Help with bottle feeding...

Summergurl

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Hey you lovely lot.

I'll be bottle feeding and I'm just wondering what do I do when I go out for the day? I keep reading conflicting stuff.

Obviously I won't be able to boil a kettle everywhere I go.

Do I add the cooled boiled water to the bottles and add the formula later when needed?

Do I add the formula to the water and take the ready made milk with me?

So confusing!
 
We made a couple of bottles if we were going out for a few hours, or bought the ready made stuff, before we found about his milk allergy then he was put on prescribed formula and they don't do ready made in it, I think u can boil the water and add the formula after
 
So put the water in the bottles and just add the formula powder when needed?
 
Yes I used to put water in bottle and use a.bottle bag to keep warm then add formula when needed xx
 
I don't ever write on here as I'm quite shy, but I'm an avid reader at 36 weeks. With my first I took a flask with me of hot water to add to the formula. You can also get little pots to add measured amounts of powder too, which are great as then you don't need to carry a big box about.
 
I thought I read somewhere you had to add powder to boiling water to kill any bacteria?

I've been told to make formula up before I go out or use ready made. My mummy friend told me to only give room temperature formula because then you don't have to worry about heating up formula at night or when you're out! Works well for her so will do the same but maybe give warm formula before bed. X
 
You need to add formula to hot water (over 70 degrees) to kill any bacteria in the formula. Take a flask of hot boiled water with you, a bottle of cooled boiled water and an empty bottle. Add some of the hot water to the empty bottle and add the powder then top up with the cooled boiled water x


 
A lot of cafes will give you some hot water too, you can also buy insulated bottle bags, I was naughty with my son and pre made them just before I left the house ... No harm ever came to him but there are so many options out there x
 
I don't want to give baby hot bottles I'd rather them be cooler so that I don't have to rely on somewhere to give me warm water. This is all so confusing isn't it. How would I sterilise the flask if I needed to take out hot water in it?!
 
I used to take cooled boiled water out in bottle, then add formula when out and serve at room temperature. I also did this whilst at home actually as would pour my boiling water into 6 bottles then use throughout the day. I know this is against the putting the formula into boiling water advice but this was what all my friends did and I never had any problems! I always served at room temperature so was really easy for night feeds as someone said above! Xxx
 
I bought one of thos tommee tippee machines this time as I thought with 2 babies it would be easier, anyway it makes room temperature/ warm feeds in 2 mins, haven't actually tried it yet as they are not here but I have friends that cannot recommend it enough, so I will be making feeds before I go out and putting them in thermal pockets in the changing bag for while I am out, I found with my son that you spent ages heating up/ cooling down feeds so that they were the right temperature. if not have a stash of the ready to use formula bottles, you can get smaller bottles where you add a disposable sterile teat x
 
I used to take cooled boiled water out in bottle, then add formula when out and serve at room temperature. I also did this whilst at home actually as would pour my boiling water into 6 bottles then use throughout the day. I know this is against the putting the formula into boiling water advice but this was what all my friends did and I never had any problems! I always served at room temperature so was really easy for night feeds as someone said above! Xxx

That's what I thought about doing just for days out but keep reading conflicting stuff some say I can some I can't.

We have the prep machine too but obviously can't take that out & about lol
 
To be honest it depends on if you want to follow the rules or not. I didn't as I pre made feeds ... I know they say you shouldn't but 30 years ago my parents did and my husbands parents did and we turned out fine ... My son is never really poorly. In my opinion if you are sensible, which I am very sure you are :), as long as the bottle is clean and sterilised and the feed isn't in there too long and isn't reheated multiple times etc, there is no harm in pre making 2 or 3 bottles at a time ... I know I will probably get highly criticised for saying that but at the end of the day you have to do what works for you and your baby :) ... But pre making them you will have them ready to give as a feed when you are out and about and won't have to ask for supplies either, unfortunately whatever option you choose someone will disagree with it, but finding something that fits for you and your baby is the most important part, do have a look around at all the options though before you decide :) just so you don't waste money on different things that you might not use. Plus trial and error is a fun game ... We started to pre make feeds after about a week when we couldn't feed him fast enough as it took too long to cool the bottle down. This time round I would of done the same but it's twice the amount of bottles hence the machine :) but my changing bag is supposed to keep the bottles at the temperature that they go in the pockets so giving that way a go this time

Sorry for the essay I hope it's useful info x
 
I don't want to give baby hot bottles I'd rather them be cooler so that I don't have to rely on somewhere to give me warm water. This is all so confusing isn't it. How would I sterilise the flask if I needed to take out hot water in it?!



Tommee Tippee do a flask - if you only ever put boiling water in it there's no need to sterilise it, just wash in hot soapy water and rinse. Personally I would only make a feed and take it out with me if I was going to use it really soon as made up feeds should be thrown away after 2 hours. Once you get into the habit of using the flask it's really no big deal x


 
Personally I think the priority should be safety over convenience so I used ready made cartons of formula when out and about. I could never forgive myself if my baby was ill in hospital from food poisoning because I'd made formula using cooled boiled water. I know the risks are low but the bottom line is that formula powder is not sterile... If you sterilise bottles etc otherwise, it seems contradictory to break the rules when making up formula... Formula milk also keeps for 2 hours after being made (if your baby has not yet drunk any from the bottle) so if I knew my baby was due a feed within two hours of us going out I would pre-make the milk before leaving the house.
 
The rules on formula have changed so much, i had my first son 13 years ago and you were told to make up your 6 feeds and store in the fridge until you need them, then with my 2nd and 3rd sons it was all this only prepare them when you need them which is virtually impossible if you want to leave the house! Also if you try and add the formula when the water is still hot all of the formula sticks to the scoop because of condensation.

I know with my first i sterilised everything for ages, with my 2nd a little more lapse and my 3rd probably too relaxed and out of all 3 he is the one who is the least poorly, my first son constantly had tummy bugs as a baby! If you take yourself back to when we were babies everything was so much more relaxed and were all.

Summergurl once your bubba is here you will work out your own routine with bottles and what works best for you and your routine, ive pre-made bottles up loads and i always had the tommee tipee formula holders and would add them to cold boiled water and none of my children ever had food poisoning! the water is boiled and sterile and the formula is sealed and manufactured in a sterile environment!
 
I always use cartons, after breast feeding. If not I would boil kettle, let it cool a little add formula and put in bottle. Give at room temp.
 

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