Formula feeding question

[ella]

I was just wondering how do you make up bottles - now this might seem silly but everyone I ask does it different and advises differently

The most common way (I think) is this and I am going to try this if it seems ok.

Wash and sterilise bottles
Add cooled boiled water
Leave aside (not in fridge)
Add powder when each bottle is required
Feed at room temperature

Once powder has been added use within 2 hours

Does this sound ok - only someone else said its not safe to add the powder to cool water - but I couldnt be waiting 30 mins for the kettle to cool for a feed

 

[andreag]

I found a tip on here which I think is fab.
I only started using formula when Charlotte was 6 months but I guess you can adapt the quantities for a younger baby
I sterilise everything, and then add 6oz of boiled water to the bottles and leave to cool. When she is ready for a feed, I top up with 2oz of boiling water and then add the powder. That way, she gets milk at the right temperature and only has to wait for as long at it takes the kettle to boil (B/f babies aren't used to wating!). I chuck whatever she doesn't drink. I found bottles took ages to cool down

 

[Gem & Leland]

thats what i do after the advise from feefee .

at night i make up 3 or 4 bottles of boiled water and leave in the cuboard . when its time to use them i warm them in the microwave for 10 sec and had the powder .

i only leave the boiled water for 24 hours then discard if i havent used it

and the mw said if i was to make up a bottle of formula to take out to make sure its cold and put it in a bottle cooler/ warmer and then warm or feed at room temp .

 

[lisa&alex]

you need to put the bottles in the fridge to keep it below bacteria breeding temperature.. everything else is fine..and use milk within an hour.. dont re-fridurate them throw them out once its been heated..

g3m make sure you shake the water lots so there arnt any heat spots and the water needs to be about 50 degrees max or the protien in the milk is destroyed

 

[samandbump]

i just make up the feeds for the next 24 hours and ive never had any problems, as long as there in the fridge they are fine, you dont need to make up each feed when its required

 

[lisa&alex]

actually it does state on the tin/packet that formula isnt sterile and government guidelines say to make each feed individually or to store water for up to 24 hrs in the fridge, i wouldn't like to advise anyone to make up a 24 hr batch of formula and store in the fridge (just as i did with charlotte and had no problems) because research has shown that baby tummy bugs have dropped dramatically due to individual feeds being made up instead of batches.

People going on that advise might end up with poorly babys. (not a dig at you sam) i would always do as it says on the tin and as midwifes/health visitors reccomend..personally to me it doesnt seem worth the risk of having a poorly baby.

 

[Krystal]

When I get up for the day I make up his 5 bottles then store in fridge and heat as used. It's your personal choice. All my family/friends have done this for years and every child is fit and healthy.

As Lisa says it's not the 'recommended' way of doing it but having researched it and the reasons why these recommendations came into place I found the risk was a tiny one.

Do what you feel is best for you and baby

 

[Krystal]

When I get up for the day I make up his 5 bottles then store in fridge and heat as used. It's your personal choice. All my family/friends have done this for years and every child is fit and healthy.

As Lisa says it's not the 'recommended' way of doing it but having researched it and the reasons why these recommendations came into place I found the risk was a tiny one and still exists with the cooled water method.

Do what you feel is best for you and baby

The only fail proof method is boiling kettle and leaving to cool for 30 mins then making each bottle fresh as needed.

 

[samandbump]

yes lisa is right about the guidelines and it is probably best to stick to them, i just do it this way as it works best for us and my MW also said she had never known any problems occur from this and fingers crossed up to now we have had no problems

i thought once the powder had been added the feed had to be used within one hour???

 

[MissThing]

I found a tip on here which I think is fab.
I only started using formula when Charlotte was 6 months but I guess you can adapt the quantities for a younger baby
I sterilise everything, and then add 6oz of boiled water to the bottles and leave to cool. When she is ready for a feed, I top up with 2oz of boiling water and then add the powder. That way, she gets milk at the right temperature and only has to wait for as long at it takes the kettle to boil (B/f babies aren't used to wating!). I chuck whatever she doesn't drink. I found bottles took ages to cool down

I do exactly the same! In this way baby gets his milk nice and warm and fresh

 

[ella]

you need to put the bottles in the fridge to keep it below bacteria breeding temperature.. everything else is fine..and use milk within an hour.. dont re-fridurate them throw them out once its been heated..

g3m make sure you shake the water lots so there arnt any heat spots and the water needs to be about 50 degrees max or the protien in the milk is destroyed

This confuses me - what you say is what my midwife recommended - but my health visitor said the water does not need to be in the fridge as it is only water and can only grow bacteria once the formula is added

 

[OopsyDaisy]

you need to put the bottles in the fridge to keep it below bacteria breeding temperature.. everything else is fine..and use milk within an hour.. dont re-fridurate them throw them out once its been heated..

g3m make sure you shake the water lots so there arnt any heat spots and the water needs to be about 50 degrees max or the protien in the milk is destroyed

This confuses me - what you say is what my midwife recommended - but my health visitor said the water does not need to be in the fridge as it is only water and can only grow bacteria once the formula is added

The formula powder is not sterile therefore in order to ensure any bacteria from the powder is destroyed, the water itself needs to be hot enough (above 70C), as recommended by the Food Standards Agency
http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive ... ementnov05

 

[trixipaws]

i make bottles up exactly how u said in ur post ella

 

[NIE]

I started making up a full days worth of feeds and storing them in the fridge. (not longer than 24 hours)

I now make them as directed on the tin and like what you said, but I make sure that any left over milk is discarded after 1 hour.

 

[kitten1102]

I found a tip on here which I think is fab.
I only started using formula when Charlotte was 6 months but I guess you can adapt the quantities for a younger baby
I sterilise everything, and then add 6oz of boiled water to the bottles and leave to cool. When she is ready for a feed, I top up with 2oz of boiling water and then add the powder. That way, she gets milk at the right temperature and only has to wait for as long at it takes the kettle to boil (B/f babies aren't used to wating!). I chuck whatever she doesn't drink. I found bottles took ages to cool down

We do the same thing...

 

[Full of hope!]

OMG.... how confusing is all this!

I'm bottle feeding Jacob as we couldn't get to grips with BF at all Anyway... i'm was going to to do the following...

Sterilise bottles etc
Boil water and add to bottle once cooled
Put the bottles in the fridge
Add powder and warm bottles when feed is needed

Will this be ok? Do the bottles of water need to go in the fridge or not?!