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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU about making up formula at night?

324 replies

Chocolateorangegoblin · 30/01/2017 20:58

A friend of mine told me she boils the kettle, waits 30 minutes for it to cool etc before making a bottle all while her Dd is screaming to be fed during the night.
AIBU to think that's madness?! Surely most people don't do that?!
Obviously a lot of people have perfect prep machines now but that still involves getting out of bed etc.
I make up bottles in advance, cool them and keep them in the fridge and then at bedtime I take one to bed in a cool bag and DS drinks it whenever he wakes up. I am obviously a lazy sod but there's no way I would be standing about waiting for water to cool down at 2am!

OP posts:
londonrach · 01/02/2017 19:49

There is no rewards for bf or ff. do whats best for you, happy mum matters most. For me ff worked out best and was so soooo easy compared to my bf friends who struggled. One bf baby was even taken in ti scbu as didnt take enough milk from bf. One baby ended up on fungal tablets due to fungal infection from milk from his mum. Once on ff got his birth weight back. What matters is that baby is fed! In the uk with a safe water supply it really doesnt matter which method.

I loved ff as i could fed and settle with 15 minutes and go back to sleep and as a result i have a vvvvv close bond with dd. I know other mums who loved bf and equality have a close bond. I think bf is a faff getting your top open, breast oot, baby latched when i can get a bottle ready and in to dd within 2 minutes (from stratch) and if out and bottle ready within seconds. Either method works as the baby is fed. Id advise a new mum reading this to try bf first especially the early milk (i expressed) you might have a baby that latches and you might love it but if it doesnt happen dont beat yourself by it ff him or her. A well fed loved baby is all that matters. Boy do i miss that milk drunk look. Enjoy the early days...it goes so quick and is soooo special x

Strokethefurrywall · 01/02/2017 20:00

It isn't "simpler" to breastfeed Esspee - what a shortsighted opinion. It may have been simpler for you, congratulations.

But given that this thread is about formula feeding and the best way to make up bottles, I can't see how your assertation that breastfeeding is oh so simple relevant in the slightest, given that it bloody well isn't the easiest way to feed a baby for many thousands of women.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 01/02/2017 20:01

DS is 15 now and how he was fed is the last thing on my mind. He was fed,that's all that matters.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 01/02/2017 20:02

But given that this thread is about formula feeding and the best way to make up bottles, I can't see how your assertation that breastfeeding is oh so simple relevant in the slightest, given that it bloody well isn't the easiest way to feed a baby for many thousands of women

That x100

happybeeisgoingcrazy · 01/02/2017 20:07

My DS 9 needed to have a drops in his milk to help break down the protein. It would take 4 hours after adding them to work. I would have a constantly screaming child if I had to make each feed fresh and then wait. I would always have 2 if the fridge with times on so I could just warm and go. Also how are you meant to make bottles up if your out?

Professionalcakelover · 01/02/2017 20:14

Thank you glueandstick great post! StarSmile

AssassinatedBeauty · 01/02/2017 20:15

happy I think people either use ready made, take hot water in a flask, or ask for hot water if they're in a cafe or similar.

WanderingStar1 · 01/02/2017 20:36

Reiki is right - another plus for bottles when you have teenie preemies is that you do know how much they're getting. Massively important! Though of course can be breast milk or formula.

Back to the bottles, I agree make with boiling water, then after that the general consensus seems to be it can be kept a bit. We've all done it without probs. I was told never to microwave it to re-heat but again I know plenty who did and as long as you shake well and leave for a bit I'm sure that's fine too (for those who feed warm instead of cool/cold as I did Grin).

However - if OPs friend wants to make the baby wait - again that's her choice. I was told always to keep mine to a 4 hour routine or go mad - and when I asked how to make my hungry boy wait they said give him a dummy and shut your ears! I hate dummies - but did as the nurses said and they were right. He wasn't made to wait for the milk prep but for the four hour deadline - and I just gave him more when feeding time was due and we soon got it sorted. Each to their own......

Cutesbabasmummy · 01/02/2017 20:41

We also filled up sterilised bottles with boiled water. They are on the side in the kitchen or shelf upstairs with premature pots of milk powder. Easy peasy. And they're not as cold as out if the fridge x

GreenGinger2 · 01/02/2017 20:47

Esspee it isn't simpler. The reason breast feeding rates are so low is because it's far from simple.

Utter nightmare in my experience and the biggest faff out.

NewKate · 01/02/2017 20:52

Mother of a multiple health issues, prescription formula requiring DS here. Tin says boil fresh kettle, leave for AT LEAST 30min, pour into bottle, add powder, discard leftover formula after 1 hour. (Dietician advised important not to use boiling water as it can affect nutritional content - don't know if that was specific to prescription formula or not)

Practically, we follow instructions but make up multiple bottles in the morning - one used at the time, the rest cooled in jug of freezing water and put in fridge. We do the same around bedtime - one pre-bed bottle, a couple for through the night.

