Have you ever used formula beyond the 24 hour period?

We use Similac, and the label says that you must throw out any unused, mixed, refrigerated formula after 24 hours. It also says that you must throw out any heated formula after 1 hour.

Two weeks ago my babysitter fed my dd a leftover bottle 2 1/2 hours after she started it (MY MISTAKE for not telling her the 1 hour rule) and LUCKILY she is fine. I talked to a formula rep (via a friend) and she said it's ok to go longer than the 1 hour rule, but not to make a habit of it due to bacteria. My question now is: do you really think the 24 hour rule is real? or just a ploy to make us throw out formula and buy more? Every once in a while my ds or dd won't have their 6pm bottle, and I hate to throw it out and not use it in the AM. thanks! Kathleen

 

We use Similac, and the label says that you must throw out any unused, mixed, refrigerated formula after 24 hours. It also says that you must throw out any heated formula after 1 hour.

Two weeks ago my babysitter fed my dd a leftover bottle 2 1/2 hours after she started it (MY MISTAKE for not telling her the 1 hour rule) and LUCKILY she is fine. I talked to a formula rep (via a friend) and she said it's ok to go longer than the 1 hour rule, but not to make a habit of it due to bacteria. My question now is: do you really think the 24 hour rule is real? or just a ploy to make us throw out formula and buy more? Every once in a while my ds or dd won't have their 6pm bottle, and I hate to throw it out and not use it in the AM. thanks! Kathleen

 

I have an almost 4 yr old who I used Similac with and always made up enough for 2 days from the time I brought her home until the time she turned 1. I now have 11 month old twins, who I use Walmart brand--Parent's Choice formula with(MUCH cheaper--only$10.96 for 25.6 oz can)and again I always made up 48 hours worth. All 3 kids are doing fine, so I'm guessing it's okay to go that long.

 

I used enfamil, and the tin said it was good for 48 hours, and we would make 2 days worth at a time. Don't know why Similac would be different.

As for the used formula thing, it is because the bacteria from their saliva will break it down.

 

One night I fixed the babies bedtime bottles and they were not hungry they only ate about an ounce, cause they had ate about 1 1/2 hours before that. But even if they've ate an hour or two before bedtime I always fix them a bottle anyway just incase (don't want to put them to bed without a full stomach )

The next morning I go in the kitchen and fix them 2 bottles I Normally go set them on the end table beside my chair and go get the babies. I went to get the babies and brought them to the living room sat them in the bouncy's and gave them their bottles NOT till they were done did I realize those were from last night. I started back into the kitchen with the old bottles that had been drank and spotted the new ones I had just made

I REALLY HATED it......I normally take the old bedtime bottles to the kitchen at night but I just forgot the night before.

The babies were Ok.....Although I wouldn't suggest doing that on purpose

I have gave them their 1/2 drank bottles after 1 1/2 hours. I think its like experation dates you could go a "little" past the time limit

 

Yup, absolutely but it was kept in the fridge not on the counter (just kidding)!

 

as long as its cold!!

 

I normally use mine within 24-48 hours. I think it is fine. We've been doing it for months and everybody seems fine!

 

I use Similac ready-to-feed and I do not go past the "expiration". Sometimes, I have gone past the hour cut-off for formula, but never the 24 hour-rule. Just my type-A coming through! ha

 

I have used it like 26 hours after, but not really any longer than that.

 

quote:
Originally posted by JDMummy:
Yup, absolutely but it was kept in the fridge not on the counter (just kidding)!


YES Remember to take all undrank bottles to the kitchen sink or fridge

 

I will use formula made within the last 48 hours if it is refrigerated correctly. No problems so far.

 

I'm guilty. I do it all the time. At $15/can, we can't really afford to throw out a 1/2 full used bottle, but I try to get the left overs in the fridge before the one hour rule and use it the same day. I've been doing it for three months now and everybody is fine. But this is interesting: When they were in the NICU, the nurses left the formula out. They said as long as it didn't touch their lips, it was fine. And I watched them do it, they would open a jar, pour some in the feeding tube, re cap the jar, and leave it sitting on the counter until the next feeding, that definately violates the one hour rule.

 

I use Similac Ready to Feed Neosure - and the bottle says use w/in 72 hours after opening if refrigerated...

 

I think the rule is *kinda* real;
independant doctors etc will tell you 24 hrs, and they don't have anything to gain from lying.
However, they probably exaggerate because they don't want anyone's baby to get sick and sue the company because they weren't warned.
Also, I'm sure they know people bend the rules a bit, and they've probably built in some extra time into that rule for that reason.

Does that make sense? Anyway, my DH and I get into arguments about this; he's afraid to go one minute over an hour (or 24 hrs), and I'm like "Whatever!!"" LOL

 

When the babies were in their first couple of months they would occassionally get formula at night (breast feeding or EBM all the rest of the time). I didn't read the full can to see the 48 hour rule, and I would make up batches which we'd use for up to a WEEK. Oops! We never had any problems. I won't keep doing that, but it leads me to believe that the 24 and 48 hour rules can be bent.

I also am willing to re-use half eaten bottles of formula or breast milk with new nipples if I refrigerate them quickly after they have been used. Again, so far no one has gotten sick (knock on wood).

 

These were our rules:

Mixed formula could stay cold in the fridge for 48 hours.

A bottle, once started, could stay at room temp for an hour.

If it still wasn't finished after an hour, it could go back in the fridge till the end of the day (or the next morning, if it was a bedtime bottle). Sometimes I didn't even use a clean nipple (or even rinse it).

If it wasn't gone by the end of the day, it got dumped.


We were probably pushing our luck, but we never had any problems. At any rate, the 48 hours thing is sound -- it was the "second time around" bottles that were probably risky.

 

we pre-made bottles for 48 hours in the beginning. we used neosure and the info on the amazon website says 48 hours. our home care nurse said winter bottles could be out 1.5 hours and summer bottles 1 hour.