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AIBU?

To think the recommended forumla prep is impractical?!

191 replies

sleepwhatsleep · 29/08/2016 15:45

So it's 3am and DS who is newborn starts to stir, waking me up. I go downstairs and pick up the leaflet on bottle feeding so follow the instructions of the current recommended advice which say a bottle should only be made up when the baby asks for it. So, no second guessing. Wait until you see the signs. So.

First I have to pray to all that is holy that DS is only at the early stiring stage so that I have enough time to make this bottle.

Because it takes more than 45 minutes to prepare a bottle following the guidelines.

First you boil the kettle and then leave it for 30 minutes. In the meantime patiently explain to the baby that there isn't any evidence behind using the perfect prep machine and premaking bottles in the fridge is also only if "absolutely necessary".

Then make up the feed in the sterile bottle.

Obviously it is too hot still. So you have to hold the still pretty hot bottle under a cold water tap. That's what the leaflet says. My top record for cooling it down this way is 15 minutes, minor burns and 37 swear words on how long this is taking while DS becomes impatient.

Then feed the baby.

We did this for 24 hours. At the end of the night I had spent £70 for a tommee tippee perfect prep machine and I cackled with hysterical glee and tears of joy as the delivery man handed it to me.

I get that it's based on evidence but AIBU for not blaming myself and others for buying the perfect prep machine? Midwife was not impressed.

OP posts:
ABloodyDifficultWoman · 29/08/2016 15:48

Really? This is what people go through now? We made up two days supplies in advance and fridged them - then warmed in the microwave! Grin I'm here to tell you nobody died! I don't get all this ladling anxiety onto new parents - it seems to have become an industry in itself.

HardToDeal · 29/08/2016 15:49

The water hitting the formula needs to be over 70 degrees to make it safe. So. Preboil water and store in fridge. Boil kettle. Use small amount of boiling water + chilled pre boiled water to add to powder. Make up remainder with preboiled water. This is basically what the Perfect Prep does anyway. Fresh bottle, safely made, no time at all.

Mouikey · 29/08/2016 15:49

All my friends who are formula feeding totally recommend the perfect prep. I'm BF but knowing how it can be purchased a second hand perfect prep for if it didn't work out (I've been reliably informed this happens normally at 3am!!). Why would the mw be upset with the pp - surely anything that helps is a good thing???

LifeInJeneral · 29/08/2016 15:50

I wish I had bought one! We got by by making 2 bottles before bed after his last feed and putting them in a min if ridge upstairs. I have a bottle warmer in my bedroom so would warm up bottle while I changed his nappy then feed him. It's not ideal as not making them up fresh but he never had any stomach problems. I actually didn't know about perfect prep machine until recently and I nearly sobbed when I found out there was an easier way.
On a side note, DS is nearly 7 months, is it still worth buying one now or will his formula feeds decrease so much that it's not worth it?

Hoppinggreen · 29/08/2016 15:51

Totally impractical. I had DS at the same time as sil had her DD. She insisted on sticking to the guidelines and I did the same as I had done with DD 3 years before as per the guidelines then
DS was fed burped and fast asleep while her child was still screaming and waiting for her bottle!!
I'm sure the guidelines are there for a reason but yes, it's a bit impractical

PotatoBread · 29/08/2016 15:51

The perfect prep machine was one of my first purchases when I was pregnant Grin DD is now 8 weeks and it's a miracle machine in my view - love it

listsandbudgets · 29/08/2016 15:53

Thank all that is holy I was able to breastfeed. I don't know what this machine is but if it saves all the hassle you describe it sounds worth every penny.

Tell your midwife she's welcome to pop round at midnight and 3am and 5.45am to carry out above procedures.

YADNBU

sleepwhatsleep · 29/08/2016 15:54

LifeInJeneral the machine will make bottles up to 11 ounces in size so maybe?

Midwife wasn't happy as there have not been any studies done yet to prove that the machine is safe to use.

OP posts:
MilkTwoSugarsThanks · 29/08/2016 15:55
feesh · 29/08/2016 15:55

I kind of agree with you, and I live overseas in a very international community and have seen that the Americans and Australians etc have no such guidelines (they make their feeds up with cooled water). I think it is overly complicated and difficult to interpret, but the Brits are very risk-averse as a culture and I think it's rooted in that. I also think that perhaps its left as difficult as possible to try and improve the breastfeeding rates.

I had twins and the early weeks were hellish. The way we survived it was to (a) have set feeding times. They were fed every 3 hours on the dot. I know this is deeply frowned upon in MNLand, but it was brilliant - they were never starving hungry by this point, so we never had to deal with any major meltdowns and it meant we could start the prepping of bottles half an hour in advance while they were still asleep. We nearly always had to wake them for a feed, which led to them being pretty chilled out babies, as they knew where their next feed was coming from, so to speak, and they never learned to cry or scream for food.

And (2) after a few weeks, we started to make up an entire day's worth of bottles in one batch, flash-cool them in iced water and then keep them in the fridge until feeding time. It was so liberating when we started doing this - it took us from having 20 minutes free every 3 hours to having a whole half an hour or even an hour free between feeds.

Perfect Prep wasn't around then, but if it was, I would DEFINITELY have bought one.

