to be really annoyed about the number of threads recently on how to prepare a bottle of formula milk

[piccalily]

I mean seriously, it's not that hard. The instructions on the side of the tub tell you how to do!!!

It even says "Because powdered milks are not sterile, failure to follow instructions may make your baby ILL"!!!

@ Voddy
I really don't see why not. I have been told it by a couple of medical types (a HV and a MW) so have no reason to doubt it. (Although here come the molecular biologist mumsnetters to tell me off, no doubt...)

(In kitchen boiling a HUUUUGE kettle of water)

Another top tip (voddy ) is to always keep a few cartons of made up formula in the house for the times when you haven't the time to make up for a sprung upon you feed.

They're brilliant for the night too.

I do that too RancerDoo !!!

Great minds and all that.

So pleased I read this thread

Seriously though, OP, the reason there are so many threads is that there is virtually no support for those who choose to/have to FF. The (correct) emphasis on BF means that if you do FF, you are just left to your own devices and in those first few sleep deprived, overwhelming, hormonal weeks/months it is bewildering trying to find a way to deal with FF that works for your baby and you. HTH

Most up to date and comprehensive guidelines, I think (just to annoy the OP!)

Food standards agency
www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/formulaguidance.pdf

WHO (section 2)
www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/micro/pif_guidelines.pdf

ha ha

Just realised that would be a microbiologist (molecular biologists probably wondering why they're supposed to care about formula germs...)

damn cross posted with you scot

Bugger, haven't got Adobe and too scared to disable antivirus to download it and read those new guidelines.

OP, please don't start a thread about people not understanding how to download Adobe, I would just die.

As far as I am aware the guidelines haven't changed many times over the last decade - so is not as if the guidance changes on a daily or weekly basis or even frequently at all.

The current guidance is I think one of the first changes in guidance in about a decade. And has been around for some time - plenty of time you'd think for the HCPs to be aware and pass on, and time enough for people using formula to have had the chance to get used to the new guidance.

Personally I think a lot of the confusion is because:

1. people with older children automatically do what they did with the older ones
2. this "it's the way I did it and never did any harm" is passed on to other people
3. the formula companies were terribly terribly lax (suspiciously so IMO) in changing packaging and advertising new instructions being issued.

Summarised version voddy

Sterilise bottles, Prepare FRESH with boiled water left to cool a little (max 30 mins.)

If this isn't feasible, prepare as per guidelines with boiling water, chill quickly (cold running water) and then keep refrigerated for max 24 hours.

Never use little tubs of powder and cold water, the formula powder isn't sterile and can contain some lovelies such as Salmonella, so needs to be mixed with water that is still very very hot in order to kill the bugs.

It's funny that the official guidelines say you can keep pre-made bottles in the fridge. The formula tubs say "no" to that.

How very dare people get confused by conflicting info and come on MN for a bit of help...

Oh I must have misread - thought it was new guidelines. Thank you anyway . I do make up each bottle as needed as too worried about bacteria. I do like the sound of RancerDoo's tip though makes sense and seems so simple and obvious.

I thought the problem was that what was on the side of the tubs, isn't the best way to prepare it. Don't they leave the info about 70 degrees and stuff out?

Formula can be lethal if it isn't made correctly, if you are going to use it, it needs to be done properly.

I think one of the problems is that some people don't understand why things have to be done a certain way.

Water too hot (e.g boiling) = kills some of the nutrients
Water too cold = doesn't kill some harmful bacteria

I think HCP's need to encourage understanding rather than giving out instructions.

YABU - As long as people post in the relevant place, why does it matter how many times a question is asked?

Just checked the Aptamil tub (shoot me now) and it only says to cool for 30 mins, no mention of temperature. Also says not to make in advance so yup, contradicts guidelines

Making in advance isn't a recommendation though - the guidelines just tell you how best to do it if you have to.

Safest to make each bottle fresh.

It is safest to but the problem is that for various reasons it isn't practical for a lot of people to do so. Because HCPs are often useless when it comes to helping with formula and there is no information on the tubs, people end up guessing.

I had a run in with our nursery because they told me to bring in a little tub and cooled boiled water so they could "make the bottle up fresh"

Relaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, breastfeeding has its own topic ffs !

It is actually scientific and some people lack confidence. A bit of support and understanding wouldn't go amiss. Hope that doesn't sound patronising before I get flamed.

It's the knowing why and the instructions not explaining it.

It can be confusing because over here in Australia the guidelines given by hospital, midwives, Parentline and local childcare nurses are ALL that you can make up bottles of cooled water and add the formula as and when you need it! Everyone I know does it like this, with our little tubs of powder and bottles of water.

And I can't imagine our formula is different to UK formula....

GIven that I don't know anyone who does it "properly" I would be fascinated to see whether the statistics of health problems specifically caused by incorrectly prepared formula are worse in Aus than in the UK.

Well I just make up a load of bottles every morning and keep them in the fridge, but I have no idea if that's worse, taking a made up bottle out and about than taking out the water and the formula.

Who knows?! I honestly think if it was THAT bad then we would hear about it all the time - but I don't want to risk it just in case.