FF and night feeds - help me!

[Mozismyhero]

I need some advice if possible. My DS (7 weeks old) has one feed in the middle of the night but, for some reason, has developed a dislike of the cartons (we're using Aptamel). Whenever he has milk from a carton, he spits it out, cries, flails around and generally tells me he doesn't like it! If I give him powder formula (same brand), he's fine. Don't know why.

The problem is, how do I do a middle of the night feed without using a carton and without having to make up a bottle at 3am (boil water, wait to cool etc etc)? Does anyone make up the bottle in advance and put in fridge? I know this is not advised but do I really have to make a bottle up at this ungodly hour?

What do you do?

[MoonUnitAlpha]

The powder and the cartons are quite different apparently!

It's ok to make up a bottle in advance so long as you make it with hot (70c) water, cool it quickly and put it straight in the fridge.

[RayeB]

Hi

What I used to do, was this. Take up an empty sterilised bottle, a sterilised bottle with cool boiled water in, a flask with boiled water in, a tub with measured amount of formula. Then I'd put powder in clean bottle - can do half asleep as pre-measured, fill the bottle 1/3 way up with boiling water from flask and shake. then I'd top it up to required fl oz with cool boiled water and shake. My dd was v. happy with this and when you got used to it, could do it with my eyes practically still closed. Just meant a bit of preparation but worked okay.

[cashewsmummy]

hi - do not dispair! we have a DD 11 wks old. We make up feeds for night. about three one for 10-11pm feed, 4am feed and 7am feed AND we microwave them for a few seconds! shock horror! ok to make up in advance, store in rear of fridge at bottom, coldest part. Store no more than 12 hours. it's only some poxy european regulation that advises we cant make up and store, its all about risk and so long as you sterilise properly and are sensible you should be fine. years ago you used to make up a full day of feeds and put in the fridge door!! Cartons tend to be richer than home made which is why your DS may not like them. We researched on internet and im usually risk adverse but seriously if we did everything " they " advised wwe'd all go bonkers! good luck x

[Mozismyhero]

My DH keeps asking who "they" are. Why do we have to do what "They" do?

Many thanks - will make up feeds in advance.

[StartingAfresh]

'it's only some poxy european regulation that advises we cant make up and store, its all about risk and so long as you sterilise properly and are sensible you should be fine'

The regulation was made for a good reason, NOT because European Regulations are deliberately made to make life difficult for mothers.

And it has nothing to do with sterilising.

[Mozismyhero]

So what do I do at night-time Starting?

[theborrower]

MoonUnitAlpha is right - you can make up feeds in advance but they must made up correctly in the first place (with water that has been boiled and cooled for no more than 30 minutes so that it's above 70c) and stored in the coldest part of the fridge straight away. They must also be used within 24 hours and discarded within 2 hours of using too.

Tabouleh always comes along and posts great informative downloads from the department of health and WHO that state this is ok.

[StartingAfresh]

Well it is about you deciding your own level of risk, but you do need to know what the risks are.

The first thing is that you will want to store the milk for the minimum amount of time, somewhere cold.

The second thing is that you will want to make sure that any harmful bacteria in the powder is killed.

So you need to both add the powder to very hot water, and store somewhere cold for a minimal amount of time.

How you do this will depend on your circumstances.

If you have flask of very hot water in your bedroom you might be able to mix a feed and then add cold water to get it to the right temp.

Personally, if you can afford it, I'd use the UHT cartons.

[ipredicttrouble]

I always make up one bottle before I go to bed and store in the fridge in case DD needs a night feed.

I also warm it up in the microwave. It's fine as long as you give it a good shake and test it.

I used to drive myself nearly crazy worrying about all this but have now decided that the risks are minimal if you use common sense.

[mousesma]

in Tabouleh's absence here is the DH guidelines and the WHO guidelines.

Both give instructions re: how to make feeds in advance.

[NicholaGriff]

It is such a surprise we're all still living and breathing. Our mothers laid us on our tummies to sleep, made up our formula for the whole day. They smoked and drank through the whole pregnancy (actually mine didn't - but lots of people I know did) and our cots were painted with a lead based paint.

In 10 years time they'll be saying "Do not lay your baby on their back to sleep as it causes a flat head" or something similar.

[MoonUnitAlpha]

Yes... and lots more babies did die.

[theborrower]

Errrr, they do say to point your baby's head in different directions when laying to sleep and make sure you do things like tummy time in the day to avoid flat-head...

Making up feeds correctly with hot water and storing in the fridge really is hassle free, honest. The whole faff with mixing with some parts cold water, some parts hot water (which I really don't think is advisable) sounds like far more hassle! Am I the only one who gets up to go to the kitchen and sort the feed - does no one else leave the bedroom? (Or is it because I live in a small flat?)

[MoonUnitAlpha]

Annie, it isn't safe to make formula with cold water as the formula powder isn't sterile and can contain bacteria. It has to be made up with water at least 70c (a litre kettle allowed to cool for 30 minutes is 70c) to kill the bacteria.

[MoonUnitAlpha]

MW and HVs still give out rubbish advice unfortunately - lots of them seem to think it's just boiling the water that's important, as if it's the water that can have bugs, rather than the powder.

[Bonkerz]

ANNIE: thats how i have always done it too. Thats how i will be doing it too when i have this baby. Sterile bottle with boiled water and then milk added when needed, if thats 3 hours then so be it. I will make feeds up in morning and take to nursery.

[Mozismyhero]

Thanks everyone. We have been making up a bottle last thing, then sticking it in the fridge until he wants it.

Now, what about going out?! Do people just do the same? Wish he'd just stuck to cartons!

[Mozismyhero]

Just read the DoH guidelines. Have read them before but didn't pay attention to storing info as didn't need it at the time. Off to buy a flask for outings now!

[Mozismyhero]

Thanks Mousema by the way

[Bonkerz]

guidelines are mental! they have just changed the guidelines AGAIN regarding weaning too. It used to be 6 months but they are now saying that milk feeding exclusively (breast or bottle) can be harmful and to introduce solids from 3 months again! im sure next week it will be different again! do what you are comfortable with!

[Honeybee79]

I boil the kettle, allow to cool slightly, make up the bottles, cool very quickly and put in fridge.

I follow the following guidance for making feeds for later us:

www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/formulaguidance.pdf

[MoonUnitAlpha]

No they haven't Bonkerz, it's a review of research that has been published today - no guidelines have changed to 3 months, and the advice has been not to introduce solids before 4 months for the best part of 30 years.

[ninaandbean]

I make up a full days feeds (five or six bottles) last thing at night, after running the six bottle steriliser. I boil the kettle, let it cool for half an hour, spoon the powder into each bottle then top up with exactly the right amount of hot water (measured in another bottle). Shake, stand in a cold sink of water with ice packs for 15 minutes, then store at the back of the fridge.

It works best for us to do it in the evening and chill overnight because if you want to go out with pre-made powdered milk, it has to be properly chilled beforehand then carried in an insulated bottle bag (Avent make them) for no more than 4 hours. You can then use your flask of hot water with bottle warming cup attached (Avent and TT make them)to heat the bottle when out. Get a flask, because even Starbucks won't give out hot water now in case we're all total ninnies who will burn ourselves/the baby/passers by with hot water. Never mind the scalding coffee...