Formula Prep Tips?
We know, we know. All those bottles piling up on the kitchen counter are getting overwhelming, and you feel like all you’re doing is cleaning and prepping them. And don’t even get us started on those middle-of-the-night feedings.
Skip the sterilization
While there are gadgets and gizmos on the market claiming to make bottle-feeding easier and more sterile, “it’s not necessary to sterilize bottles and artificial nipples every time,” says Cheryl Hardin, MD, pediatrician at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. “A good cleaning with hot soapy water and good rinsing is enough to clean bottles. Dishwashers may have special cycles that can clean bottles and nipples very well.” So quit messing around with boiling water, unless it’s the first time you’re using this particular bottle.
Pre-powder the bottles
“One time-saving trick is to pre-measure formula in each individual bottle, then just add tap water when you need it,” says Sabrina Braham, MD, pediatrician in Menlo Park, California and adjunct clinical faculty member at Stanford University.
The pitcher trick
“You can also mix up a pitcher and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours,” says Braham. But just re-stir the pitcher thoroughly before each pour, to make sure all your bottles have the right concentration of formula, since things can settle over time.
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