Formula feeds - silly question?

[almmummy]

Hi there, I possibly should know this being eight months in with my second, but...

Is it ok to mix formula with cold water? I understand it's not sterile but does that matter when they aren't tiny? I've swapped to lactose-free milk and it does not come in ready made bottles so it is hard to make it up in advance with hot water.

[Whatthefreakinwhatnow]

no, it won't kill any bacteria. I used to take a flask of hot water and one of cooled boiled and just mix it when out, took seconds.

[SarahJ14]

No, always mix formula with freshly boiled hot water. My youngest is 2 now but what i used to do is take a fresh flask of hot water, and those tommee tippee powder pots that you can measure your formula into. Then just ask for a jug of cold water from wherever you are to cool it down 😊

[Heirhelp]

The formula is not sterile so you must use hot water. You can use 1/4 hot water and mix the formula well and then add cold water.

[ElphabaTheGreen]

NB 'Cooled' means less than 100C, because using just-boiled water kills off nutrients in the powder, but above 70C so that it kills any nasties.

[Dixiechick17]

I used to put 7oz of formula in the bottle, mix with 4oz of boiling water and once mixed in I then topped up with cooled water

[BastardBernie]

I fill 6 sterilised bottles with fresh boiling water and add powder as needed.
Mine have always been room temperature fed so this has worked fine; when out and about I use a formula dispenser.

[welshweasel]

For the millionth time....you have to add freshly boiled water (less than 30 minutes ago) to the powder to kill potentially lethal
bacteria in it. It's that simple. Whilst you may be happy to accept the risk of not following these instructions please can people stop posting outdated dangerous advice on these threads just because your child was ok.

[BastardBernie]

Sorry but that's scaremongering.

[BastardBernie]

I'm not sorry

[Andbabymakesthree]

What Welshweasel said.

They didn't change the guidelines for the fun of it!

[Rachie1986]

Welshweasel I don't disagree with you but was just wondering what you would do when out and about for a couple of hours if you need freshly boiled water?

[ElphabaTheGreen]

Who on here has posted outdated advice welshweasel?

[welshweasel]

Bastardbernie it's not scaremongering. I accept the risk is very low but the guidelines haven't changed just for a laugh.

When out and about I use ready made bottles of formula. In the early days I used to take a thermos flask with boiled water in it but now he only has one feed in the day ready made is easier.

[glueandstick]

The problem is you cannot get pre made lactose free milk.

I make mine up in advance (boiling water to make up 1/4, dissolve powder then cold water the rest) and take a GOOD ice pack/bag with me. The ice pack stays frozen for 12 hours.

[glueandstick]

Also, should you choose to use cold water for lactose free milk, you'll have a hell of a job to get it to dissolve.

Hot water and a whisk works well.

[welshweasel]

Yes that's another way to do it. It's the initial hot water on powder thing that's important.

[almmummy]

Thanks everyone, agreed lactose free milk is a lumpy mess! I've been doing the boiling water/top up with cold water thing for a while now so will continue. It is such a shame you can't buy ready made lactose-free as I have an issue overnight as well - at the mo I make it scorching hot at bedtime so it is cool by feedtime (11pm/midnight) but I'm planning to stop BF soon which leaves a question mark on the 4am onwards feed. An ice pack is a good idea though

Thanks!

[glueandstick]

Just make it up and put in the fridge. Making it hot and leaving to cool for feed time is worse than making it and immediately cooling and putting in the fridge.

A quick blast in the microwave and a shake brings it back to being warm.

[MyDarlingWhatIfYouFly]

At 6 months I switched to formula and found night feeds a huge pain until I started to take a thermos of boiling water upstairs (fill it right up so that it stays very hot) and another normal bottle with more boiled water. By the time feed time came around the normal bottle would be room temp. I'd do 25% from the thermos, mix the powder and the rest from the normal bottle.

[ElphabaTheGreen]

'Lactose-free' formula but you're still BFing?

You know BM has more lactose in it than formula? Or do you mean cow's milk protein-free formula? Because if BM isn't a problem, you really shouldn't need lactose-free formula, thus freeing yourself of that hassle.

[QforCucumber]

It can be boiled and used immediately - you cannot kill the nutrients in the powder by using boiling water. The powder and it's nutrients have already been heated higher than that when being heat treated at manufacture.
The reason you're told not to use boiling water is so you can't sue for burning yourself when making them up.

[SausageSoda]

My DD is on nutrimagin as she is CPMI and it doesn't come ready made either. For days when we're out and about I make up the bottle(s) as normal before leaving the house and put them in a cool bag.

[BastardBernie]

How is boiling water in an unsterilised thermos flask more hygienic than putting boiling hot water in straight into a bottle?
I'm genuinely curious

[almmummy]

I think BM is all part of the problem but hardly do it at all at the mo - one feed maybe at night but not even sure he takes any, so stopping is better than me cutting out dairy and so on.

[TheDisillusionedAnarchist]

Just make them up in advance using water over 70 degrees, rapidly cool and put in the back of the fridge, take out in a cool bag for up to 4 hours.

Though at eight months it is indeed unlikely he'd die from a cronobacter or salmonella infection from formula. I believe most reported (?all) fatal infections have been in babies under 11 weeks so depends on the level of risk you're happy with.