how to prepare night feeds

[confusedlilly]

Even tho this is dc2 I can't remember how I did it for 4 years ago.

How do you prepare night feeds? I have the prefect prep machine in the daytime. Bedroom is two flights up so don't really want to have to go downstairs through the night. I have been using ready made cartons at night. However this could get expensive.

How do you all do it? Also goes for going out? I'm taking one made up bottle with me and then cartons. I'm due to spend the afternoon with mil and I will be out for about 6 hours so could get expensive with the cartons.

Any advice??

[icclemunchy]

You either need to make it up as per the instructions on the box (boil kettle allow to cool slightly add formula then cool under running water) or use cartons. I know some people take a flask with hot water in to bed with them although I'm not sure how reliable that is in terms of having the water the correct temp.

Making the formula up any other way risks not killing the bacterial found in the formula which I guess is a risk only you know if your comfortable with. I know my mum used to boil the kettle fill all my bottles and just add formula as needed, but then she also weaned me at 3months

[Cathster]

We have a thermos that we fill with hot water, and prepare a few pots of cooled boiled water.

We then put a few ounces of hot water in the bottle, add formula and then top up with the cooled water to make it the right temp instantly.

[BikeRunSki]

We used a Fridge to Go to take night feeds to bed and to take made up bottles out for the day. It's a little cool bag that keeps very cold for 8 hours. I'd warm bottles up but putting them under my jumper!

[confusedlilly]

I will look at the fridge to go thank you. I know in my leaflet that the hospital gave me it's says we can keep them in back of a fridge for 24 hours so that looks like a good option.

Thank you for your help. I feel clueless again this time around and mumsnet is proving to be so helpful!

[Cuppaand2biscuits]

I received nhs training on formula feeding last week for my role as a Surestart volunteer. The nhs lady rubbished those perfect prep machines saying they don't add enough hot water to dissolve all of the formula and kill the bacteria in the formula.
She said you can take a flask of boiling water out for the day or up to bed but it needs to be a full flask so the water stays really hot.
She made it sound very much a science and the women in the room who had formula fed seemed surprised by how thorough she was but I suppose that's the nhs guidelines.

[KatyN]

I have the prep machine in the bedroom for this reason!! During the day I can pop upstairs to make a bottle but in the night I want it right to hand!!

We use cartons when out and about, I don't trust a thermos to keep the water hot enough (although I could test it with a thermometer of course!!)

K

[unimagimative13]

Put the machine in the bedroom!

Or used ready made.

When your out put the powder into the pots, say your doing 8oz bottles, fill 5oz of cool boiled water into you sterile bottles.
Imitate the PP machine, pour 3oz boiling water into an empty bottle then add powder then top up with the 5oz cool.

Personally the ready made are worth their weight in gold!

[unimagimative13]

To the poster saying the NHS rubbished the PP machine.

I've just seen a post on FB where someone asked the same question and over 100 comments said make them up and add the powder to the water from the fridge or room temp or something else. ( my child was fine etc etc)

So if this is still the way people are doing it then surely the PP is 100 times better.

[GreenRug]

I had all this hassle with my first two (ff from more or less the start), I used to take up a bottle of boiled water and add the formula when they woke. I then read some threads on MN about it not being the water that needs sterilising, it's the formula! I moved swiftly onto the cartons! Expensive in comparison but for me the easier option and i love an easy option

[BiftasWifta]

I have the PP machine, the boiling water covers the formula powder and then some! Plenty to kill bacteria. I'm sure the claim that it killed bacteria in the milk would have had to have been tested before going on sale?

Its brilliant for night feeds, can't recommend it enough.

[unimagimative13]

Yes! The formula needs to be added to boiling water! So many people just add to room temp 'because that's how their baby liked it'

[scandichick]

I've looked into the PP machine because I'm dead lazy, and as previous posters have said it doesn't seem to use enough hot water to kill all bacteria in the formula.

Tommy Tippee have been asked to clarify this, but haven't substantiated their claims that the hot shot used is enough. They mention a filter in the marketing materials, but I can't see how that affects the powder at all.

The infant feeding trust something something (will have to look up the name) have tried to test the claims, and recommends not using the machine.

Unfortunately there are lot of baby products on sale that don't meet guidelines about safety - looking at you, cot bumpers.

[scandichick]

First Steps Nutrition Trust - sorry about link format
<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.firststepsnutrition.org/pdfs/Statement_on_making_up_formula%2520safely_Mar_2015_final.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwiWkOCX3oTMAhVBaA8KHYoWCfoQFggaMAA&usg=AFQjCNFvD-ezBQR12dDqZCbG7yqws9luFQ&sig2=F54bC2qXsPNZu7AU3tqHfA" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">www.google.ie/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.firststepsnutrition.org/pdfs/Statement_on_making_up_formula%2520safely_Mar_2015_final.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwiWkOCX3oTMAhVBaA8KHYoWCfoQFggaMAA&usg=AFQjCNFvD-ezBQR12dDqZCbG7yqws9luFQ&sig2=F54bC2qXsPNZu7AU3tqHfA

[unimagimative13]

Like I said tho, sooooo many people aren't make bottles the correct way.

Say if your making an 8oz bottle the PP will dispense 3oz of boiling water. You mix in 8scoops. Then dispensed 5oz of filtered water. The temp of this is 38 degrees

Are you say that the 3oz is not enough volume of water for the 8 scoops of powder?

Funnily enough we've just change to anti reflux milk and this is recommended to be made with water 40-50 degrees. NOT The 70 degrees to kill bacteria

[BiftasWifta]

I honestly don't see how it's not enough hot water to kill bacteria. It covers the powder, and then you give it a good shake before adding the second shot of water

[dontcryitsonlyajoke]

Doesn't boiling water kill the probiotics, hence it needing to be boiled and then cooled to 70C before mixing, not at boiling when you mix? Boiling kills bacteria but also those extra things they add to make it more like breast milk.

I really would be tempted to stick with ready made for night feeds regardless of cost - I used them when I used formula at night for 2 of my DCs. Expensive but by far the least hassle and much safer than any of the non-guideline options.

[Jw35]

I used to put cool boiled water in a bottle and add hot water from a flask in the night then add the powder from a sectioned powder dispenser. I did the same out and about too, piece of cake! You need to work out the right temps for your baby but I remember it was 4oz of cold to 3oz of hot at the time

[Jw35]

Ooh just been reading back and see people are worried about adding powder to non boiling water..my dd was on anti reflux formula which you're supposed to mix with hand hot water otherwise it curdles!

[Chottie]

My DD just used ready mixed all the time, just to be safe and sure that there was no bacteria.

[HairyBoob]

This is five years ago now but HVs and such would probably spontaneously combust if I told them how I made up night feeds. I used to make bottles up (hot water plus powder, cool rapidly) then store at back of fridge. Twenty seconds in microwave whilst DS1 screaming for bottle at 3am. Ping - bottle ready He was good as gold

BFing DS2 and do not miss the faff. Kudos to all you guys patient enough to fill flasks and take machines up to bed!

[Jw35]

HairyBoob flasks aren't that difficult! Also I couldn't do it your way as anti reflux can't be made it advance!

[unimagimative13]

At least that way your adding the powder to the hot water.

So many people cool the water then add the powder