Pre Making Bottles - so many conflicting opinions!

[JLD1987]

Hey guys!
Just looking for some advice from mums (or dads!) who have been in this situation and what you done with your kids!
My daughter is 11 weeks old. Now hat the weather is getting better I want to start taking her for days out. My worry is about bottles.
She doesn't like ready made milk (think it's a bit too watery for her) so I want to make bottles while I'm out. My sister fills bottles with boiling water, takes out the powder in containers and mixes it as she needs when she is out. My HV told me not to do this because the milk isn't sterile.
So what do you other parents do?? She gets sick if I make the bottle up with milk before we go out, and warm it up later on. So I thought the boiling water and taking powder would be much better, but I've been told it's ok by some people and dangerous for LO by others. So I don't know what to do. I have a prep machine at home so I make her bottles as she needs cause it's quick and easy. But being out, obviously that isn't an option!
Any answers would be great!

[MrsAlbie]

I'm afraid I don't know the answer, but I've been wondering exactly the same thing! I've read contradictory instructions/advice. My understanding was powder has to be mixed with water that's a certain temp as otherwise it's not safe? And you're right - if you're out you can't boil a kettle and wait for 20 mins! Following

[StormcloakNord]

I always boiled water, poured it into the amount of bottles I needed for the day then put the powder in and fed it to DD. Sometimes warmed it up if it was a cold day but otherwise she liked the cooler milk.

I didn't google much or ask for a lot of advice when she was a baby as it did my head in how many conflicting opinions there was. God forbid not sterilising or making up bottles as and when needed .

I went with what I felt was right and DD is a healthy and happy 4 yr old now.

[StormcloakNord]

My PP wasn't that clear, sorry - I would boil a kettle at the start of the day, pour however many ounces she was having into 4/5 bottles and I would add the powder as and when needed.

[StormcloakNord]

Also I microwaved the bottles and nobody died/got burned. It's a modern day miracle.

[JLD1987]

@StormcloakNord my sister does the exact same thing as you and her kids are absolutely fine aswell. I just wanted to check with other parents. My daughter is spending her first night away from me at the weekend and obviously won't have the prep machine at hand, so I was thinking of just boiling the water, pouring out the correct ounces and giving her grandparents the containers with pre measured milk and telling them to mix it as she was ready to feed. She likes her milk lukewarm-ish anyway, so the bottle being warm isn't a massive issue. I'm sure she will be fine, but my head spins with all the contradicting advice on it. HV said there was bacteria in her milk and it had to be above 70 degrees to kill the bacteria, blah blah blah.

[JLD1987]

@MrsAlbie I know! Feeding a baby seems to have so many options and opinions these days. I'm sure bottles were made up for the whole day when I was a baby and I was fine. I think all I can do is try it for a day and see how DD gets along with it! I'm sure she will be fine. But I'm a FTM, all of this is new to me!

[oddquestion100]

There is NO consensus on this.

In my experience, everyone does what your sister does and everyone is alright :)

[GrumpyBagFace]

The guidance for prepping bottles a year ago was:

Dissolve the milk powder in boiling (about 70c or something) water and cool quickly in cold water and place in the fridge.

At home we would blast in the microwave.

For days out we would take a thermos and use half the amount of very hot water to dissolve the milk powder then top up with bottled water to cool quickly.

If we were going to a place with a guaranteed microwave I'd take the prepped bottles in a cool bag with a couple of ice packs.

Hopefully that makes sense!

[NGC2017]

I don't think there is a right answer for this.

I made up bottles fresh for my little boy (which I found time consuming), and I also boiled up watered, poured into bottles, cooled and refrigerated and popped in the powder when I used. Never made my son poorly!
Obviously dont store the water for too long

[TroubledLichen]

So the only thing way you can tick all the boxes is to take two flasks out with you- one with hot water that’s at least 70 Celsius and one with cool boiled water. Add a small amount of hot water to bottle, add the powder and shake, top up with cool water, shake again. Huge hassle though, I think most people just do the water in the bottle and add powder when it’s time for a feed. Interestingly in the US it’s actually recommended you use cool boiled water for making bottles even though the powder isn’t sterile here either.

