Page 49 - What to Expect

Going home

• 3 Thirdly, steamed microwave sterilizing machines can also be
purchased.

How do I make up formula?

When making up the formula, follow the manufacturer’s instructions
exactly. This is very important. Never guess at the quantities when
mixing up the milk as this could make your baby quite sick. If you overdo
quantities it is like feeding baby great thick shakes, if you underdo
quantities it is like feeding him thin weak tea.
Always use cooled boiled water to mix the formula, hot water will destroy
some of the delicate balances of vitamins and minerals in the formula.

Always store the made-up milk in the fridge, or make up each feed as
required by the baby. Don’t keep a bottle warm or keep milk to reheat later.
If baby goes to sleep half-way through a feed, throw the remaining milk
out. Bacteria find warm milk a nice environment to grow in and this could
result in your baby getting very sick.

To feed your baby cold or coldish milk is not harmful, but most babies
prefer warm milk. After warming the bottle of milk in a container of
hot water for a minute or so, test the temperature on the inside of your
wrist. It should feel just warm. It is best not to heat bottles of milk in
microwaves, as food and liquids continue to cook for a few minutes
after the microwave has been turned off. What may at first seem just the
right temperature for baby soon turns out to be too hot and could burn
him.

Milk should drip out of the teat a few drops per second. You can enlarge a
small hole with a red hot needle. Throw away a teat with a hole that is too
large, as baby won’t get the comfort of suckling because the milk will rush
out too quickly.

Made-up infant milk formulas have a fridge life of 24 hours. Once the
formula milk tin has been opened it has a limited life also. Check the
expiry date on the back of the tin, especially if you use the formula milk
occasionally. If the milk powder is off, it may give baby a tummy ache and
diarrhoea.

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