Done to death - but Formula when out.

[shouldIbecrossaboutthis]

My DS is 4.5 months. We breasfeed at the moment and although we can do ti and there are no weight gain issues, I don't really like it. i'm hoping to stop completely by the time he gets to 7 months so I'll start dropping feed 1 a week and give him formula then (he wont drink thawed breastmilk).

So, from the millions of thread on here, I know you can't make up feeds with cooled boiled water. My DS will only drink a bottle if the contents are very hot.

So what are my options? 1 thermos of Boiling water, 1 Thermos of cooled boiled water and a pre-measured container of formula?

[TheDetective]

I make the bottle up as per guidelines, store in fridge until we are ready to go out. I then have an insulated bottle bag, which I add a couple of ice packs in to just to be sure. You can keep a bottle in there for up to 4 hours.

I then go to a cafe, get a drink, and ask for a jug of boiled water to heat it up.

I've not encountered any problems with this yet. A few places have had bottle warmers.

You can get travel bottle warmers, but these are just like thermos flasks to be honest. I've seen a Tommee Tippee one.

There are a few other ways. As you have said, the thermos flask, with boiling water, but you will then need somewhere to cool it anyway.

I'm always wary with taking a thermos flask out, because I'm never convinced the water is hot enough. But then I've not tried it, so I can't comment really can I!!

[shouldIbecrossaboutthis]

Thanks TheDetective. I tested my thermos and the water stayed over 70 degrees for 5 hours. To cool it down I was thinking of using the cooled boiled water to mix in with the hot water after I've added the powder. The only slight snag is that the volume of the water wouldn't be as precise because I would have added the powder. Although I could premeasure the cooled boiled water at home I guess.

If I was going somewhere I knew would be able to heat the bottle I'd just do it your way, but sometimes we're out for a walk, at the shops etc.

I wonder if you could keep a warm feed in a thermos? I'm guessing it stays warm too long so isn't safe? But then how can Tommee Tippee sell those stay warm bottle insulator thingys?

[TheDetective]

Oooh, that is good to know about the thermos!

I take out a sterilised bottle and carton and scissors, don't forget the fucking scissors or you'll be ripping the cardboard ones open with your teeth while your baby screams blue murder! if I know I am going somewhere where I can't warm it up. For us, this is only once a week when we go swimming. Everywhere else I've been near enough to somewhere to heat it, or near enough to dash home!

It needs to be kept cold once made up otherwise the risk of bacteria multiplying increases. You could make up a feed, have it the right temp, pop it in a thermos bag, so long as you use it with in the next 2 hours, and by that, I mean the baby needs to have finished the feed with in the 2 hours. I did that today at a baby group I go to. I knew he would feed with in the next hour, and there was nowhere to warm it. So I warmed it just before we left the house, put it in the insulated bag, and he had it 40 minutes later.

[TheDetective]

I've just had a quick look at the tommee tippee ones. The idea of those is that they will keep the water above 70 degrees. So you can add the powder from a dispenser.

There is no infomation I can find, even on their own website, that says how long it keeps the water at that temp. Which I find a bit .