Making Formula..

[CoffeeAndBiscuitsPlease]

OK I will admit I make my formula the naughty way! I pre make a few bottles with kettle water as instructed, and then store them below 4 degrees c. Some people will accuse me of being a bad mum even for that, so I'm probably being a bit of hypocrite here....

But the way a couple of my friends make their formula is making me cringe....

they both have newborns, and they are putting the boiled water in the bottles, then putting the water in the fridge, then adding formula to the cold water as they go.

Now.... as far as I am aware, the whole point of the HOT water is to kill the germs in the formula as it isn't sterile...?

I haven't said anything to them, because having a 6mo myself I know how it feels to be told what to do with your baby.

But AIBU to think this is an arse about face way of making bottles... they might as well not be sterilising anything for all they are doing?

[CoffeeAndBiscuitsPlease]

zoeedge

There are differences though, not sure if you understood me.

My DC drinks COLD milk, but I make all her bottles with HOT water as instructed, and then fast cool them ready for her.

What is dangerous is making formula with cold, boiled water. One of the main reasons for boiling the water is not to make the tap water safe but to make the formula powder safe, formula powder is not sterile and can give a baby anything from a very bad tummy to food poisoning which can be deadly. All I can say is you were very lucky.

[DisappointedOne]

DD was about 9 or 10 months before she had any formula but I used to carry a little flask of boiling/boiled water and those tubs with the formula measured out. Then I'd mix the hot water and formula together, give it a shake and add a bit of cold water (boiled and put into a sterile bottle to cool) to cool it to the right temp.

[DisappointedOne]

(DD liked her breastmilk hotter than body temp too, little weirdo.)

[saturnvista]

I apologise for butting in but have a baby on the way and just saw the words perfect prep machine....SURELY it is not worth it? It doesn't even add the powder for you! and isn't a tommee tippee bath just a bucket?

[CultureSucksDownWords]

Coffee, your way is not incorrect I don't think. The WHO guidance says your way is ok if you need to make bottles up in advance. That sounds fair enough to me.

(nice to see some Manics fans out there, btw!)

[MrsTedCrilly]

YANBU.. But your way isn't naughty is it? I've always been advised by professionals to make up in advance with boiled water

[Notso]

Coffeeandbiscuits I drink tea like it's going out of fashion so it wasn't just for bottles and used cold water steriliser.
I only bottle fed one of mine before 6 months so admittedly the older ones were on more of a schedule but even with demand feeding I found getting the kettle on roughly every 2 hours or so was enough.
I was way too disorganised to do any other kind of pre making of bottles, I'll admit it was more fluke that that happened to fit in with the guidelines!
I had a milk thermometer from boots to check water temp at first.

[CoffeeAndBiscuitsPlease]

saturnvista I think the best thing about a perfect prep is that you don't have to pre make or wait, you just pop the bottle under, and out comes the milk at a lovely temp for baby in a couple of minutes. I think it's definitely a great gadget and if I could afford one I would get one.

CultureSucksDownWords Manics fans everywhere :)

I guess my way isn't as naughty as others, but still isn't the "best" way. :)

[Writerwannabe83]

It surprises me in my line of work how many parents make up feeds with boiled water that they have let go cold then simply add the water and heat it up. They think because the cold water is sterile then it's fine, they genuinely don't realise the heat kills the formula.

We are always told to have the exact amount of boiled water and then leave it to cool for 15 minutes before adding the powder.

We were told not to use a mixture of boiled water and cold water in a 'topping up the bottle' method because it effects the concentration of the milk. For example if someone wanted 6oz of milk they may put 6 scoops into 3oz of boiling hot water to kill the germs and then top it up with cold sterile water to make the 6oz. However, because the first 3oz is mixed with 6 scoops by the time it's all mixed in the measurement on the bottle is probably nearer 4oz so a person may only add 2oz of cold water to make it up to the 6oz. This means though that actually there are 6 scoops of powder in only 5 ounces of water, thus meaning the milk is over concentrated and can cause damage to the liver and kidneys.

We were told it's fine to do it though if we have a separate container of the cold sterile water which we know is 3oz which we then add to the formula solution that was made up with the 3oz of boiling water. That way we know that whatever the volume reads on the bottle we have got 6 scoops to 6 ounces of water.

[Monkendrunky]

The way your friends do it is the way I do it, as advised by my health visitor. The baby has been absolutely fine, no upset tummies or whatever. Guidelines are changing constantly it's impossible to keep up, I'm sure they're doing what they believe to be bes, as are you, different strokes.

[CultureSucksDownWords]

Writer, I meant using pre-measured amounts as you describe. Although I guess it would be easy for people to make the mistake you describe, which is probably too much of a risk to promote it.

[CoffeeAndBiscuitsPlease]

Writerwannabe83 completely agree with you, especially with the concentration, If I make a 6 oz bottle then add 6 scoops, it looks more like 7oz once finished (even though the scoops and water are the right balance)

[CoffeeAndBiscuitsPlease]

Monkendrunky I don't have to be as tactful with you as I do with my friends. What you are doing/have done is dangerous and you are just lucky.

