Hiya, daft question about formula feeding!

[Sahara]

Hiya,

I haven't posted in here very much, and I have a really silly question, but feel I can ask you all cos you all seem so nice here.

I have always been an anxious person and since I had my daughter (who is now 15 mnths) developed an OCD type anxiety around my daughter geting sick. For example everything has to be perfectly clean and I am constantly washing my hand etc.

I am recieving therapy for this and its going well.

But I want another baby shortly and my therapist and I disagree on one thing and I wondered if you all could help.

I used to make Nicola's bottles up with cooled boiled water leave them on the side and added the powder as needed, but I always wahsed my hands before I went to add milk powder.

Do Mums who have used this method from birth or very young wash your hands before adding the milk owder to the cool boiled water or not worry.

The reason I ask is my therapist thinks I don't need to but I feel I should do and its one issue I feel I need to clear up before I start trying for another baby.

Thanks all for your help
Sarah - proud Mum to Nicola monster munch!

 

[libs]

in the early days - yes I did I partially bottle fed and always washed my hands before having anything to do with anything LO ate or drank. Putting formula in means handling the teat at some point.

as he got older - prob around 4 months and we were starting to wean a little - I stopped - if my hands were clean then that was enough. But I would still follow normal hygiene - same as washing my hands before cooking.

I don't have OCD or any type of anxiety around cleaning or hygiene, but this is what I was told to do by midwife.

hope that helps

 

[Redshoes]

When Isaac was very little I always used anti-bac hand gel, I think its a normal habit around a new baby, and a good one, I have no OCD issues either. Very best wishes when you start trying for another baby, and I think your therapist may have their opinion, but the habit you're speaking of isn't OCD to me, its a natural safety precaution, but then I'm not a trained therapist

 

[Sahara]

Hi Libs and Redshoes,

Thanks for your advice. Thats sort of what I was thinkling. Wash my hands before when they are tiny, but when they are rolling around and picking things up off the floor it doesn't seem like mch point as long as your hands are clean.

You have helped alot!

 

[trixipaws]

iv only just started formula feeding my baby is 7 months and i wash my hands before opening the tin of powder. i *can* be *slightly* neurotic tho! i dont think it would be neurotic with a newborn, they need sterility while they develop little immune systems.

 

[Sahara]

Thanks trixiepaws,

Its hard you can't help but worry about your LO's can you?

My hands just get so dry! LOL

Do you use the cooled boiled water method too?

Ta
Sarah

 

[kitten1102]

when i make Tim's bottles, I put 4.5oz of boiled water into the bottles and leave them on the side with lids on to cool, and then when I want to use them in the evening, I add 1.5oz of freshly boiled water and then add the powder... and i always wash my hands...

 

[trixiehunnybun]

i always washed my hands when Scarlett was small for obvious reasons.The directions on the tin tell you to wash your hands anyway. yep i used same method, with cooled boiled water. good luck

 

[fran_23]

i used to make all my bottles up with boiling water in the morning,
leave them to cool and put them in the fridge to heat up when i
needed them- if u read the side of the formula tin it says you should
always wash your hands before making up your babies bottles,
its just normal prac tice isnt it esp with a newborn i was always careful
and same as redshoes i used anti-bac handwash before i made anything
for hayden- dont know why a therapist would criticise you for wanting
to wash your hands, you go with your insticts hun!

 

[gems]

I wash my hands and then use milton hand gel on my hands afterwards and I always make the bottles up with the cooled water method that you use. xxxx

 

[Sahara]

Oh thanks everyone you have made me feel so much better knowing that it's not part of my OCD.

I used to wash my hands and the use anti bac gel aswell and I thought it was my OCD.

CalamityGem, is that the gel you use? Does it dry your skin out - it really affected mine.

Do you all think you will stop worry so much when they are crawling and stuff?

Thanks again
Sarah

 

[LucyBee]

Yup, I still wash my hands when making up Tom's bottles. I think it's sensible especially as we might have just been changing nappies or cleaning up poo!
Lx

 

[Sahara]

Thanks Lucybee - well I am glad I am not the only one. Considering Nicola quite often manages to get poo on me. What a fight to change her nappy. She gets her foot in it then kicks and struggles nowmally landing her pooey foot on me somewhere - yuckeee

Now just to cut down on the excessive handwashing - like after I load the washing machine and before I hang out the clean laundry and silly stuff like that!!

I'm not mad honest!!!

 

[Sabrina]

I boil up a separate kettle of water for the bottles so I can leave it to cool a bit prior to making them up. Then I put them in the fridge (if they are too hot put them in a jug of cold water for a bit first). I get them out and heat them up just before each feed.

I wash my hands before making up the bottles with water, before putting the milk powder in and always before/after changing the baby's nappy. To me, it's not obsessive, just being clean, there are enough germs that they can pick up that's true but I wouldn't want to be the cause of any problems. Plus I've had real problems with the skin on my hands since George was born. I found washing them and using aquaeus cream helped.

Good luck!