria, which is again due to its high biological value. Complete sterility cannot be created at home, so you just need to remember the permissible storage times in a room or refrigerator and observe them. And if there are any doubts about the quality of the diluted mixture, it is ruthless to get rid of it, so as not to jeopardize the delicate balance in the growing body. Cases of serious poisoning with an expired mixture are known. The manufacturer secured itself with a detailed annotation, but it is the parents who must protect their child, monitoring its observance.
Other solutions
Since the shelf life of the diluted mixture is limited, you can not prepare it in advance, but do differently. If we are talking about a "outing" with a child, then a clean bottle with the mixture poured into it and a small thermos with boiled water of the required temperature are taken separately. Immediately before feeding the baby, the contents of the two containers are mixed - lunch is ready! This method is preferable, because the dry powder will accurately withstand transportation, it does not contain a breeding ground for the reproduction of unwanted microorganisms.
Another solution can be a ready-to-use liquid mixture that does not require dilution, boiling and other manipulations. If the manufacturer of your mixture has provided for this form of release, then you have the opportunity to make your life a little easier. This mixture is convenient for food on trips, walks, and on vacation.
The content of vitamins and minerals in the mixture can be influenced not only by the storage method, but also by the type of bottle. For example, vitamin C tends to break down when exposed to oxygen, as well as high temperatures and light. That is, the air entering the bottle, which replaces the liquid you drink, destroys ascorbic acid. To minimize this effect, you should choose small bottles that do not form bubbles, and also try not to violate the shelf life of the diluted formula or prepare a fresh portion before each feeding.
Perhaps it is no secret to anyone that formula milk, a highly nutritious product, is an excellent environment for the development of microorganisms. And if, for example, a mother, having prepared a mixture, leaves it in the children's room or on the kitchen table for just a couple of hours, then the bacteria that are present in one or another quantity in the mixture (it is impossible to achieve complete sterility at home) begin in the mixture develop - and more and more actively. The air temperature is 18-20 "C" is favorable in this. Imagine a situation: after the previous feeding, a little mixture remained in the bottle; while the baby was sleeping, the bottle was in the corner of the crib or on the changing table; three hours passed, and at the next feeding the mother , warming up this mixture, offers it to the baby ... The consequences may be bad, since the microorganisms that have multiplied in the mixture are unsafe for the child's still weak organism.
Meanwhile, every experienced mother knows that quite often after feeding the baby from a bottle, a certain amount of the mixture remains. When there is little mixture left - barely at the bottom of the bottle - this mixture can be poured into the sink and especially not to worry about this; however, if there is a lot of milk formula left after feeding - a third of a bottle, for example - then it is a pity, wasteful to throw it away (especially for a young family whose financial situation leaves much to be desired; although here we simply have to say that many pediatricians do not recommend using the remaining mixture at the next feeding). The refrigerator will help us keep the mixture. How long can we store ready-made milk mixture in it? .. Up to a day. But usually the mixture is in demand after a few hours. Before giving the formula to the child, the mother warms it up - puts the bottle with the mixture in a container of warm water and from time to time turns and shakes the bottle.
Another situation is also possible: there is a lot of milk mixture in the bottle, but there is no refrigerator in the house. What about a mother who wants to use this mixture at the next feeding? .. A mixture that has been stored for a couple of hours at room temperature can be given to the child, but before that, bring it to a boil and cool to the temperature that is needed; in the boiled milk mixture, almost all microorganisms die.
Consider another situation that often happens in life: a family goes on the road with a small child. We do not mean a multi-day trip by train or bus, and even with transfers. It's too early for our baby to go on such trips. But to go to grandmother's in my father's car - this is already quite within our power. It may take several hours to drive, and you need to feed the child on time ... Mom chooses one of two options. Option one: the milk mixture is prepared at home, poured into several bottles (as needed), cooled in the refrigerator, after which the bottles are placed in a thermos container of suitable size; when the need arises in the milk mixture, it will only need to be taken out of the container and find a way to warm it up. Option two (which seems to us to be simpler, and therefore it is preferable): the family takes dry milk mixture with them on the road, empty bottles, sterilized before setting off and of sufficient capacity, a thermos full of boiling water; at any time, the family can interrupt the trip for a few minutes to prepare a mixture for the child.
If we store the ready-made mixture in the refrigerator, then we must follow one rule: for storage, we do not need to pour the mixture into another dish; we store the mixture in the same bottle in which it remained; we leave the nipple on the bottle, but in order to avoid infection of the nipple, we cover it with a sterile gauze napkin folded several times, or with a sterile plastic cup; just before giving the formula to the baby, we must treat the nipple with boiling water from a teapot or replace it with a new one.
Many mothers and not only know that the dairy environment, especially infant formula, is a nutritious product that is also an excellent environment for the growth and reproduction of microorganisms. At home, it is impossible to achieve ideal sterility, therefore, when preparing a mixture, a certain amount of bacteria will definitely get into it. What happens if the prepared mixture is left for a while at room temperature? Can the mixture be refrigerated? These and related issues often concern young mothers.