It's not different strokes at all. It's a danger to babies and can be deadly.

[BertieBotts]

This is entirely because of rubbish official "advice". Rainicorn is spot on. In 2003 the advice was to make in advance but not keep for longer than 24 hours. Somewhere between then and 2008 (I had DS in 2008, breastfed, but spent loads of time on parenting forums where advice was swapped and debated, and of course knew other mums who bottle fed) the advice changed to "make all bottles up fresh". I suspect this was shortly before 2008, because it seemed like a REALLY big deal at the time. Like making them up in advance was some kind of death warrant. (I remember a friend making all the bottles in advance just the year before, and that was her first baby, so I'm sure she would have followed up to date advice.)

Anyway, clearly, it's really bloody impractical to have a just-boiled, but never twice-boiled kettle available at all times, especially when you're demand feeding, it's not going to be possible. Because we know about water needing to be boiled when the water supply is compromised, and we tend to assume that formula is scientific and/or medical, hence leading to the assumption that the powder is sterile, people made (make) the assumption that it was the water which needed boiling, not the powder.

So, I think it's the advice that's at fault. Of course yes parents should be told that the best way is to make fresh. But then emphasis ought to be put on the fact that it's imperative to make up with hot water. So advice should be "Make up fresh with hot water OR make up 24 hours' worth in advance and store in the fridge", not just "Make up fresh with boiled water (and then some small mumbly small print about using hot water and keeping in the fridge if you have to make in advance)".

[CoffeeAndBiscuitsPlease]

Hot water is the main thing here, however you do it I guess. I think I will talk to my friends...

[GoGetGo]

Writer you'd have to be a special kind of stupid to mess it up in that way, its pretty clear adding the powder moves the boiling water line up the bottle. I always used 2ozs boiling water for under 6/7ozs and 3ozs for over. Then filled the rest with cold tap water. No ill effects and I realise the guidelines are cooled boiled water but I figure the greater risk is the powder, not the water.

Also, wasn't the "boiling water kills formula nutrients" disproveed as an urban myth?

I thought the reason they say 70 is so you kill the germs but can't sue them for scalding yourself with boiling water!

If its powdered milk, wouldn't it have already been heat treated and seen temps above 100 degrees anyway during production The risk of germs and nasty bugs then comes after with the powder sitting in the box, ideal breeding ground for them hence the importance of the boiling water..

Just what I thought, happy to be disproved?

[DisappointedOne]

*This is entirely because of rubbish official "advice". Rainicorn is spot on. In 2003 the advice was to make in advance but not keep for longer than 24 hours. Somewhere between then and 2008 (I had DS in 2008, breastfed, but spent loads of time on parenting forums where advice was swapped and debated, and of course knew other mums who bottle fed) the advice changed to "make all bottles up fresh". I suspect this was shortly before 2008, because it seemed like a REALLY big deal at the time. Like making them up in advance was some kind of death warrant. (I remember a friend making all the bottles in advance just the year before, and that was her first baby, so I'm sure she would have followed up to date advice.)

Anyway, clearly, it's really bloody impractical to have a just-boiled, but never twice-boiled kettle available at all times, especially when you're demand feeding, it's not going to be possible. *

If only there were an alternative......

[GoGetGo]

Pray tell dissapointed

[CoffeeAndBiscuitsPlease]

Look. I really don't care how long people leave their boiled kettles, or where they put their boiled water, the general consensus is that mixing the formula with COLD water (boiled or not) Is probably the worst and most dangerous out of all the options you could possibly take.

So I will speak to my friends, I guess it's worth it to avoid a poorly baby.

Thanks everyone :)

[CultureSucksDownWords]

Presumably the ready mixed formula, or the perfect prep machine?

[CoffeeAndBiscuitsPlease]

If only there were an alternative......

there's an alternative to all this shit?

Never been told that before.

best go and research to find this uncomplicated magical alternative option.

[CoffeeAndBiscuitsPlease]

pre mixed - pricey
perfect prep - pricey
powder - cheapest option and all I can afford.


As far as I am aware there are no other options available to me cough cough

[Klayden]

Don't be shy now, Disappointed. Please feel free to share your tips,

[meglet]

notso I did the freshly made bottles each time too. used to keep an icy cold jug of water in the fridge to dunk the bottle in.

used ready made at night and on outings though. my rational part knew the risk of making in advance was small but I'm a bit of a worrier.

[CoffeeAndBiscuitsPlease]

Do you use the freshly boiled kettle straight away meglet or wait 30mins like the formula package says? My baby would have passed out from crying by the time I'd boiled the kettle, waited, mixed and cooled lol. We've just taken her up to bed and she had to wait 5 mins as I forgot to sterilise the teats and she probably woke the street up :)