[JLD1987]

@TroubledLichen I have a friend from the US who says they don't even sterilise bottles over there, she finds it weird that I wash DDs bottles, then sterilise them after washing! Obviously it's a parents personal choice on the bottle making procedure, and I guess all I can do is try everything and see what works for me and the LO.

It's only for days out or if DD is spending a night away from me, which won't happen often. I'll try the boiled water thing first. She eats every 4 hours and doesn't usually falter far from that time these days, so it will be easy to keep track off.
Thanks for all the advice and stories, massive help for me!

[TroubledLichen]

I think the advice varies here, I was told to sterilise up to 6 months but there was no need beyond that. Agree you’ve got to do what works for you though!

[Takfujuimoto]

Please, please do not make baby formula with cool boiled water.

It is not safe.

The bacteria that can grow in formula milk is extremely harmful and can be fatal, it's rare, not as rare enough though, but the bacteria infection caused by improperly made up milk can cause sepsis and meningitis so it is very serious when it happens.

It's safest to make up the milk with water that has been boiled and is 70 degrees celsius, shaken up for 2mins and then rapidly cooled and given to baby.

Second best way is to make up the bottles as above and store in the fridge at the back (coolest part) at 5dc and warmed in hot water before a feed.

In no way would any Hcp recommend to make it the way your sister has.

She ( and her baby ) are lucky that each can of formula she has used this way hasn't had bacteria in it, there are other babies each year who aren't so lucky and it is devastating when it happens.

It's not worth the risk.

Please do not make milk up this way.

[TammySwansonTwo]

The purpose of the boiling water is to kill bacteria in the powder so doing it this way would not be effective.

Personally I make the bottle up fully and then refrigerate - i have twins and make them twice a day. Even the NHS info online says fully made up formula can be kept for 24 hrs in the fridge.

[Mumknowsbest6]

I invested in a tommee tippee flask, when I knew DD was coming up for a feed I made the bottle with boiling water and left to cool, once she took the ready made milk the flask has a handy lid to fit bottle and hot water, the rules are all so confusing and everyone seems to do different!

[Mummy2babyB]

My ds is 16 weeks old! I make up the bottles for the day and then the night, keep the in the fridge while at home and make additional ones if needed.
If I am going out I just take them with me and take a flask to re heat them. If I’m going on a long journey I sometimes use a coolant bag but either way it doesn’t bother him. HV said to make them up as I need them but how the hell are you susspose to go about daily life doing that??
If it affected him I would change my routine but he’s absolutely fine!
I think now there is so many precautions regarding sterile bottles/ milk etc but each baby has their own preferences, and some may have sensitive bellies. There is no right or wrong, you know your baby better than anyone.
If you are concerned though with the heat I would recommend the coolant bag, can keep them hot or cold for a while, and I have heard of people taking the powder out with them separate to the hot water also :) x

[piggie88]

I did the same as your sister, boiled the water in the morning, filled the bottles we’d need for the day and then left them on the kitchen side and just put the formula in when I needed them. Daughter is 15 months now but done this until she went on to cows milk at 12 months and never had any problems at all.
So much easier when going out because never had to cool or heat up the bottles, she was happy having her milk at room temperature. I’m due my second baby in September and will be doing the same this time around.

This was my biggest worry when I was a new mum, so much conflicting advice and the midwives and health visitors didn’t help at all. Told me to feed on demand but that I had to make each bottle up fresh each time which would take at least 30 minutes so by that time I wasn’t feeding her on demand, she’d be starving by then. And how are you supposed to go out if you have to make each bottle up fresh, just never leave the house for 12 months?

Just do whatever you feel most comfortable with OP, you will be fine :)

[cornishmumtobe]

@Takfujuimoto - spot on.

The point of boiling the water isn't to kill any bacteria in the water but to kill the bacteria in the formula powder. If the water isn't 70 degrees or above then if there is any bacteria in the powder it will NOT be killed.