How do people ACTUALLY prepare formula??

[Tinaland]

Hi

I have had to start feeding my 3 week old formula. Just wondering how people ACTUALLY prepare it??

I know the instructions say make each bottle as needed with freshly boiled cooled water; do not store the boiled water or made up formula etc, but what do people do in the real world?

Do you store boiled water - in the fridge or not? Do you store made up feeds??

What about going out and about?

Thanks xxx

[bamboobutton]

what im doing is filling the bottle 2/3rds full with boiling water and leaving it to cool.

when i need to make up a feed i boil the kettle and top up the last third with boiling and then add the powder and feed straight away.

hope that makes sense?!

[thishurtsalot]

I didn't start giving formula until DD was older (3months +). I was scrupulous with washing & sterilising and made 3 or 4 bottles at a time:

boil kettle, wait 10 minutes, pour in water, add formula, cool quickly in sink, store at back of fridge, warm when needed, discard after an hour.

The important bit is that the formula should be added to the water while it is 70 degrees or more in order to kill potentially deadly bacteria.

Out and about I would take a clean bottle and a carton.

At 3 weeks I would suggest that you make up feeds freshly or use cartons, then when your baby is a bit bigger and less vulnerable have a think about the possible short cuts you can take.

[BeehiveBaby]

I used to make up all the formula powder with half the quantity of water pretty much straight from the kettle (glass bottle, wouldn't do that with plastic) then tip that in to a bottle containing half the quantity of previously boiled water from the fridge. Or make with water from the ketle cool quickly in the sink. I only ever used one bottle a day but it wasn't as much of a faff as it sounds. Cartons for out and about but might be too big for a 3 week old? Glass bottles are antastic in my opinion as they heat up and cool down as required so much quicker than plastic.

[frakkit]

Half quantity just boiled water, full quantity powder, half quantity boiled-and-cooled to bring it down to drinkable temperature. I store boiled and cooled water in sterilised bottles in the fridge but I know people who use covered jugs as well.

You must add water above 70 to kill any nasty bacteria in the formula. I know people say the risks are minute etc and up til about 3 months ago I would have agreed the risks were tiny (although as a maternity nanny I follw the guidelines yesterday) but a baby at church got very, very sick from enterobacter sakazaki which is found in formula so it really does happen and it's serious.

Out and about for a tiny I would either take a carton or ask for some boiling water when out at a cafe or similar.

[frakkit]

Why did it auto-correct anway to yesterday but leave follow as it was?!

Stupid phone.

[DuncanDisorderly]

I have twins and use 100% ready made formula, but if I had to use powder I'd make up a day's worth, put in the fridge until required then re-heat as needed. I know this isn't the recommended way but sometimes you just have to calculate the risks against how time-consuming the 'right' way is.

[Ryoko]

Well I use a thermos flask, I fill it with freshly boiled water about twice a day (it's only a 0.5L one).

I pore it into a Avent bottle I keep upturned on the draining board while I put the powder into the Boots bottles I'm using now (my mind wonders and I forget how many scopes I've done , I can tip it back in the can and start again see).

Then I pore the water into the bottle, slap the top on and leave it to stand in a jug of water to cool, I put ice cubes in the jug if it's not cooling quick enough or put the jug with bottle in the fridge.

I don't know how hot it should be, what I've been doing for the last two months is sticking my finger in the avent bottle if it burns me it gets used if it don't I empty the thermos and boil up some fresh.

[mamaloco]

I fill sterilised bottles with boiling water closed them and let them cool down (if they are closed and not tampered with, they stay sterile). Then I put the powder only for the one bottle I need, shake it and feed my baby. If the room temperature is cold I reheat a bit, but around 25C, I don't.
My formula pack says to add at 40 C not 70C, as hot temperature destroy the vitamins and there is a slight chance that the mum won't wait till it is cool down enough if the baby is screaming.
Never prepare the milk (with the powder in) in advance. You can store the water in sterile bottles without it being in the fridge (but don't put your finger in any of the inside parts of the bibs, use thongs to fit the teats...)

[Ryoko]

I don't understand the thing about thongs, I use my fingers, surely it's fine if you wash your hands first? (I use anti bac liquid soap).

[Morloth]

Ryoko "I don't understand the thing about thongs, I use my fingers, surely it's fine if you wash your hands first? (I use anti bac liquid soap)."

[mamaloco]

Even washed your skin carry bacteria (and don't get yourself a scrubber that is normal and good for you!). Please don't use antbacterial soap that is really not necessary.
If you put your finger in the water the inside of the bottle, on the teats or inside of the cap, it is not sterile anymore. if you want to test the temperature, sprinkle a few drops of milk on your wrist.

[tabouleh]

mamaloco - what country are you in? If you are in the UK what brand of formula are you using?

"My formula pack says to add at 40 C not 70C, as hot temperature destroy the vitamins" - that is not the World Health Organisation guidance.

Tinaland - IMO you are ver much asking the WRONG questoin. Most people in this country make up the formula in an UNSAFE way. You are better off understanding the guidelines and the reasons for them and then making your decision. With a three week old you need to be even more careful - as they are so young and their immune systems not so developed.

