how do you prep bottle feed for nights and when out?

[PuppyDogEyes]

the correct method would be to make up fresh at night, right? and hot water from flask when out?

then why do i not see anyone using flasks? and hear that they use bottle warmers for night time.

so when out do mums just add powder to luke warm water? be isn't that against official advice, which says powder should be added to water of at least 70 degrees?

and are bottle warmers to warm already mixed feed from the fridge or to re heat water to add powder??

if you do make up fresh feeds from flasks when out or at night, how do you cool them quickly for screaming baby?

where do thermal bags fit into this equation?

i want to be safe with feeds, but there must be a safe and conveniant method for night and when out.

hmmm. confused...

[MollyMonkey]

Afraid I go for convenience and make bottles up in advance and then reheat them as required. I know this is against the advice on packs but I feed my DD when she wants it and frankly then I can't wait for 15mins for a kettle to cool, and then another 5-10 mins cooling under a tap!! Would be interested to know more on why the advice isnot to pre-prepare if anyone knows though???

[eidsvold]

dd1 was bottle fed and when out I often used the pre mixed cartons ready to pour into her bottle. If i did not have any - just room temperature water that had already been boiled. Advice when i was doing that was cooled boiled water. At night was the same - either already made up and just warmed in bottle warmer or cooled boiled water in sealed bottle on the bench - just add formula.

[crackpotdog]

we boil the kettle when doing the last feed at night and fill flask for making up night feed. once made we then stand in jug of cold water whilst sorting out bum end, then its ready to rock and roll!!!. when making bottle, kettle is quickly reboiled with small amount of water which is then used to refill flask for next night/early morning feed!!
hope this is clear!!

[crackpotdog]

when out we do take flask and ask cafe/supermarket for cold water to cool it rather than hot water to heat it!!

[didsnbump]

I make all my feeds up in advance but i use the cooled for half an hour boiled water and then keep in the fridge below 5 degrees.
When im out i take a flask of boiling water and mix it up while out and then cool it down in cold water!

When reading the Goverment guidelines, the guidelines for people leaving their babys in childcare is to pre-make and keep below 5 degrees and use within 24 hours. If its ok for then, why not all the time i think.

The reason they say not to pre-make up bottles is because formula milk isnt sterile, so to make it sterile it must be made up with boiling water that has cooled to no less then 70 degrees.

But by keeping it in the fridge below 5 degrees, bacteria cant breed!

[DoubleBluff]

I used to take boiled water in the bottle up to be bed with me, and the right amont of powder in a sterilised tub. Shake the two up when needed.
Same when out and about. Never had any probs.

[flowerybeanbag]

When out, ready mixed cartons easier, at night, make up feeds, keep in fridge then bottle warmer when required. We splashed out on a mini fridge for upstairs when DS was still feeding at night to save traipsing down to the kitchen.

[CristinaTheAstonishing]

From the NCT only this morning:
"
What is the Department of Health and Food Standards Agency advice?

More than two years ago updated advice was issued by the Department of Health
(DH) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) which recommended new safety
measures when powdered formula is mixed with water for feeding bottles.

The advice states that people making up formula milk should use fresh tap
water (not bottled or artificially softened water), and that feeds should be
made up with water that is 70oC or more, since at this temperature it only
takes four seconds for pathogenic bacteria to be killed. In practical terms,
if a full kettle is boiled to make up a feed it shouldn't be left for more
than half an hour or the water will be too cool.

The advice also recommends that parents make up each feed as it is needed,
since warm milk has been shown to be a breeding ground for bacteria.

Once parents have made up the feed, they should cool it to the right
temperature for their baby, by running the cold tap and holding the bottle
under it, remembering to ensure that the cap is covering the teat. To check
it is at the right temperature, a parent or carer should test it carefully on
the inside of their wrist before giving it to the baby - it should feel
neither warm nor cold on the skin.

Milk made from powder should never be reheated nor left over milk re-used -
instead, it should be thrown away.

For a free copy of the NCT's factsheet 'Using Infant Formula: your questions
answered', please call NCT Enquiries on 0870 4448707 or download from NCT
website www.nct.org.uk/usinginfantformula

[PuppyDogEyes]

christina - if you are not suppose to warm up milk made from powder, what are bottle warmers for then? and why are they popular?

also my little one cries and screams while a feed is being freshly made and cooled? its not always possible to predict when he wants to feed, and the process takes ages...surely leting him cry is not advisable?

maybe those companies should make rapid coolers? rather than warmers. esp when out and needing to cool a flask made feed.
or am i missing something again.

double bluff - i thought that was ok, but apparently powder must be added to hot water to kill any bacteria in it.