Wilberforce2 · 29/08/2016 15:55

Ds is nearly 8 and I just made them up in batches and put them in the fridge until I needed them because my dh who has a daughter 14 years older said that was how they used to do it! Did the same again with dd who is now 2.5 and all was good!

My sister had a perfect prep machine and swore by it!

Summerholsdoingmyheadin · 29/08/2016 15:55

But you don't have to wait 30 minutes for the kettle to cool, you just can't leave it voing hit any longer than 30 minutes.

The perfect prep has safety concerns. It is safer and cheaper to keep pre booked water in the fridge and then make up a bottle when needed using 50% boiling hot water and then topping up with 50% of your cooled boiled water once you have added the boiling hot water to the powder and shook it up.

Summerholsdoingmyheadin · 29/08/2016 15:57

Can't leave it for any longer than ^^

Flossiesmummy · 29/08/2016 15:57

In reference to the proper utter bollocks way of making a bottle outlined in your first post, ain't nobody got time for that!

The PP machine sounds amazing.

ThereIsIron · 29/08/2016 15:58

All you need is a basin of cold water to cool down the 6-8 bottle you make each evening, a fridge, and a mirowave.

OfaFrenchmind2 · 29/08/2016 15:58

I think we may have different guidelines back home. All the babies that I have seen in my group of friends and relatives are formula fed (btw, is there some kind of baby season in groups of friends? Every couples are having babies at an handful months of difference) and the preparation is simple: predosed power in the bib, add mineral water recommended for babies at room temperature, shake and plug in baby. Nobody seems surprised.

GahBuggerit · 29/08/2016 15:59

im Confused that you waited until he was hungry before reading the instructions, have you got a death wish woman! Grin

cooled boiled water + boiled and youre done in 30 secs, no need for all that faff! or get the cartons for night feeds, god send they are

PopcornFiend · 29/08/2016 16:00

Daytime - have a large lidded plastic jug (£5 from the Range) filled with preboiled water, chilled in fridge. When baby needs a bottle, boil kettle and pour a bit into a sterile bottle. Add powder and mix. Add cool boiled water from fridge to the required level.

Night time - have a tray in bedroom with a few sterile bottles, formula powder, and 2 thermos flasks: one filled with boiling water, the other with cool boiled water. Make up feeds on demand, as above.

We've done it with 2 babies, no need to shell out for a perfect prep, just a lidded jug and 2 thermos flasks.

Easy!

GahBuggerit · 29/08/2016 16:01

or get a thermal bag, throw tearfully hot bottle in when you go to bed, by time babys due a feed it should be just right

Allthecoolnamesaretaken · 29/08/2016 16:02

Don't blame you at all OP! I don't know how I'd survive without my Perfect Prep, saves so much time and minimal fuss. The only problem I find with mine is the house gets really hot in summer so the temperature warning light occasionally comes on.

Once I explained my reasons to my Health Visitor she was fine, even though they can't advocate it as you've already said. If the midwife persists just be assertive with her and tell her your reasons why, no need to explain further.

I liked mine that much I ended up buying an extra two - one for at each sets of grandparents. Blush

Me624 · 29/08/2016 16:03

Love my Perfect Prep machine. I'm very comfortable with its safety. The only study I have seen (linked to on here once) said that there was a concern that it didn't dispense enough hot water to dissolve the powder, and that it allows you 2 minutes after the hot water has been dispensed by which time it might not be hot enough to sterilise the powder. Well, mine seems to dispense plenty of water and I add the powder straight away when it is very hot to the touch. I can't imagine many people leave it until the end of the maximum two minutes allowed!

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 29/08/2016 16:05

The water hitting the formula needs to be over 70 degrees to make it safe. So. Preboil water and store in fridge. Boil kettle. Use small amount of boiling water + chilled pre boiled water to add to powder. Make up remainder with preboiled water. This is basically what the Perfect Prep does anyway. Fresh bottle, safely made, no time at all.

Yeah, do that OP , sounds cheaper than a machine.

Mind you, if be inclined to do what o used to which was make up 6 bottles in advance and put them in the fridge.

Yes, I know that's not currently advised but it's soooooooo easy!

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FATEdestiny · 29/08/2016 16:05

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/infant-formula-questions.aspx

"If made-up formula is stored in a fridge, use within 24 hours."

I have no idea why folks over complicate this.

  • Sterilise 6 bottles (or as many as you need for 24 hours)


  • Make up 6 bottles using water that boiled 30 mins ago (so after you've drank your tea Wink)


  • store bottles in back if fridge


  • as needed, warm bottle in jug of hot water or just microwave cos it's s million times easier


It's not rocket science.
StillStayingClassySanDiego · 29/08/2016 16:08

Bloody hell, it's hard work being a parent these days!

Back in the day we made up 8/10 bottles at a time, rapidly cooled them, refrigerated,, then warmed them up in the microwave to take the chill off, I did throw them away after 24 hours mind.

No sickness or upset tummies with any of my three.

Minesril · 29/08/2016 16:08

You can leave a bottle for up to 2 hours, which is more than enough time to cool. If you know roughly when the baby feeds then just work back from that time. I realise that mine was quite unusual in his strict schedule following!

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