How long to you keep a bottle out?

[Sage]

Well im a bit confused now. I always thought once you'd made a bottle up if it was not consumed within an hour it had to be thrown away. My nextdoor neighbour is a midwife and she told me today that you can keep it out for at least 12hours fine if they haven't touched it. Soon as they've put their mouth round it then its the 1hour rule?

What do you ladies do?

 

[Kimbo]

weird... i got told one hour too....

but when we were staying over in hospital last week, the nurse said we could keep it 2-3 hours.
i never though, just used it within the hour

 

[OopsyDaisy]

Bacteria breeds easily in warm milk regardless of whether the bottle has been touched or not (especially as the milk powder itself is not sterile), hence the advice to dispose after 1 hour.

 

[trixipaws]

i only started formula feeding when melissa was 6 months old, so she's a bit more robust than a younger baby, but iv made up bottles and given them up to 12 hours later, even if she has had her mouth around the teat, and its never made her sick.

iv heard that u need to add the powder no longer than 30 minutes after water has boiled, so the water is still hot enough to kill any bacteria? i also thought the 1-hour rule was only after they had their mouths around the teat. but like i said, millie's always been fine even tho i broke that rule

 

[weenik]

I've just started using formula but only give him it once it's made - the odd time he's maybe had a 10 min break in between but personally I wouldn't let it lie around for any longer than an hour max. I wouldn't drink cows milk if it had been left out for 12 hours

 

[Sage]

aah thats a ggod point. I wouldnt fancy milk after it had been left out for a while? I wonder what shes on about then. Shes a midewife so surely she must no?

 

[emma28]

Just to add to the confusion, it says on the back of the cow&gate box, that it's ok for up to 2hrs.

The whole thing is muddling.

Abigail drinks her bottle in 20mins and thats it, so no worries for us, but it's harder when they are younger and take so long to drink and keep falling asleep.