[kiskideesameanoldmother]

bottlewarmers have been around a lot longer than the new regulations have been and many people including Health Care Profs, still do not pass on teh new advice. Old habits die hard.

Someone below, puppydog, has suggested that if your baby is desperate, you can experiment with making up say the 6oz bottle with the required amt of formula and, say, 4 oz of hot water and then adding 2oz cold pre-boiled water to cool it down quickly. Maybe storing a lidded beaker in the fridge for this purpose?

Take with a grain of salt because i didn't bottlefeed.

[kiskideesameanoldmother]

regulations should actually be 'recommendations'

[CristinaTheAstonishing]

Puppy - I did all sorts of combinations with my DS, warming bottles, cooling bottles etc. That was 8 years ago, now I'd probably go for the new recommendations. In fact I'll tell my Mum straight away because she gives DD2 a bottle or two of formula when I'm at work.

[moodymammy]

we've never added formula to hot boiled water. we boil up a kettle full of water and put it into one of those flat fridge jugs to cool. i then sterilise all bottles for that day and night in the morning and put the cooled boiled water in them. they then go into the fridge. when i need to feed ds i take a bottle of cold water from the fridge mix with formula and then heat up by putting in a bowl of boiling water, takes about 3 minutes. I always make sure there are bottles in the fridge and a jug full of boiled water. when i'm out i either heat up the mixed formula and just take it with me if i'm not out for long, or take a few bottles of water, one of those containers that has space for 3 separate feeds and a fisher price flask. phew! hope that makes sense!

[PuppyDogEyes]

Moody - it makes sense.

i have been adding formula to cooled boiled water stored in sterised bottles.

thought that would be ok. but understand that water and formula must be hot when mixed.

so having read and read the official advice....

so thinking of getting a feeding system at night. the lindam one has a cooler bit and then a warmer. so i can make up two feeds, chill to store, and then warm to use - without having to go downstairs.

for out and about...thinking of a cool bag (to keep chilled milk) and then a flask to reheat it to room temp.

would use flask to make a fresh feed, but what if i can't get hold of cold water to cool it. e.g in the car?

also thinkingof using readymade cartons, but will prob then end up throwing half away each time.

whadja think?

anyone recommend a good cool bag?

anyone know if i'll get two big avent bottles in the lindam?

[PotPourri]

I washed and sterilised all the bottles at night. Boiled a big fresh kettle and filled them all up and closed them off. Left them on the board until used the next day. When making up bottles I woudl put in teh scoops and shake alot. My girls always had bottles at room temperature. I never reheated or even heated (i.e. didn't store bottles in the fridge). In fact, it was someone on mumsnet who gave me that tip on a thread about the one tip you would give a new mum. It meant I could go out and about with a little powder dispenser (the one with 3 slots) and a couple fo bottles and never worry about not having milk.

I plan to do the same this time too (if breastfeeding doesn't work out again)

[talulatreefrog]

I am a terrible mother as I sterilise bottles and fill them with boiled water the night before. I use them throughout the day, reheating them in the microwave and adding powder after I have warmed them. If I am going out I fill the bottle with freshly boiled water and cool it as necc. All three of mine have been fine using thise method.

[PotPourri]

Oh, the cartons can be stored in the fridge once opened I think, so if you only use half you can store the other half - discovered that after DD woudl only take 2 oz, but I was usinga full carton each time.

I always understood that the germs were in the milk spores - so if you are adding hte powder there and then, they must be pretty nifty germs to run riot in a 2 minute time period. And can;t understand what germs could build up in freshly sterilised (stil hot from the steriliser) with boiled water that later cools while the bottle is sealed.

But then, I haven't read the guidelines, is it something to do with the child not beign able to digest the milk if not mixed in properly? A really vigorous shake does mix it in.

[PuppyDogEyes]

i do the same pot pourri and talula.

but this is not right, apparently, as cooled boiled water will not kill bacteria in powder.

does anyone actually follow te official guidence, or just do as they feel best?

because its just not practical to go anywhere with baby following official guidence. or sleep at night.

[kaa0901]

what a faff these new recommendations are! when DS was very small i would fill three sterilised bottles with cooled boiled water and put in the fridge adding the powder and heating as needed. now he is older and only on a few bottles a day, i just make up the bottles with the powder two at a time and leave in the fridge ready to be heated.

i know I am going to rot in hell for being such a bad mother but DS has never been ill and he has never had the patience to wait for me to boil a kettle, let it cool, add powder and then run it under a tap!