Are you bottle feeding and if so.....

[Annie050408]

... is there really a problem with making up feeds in advance?!

I'm not convinced that there really is a problem - my mum pre-mixed and stored bottles for me and my 3 siblings in the fridge and we are all fine!

We've been boiling and cooling water as we go but it's all a bit of a fuss for my liking.

I found this: www.dwrcymru.com/English/library/publications/milk guidance/english.pdf

which suggests that the powder should be added to the water within 30mins of boiling the kettle so that the water is above 70degrees to kill the bacteria in the formula, it should then be cooled and stored in the fridge for a maximum of 24hours.

I just wanted to get a feel for what others are doing because mixing up feeds while the baby gets into a state at 3am seems crazy to me!

I think I'm going to start following the guidelines above and mixing up 3 bottles at a time to cover night/early morning feeds.

 

[Lacey's Mummy]

I've been making 5 up at a time! I did it with lace and she's fine so I'm doing it with charley and he's fine so far! It's so much easier!

 

[megsmeadow]

Yup that's what we did too. Although now we are using the SMA staydown milk and that has to be added to room temperature water (go figure!), so much easier!

 

[Annie050408]

Are you boiling the kettle, mixing in the formula straight away and then sticking them in the fridge?

 

[vixforever]

With Jacob I boiled the kettle let it cool for 30 mins, then added the formula and stuck them in the fridge and used them as I needed them within 24 hours

 

[Annie050408]

Lovely, thanks girls, I'll do that. x

 

[megsmeadow]

yeah that's what we used to do, add the powder straight into the boiling water and into the fridge, 24 hours fridge life or 2 hours if baby has started to feed from it.
Now we have to boil and fridge the water, then add the milk or it thickens too much (but that's just the staydown milk).

 

[Yodabo]

We followed the guide lines for the first 3 weeks but having pre made them with my other two and reading that loads of people still do it like that i started it as well. I make up 4 at a time (i can only sterilise 4 anyways) make them straight away and cool for 10 mins in cold water. They go in the fridge then. Much much easier when you wake up in the nights!! Less likely to disturb the baby too much too so they settle back down to sleep better.

 

[titch]

I use ready to drink cos its the only thing morgan doesnt projectile vomit back (nice!) My friend from baby group makes feeds up at home and just puts them in her bag, not in special bottle insulators or anything and give it to her whenever. Her baby seems fine. When we finally sort morgan out on powder Im going to be keeping them in the fridge at night. I agree its ridiculous to let them get distressed, and we use colief so have to wait an extra half hour after the feed has cooled it takes over an hour to get him a feed, and hes usually fallen asleep by that time!!

 

[Lacey's Mummy]

I do what vix said!

 

[Laura_C]

I too made Grace's feeds in advance, made enough for the day and stored in the fridge. She was never poorly! I did exactly as vixforever does, made life that little easier - there was no way I was making up feeds in the middle of the night and waiting 30 mins for them to cool!

 

[serenitylove]

i make 6 at a time boil kettle leave for 20 mins then make then as soon as cool pop in fridge bugger faffin around with individual ones

 

[vixforever]

I use ready to drink cos its the only thing morgan doesnt projectile vomit back (nice!) My friend from baby group makes feeds up at home and just puts them in her bag, not in special bottle insulators or anything and give it to her whenever. Her baby seems fine. When we finally sort morgan out on powder Im going to be keeping them in the fridge at night. I agree its ridiculous to let them get distressed, and we use colief so have to wait an extra half hour after the feed has cooled it takes over an hour to get him a feed, and hes usually fallen asleep by that time!!

God, using ready made for everyfeed? Must be costing you loads!

 

[Zazu]

I make up fresh feeds. I use a flask of hot water so I don't have to boil the kettle n wait 30mins every time. I use the tommee tippee flask keeps the water boiling for ages!

 

[lauren86]

girls, once you take a feed from the fridge do you heat it back up in the microwave? I don't know how i'd get on with doing this as Ethan is on comfort milk and it's a weird consistancy if the waters not hot. Does anyone still make up feeds in advance with comfort milk? Xx

 

[midnight]

i use to make up the bottles with boiling water and let them cool then i had milk seprators and put the right amount of powder in each section and when i needed it i just poured in the powder and warmed it up, when i had my 1st i use to make up 6 bottles a time and store them in the fridge nd it did her no harm funny how rules change lol

 

[Annie050408]

Well I made up bottles last night and it has been fab- she has taken bigger feeds and is not so frantic as I can get the bottle to her more quickly

 

[titch]

bet you got more sleep too, sounds fab!!

 

[mopmum4X]

I use ready made in the carton for when she wake at night, i use powder in the day, i might get that flask like zazu. x

 

[setdse]

how do you girls reheat the bottles after because ive been told its bad to use the microwave. :/