And btw, the PP twatting on about breast milk vs artificial milk can fuck right off. Prescription formula is keeping my son alive, where breastmilk was making him ill.

londonrach · 01/02/2017 20:53

Green..you are so right judging by my tiny birth group of 6 mums..by 6 weeks they all given up as bf is so much harder and more of a faff than ff. various very good reasons behind each mums decision and it was right for them. As i said before as long as baby is fed it doesnt matter how..

AssassinatedBeauty · 01/02/2017 21:00

It can vary a lot though londonrach, in my group of 8 only 1 person was formula feeding by 6 months, the rest of us were still breastfeeding.

WankingMonkey · 01/02/2017 21:02

With DD I did it completely wrong, luckily we didn't have any issues though. For some reason I thought the danger was the water, so I would pour boiled water into bottles, then just add powder when required Blush

Agree about the BF comments too. Though maybe some of the replies were pretty abrupt but on a thread asking for FFing advice, how helpful is it to go on about breastfeeding? I am quite sure if the OP wanted to/could BF they would be doing so and would not be asking for advice on bottles...

WankingMonkey · 01/02/2017 21:03

Posted before finishing. With DS I made up the bottles in advance, cooled quickly and put in the fridge. He preferred his freezing cold too so that worked well. Sometimes I would buy premades for night feeds so I didn't even have to go downstairs..lazy sod that I am Grin

VelvetSparkles · 01/02/2017 21:06

Small carton of ready made formula for night feeds - already room temperature so slight dip in hot water and bingo. No fuss no hassle and very little time for screaming.

StarlingMurderation · 01/02/2017 21:06

Flowers Excellent post, sleeponeday. It's not selfish to give up breastfeeding when it's making you mentally unwell. And those smuggos sitting then waffling on about whipping out their tits and how perfect and easy it is, should perhaps think about how it isn't easy for everyone. And also should fuck off and shut it.

ruthieruthuk · 01/02/2017 21:18

How long can u keep made up foruma in the fridge? Ive always made mine as of when required.. Just would be interesting to get other views on cos when we were on holiday we made up with boiling water and cooled boiled water to cool it but never stored it in advance as i was worried it would go off

tanyavt · 01/02/2017 21:24

When my twins were babies, I would prepare a tray of bottles (they had been through the dishwasher, so no sterilising required), filled them with boiling water and then measured out powder in a dispenser so when babies woke in the night I could make up bottle and feed it to them cold. My mum always felt sorry for them and one night warmed up a bottle for them... they spat it out!! :-)
A friend of mine went one further and prepared a flask with hot tea for herself and a chocolate bar as a snack and fed the twins in bouncy chairs, balancing the bottles on a little cushion so she didn't even have to hold the bottles!!
PS the twins are now 8 1/2 and absolutely fine!!

RowRowRowtheFookingBoat · 01/02/2017 21:33

For us the best way was to have a flask of boiling water at night, when baby wakes I found by the time I'd done a nappy change it had sufficiently cooled in a sink of cold water BUT loving the suggestion of half boiled/half cooled.. would def do that next time round xx

Bunnyfuller · 01/02/2017 22:06

Luckily my two made it through pre-prepared bottles AND heaven forbid nutrient destroying microwaving.

They're growing boobs now (and no, they're not 4)

toomuchtooold · 01/02/2017 22:16

tanya I used to feed mine while they lay down side by side. At night they could just stay in the cot and I did one bottle in each hand. Worked a treat till we were out at London zoo one day, they were about 18 months old and still taking a post-nap bottle (yeah yeah I know) and when I got their bottles out in the cafe the two of them got down off their seats and lay down on the floor!

God the things we had to do, I wouldn't change it though, it's a funny old bond when there's three of you from day 1 but I always felt like they were my little allies in the daily struggle.

Doremisofarsogood · 01/02/2017 23:14

I had a preemie on prescription milk and made up bottles at night, cooled, stored in fridge then microwaved when she woke up. Tried a hot water flask thingy but took ages, no good. She was never predictable with feeds either so never knew how many to make up, usually ended up throwing at least a couple of bottles as was worried about going over the 24 hour thing. Never had any issues resulting from doing it this way.

storynanny · 01/02/2017 23:22

35 years ago when I was first making up bottles, the rule was not to use boiling water on the powder as it would destroy the nutrients! We had to let it cool a bit in the kettle then add to the powder , shake, cool and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
Mind you, after feeding, we then had to lie them on their tummies so they wouldn't choke.
How things change from generation to generation as science and knowledge develops.

storynanny · 01/02/2017 23:42

There was much more emphasis on sterilising the equipment , I remember being told by the midwife to turn the teats inside out and rub with salt to get rid of traces of milk before putting them in the steriliser. There was no mention back then of unsterile powder.
Don't know how my three survived, unsterile powder, sleeping on their tummies, weaned at 12 weeks, rolling around in a Moses basket on the back seat of the car.
Not to say that if I was a new mum now I wouldn't be following current guidelines,
(And as a MIL of course I never say "Well in my day we did so and so and it never did them any harm" Honestly, might think it but never say it!)