Consider a situation in which there is still a little mix left after feeding. If its amount is very small, then you can wash the bottle, pour out the leftovers (many resourceful mothers give the leftovers to their pets). If the amount of the remaining mixture is more or less an opportunity for another feed, then, of course, you want to save it. You can store the diluted mixture in the refrigerator, especially if the air temperature is more than 20 degrees Celsius, and the next feeding is expected no earlier than an hour later.
Leaving the prepared mixture at room temperature for a time exceeding 60 minutes has a high risk of causing some inconvenience to the intestines of your baby. Although some sources claim that the acceptable storage time of the mixture at room temperature can be up to 3 hours, you should not check this conventional wisdom on your child. If it so happens that the mixture has been outside the refrigerator for 3 or a little more hours, just bring it to a boil and cool before giving it to the child.
How long can the mixture be stored in the refrigerator - there is no definite answer to this question, but there is a general opinion that it is possible to store the diluted mixture in the refrigerator for 24 hours, but it is optimal to use it no later than 12 hours from the moment of preparation. Although, as practice shows, the mixture simply does not reach the specified period, it is eaten.
Another situation that occurs quite often and raises many questions is the road. When a mother and child need to go on a long trip, how to store the mixture at the same time. For such a situation, there are two options: the first is a cooler bag, or a thermos bag. Before leaving, mom prepares the required amount of the mixture, pours it into bottles and places it in a special bag. To warm up the mixture, it is enough to take it out of the refrigerator half an hour before feeding, and it will have time to acquire the ambient temperature. Or you can take with you a dry mixture and a thermos with boiling water, a bottle of clean cold water.
Important: When you set off, be sure to consider protecting the nipple of your food bottle. This can be a factory-made plastic lid, a sterile plastic cup, or a bag. And before each feeding, pour boiling water over the nipple.
To store the finished mixture in the refrigerator, follow some rules:
- Do not pour the mixture into another bottle.
- Do not remove the nipple, but you can cover it with something clean (gauze, plastic cup).
- Disinfect the teat before feeding or replace it with a sterile one.
- Always sniff, or rather taste, the standing mixture, if the taste is even slightly different from the freshly prepared one - do not risk it, donate the mixture to your pet or simply pour it into the sink.
Can the prepared mixture be stored in the refrigerator if it has already stood at room temperature? A change in temperature regimes for some bacteria is destructive, and for some it is a stimulus to development. Therefore, it is better to boil such a mixture beforehand. But do not forget that along with boiling, not only harmful, but also beneficial microorganisms will die.
It is important to remember that no matter what financial difficulties you experience after the birth of a child, his health can cost much more than 100 ml of the mixture poured into the toilet.
If a small child was born in the family, and he is artificially fed, then in addition to the question of choosing a brand of milk formula, the young mother wants to find out how long the ready-made formula for the baby can be stored.
How long can the prepared mixture be stored?
The shelf life of the finished mixture is no more than two hours, provided that the baby has not eaten from this bottle yet... In this case, the storage of the diluted infant formula should take place in the refrigerator, since at room temperature the resulting liquid can turn sour.
If the baby has already eaten, and there is still a little mixture left in the bottle, then the rest of the mixture must be poured out, and a new portion must be prepared at the next feeding.
Many mothers think that if a child asks for food again after an hour, then you can give him the same mixture that he did not finish in the previous feeding. However, this should not be done, because even for such a short period of storage of the mixture, it can deteriorate, as a result of which the baby may become poisoned.
Why can't the formula for the baby be stored for a long time?
If the milk mixture is kept at room temperature for a long time, then harmful bacteria begin to multiply in it, which can cause bloating, colic and even intestinal disorders in the baby (). The ready-made mixture is an excellent breeding ground for the spread of pathogenic bacteria, as it contains a large amount of proteins and fats.
It is also not recommended to reheat the formula in the microwave as it may heat up unevenly. 
If, nevertheless, a situation has arisen when it is necessary to take the milk mixture with you for future use, then it is better to do as follows: pour warm boiled water into a separate thermos, and pour the required amount of the mixture into a bottle in advance. If necessary, all that remains is to add water to it, and the fresh milk mixture will be ready.
Parents should remember that although it is convenient for them to make formula milk for the baby several feedings in advance, this can have a detrimental effect on him. The child should be given a freshly prepared portion of infant formula. This will avoid an excessive load on the baby's gastrointestinal tract and poisoning of the body, since improper storage conditions of the milk formula contribute to the development of pathogenic bacteria.
My daughters are 5.5 and 4g. And I believe that animals should not be brought before the youngest is 7 years old. Even at almost 6 years old, the daughter hurts the cat without realizing it. She thinks she's just playing with her. And I also, as the author once lied to the children about the death of a cat, I said that we would take her to the hospital, there she would be cured and given to good people who have no pets. I said so only because my daughter was hysterical when we wanted to take the cat into the forest to bury it. She shouted: "Mommy, please don't take her to the forest, the wolves will eat her there." Any mother would have a heartache for that. Therefore, when, after a little over a year, we again had to go through the death of an animal, I sat the children down next to me and tried to explain to them what death is, why a kitten died, how to and how not to act in order to minimize such situations. ... There was no hysteria. They understood and accepted the situation.