Am I being unreasonable /silly for my idea of a nighttime formula-making method?

[Bubsworth]

I guess AIBU (or possibly silly?) to consider this method to make formula tonight? The main thing I want to know is, is this method safe or would the water not be sterile anymore?

If I boiled the kettle in the evening and pour it into small sterilised containers and left to cool down before putting the lid on. