Feeding your baby when you are out and about

Type of milk

How to prepare the milk when out and about

Expressed breast milk

Equipment

You will need:

• Your expressed breast milk in a sterilised feeding bottle with a teat, cap and retaining ring in place.
• A cool bag with ice packs to store the milk.

or

• A portable breast pump to express while you are out (if you are not hand expressing).
• An empty sterilised feeding bottle with a teat, cap and retaining ring in place.

Method

1. Express or transfer the pre-expressed breast milk into the empty sterilised feeding bottle (depending on the expressing method).
2. Holding the edge of the teat, put it onto the retaining ring and check it is secure. Then screw onto the bottle.
3. Cover the teat with the cap.
4. Place the bottle in a container of warm water to warm the milk if not freshly expressed. Always test the milk on the inside of your wrist to make sure it is not too hot for your baby.

Storage

Freshly expressed, unused breastmilk can be stored in a sterilised feeding container with a lid and kept at room temperature for a maximum of 6 hours.

Pre-made formula milk

This is the easiest way to feed your baby formula milk when you’re out and about.

Equipment

You will need:

• a carton or bottle of pre-made formula milk
• an empty sterilised feeding bottle with a teat, cap and retaining ring in place

Method

1. Transfer the pre-made formula milk to the empty sterilised feeding bottle.
2. Holding the edge of the teat, put it onto the retaining ring and check it is secure. Then screw onto the bottle.
3. Cover the teat with the cap.
4. Place the bottle in a container of warm water to warm the milk. Always test the milk on the inside of your wrist to make sure it is not too hot for your baby.

Storage

Opened pre-made formula cartons and bottles can be stored in a cool bag with an ice pack but must be used within 4 hours or discarded.

If you do not have an ice pack, or access to a fridge, the pre-made formula milk must be used within 2 hours or discarded.

Powdered formula milk

Equipment

You will need:

• A measured amount of formula powder in a small, clean, and dry container.
• A good quality vacuum flask of hot water that's just been boiled (if the flask is filled with at least 17.5oz or 525ml water and sealed, the water will stay at 70°C for 3 hours)
•  An empty sterilised feeding bottle with a teat, cap and retaining ring in place.

Method

1. Add the correct amount of hot water from your flask and formula powder to the sterilised bottle.
2. Holding the edge of the teat, put it onto the retaining ring and check it is secure. Then screw onto the bottle.
3. Cover the teat with the cap.
4. Shake well until all the powder has dissolved. 
5. Remember to cool the bottle (with the cap on) under cold running water before you feed it to your baby. Always test the milk on the inside of your wrist to make sure it is not too hot for your baby.

Storage

Leftover formula milk should be discarded at the end of a feed. Make a fresh bottle when your baby needs it.