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How to Make Baby Formula in 3 Easy Steps

Learning how to prepare baby formula is a key skill for many parents and caregivers. We’ll show you how easy it can be in 1-2-3!

Key Takeaways

  • Always start with clean hands and sanitized bottles.
  • Use the exact amount of water and formula as instructed on the label.
  • Never microwave formula—warm it safely by placing the bottle of prepared formula in a bowl of warm water or bottle warmer.
  • Enfamil® offers a variety of clinically tested formulas designed to meet your baby’s needs.

What You Need to Make Baby Formula

  • Clean baby bottles and nipples
  • Bottle caps and rings
  • Formula scoop (comes inside the tub)
  • Safe drinking water (boiled or sterilized if needed)
  • A clean surface and your hands washed with soap and water

Step 1: Wash Your Hands and Sterilize the Bottle

The first step to making baby formula is to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. We want to avoid exposing babies, who have developing immune systems, to any unwanted germs. Check the use by date on the container to ensure the formula hasn’t expired. If your container is damaged, dented, bulging, or leaking, call the number listed on the back and do not use it.

And speaking of those germs…you may want to sterilize the bottle with boiling water. Washing bottles with hot water and soap removes germs, but sterilization helps eliminate potentially harmful contaminants and bacteria, providing additional protection for your baby's developing immune system.

Mom preparing to make a bottle of formula

Step 2: Measure and Mix Your Baby Formula

Always follow the instructions on the label for measuring and mixing the formula; pour the desired amount of water into the bottle first, then the correct amount of powder.

Mom pouring water into bottle

Using Water for Baby Formula

You’ll want to use room-temperature water. Your container will indicate how much water you’ll need based on how much formula you’re using. Pour desired amount of water into the bottle and add powder per the directions indicated. Powder should be measured with unpacked, level scoops, using the scoop enclosed in the can.

Pour the water first, then the powder. This helps everything mix properly.

Mom leveling a scoop of formula

“Unpacked and level” means you scoop the powder and then use a clean knife to even it out.

Leveling a scoop of formula

How to Measure Baby Formula

Formula TypeHow to Measure
Ready-To-UseComes pre-measured; check label for amount. Shake well and serve.
Liquid ConcentrateCheck the label for the exact formula-to-water ratio.
Powdered FormulaCheck the label for the exact formula-to-water ratio.

Step 3: Shake and Serve!

Make sure the cap is on tight, and shake well. Make sure your formula isn’t too hot by placing a drop on the inside of your wrist. The liquid shouldn’t feel warm or cool—room temperature is perfect.

Mom shaking a bottle of formula

Then, it’s ready to serve your hungry little one!

Mom feeding baby a bottle

Try to feed at about a 45 degree angle to help your baby feed at their preferred pace and avoid swallowing too much air.

If you still have questions about prepping your baby’s bottle, consult your pediatrician for guidance.

Frequently Asked Questions: Baby Formula Guidelines - Everything You Should Know

  • We recommend using cool water for powder formula preparations. Talk to your doctor about the need to use boiled, cooled water.

    For safety reasons, wait 30 minutes after boiling water before adding the baby formula. High-temperature water could cause clumps, damage the nutrients in the formula, or pose a burn risk to the baby. It can even result in a dangerous bottle explosion as the hot water expands the formula and creates pressure.

  • No. Follow the preparation directions on the formula package. These amounts of water and formula are designed to provide your baby with the nutrition they need. Adding too much water to powder or liquid concentrate formula can dilute important nutrients.

  • We recommend consulting your doctor regarding the use of purified or distilled water for baby formula.

  • Make formula bottles in advance by following the directions for the type of formula you are using.

    Once prepared, Enfamil® powder formulas can be kept in the refrigerator (35-40° F or 2-4° C), covered, for up to 24 hours and Enfamil liquid formulas for up to 48 hours. A prepared, unfed bottle can be kept at room temperature for up to a total of two hours. If you choose to warm the bottle, warming time should be no more than 15 minutes and the bottle should be fed to your baby within one hour. Once your baby begins feeding from the bottle, discard any formula left in the bottle within one hour.

