Preparing bottles in advance?

[Mariacbw]

I know that it's recommended to make bottles of FF up as and when needed but I get the impression that a lot if people actually make bottles up in advance and store in the fridge.
How many do you make up, store? Etc. . .

[ilovepowerhoop]

you can do it in advance as long as you make them up with water over 70°C, cool them quickly and put them in the main part of the fridge. They should be used within 24 hours. If you didnt want to make up a full days worth them only make up a couple at a time and then replace a couple of times a day.

[Mariacbw]

Ok thanks for the advice

[silverangel]

I did mine 12 hours in advance so at the 7am feed made 3 sets (I have twins) and the same at 7pm. I think 24 hours is fine but you need to store at the coldest part of the fridge ie the back, and I couldn't fit 24 hours for twins in my fridge!

You'll get conflicting advice about this but as long as you chill quickly and heat properly I can't see what the problem would be.

[Aquilla]

I think a lot of people do it! It's perfectly safe, as long as you're not a total moron! Some NHS guideline are aimed at the lowest common denominator and this, in my opinion, is one of them. For instance the official advice in Finland is still to make up your bottles once a day and cool them quickly in the fridge. Just do it, and enjoy some extra free time

[stowsettler]

I make up 12 hours' worth at once, cool then back of the fridge. It's fine. Incidentally when my sis was FF her DS the advice seemed to be to make up the feeds with cooled boiled water!!! How things change in a relatively short time!

[Aquilla]

My sister lives in NZ and the official advice there is to use cooled, boiled water. It never seems to mix in properly though but she's a stickler for the rules

[LubyLu2000]

Glad you posted this cos since yesterday I've decided that I've had enough of waiting for my (very unpredictable) DS to decide when he's hungry and then making up and cooling down while he screams blue murder for 10 mins! I'm making up about 5 or 6 and putting in the fridge and (bad mummy alert!) I'm even going to nuke them in the microwave to heat them up!

[u32ng]

I stressed about this at the beginning, but DS is now 3 months & I'm a lot more relaxed!

Like others have said, I make up 3 bottles at a time using boiling water that I've let sit in the kettle for a short while. Once powder's gone in & mixed, I plonk them in cold water for 12 mins to quickly cool & then put in the fridge. To heat one up for a feed I just sit it in boiling water for about 4mins.

My DS was (still is!) unpredictable with his feeding times & I could not handle the screaming either, so started making bottles in advance fairly early on! Despite being semi-against them I have dummies for him now which buys me time to reheat his bottle.

[u32ng]

Oh and meant to say that as long as basic hygiene (washed hands etc) is observed as well then it's fine. Has worked for me!