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One of the most common and stressful moments a parent can have when they are caring for a newborn is to be caught flat-footed during the middle of the night with a hungry, crying baby and nothing but dirty bottles. Don’t let this nightmare scenario become a reality! In today’s blog, we will cover some ways in which you can go into every night feeling prepared and ready to take on whatever life throws your way.
Set Up A Nighttime Feeding Station
If you haven’t already, designate a little corner of a room to be your nightly feeding station. Make sure that it is equipped with everything that you will need for the average nightly feeding.
- Clean bottles with nipples and rings assembled
- Formula or pumped milk ready to go
- Bottle warmer (or pitcher of warm water for gentle warming)
- Burp cloths
- Water bottle + small snack for you
- Night-light or soft lamp
We know it’s a lot to think about, but make it part of your nightly schedule to keep your night time feeding station prepped and stocked so that you don’t have to scramble through a dark kitchen with a screaming baby waiting for you to clean a dirty bottle.
Pre-Measure Formula Before Bed
If you’re using formula, it can save you precious time and stress if you pre-measure the formula amounts you will need at night during the day. Take what you need for your feedings and scoop it into a clean bottle so that you can add water later and then warm it up for consumption, or you can keep the formula powder pre-measured in little plastic bags and then keep the clean water and clean bottles handy for when you need them for each night feeding. That way, you can go directly into warming the bottle and prepping it rather than having to dole out the correct amount of formula in the dim light.
Alternatively, a formula dispensing machine can save a lot of time by preparing a full bottle for you in just seconds (formula and warm water are already ready to go!
FOR FULLY BOTTLE FED BABIES – Please note – I do not recommend these machines for full time 24/7 use. They have been known to incorrectly measure formula from time to time, so it’s best not to rely solely on them for making your baby’s bottles all the time. Please hand measure multiple times throughout the day.
Keep Cleaning to a Minimum Overnight
It helps if you have several days worth of bottles handy for your baby. Make sure that you have enough clean ones to make it through the night and then on to the first feed in the morning, after which you can then clean and if necessary, sanitize the bottles for the next go around. Don’t worry about deep cleaning at night. Just rinse your bottles out with warm water and let them dry in a safe place, ready to be deep cleaned later on. The less you have to worry about at night, the more you can concentrate on taking care of your baby and yourself.
Before You Go
We hope that this blog about tips for bottle prep and cleaning was helpful to you. If your little one is still fussy after feeds, struggling to settle, or having trouble sleeping, we’re here to support you.
From sleep consulting to in-home sleep training and overnight newborn care or in-home newborn care services, we offer personalized guidance to help your little one (and you!) get the rest you need.
Have questions? Let’s Chat — we’d love to help your family rest easier.
Katie B.
Expertise You Need:
- Certified Master Pediatric Sleep Consultant
- Certified Advanced Newborn Care Specialist (2016-2022)
- Board Certified Holistic Healthcare Practitioner
- 16 years professional childcare experience
- Certified Postpartum Doula (2015-2022)
- Travel & ROTA Nanny
Katie has over 16 years experience working with children of all ages. As a Pediatric Sleep Consultant and Newborn Care Specialist, she has professionally supported families and babies worldwide over the last 10 years. Her mission is to help the entire family unit get better sleep, utilizing a holistic approach that supports the baby or child’s natural biologic drive to sleep. She has personally served hundreds of families, holds 20,000+ hours exclusively caring for infants & babies and has 69+ 5-⭐️ Google reviews.
The content contained in this blog is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice or to replace the advice of any medical professional. It is based on our opinions and experience working with newborns and their families. Other’s opinions may vary. It does not represent the views of any affiliated organizations. The reader understands that the term “Babynurse” is often a word used to describe a newborn caregiver. However, unless otherwise disclosed, we are not licensed nurses in any state. By reading and/or utilizing any information or suggestions contained in this blog, the reader acknowledges that we are not medical professionals and agrees to and waives any claim, known or unknown, past, present or future. This blog may contain affiliate links.
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