Making feeds out and about?

[PusheenPanda84]

Ok, you’ve probably had this question asked a thousand times [just this week] can a handful of mums please tell me how on earth you make formula on the go? We’re out and about all the time, and those little ready made things are expensive when you use them often.

I’m totally clueless, i’m having to stop breastfeeding - please don’t ask me why or beg me not to stop - I breastfed my son for 2 years and can’t continue feeding my 5 week old for reasons I have no interest in explaining.

When I bottle fed my eldest 13 years ago you added powder to cooled, previously boiled water and that was it, I believe you shouldn’t do that now so what’s the best way to do it safely?

Thanks in advance.

[JeSuisPrest]

It's 8 years ago for me now, but I carried a flask of boiling water and a flask of cold boiled water. Put a few oz of boiling water in the bottle, added the formula powder, shake well to mix and then topped up to the required level with the cold water so it was drinking temp. The boiling water is required to kill the bacteria which may be present in the formula. This was the only way I could think of doing it at the time. Other mums just made up the bottles at home and carted them around for a few hours before warming them up.

[Marty93]

I'm really interested in this - currently 16 weeks with my first baby, planning on bottle feeding from the get-go.

I thought maybe I'm just over thinking it but just feel totally overwhelmed with the thought of going out once my baby arrives because I want to formula feed and just have no idea what to do when out... aaaah! lol.

[Caspianberg]

I would just use a flask of hot water like you would use a kettle at home. Make bottle 20 mins before you aim to feed so it has time to cool down

[Gladiolus45]

An Aussie friend taught me this when my DS1 was small. You don't need a warm bottle at all. Just carry the sterilised feeding bottle containing cool boiled water, its fine to let it get to room temperature. Carry the powder separately (I used to use a small sterilised Tupperware tub though that was probably overkill).

When you want to mix a feed add the right number of scoops to the bottle and shake well. It mixes in fine and my DC never seemed to care about the different temperature. This was so successful in fact that DC2 and 3 never did get warmed formula.

[Caspianberg]

@Gladiolus45 - how does that kill the bacteria in the formula? its the powder that is unsterile so needs hot water over 70 degrees to kill germs, the water in itself isnt a problem in England.

[Bobbiepin]

@JeSuisPrest has it spot on. A 7oz bottle needs 2oz of hot water and 5oz of cooled boiled. Tommee tippee do formula pots so you measure out the formula before you go out then can tip it into the bottle with the hot water. Give it a good swirl/shake before adding the cooled water and a little shake after.

[Jinglejanglefish]

Gladiolus45

It's not about the milk being nice and warm, it's about killing bacteria in the formula so it's safe for the baby.

Although saying that, I know lots of people use your method and they all seem to be fine.

[FckIt]

I've done every bottle @Gladiolus45 way since my baby was born. Never been an issue for him.