Our LO has never really woken herself up for feeds. One of the reasons why I struggled to establish breastfeeding in the first week especially, as she just wasn't waking herself and I was never sure how long I should wait before waking her! Even now we are still having to wake her up for each feed (unless she's already awake of course, as after some feeds she doesn't sleep) and I just wondered if this is the same for anyone else or whether we just have a really lazy baby?
Waking baby for feeds
- Thread starter SAHF
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It varies as HV has told us to up the amount of formula we give her during the day to fit her weight as the packaging is for babies a little smaller than her. We were feeding her every 4-4.40 hours as per packaging, now every 2-3 hours during day smaller feeds and then at night the normal 4-4.40 hours. She's gaining weight fine, she just very rarely wakes herself and as we're making bottles with the kettle and have to wait 30 mins each time for kettle to cool, we generally stick to times we think she should feed as otherwise she'd be screaming wanting a feed and have to wait 30 mins!
Why do you have to wait 30 mins for the kettle to cool?
The water needs to be hot enough to kill the bacteria in the formula, so generally you shouldn't wait longer than 10 minutes to use it.
I save boiled water in an empty bottle to stay cool. Boil water in the kettle, add 2oz to an empty bottle, add formula, shake, add 4oz of the cooled boiled water, shake. This method takes a couple of minutes.
The water needs to be hot enough to kill the bacteria in the formula, so generally you shouldn't wait longer than 10 minutes to use it.
I save boiled water in an empty bottle to stay cool. Boil water in the kettle, add 2oz to an empty bottle, add formula, shake, add 4oz of the cooled boiled water, shake. This method takes a couple of minutes.
That's the guidelines for formula. You have to boil the kettle and leave the water to cool for 30 minutes before using it, no sooner, no longer. Thankfully we have a Tommee Tippee prep machine coming this week but until then, we have to rely on the kettle!
As far as I'm aware that's the rule with all formula nowadays - we use Aptamil. It's clearly stated in the instructions on the box.
As far as I'm aware that's the rule with all formula nowadays - we use Aptamil. It's clearly stated in the instructions on the box.
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Browneyed Girl
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They are the guidelines but the method Orion uses is exactly the same as the Perfect Prep (except the Perfect Prep uses cold filtered water instead of cooled boiled water to cool the bottle to the right temperature). If you do what Orion does it's the same if not slightly better than the Perfect Prep. That's what I do when out and about xx
Browneyed Girl
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I'd probably use an ounce of boiling water and 3 ounces of cooled boiled water as otherwise it will be too hot. Obviously always check the temperature once you've made it. I use the TT bottle warmer as a flask so I can take boiling water out with me to make feeds up - it's brilliant and keeps the water hot for ages (it's still warm the next day when I pour it away and refill) x
I used aptimil and always made a flask up at night to take upstairs. That way I could make the bottle and it took no longer than 5 mins to cool down. The water was always still boiling hot the next morning. I did that for the entire time my son was on bottles made life a lot easier
I don't have any flasks unfortunately which is a right pain, otherwise I'd do that for the night feeds.
I'm guessing that none of you wake your babies for feeds then, and instead wait for them to wake you and let you know they're hungry?
I'm guessing that none of you wake your babies for feeds then, and instead wait for them to wake you and let you know they're hungry?
I used too some nights but then at five months I found I was waking him and giving him milk that he didn't want so I decided one night to see what happened. Never looked back - he didn't wake the next night and slept right through. He was 5 months though do slightly older. I'd speak to your hv for advise.
HV has told us to feed on demand... But we started waking her for feeds when she was first born and I was struggling to establish breastfeeding. I'm going to try tonight letting her tell me when she's hungry. I've managed to find a bottle warmer than came with a changing bag and out a flask of boiled water in that - it's not a thermos so won't stay hot all night but hoping the flask and bottle warmer together will at least stay warm for one feed. Then I can just refill it later! Wish me luck ha 
Browneyed Girl
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I only woke my lo for a feed for the first few weeks as he struggled to regain his birth weight and had jaundice. Once he'd regained his birth weight and was gaining ok I just fed on demand and eventually he got into his own rough routine. Good luck with the flask!
The water needs to be at least 70C to kill any bacteria in the formula. So using warm water that is cool enough for baby to drink isn't going to kill the bacteria that could make baby very ill.
And the Aptamil instructions state clearly to boil the kettle and leave no longer than 30 minutes. Not to wait 30 minutes before making a feed. Other formulas don't take that risk and say to leave the water for no longer than 10 minutes to ensure its hot enough.
And the Aptamil instructions state clearly to boil the kettle and leave no longer than 30 minutes. Not to wait 30 minutes before making a feed. Other formulas don't take that risk and say to leave the water for no longer than 10 minutes to ensure its hot enough.
As it says - Leave kettle to cool for 30 minutes and no longer. Opposed to 'boil the kettle and leave no longer than 30 minutes.'. Hence why many, many others have also followed the instructions as I have (you only have to look through previous threads on feeding and in the formula section, particularly when people are discussing the prep machine). Also why the community midwife team and my Health Visitor have read the instructions the same way I have. If it said 'boil the kettle and use within 30 minutes', that would be a different matter. However it doesn't.
The website however says "Boil 1 litre of fresh water. Leave kettle to cool for no longer than 30 mins.", so I called the customer services number to query which one is actually correct, the website or the packaging. They couldn't give me a straight answer, but agreed that yes, the packaging does say leave the kettle to cool for 30 minutes and yes, that does imply before use.
I'm awaiting an email from the customer services to explain why the website and the packaging have different instructions.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who was waking baby for feeds! I've been feeding her just on demand now since Saturday during the day and since Sunday at night too. She's generally waking every 3 hours max for feeds during the day and at night 4 hours. Trying her with her first 5oz bottle later tonight when she wakes for her next feed, as she's 4 weeks now so to start on 5oz although will see how that goes as during the day she's been having between 2oz - 4oz bottles.
Definitely finding it easier the past couple of nights feeding on demand opposed to waking her up! I find her stirring wakes me up pretty easily (I was worried I'd sleep through and just wake if she was crying and worked up, thankfully not!) and she's sleeping longer, giving me a chance to get a couple of hours in between!
All I can say is what I was told by my HVs which is to leave the water no longer than 10 minutes, backed up by various websites and formula instructions, as well as NHS leaflets and website that says the water must be 70C or over to kill any life threatening bacteria in formula.
Using anything below 70C is just for baby's comfort, but essentially it's like using cold previously boiled water. Safe to drink, but not killing any bacteria.
I'd get a thermometer and see what temp the water is after leaving for 30 minutes. If it's below 70C that's a very serious complaint to be made to Aptamil.
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Belfa
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My LO always woke every 3 hrs for a fee so we didn't have to wake him but if he had slept for 4 hrs I would have left him.
As for bottles, in the eat days we used the ready make aptamil bottles, the ones where you screw on the teat - what a lifesaver! We then moved on to a perfect prep machine, I take my hat off to anyone who can make a bottle without one as we just don't have the patience to do it any other way! X
As for bottles, in the eat days we used the ready make aptamil bottles, the ones where you screw on the teat - what a lifesaver! We then moved on to a perfect prep machine, I take my hat off to anyone who can make a bottle without one as we just don't have the patience to do it any other way! X
