AIBU To ask does anyone actually do this? (baby feeding when out)

[Champagnevanity]

I've Just had a baby, 15 days old now, and had my first visit from the HV today. ATM, im too nervous to go out anywhere on my own. + none of my regular clothes fit yet. However, the time will come when i have too, this is what health visitor suggested when taking baby out:

Take a sterilised empty bottle (obvz)
Take a flask of hot water
&... Take the container of baby formula and make up when out and about...

Really?

Does anyone actually do this? AIBU to think, wtf? That's an awful lot of stuff to cart round, am i the only one thinking its very unrealistic?

I know your not ment to make up bottles nowadays, but am just wondering what everyone else does/did?....

I would buy the ready made cartons for out and about, less faff

I breast fed and did the occasional formula bottle so not an expert with newborns formula feeding. But everyone I knew made the bottle up before going out and then heated it. This was about 5 yrs ago so advice might be different now.

I made them up and kept them in the fridge...then heated them when necessary.

But again, those were the 'rules' at the time.

My ds is school age but I used to fill a bottle with boiled water before going out, stick in a thermos bag and have a pot of formular to add when ready, bottle was usually just right temp when he got hungry. Bf dd and that was a whole other list of stress.

Congratulations and good luck, first trips out are nerve wracking

Will you not have a handy pram to sling it all in anyhow?

i made the feed then chilled it down quickly keeping it in the fridge until we went out then in a cool bag and warmed it at destination. i have seen a lot of others put boiled water in the bottle and take the powder separate then mix together when needed then heat.
i think whatever you do people criticize you.

or as said, take the ready made cartons.

Firstly congratulations
I have a 12 year gap between babies so lots has changed with my second. I used to have the bottles all made up with my first with my new little one I used the small cartons of ready mixed formula and found them a god send.

It's probably the only way you could get a warm bottle of milk for your baby. Many places won't warm a bottle for you these days. You could put the hot water in the bottle and put the bottle in one of those insulated bottle bags. Or you could give a cold bottle.

If using formula I always took a couple of the small ready-made cartons for trips out. The only extra thing you need is a small pair of scissors to open the carton with.

I would make up a bottle at the correct temperature (made with 70c water) then keep it in my bag and use it within two hours. If I was going to be out longer than two hours I would take a sterilised bottle and a ready made carton with me. You can buy disposable bottles and keep one and a ready made carton in your bag for emergencies. That's what I did.

I bf'd but my cousin did this religiously. She had a little container that you measured the powder into at home. When you were out you took its lid off and screwed it to the bottle with the hot water in and then shook it hard. It didn't look difficult - all the stuff would just wash the same as normal bottles.

Its a lot easier than coping with a baby with a serious stomach upset and then having to tell the doctor why the baby might be sick!

either ready made cartons or pre-measure hot water into the bottle and take pre-measured formula out with you (you can get dispensers that hold up to 3 seperate feeds worth of formula). Use an insulated bottle carrier to keep the hot water warm.

I never warmed formula milk, both mine preferred it at room temperature. In fact DD2 wouldn't drink it if it was even slightly warm. Which is weird considering she was mixed fed and quite happy to drink breast milk at body temperature

What Seona said.

OP you will soon get used to the amount of stuff you have to cart around with you with a young baby.

i heated the bottle and put them in a specially designed container that kept them warm for up to 5 hours...it was specially made for that purpose...you can get them at places like boots (england)

when i had my first daughter i used to just make the bottle up and take it with me i dont remember ever being told otherwise but this was 7-8 years ago maybe things have changed witt the next two i took a mix of made up and the cartons (for longer days out). Fourth was breastfed but i did used to take breastmilk in a bottle out.

I think it's unrealistic too, OP.
I breastfed... and jolly good job, too, because had I been forced to bottlefeed I'm sure I would have cut all sorts of corners/broken most the rules (expect I would have bottle propped, too).

I make up 4 bottles at a time. I heat one really hot and keep it in the little thermal section of my bag and it is the right temp when baby's ready. This is not the current reccomended way to do it, so it is technically a bit risky but I personally think it's fine.

Do you have a good 'nappy' bag? If not it would be a good investment as it helps you to be organised with all the nappis/wipes/bottles etc and you'll figure out you own way of doing things. My advice (for what it's worth!) is just get out there!

I did do this yes.
I bought a pot from Mothercare into which you could decant the correct amount of powder for the size bottle you were going to feed the baby, there were 4 compartments for 4 feeds, and you slotted the pot over the top of the bottle to shake the powder in. Like this:
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000MMQO7O/ref=asc_df_B000MMQO7O4771621?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B000MMQO7O
so you don't need the whole carton of powder.
You can also take the bottle with the right amount of boiled water measured into it, and feed when it has cooled to the right temperature.

Yes, that's what I used to do. How much do you think you need to take out with a new baby OP?

You can get ready made up cartons but iirc they are expensive.

You need a buggy with a BIG shopping tray for all the stuff you need to take out with you

Congratulations! :)

Do you mean you haven't actually been anywhere with your baby since it was born? Goodness.

TBH, it isn't rocket science - a flask of hot water and a container with the powder that you can screw a teat onto. None of the baby care stuff is difficult, it's just common sense. I'm sure you'll be fine, but you must just get on with it and don't sit at home alone for days on end or you'll end up with a bad case of cabin fever at best.

When ds2 was formula fed (ds1 went straight from breast to cup) I made up the bottles at the correct temperature just before we went out and made sure they were used within 2 hours.

My DDIL did the easier thing with dgd (now 9 months) and used the ready made cartons. No hassle, no carrying half the kitchen with you and quite probably the safest option. Everywhere we tended to go was more than happy to provide hot water to warm the milk too - like independent cafes as well as Costa and Nero.

I had that container ksid

Try a short walk and build it up gradually OP.