potentially ridiculous question about FF when out and about

[hullabaloo234]

I didn't FF DD1 so not sure about FF when not at home. At the moment I carry ready made formula with me and DD2 happily drinks this cold, but I would like to make powdered formula sometimes when we are out too as the ready made stuff gives her a bit of a runny tum after a day out if several feeds given.

Now for the potentially silly question - I have a tommee tippee flask to keep hot water in, fine, but what do people store the cooled boiled water for the rest of the feed in?! DD has 4 Oz feeds so if I filled a sterlized bottle and poured it from here into the feeds as I go, will the water stay sterile all day?! I can't believe I am having to ask this question but genuinely don't know what people do so any tips and advice welcome Thanks!!

[rubyred84]

I haven't done it yet as am still bf but when I do switch I plan to take cooled boiled water out with me, then ask cafe etc for a small amount of boiling water. I think you need to add boiling water to the formula to sterilise it - so I plan on adding a bit of the boiling water to the powder, mixing it, then adding the rest of my cooled boiled water to make up the rest of the bottle meaning it will then be warm. not quite too sure what I'm going to do when I'm not near a cafe etc yet though....

[hullabaloo234]

thanks rubyred I plan to do the same and have the flask for the hot water but I don't know if keeping the cool water in just a sterilised feed bottle and adding it to the formula and hot water mix is ok or of I should keep it in something else?!

[SpiceAddict]

This is what I used to do:
Put 4oz boiled water in the bottle and close the lid so it stays sterile. This will cool down.
When ready to make a feed, put in the powder and add 2oz boiled water from a flask if out or kettle if at home. The feed will be at the perfect temperature and ready within minutes.

Obviously adjust the amounts of cooled v boiled water if you are making more or less, but this is the method I used whether at home or out.

[hullabaloo234]

Thanks spice I have a perfect prep for at home but can try this way for when put and about, thank you!

[BikeRunSki]

we used to take out made up bottles in a Fridge to Go. It keeps bottles colder than my the real fridge for 8 hours. I'd warm them up by sticking them in my coat pocket or under my jumper!! DD is nearly 4 now and I still use it for packed lunches on hot days.

I wouldn't rely on cafes giving you hot water. Some do, some won't, even if you pay for it.

[hullabaloo234]

thanks for the link, thst looks ace!! I have a tommee tippee flask to keep hot water in, so can put the boiling water and powder into the bottle fine, I'm just wondering if I keep a feed bottle full of cooled boiled water to finish off the feeds, will it stay sterile enough if it'd opened two or three times?! If not, is there a better way of carrying around cooled water than a sterilised bottle??

[HippyPottyMouth]

I didn't FF, so just thinking out loud here. The hot water needs to be 70 degrees to kill the possible bugs in the powder, right? The cold water, like the bottles themselves, needs to be sterilised rather than sterile. The bottles stop being sterile once they're out of the steriliser. So, presumably, if your flask keeps the hot water at at least 70, and the cold water was boiled before you came out, you're good to go.

[FelixFelix]

I always made up a couple of bottles in advance with boiling water, then flash cooled them in the sink and stored at the back of the fridge to keep really cold. Then keep them in an insulated bottle bag when out and about. It's so much easier than carrying around water of varying temperatures and trying to mix a bottle when you're out. As long as the bottle was first made with boiling water and kept cool then it's completely fine. You really need to make up the bottle with boiling water in the first place as this is what kills off any bacteria in the milk powder.

[tortoisesarefab]

Get yourself a lid for a bottle (it's easier than just putting the teat on) I would then fill the sterilised bottle with cooled, boiled water and use that all day, taking hot water in a flask to dissolve the powder first as others have said above.

[hullabaloo234]

Yep defo mim 70 degrees hippy I've tested it. Will just assume that the water will still be ok even if the lid comes off briefly to pour it a couple of times!

Thanks felix will bear flash cooling in mind too!!

[CerseiLannistersEyebrow]

It can be easy to make bottles and take them in a cool bag. We have a Koo-Di bag, keeps them at fridge temperature for 8 hours. We make up bottles and take them with us. He's happy to drink it cold.

[annatha]

I used to take a flask, a bottle of cooled water and however many empty bottles I needed. As others have said the bottles stop being sterile once out of the sterilizer anyway and as long as you are just pouring it from one sterilized bottle into another you'll be fine. If you're worried about opening and closing it though perhaps buy another set of small bottles and take 2 ounces of cooled water in each one for however many feeds you need- eg for 3 feeds while out you'd need flask, 3 x empty bottles and 3 x bottles with 2 ounce of cooled water in each. Bit of a faff but it means they're only being opened once. I'd try the readymade stuff again in a month or so though, when dd started on formula they would sometimes give her an upset tummy but by 4 or 5 months she was fine.