My son is 6 months old. He has a serious spit up problem and doesn't eat well in general. He is basically very moody with eating. Sometimes he eats 6oz other times he eats 2oz, he's so unpredictable. My son also doesn't take in enough oz. of formula or eat enough cereal to cover the required calories for his age, so I deal the best that I can and offer him food every 2hrs to see if he will eat the "next" hour. On top of it once you "stop" feeding (take a break to make an additional 2oz b/c he's still acting hungary) he will loose interest and NOT eat for several more hours. So, the directions on the formula (I use Enfamil's Gentlease powder) discard after 2 hours. I am/would be wasting soooo much formula w/my son's feeding issues and formula is very expensive. Right now, my husband and I decided to just refrigerate the bottle w/his formula and just re-use when our son is hungary again. We will tolerate the same formula with the same bottle liner (we use the playtex drop-in bottle system) we made up to 8 hrs or else we'd be wasting so much formula. Our son seems to be fine with this, in the sense he will still drink the formula hours after it was made and hasn't gotten sick from our method so far. I guess what I'm trying to ask is this safe? Of course, the enfamil company says no but I need a realistic answer. Does anyone have any other recommendations or thoughts, concerns? What do you guys think?
Thanks for everyone's advice! I am lucky that my son has always drank either room temperature or cold (straight outta the fridge) milk. My concern wasn't really w/heating then keeping. But, more w/just keeping it for several hours in the fridge. If he doesn't finish the milk we made then we will leave it out at room temp for NO more than 1 hr, then put the same bottle back in the fridge. I have an appt w/the pediatrician. I will also ask her. As far as tolerating formulas.....our son has tried them all & technically tolerates and seems to like them all he just can't keep it down due to his reflux (he has the typical, eat more spit up more....eat less than spits up less). He's already on prescription zantac for the reflux.
Maybe you should try a different formula, a hypoallergenic one like Nutramigen or Alimentum. It sounds like he is not tolerating his formula, have you considered that he might have reflux?
With his reflux... I'd seriously look into re-lactating. So many babies are getting 'reflux', GERD and actual surgery sijmply because the Momma didn't start off and continue breastfeeding. Formula is harsh on the body, GI tract, tummy and doesn't absorb as much or as well as breastmilk.
Just giving you an option that may solve many of your issues and those of your baby. Re-lactation isn't really that hard, especially since your body has a great memory of it.
a prepared bottle is good for up to 2 days if refrigerated without being drunk on. Its once they start drinking on it that the '2 hour' clock begins.
make multiple bottles. Instead of make 1 6 oz bottle, 2 4oz bottles at a time. Give him the one. Then if he wants more its there. if he's done, put the untouched bottle in the fridge for later.
It is completely safe to sort uneaten formula bottles in the fridge, they are good for 24 hours after mixing. After that I would throw them out. Never reheat them in the microwave alway under warm water.
Its true that non-heated formula can be stored up to 24-hours HOWEVER, once it is heated up it must be used or tossed within 1 hour...once the formula is heated the nutrients begin to break down. Reheating it will cause it to break down further. Therefore leaving you nothing but the fillers.
Bacteria can also begin to form and grow if things are not clean, but most new mammas are pretty good in that area. To me its more about the nutrients.
I would do what some suggest and make a quart in the fridge and take out 1 ounce and heat, then another if needed...that way you aren't wasting so much.
Ask yourself this: is it better to give leftovers that are no longer healthy or save a few dollars on formula? You could always switch to a generic brand (i know parents Choice-Walmart is the same as Isomil and half the price). That is what we used.
We did the same thing all the time with formula and never had a problem.
If you haven't already talked to you ped about this, I would. He/she might have the perfect solution for you.
You could try not warming the bottles. Our son had to be bottle fed, and we chose to get him used to cold bottles. (Our older son was breast fed, and we were not used to getting out of bed in the middle of the night to heat up a bottle.) I asked our ped about it, and she said temperature does not matter as long as you don't burn baby. Cold is perfectly fine!
I was always told that once a baby drinks from the formula but didn't finish, you had 24 hours worth of good milk if it's been refrigerated. And I was told an hour if not been refrigerated.
I would most definatly look into a different formula. The hypoallergenic ones, lactose free, soy. That just is not normal. Have you talked to your doctor about it?
At six months your really shouldn't have to do a feed every 2 hours. Have him evaluated for reflux, swallow/suck reflex(this may make him tired before he is done).
Make sure that any formula that has been in a bottle and had a mouth on it goes, but I would make his one bottle with his normal feed level and another w/ 1-2oz and an additional bottle with 1 ounce ready to go this way if he is done at 1 you can put back the rest but aren't wasting formula or at least as much. Is this new since adding cereals? if so it may be a food allergy, intolerance or autoimmune reaction. Is he upright throughout his feeding time and about 30 minutes after as this will help keep the formula down and prevent pain. Is he still burping post feedings, sometimes they are so hungry they get too much air. I also switched to the angled glass bottles with a silicone nipple(latex problem), I know you have to clean them more but sometimes it might be worth the change just to see or you can try drinking from a really small plastic cup, my first child did this starting at 4mo and never took a bottle. Just some stuff to think about. But like I said this is definitely something to address with the doc.
I used Enfamil Lipil for my third child. I made up one quart every day and it got used up between feedings through the day and night. I understand your concern for waste. I believe that is a valid concern, without a doubt. Personally, I never refrigerated formula that I already heated up. It's been a while since I've used formula so my memory is somewhat faded as to what I did exactly, but I remember only heating up 2-4 oz at a time. I seem to recall reading somewhere that once heated, the bottle is good for 1-2 hours but discard after that. I wouldn't refrigerate it once it was heated. I might suggest you only heat up 2 oz at a time. IF he's still thirsty, heat up another ounce but you know your son best, so heat up what you believe he can take. If he hasn't finished the bottle by the 2 hour mark after it was heated, then I would discard it. You might also feed him a solid meal before offering the bottle that way he is getting his "meal" and getting his bottle to satisfy his thirst. He will likely take less formula this way but with taking in solids too, he is still getting his needed nourishment.
