Can you freeze formula?

[Naomi]

Sophie is breastfed generally but with her solids I'd like to use formula to make up some of the cereal mix (she doesn't tolerate cows milk at the moment, and I just can't express enough anymore to use for her food). I don't want to buy a whole tin because I'd never use it all before it expired, so I have some of those single serve sticks. Each one makes up way more formula than I need for her cereal but I don't particularly want to pour the unused, perfectly good remainder down the sink. So, I wondered if I could just freeze the leftovers in an ice-cube tray and defrost it as I needed it?

[kezabelle]

From memory I'm pretty sure you can. You can mix water in her cereal instead if you'd prefer btw. I'll look through my baby books and get back to you though if someone else doesn't first :)

[Patricia]

Naomi...maybe THIS (http://www.ifmaa.org/faqqs/faqqs15.html) will help :)

[Naomi]

boo. Ok, thanks Patric :)

[Manda]

I just looked at my tin (Hienz nuture) and it doesnt say anything either way if that helps.

Formula companies warn that you do not freeze Infant Formula due to a separation of the formula and not due to any health or nutritional risks. Keep in mind that the amount of formula used in purées is not equal to feeding an infant a bottle of formula.

"Freezing of any Enfamil formula is NOT recommended. Freezing infant formula can lead to physical property changes like fat separation, which may prove difficult for sensitive infants to digest. Freezing will not extend the expiration date of the formula." "Freezing of our products may cause loss of desirable appearance and functionality (though not nutrition), and is not recommended." Clinical Frequently Asked Questions, Storing Enfamil

You may wish to mash or puree your baby foods and freeze without thinning with any liquid. Should you decide to do this, you simply thaw the "un-thinned" food cubes and then thin the food cubes to the desired texture that your infant requires.

Taken from This site (http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/FreezePage.htm)

[susiq]

What if you tried soy milk instead? I know it's good for bubs with allergies

[Patricia]

Naomi..I will ask Blackie if she can spare any and I will send some goat's milk down for Miss Sophia :P

Mind you the way these two gorge themselves I doubt there will be any spare :hehe:

[Naomi]

Thanks Patric, but I couldn't take the bubbies' milk. Soph will be right on cows milk eventually, Hugo was the same, couldn't stomach it until he was 12 months + In the meantime, I'll probably just buy a tin of formula, it will still work out cheaper than the sticks ... or use water and see how that goes (thanks kezabelle!)

[Manda]

Naomi when i was using farex I used to use a bit of VERY diluted Juice to add a bit of taste! (DR recommended it when dyl was going theu a fussy stage- actually we used to do it to milk arrowroots as well)

[kezabelle]

Back again. :) Having just gone through all this with my 19 month old, I know the recommendations for her were either expressed breast milk, formula or water. There was something recently about being careful with soy milk and children - don't know the details as doesn't affect me. Babies also have a thousand (or so :hehe:) more taste buds than us, and even an extra taste sensation and so don't need flavour. Most of the mums I know have always used water. I used formual only because my bubs have always been topped up with it so we had it here.

So, did you find out if you can freeze it?

[Naomi]

Going by those links, I probably wouldn't bother with freezing it. She still gets plenty of milk breastfeeding so for now I'll just use water in her cereal. I occasionally add fruit or vege puree to it for variety but there are actually quite a few varieties of flavoured cereals on the shelf now, a lot more than when Hugo was a baby.

[kezabelle]

I used to add mashed banana a lot, but I hadn't thought of vegies at all! I will for this bub though :)