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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Making Formula..

219 replies

CoffeeAndBiscuitsPlease · 03/06/2015 21:11

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?

OP posts:
CoupDetat · 04/06/2015 01:25

Cudos to you for expressing, which was your choice, you did what you thought was right and what suites you. Just like it is another mother's choice to use formula. As long as babies are fed and happy I don't see a problem.

Ilive, I feel your pain! My youngest DS would scream the place down if we didn't get him his bottle fast enough! We had tried to make as and when needed but it just didn't work and caused more stress than need be.

CoupDetat · 04/06/2015 01:25

Cross post, fatty. I agree completely.

DisappointedOne · 04/06/2015 01:26

There is a difference though if my child's meal was made with organic, free range meat and yours with bum holes and ears.

(I'm vegetarian so I'm not sure what goes into what, really!)

CoupDetat · 04/06/2015 01:32

Bum holes and ears? You're lack of knowledge aside from what goes where, If that's your opinion of formula then even the women that can't BF must be lowly in your eyes. Hmm You're not better or above anyone because you chose to feed your child differently.

CultureSucksDownWords · 04/06/2015 01:36

I thought, for a while, that we might have avoided the usual barney about breastfeeding versus formula feeding.... Apparently not.

It's a shame as no one was asking about people's reasons for feeding choices. Surely the most sensible approach is to give the OP some credit and assume that they've made an informed choice that best suits their circumstances. There's no need for a squabble about feeding methods when the OP was only asking about safe formula preparation.

fattymcfatfat · 04/06/2015 01:38

bum holes and ears actually made me laugh!

well ok, it's like the ddifference between a red pepper and a green pepper. they are both peppers at the end of the day. you may choose to give red peppers to your child, I may choose to give green peppers to my child. and just for arguments sake both peppers come from exactly the same place and are grown the sane way

fattymcfatfat · 04/06/2015 01:40

by the way, organic vs bum holes is more like
safe vs unsafe bottle preparation.
one's perfectly acceptable the other is just wrong.

CoupDetat · 04/06/2015 01:40

Culture, sadly in questions like these I tend to find there's always one person to drag this old argument up. I'm usually one to ignore but the pushing of 'alternatives' and then the holier than thou attitude makes me feel particularly stabby.

CultureSucksDownWords · 04/06/2015 01:49

I think it is fine to discuss options, eg on a thread where a pregnant first time mother is asking for opinions on feeding choices. It's hard to do though, without people either accidentally or deliberately being judgey or taking offence when none was meant.

In this case through the OP has a 6 month old. I don't think that attempting to relactate would be a solution to her formula prep questions!

CoupDetat · 04/06/2015 01:54

I agree that feeding is a particularly sensitive subjective and can be a mine field for people who mean well but then you get the goady posts pushing and pushing. Especially considering OP was asking about formula prep an not for alternatives to it.

Re lactating after 6 months though that would be a challenge! Shock

fattymcfatfat · 04/06/2015 01:56

I've. managed to re lactate after 18 months. I only had to get pregnant again Wink Grin

CoupDetat · 04/06/2015 02:01

That actually made me laugh! Smile bravo, Fatty, loophole for you! Grin

toomuchtooold · 04/06/2015 05:37

There was like one instance ever of a baby getting sick from formula milk when the source of the contamination was the powder, and they changed the guidelines as a result. So I judged it to be an acceptable risk, specially as I had twins, and we had around 16 bottles a day to prepare in the early days. Our main issue was waiting for a prepared bottle to cool to the right temperature, no joke when you've got two babies crying for milk. If I'd known lonelylass's method I'd have used that probably, but was so sleep deprived it was good going if I even managed to make the bottles up and give one to one baby each!

Totality22 · 04/06/2015 05:45

I used pre-made formula for the first 6 months with DC1. I know..... incredibly expensive but terribly convenient!

Cirsium · 04/06/2015 06:16

Disappointed is exactly how I feel about my long waited for DD being poorly and unable to breastfeed effectively enough to gain weight. I am extremely Disappointed that the feeding advice I was given actually made things worse not better. I am really Disappointed to have to be dealing with bottles and formula and sterilisers (while still breastfeeding every couple of hours) as I literally could not express enough milk for top ups (and fenugreek and domperidone made DD unwell). I am incredibly Disappointed that some judgemental idiots will see me with a bottle and think I have just not tried hard enough and that one of them sees fit to post shaming comments on what is meant to be a supportive parenting forum.