  • Yes, you can premake bottles to save time and store them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Follow the guidelines above for preparing bottles in advance.
  • Prepared formula does not need to be warmed. If you want to, place the bottle of prepared formula in a container of warm (not boiling) water or run it under the warm tap for no more than 15 minutes. Always test the formula by placing a drop on your wrist to make sure it isn't too hot.

    Never use a microwave to heat prepared formula. Microwaves can heat liquid unevenly, resulting in hot spots that could seriously burn your baby and may not be detectable when you test it on your wrist.

  • Baby formula prepared from powder or concentrate or an opened ready-to-use container should not be kept at room temperature for longer than two hours.

    If the bottle has been warmed or feeding has begun, discard the formula after one hour. When formula that has been warmed and/or fed remains at room temperature for one hour, bacteria normally present in an infant's saliva will grow quickly in the nutrient-rich formula.

    Prepared formula can be stored in a covered, clean container on the top shelf of your refrigerator (at 35° to 40°) for up to 24 hours. Do not freeze formula. To warm a prepared, refrigerated bottle, place the bottle in a bowl of water for no more than 15 minutes. Do not use a microwave to warm it.

    Any formula left over from the bottle after feeding should be discarded, if not consumed within one hour. Infant formula combined with your baby’s saliva may lead to bacterial growth.

  • If you believe your baby has consumed old formula, we recommend contacting your doctor to discuss any issues your baby may be experiencing. Your pediatrician is your best resource to determine what may be going on with your little one.
  • No, rewarming (warming it more than once) prepared product can cause more bacterial growth as it cools off after heating; even if unfed. Once the formula has been warmed for your baby, discard any product not used within one hour. Warmed, prepared formula cannot be refrigerated for later feedings.

  • No. Do not use a microwave to heat formula, as this can cause uneven heating, leading to potentially harmful hot spots that might burn your baby. Such hot spots may not be noticeable when testing the formula on your wrist.
  • There are different storage guidelines based on formula type. Always check the container for specific instructions.

    Unprepared powder formula: Store at room temperature in a cool, dry indoor area with the lid tightly closed. Do not store opened containers of powdered formula in the refrigerator.

    Unused ready-to-use formula bottles: Store unopened bottles at room temperature. Once opened, unused formula in a closed container can be refrigerated and used within 48 hours.

    Concentrated liquid formula: Store unopened containers at room temperature. Once opened, concentrated liquid formula can be kept covered in the refrigerator in its original container and should be used within 48 hours.

  • All formulas have an expiration date on the packaging. To find a formula's expiration date, look at the container's top or bottom for an embossed printed type with the date. For ready-to-use infant formula, look on the side of the label.

    Once opened, the container’s contents must be used within 30 days. Meanwhile, store the powder at room temperature in a dry area with the lid tightly closed.

  • For unopened containers, follow the expiration date on the Enfamil Ready-to-Use packaging. Once opened, unused, covered formula can be refrigerated for up to 48 hours.
  • You should toss expired baby formula.
  • Yes! If your doctor has recommended vitamin D drops for your baby, you can mix the recommended amount in with your baby's formula. It may help disguise the taste of the drops and be easier for your baby to accept versus using the dropper to dispense it into their mouth.
  • For a packed scoop, fill with powder and then firmly press the top of the scoop with a clean spoon or against the inside of the container similar to the way that you measure brown sugar. Level the scoop, using the back of a clean table knife, if necessary.

    For an unpacked scoop, fill with powder and gently tap the side of the scoop on the inside of the container to remove any air pockets and level the powder with the back of a clean table knife.

    Always be sure to follow the instructions on your formula packaging. Using packed or unpacked scoops can affect how much you're feeding your baby and the texture of the formula.

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