Sterilised bottles for the AM feeds

[Holymoly321]

I'm bottlefeeding our DS and while I don't mind waking up at 3am or whenever to feed him, it's a real pain having to get his bottle from the kitchen. He's fine about having a bottle that isn't warmed up first, and when we go out and about I always just take a bottle of cooled boiled water in a sterilised bottle and a pot of pre-measured formula and just mix it on the go as and when he needs it. I'm wondering if I can do this during the night, so that I can just have the bottle by the bed, with the pot of formula and just mix it when DS needs it without having to go the kitchen, get the bottle out of the fridge and then heat it to take the cold edge off. Does anyone just keep a bottle by the bed ready to go?

[LilacBump]

i would just mix it up when you need it.

[KristinaM]

AFAIK you can do this any time you like!!! I'm sure its much easier if your baby will take bottles at room temperature. As long as bottles are clean and water is boiled as you say I think its fine. The milk doens't start to grow bugs til its made up so its probaby even safer than keeping in fridge made up for 24 hours, then heating.

And congrats on your new son!

[Furball]

I used to alway store the bottles, sterilised with boiled water in them on the kitchen unit, AFAIK there is no need to chill just the water. Then when DS wanted it, heated it and added the powder. Which in your case sounds ideal as you don't heat.

[Holymoly321]

THanks all - it sounds like my life could become a whole lot easier as it sounds like I can just keep a pre-sterlised bottle full of cooled boiled water by the bed along with a pot of formula and just mix it when DS wakes up - I get to stay warm and prepare the bottle from the comfort of my own bed and DS gets his feed even quicker! Is this common? Do a lot of you bottle feeding mums do this? I was just concerned as I thought that the sterilised bottles full of cooled boiled water had to remain in the fridge until they were needed to prevent nasty bugs getting in the feed. Sorry - 1st time mum paranoia raising it's ugly head again!

[JessicaandRebeccasmummy]

i always make up bottles with boiled water first thing in the morning and they sit on the side all day!

just add formula as and when a feed is needed!

[Holymoly321]

Hi Jessicaandrebeccasmummy,
How old are your DD's? I think the reason I'm so concerned (sorry for sounding so anal is that DS is only 7weeks old. Is it still ok to do that when they are so young? I sure hope so!

[JessicaandRebeccasmummy]

Jessica is 15 months and on cows milk now, but Rebecca is only 6 days old and is formula fed. Its fine - HONESTLY!

[Holymoly321]

WOW! 6 days old with a toddler and you're finding time to log on! You go girl! Thanks again and huge congrats on your new LO. Just curious - are you solely bottlefeeding her and are you using some sort of routine?

[JessicaandRebeccasmummy]

solely bottlefed.... and NO! dont do routines! Jessica is really good, and will sit and play happily, and at 6 days old - rebecca pretty much eats and sleeps!

i just let them tell me what they want when they want it.... although with rebecca i am trying to wake her for feeds every 3 hours during the day because of possible group b strep infection.

only logging on becuase dh has taken jess out for a bit and rebecca is asleep - but got to dash - hoovering needs done!

[Holymoly321]

Well best of luck with everything - and don't do too much housework! many thanks again

[KristinaM]

smiling - if you make up bottles of formula you have to keep them in the fridge and discard after 24 hours. Bottles of water are fine out at room temperature - sterilised bottles with boiled water arent going to grow many bugs. I think most babies are not as accommodating as yours about drinking milk at room temperature - hope she goes on being so easy!

[leggymamba]

I think babies take what they are used to being given - both mine bottle fed room temp from the start (noticed that I was given at room temp in hospital).

A tip for the future is if going out with jars of mush - give them at room temp too so you don't have to find heating facilities every where (again they take what they're given!)

[saadia]

I used to keep an empty bottle, sachet of formula and warm water in a flask upstairs, then mixed it all up when ds wanted it. If your ds is happy with the bottle not being warmed then I don't see any problem with your idea of keeping the water in the bottle.

Gosh, it was a pain at the time but I loved it when he was that little.

[tegan]

I always made loads of bottles in the morning when cooled put in fridge, stick in microwave when needed. At night I made a bottle and took to bed in a thermos thingy which i also used to go out.