Royalsighness · 04/06/2015 07:04

Obviously the dumbass that said "it's easier to breastfeed" never spent every evening from 6-11 for 4 weeks cluster feeding. Imbecile.

As for the bottles I know a few people who do what you do with mixing them up but my sister has a machine that does all the stuff and I find that amazing !

GertyD · 04/06/2015 07:49

Disappointed, you chose to miss the point of the thread. How many facts do you have about all those bottle feeders before you write them off?

Op, I was the same, 16 years ago, all bottles were made up 24 hours in advance, so that's what happened. Nowadays other is 2 hours in advance,so that's what we did for DS 2. Formula, straight into hot water and cool under the cold tap. Neither of my DS's got sick though.

ChickenLaVidaLoca · 04/06/2015 07:55

The level of arrogance it must take to try and turn a thread about formula prep into one about your exclusive expressing is almost impressive. I have a suggestion for fellow posters though- Don't Feed The Egotist. If disappointed feels the need to return and regale us with more irrelevances, just treat her like you would any boorish twat at a party who tries to turn every conversation round to them, what they've done and their preferences.

Like so:

Posters: I mix formula like this, well I do it like that, this way is wrong, the WHO says this, Perfect Prep etc etc.

Disappointed: ME ME ME I I I ME ME ME EXCLUSIVELY EXPRESSED TITS TITS TITS BUMHOLE ME ME ME EXCLUSIVE EXPRESSING YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT HOW I DID IT.

Posters: How lovely. Moving swiftly on, and shuffling away discreetly, has anyone tried premade?

sharonthewaspandthewineywall · 04/06/2015 07:55

Oh ffs dissapointed DFOD you goady fucker.

I'm a hv and never tell parents to make bottles up by adding powder to cool water so god knows where that bollocks came from. Although lots of people use 'my mw/hv told me to' as an excuse to justify why they are doing something they know is not recommended.

Also coffee I've got to say never mind how you make your bottles up, leaving your baby to sleep on the sofa is far more dangerous.

Silvercatowner · 04/06/2015 07:59

every evening from 6-11 for 4 weeks cluster feeding I was under the impression that was par for the course for early breastfeeding. It was certainly my experience - it was what I expected.

lornathewizzard · 04/06/2015 08:04

Whoever asked upthread if the perfect prep was worth it, yes, yes and yes. Hands down the most useful thing we've bought. And fairly regularly on offer at tesco, Asda, amazon etc. Still expensive I know, but worth considering if it's in your price range.

5madthings · 04/06/2015 08:04

I did the half and half method so mixed formula with hot water to kill bugs and topped up with cooled boiled water that I pre measured so I knew it was the right amount.

If making bottles in advance it's best too cool quickly by standing in ice cold water and then put in fridge, don't just leave on the side to cool.

OhEmGeee · 04/06/2015 08:08

There's always one that tries to turn it into a bf vs ff debate.

ChickenLaVidaLoca · 04/06/2015 08:14

We have a Perfect Prep, didn't actually pay for it so obviously it was worth every penny! But they're pretty good.

Tanith · 04/06/2015 08:43

I think that prep machine is the biggest load of over-priced rubbish I've ever seen! Shame on Tommee Tippee for preying on the fears of new mums so cynically! Angry

As several posters have pointed out, the risk is tiny. I can only remember one case of formula recall in this country and that was a precaution after a 5 month old baby contracted botulism (which was also found in the baby rice and other items at the baby's home). It happened several years ago.

It's my understanding that Botulism in babies is much milder than the adult illness, so the "dangerous, life-threatening" claims are a bit overdone, I feel.
Is anyone aware of a case of a baby that died from botulism-infected formula?
The only instance of a hospitalisation due to formula milk that I personally knew (the poor MIL had been blamed for not following guidelines) turned out to be an allergy to cows milk.

I make it up according to the guidelines because I must. I'm looking after other people's babies and it's not my place to deviate from the guidelines. I follow them to the letter and add a few extra hygiene rules of my own, such as a scrupulously clean scoop for every feed.

However, I can't help thinking that it's far more unhygienic to return a powder-encrusted scoop again and again to the formula powder whilst making up the bottles. I use a clean scoop every time: how many people leave it in the formula for the next feeds?

There are more dangerous practices that many parents appear perfectly happy to risk: leaving babies in cars, on sofas or beds, smoking, baby-walkers.

All this angst - leading mums to buy more expensive alternatives Hmm