Ok own up, who pre-makes their bottles??

[blondebaby111]

I've been a real stickler and make all my dd who's nearly 7 months bottles up from scratch. However I have friends who are on there 2nd and 3rd babies who pre make and store in fridge. I must admit after a 20 minute screaming match this morning because we got up Late and was then late getting bottle ready im really considering doing the same. I look back to the early days where I was bottle making from scratch at 3am and I really don't know how I did it and if we have another I may pre make, what's your views and what do u do??

Can it really be that harmful???

[beccajoh]

Not lately as we've got the perfect prep but have done it and would have no hesitation in pre-making if needed.

[fledermaus]

I sometimes make up one in advance in accordance with the guidelines - e.g., making it up with hot (70+ degree) water, cooling quickly and storing in the back of the fridge.

The most important thing is that you don't make it up with cold water, and that you don't keep warm/room temp milk hanging around.

Obviously making up fresh each time is safest, and I would definitely do that or use readymade with a newborn, but making up one or two in advance is acceptable imo.

[BertieBotts]

YY, it's better to make up in advance than make up with cold, which is what people started doing when advice changed to "never make up in advance" - well what else are you supposed to do?

[Pinkandpurplehairedlady]

I used to. I made the bottles up with boiling water and then cooled them quickly and popped them in the fridge. When DS was still tiny I used the ready made cartons.

[HomeIsWhereTheHeartIs]

Yes we used to make up the night-time ones and store in the fridge, then just a few mins of standing in a jug of boiling water and it was ready.
During the day I sometimes would make up a bottle and keep it in a thermal bag until baby was ready for a feed.
Whatever makes life easier.

[BertieBotts]

I don't blame anybody who does/did make up with cold, BTW, as that's what advice seemed/seems to suggest, but it's not a safe way, because the powder isn't sterile and needs to be added to hot water.

[blondebaby111]

So when you say store in fridge this is already with the powdered milk in?? I have a friend who just puts boiling water in bottles lets it cool then adds the milk and regeats when needed, whats the safest???

[LotsaTuddles]

Me, DS is 10mo and only has 3 bottles a day, I make them at about 9 quickly cool and refrigerate 2 for the afternoon and night time bottles and then the morning one is fresh, but that's just because I'm lazy, and he's impatient, I couldn't imagine making each one fresh and then having a screaming child waiting while you frantically run it under cold water while it cools down.

When he was tiny I used to make 2 or 3 up at a time because sometimes he wouldn't go long at all inbetween feeds

[Ollybob]

I always used to make bottles up at night for the next 24 hours, then chuck any not used, I'd use boiling water and chill quickly, I'd then remove them from the fridge as needed and heat quickly, but then chuck after an hour if they weren't used
I'm not sure how adding formula to cold milk is more sterile tbh.
Cow and gate used to sell a box with a jug that sealed and 4 packets of formula that each made up a pint, the jug could be sterilised between uses and you could take out what you needed without waste. So much easier.
I suppose if I did it again depending on the advice which always changes I'd either do that again or make up the next bottle after a feed so it's halfway ready in the fridge to save time.
I did breast feed for the first 4 months so not sure that that made a difference as in worrying about being so sterile as she was that bit older

[fledermaus]

blondebaby
Safest is to make up each feed fresh in 70 degree + water, cool and feed immediately
More risky but still acceptable is to make the bottle adding the powder to 70 degree + water, cool quickly and store in the fridge and use as soon as possible (but no more than 24 hours after making)

Most risky is to add the powder to cold water. This is because the powder isn't sterile, so dissolving it in very hot water will kill any bacteria that might be in it. It is a small risk, but some babies (particularly newborn or vulnerable babies) have become ill or died from bacteria present in the powder.

[blondebaby111]

Exactly like my dd, she screams the place down when hungry! Ive got her down to 4 bottles a day now and pretty much know when each bottle is due so well prepared but obviously this morning was hard going. In her early days she used to scream alot while her bottle was cooling, i used to think there must be a better way surely but rules are rules. Now im thinking shes 7 months, stuff the rules!! Give it a few years and they will change it back to you can pre-make them .

[FlossyMoo]

I used to make them up. Cool them quickly then pop them in the fridge. I also used to BF and FF. I never realised it was a massive no no until joining here.

Too late to worry know as they are all way past the milk stage.

[PumpkinPie2013]

We do and always have. Was an absolute god send in the early weeks as I had a c - section so DH could make them before going to work and I could just stand them in warm water for a few minutes when needed.

We make them with hot water, flash cool and store in the back of the fridge. All used within 12 hours. DS is 8 months now so doesn't have night feeds so I make his morning one before I go to bed and then the others in the morning.

He's thriving and has come to no harm

[BertieBotts]

YY. It's safer to make the whole feed in advance and cool quickly, then refridgerate until needed (You can warm it up then if you want to).

Advice changed a few years ago from this to "make every feed up fresh" - now, this is safer, but it's also much less practical, and not really doable. If you followed it to the letter, you'd never be able to leave the house and you'd have to make every feed 30 mins in advance because that's how long it takes to cool down. Nobody could follow that. So people assumed that "make up fresh" meant you could just boil the water in advance and add powder when out and about. Certainly, in other countries (France for example) nobody makes bottles up with hot water because the advice is to use bottled water. The problem is there is a small risk of contamination in the powder which is highly reduced by using hot water to make up the feeds. Therefore, it's safer to make feeds up fully and cool them than make them up with cold water.

[CripesItsTheGasMan]

I'm lucky that the milk dd has has to be made using chilled water . I just make 3 up in the morning using boiling water then chill in the fridge . That was probably the only good thing about her having reflux

[BertieBotts]

I don't think it's a no no to mixed feed is it?

[blondebaby111]

Thanx fleder, the safest option for me then is to add the powder then store. Luckily for me i dont do night feeds anymore, i was one of the lucky ones and she was sleeping thru at 8 weeks but she used to cluster feed evening time which was hard. I think if she took longer to sleep thru i definitely wouldve needed to use this method before now x

[blondebaby111]

Thankyou everyone, its been really helpful advice x

[MotherOfNations]

I'm on baby number 5 and make bottles in advance.If you prefer to make as needed the best way (for babies over 6 months) is to add required amount of milk to an empty bottle, eg 7 scoops. Use a separate bottle to measure 2oz of boiling water and add to the milk, this will sterilise the powder, then measure out 5oz of cold water and add this. The bottle will be the perfect temp without having to wait for water to cool.

[Andcake]

After stopping bf - pre made with 70 degrees water then put in fridge after flash cooling. I'm sure I had who bottle guidelines which said this was ok in emergencies ( read for me - every morning feed).
The big no no is doing it with cold water even if pre boiled. It's the powder which is un sterile. I think a few years ago some babies on the continent ( Belgium and France) I think died of salmonella caught from powder! That's when the guidelines changed

[ForTheLoveOfSocks]

I used to make up the bottle with half of the amount of hot water needed, then chill immediately. When the bottle was needed, top it up with the additional half of freshly boiled water. Should be ready to go straight away.

Anything over 24 hours gets binned.

[Angelina77]

I'm also bf/ff and pre-making bottles for the next 12-24 hours. It's not exactly practical waiting 30 mins for kettle to cool then making up bottle then cooling, 6+ times per day, all while the baby is distressed and screaming. I have thought about getting a bottle maker though, any recommendations?

Also, what's wrong with mixed feeding?