Following the NHS Gold Standard guidelines, this is the safest way to prepare your formula:

Fill the kettle with at least 1 litre of fresh tap water (do not use water that has been boiled before).

Boil the water. Then leave the water to cool for no more than 30 minutes, so that it remains at a temperature of at least 70C.

Clean and disinfect the surface you are going to use. It's also important that you wash your hands.

If you are using a cold-water steriliser, shake off any excess solution from the bottle and the teat, or rinse them with cooled boiled water from the kettle (not tap water).

Stand the bottle on the cleaned, disinfected surface. Follow the formula manufacturer's instructions and pour the amount of water you need into the bottle. Double check that the water level is correct. Always put the water in the bottle first, while it is still hot, before adding the powdered formula.

Loosely fill the scoop with formula powder, according to the manufacturer's instructions, then level it using either the flat edge of a clean, dry knife or the leveller provided. Make sure you only use the scoop that comes with the formula. Holding the edge of the teat, put it into the retaining ring, check it is secure, then screw the ring tightly onto the bottle. Make sure the ring is attached firmly.

Cover the teat with the cap and shake the bottle until the powder is dissolved.

It's important to cool the formula so it's not too hot to drink. Do this by holding the bottle (with the lid on) under cold running water, or leaving it in a jug of cold water. Test the temperature of the formula on the inside of your wrist before giving it to your baby. It should be body temperature, which means it should feel warm or cool, but not hot. Use the freshly made feed within 2 hours of preparing it.

If there is any made-up formula left in the bottle after a feed, throw it away.

Check out our popular guide on how to prepare formula here.