need quick answer...

sorry typing 1-handed here. my 2 week old girls are home from the nicu this week and i'm bottle-feeding and having a time getting the feeding schedules worked out. but that's another story. anyway, sadie was hungry an hour early and took 1 oz, then it was actual feeding time so i was trying to get her back on schedule so fixed a 1.5 oz bottle to give to her and she didnt really take any of it. so now i have this 1.5 oz bottle of formula... can i refrigerate the bottle and reuse it next feeding or is that a no-no? thanks,
amy

 

Everything I read formula wise said once their little lips touched it bacteria of some sort started and you should use it within an hour. At their age and fresh out of the NICU I would stick to the recommendation.

 

If it were me, I wouldn't. I never saved bottles that I had offered to them. I just didn't want to risk the chance of contamination.

 

I heard if it had been out less than 1 hour, you could refridgerate and use the next time. I always did this. Other wise you waste so much.

 

I asked my doctor this and he said yes you could refrigerate the unused bottle. So I do it, and so far no problems. But you have to get it back in the fridge within an hour of it coming out.

 

Our own rule is if it is less than an hour made whether they drink it or not we can refrigerate it and use it again. But we do not use that bottle we pour it into a clean one so they bacteria isn't sitting on the nipple. And we only use it once after that if they do not finish it the second time we dump it. We personally have not had any problems but you can always check what your pedi recommends.

 

thanks for your answers. she ended up wanting to eat again about 20 min later so i took it out of the fridge and gave it to her. it was still within the 1 hr original time frame. i plan on asking my pedi monday though. i definitely understand about the bacteria thing and dont want to take any chances over stupid money, but if it is safe if refrigerated within 1 hr, i'dl ike to know that for especially when the bottles get bigger and more expensive... lol.

 

I do it all the time. I know they don't do it at the hospital, but I think they're too picky about a lot of things. A lot of the time, I just leave the bottle out until the next feeding. I know that's a no no too, but then it's the right temp when it comes to the next feeding. It hasn't made anybody sick yet!!