FSA press release

Guidance for HCPs on preparation of formula.

If you look at the leaflet you will see that you can prepare in advance provided you use water which is more than 70 degrees and rapidly cool and refrigerate. However there are more risks associated with this than with preparing fresh each time.

As frakkit says the risk from not using water which is at least 70 degrees is that bacteria (contained within the forumla packet and introduced during the manufacture) - will cause life threatening illness. Other bacteria which may be introduced due to unscrupulous sterilisation etc are perhaps more likely to cause some D&V - but far less serious.

[mamaloco]

I am in romania, but I used Aptamil. The reason why it is at 40C is because it also contains probiotic. You have to follow what's on your brand of milk according to temperature. (especially if it is a special formula)
I desagree with the WHO, if the bacteria are already in the milk powder you shouldn't prepare a batch of milk for 24 h it is not safe.

[frakkit]

The bacteria have hopefully been killed by the 70C water. That's the point - to sterilise the powder that you've added. Once it's sterilised it's sterile (again).

So once you've put the powder into a sterile bottle and sterilised that with boiling water there should be no bacteria left. The remaining steam from the water should thoroughly sterilise the interior of the bottle.

As far as probiotic formula Nestlé have been thoroughly questioned over the guidance on their Good Start formula and their production procedures so I'm sceptical about the safety of probiotic formula. In any case it specifically says on the tin to make at 40C you should avoid it. Probiotic formulas should have been thoroughly sterilised before the probiotic is added to make it safe for 40C. Stress on the should.

For a very small baby I would always make up fresh.

[pommedeterre]

I used cartons from 4 -10 weeks (only two weeks fully ff) then started using powder. I do two at a go and use boiled water left for 5-10 mins. I always boil at least a litre of water in the kettle as 30 mins 70 C is the cooling rate for a litre I think.
I cool in a saucepan in the sink with the tap running over it for 3-4 mins and then store in fridge.

[pommedeterre]

Out and about cartons and as they are now pretty rare (currently!) I use cartons for night feeds too.

[NotQuiteCockney]

I think killing the bacteria already in the milk powder (which is the point of the 70C guidance) is more important than keeping any "probiotics" (which might just be advertising gumph) intact.

[tabouleh]

mamaloco - I thought you must be in another country.

I am pretty certain that your country has not adopted the WHO guidelines.

I am VERY interested in this as I think that it shows that formula companies are being totally unprofessional and unscrupulous in having different safety advice on the same product in different countries.

I have found the Roumanian aptamil website here are you using the "Aptamil Prematil" - I've had a look on the website and translated (via babblefish!) some text but can't find any bottle preparation information.

Does anyone know how we could find out if the formula is the same in the UK as in other countries.

I'd be really grateful if you could direct me to the correct page.

The UK website has this guide "Boil freshly run tap water and leave to cool for 30 mins, unless otherwise indicated on pack."

Now the reason that they say leave for 30 mins is because this is the temperature it takes for it to get down to 70 degrees.

They should say "no more than 30 mins".

Hipp for example say "Boil freshly run tap water and leave to cool for less than 30 minutes."

[LolaKnickers]

Did it the faffy way they tell you to for around 3 months then gave up and made bottles in advance.

[Ryoko]

What powders contain probiotics?

I've only seen it written on the Hipp cartons.

[mamaloco]

tabouleh, I can translate from my pack. I use Aptamil 1 (DD is 5 months) with immunofortis not shown on your link but almost the same as aptamil 2, the same I used to use in the UK 5 years ago for DD1.

wash your hand, sterilised bottle, boiled water let it cool down to 40C, fill a sterile bottled, had powder (amount required and how to do the mesure exactly), shake, cool down to 37 C check on your wrist, feed immediatly, disgard any left over.

From what I have read on the UK site, it is the same formula but with a different packaging.
It is more expensive but the poo of my DDs didn't change much when I stop BF and went on FF, so I guessed it mimick the breast milk pretty well, compared with the nestle they gave her at the hospital (agaisnt my will) and made her poo like cheese. Sorry TMI, and out of topic.

In France, bottles are made also with tepid water, they say cold is OK but the milk will disolved better with the water a bit warmer.
I think on the continent they are more scared about burnt babies (which happens much more often than the bacteria you are talking about), than about catching something from the powder.
I agree it is very confusing and they should have a European standard.

[ViveLaFrak]

Not done that way (well not the advice given) in France any more. Although plenty of people do just use mineral water and formula at room temp

[Morloth]

Wasn't France where the babies died from bacteria in formula?

[tabouleh]

Well the WHO are very clear in their guidelines and research.

I think we should be asking WTF the health authorities and formula companies are playing at.

If the have some contrary research or valid reasons for rejecting this advice then they should be sharing them.

[ohnelly]

Hi I do the same as thishurtsalot and only store 2/3 bottles max then make fresh so they are only stored for few hrs. I have been doing this since DS was a week old (before that used cartons) The important thing is mixing powder to water when temp is over 70degrees - ie within 30 mins of boiling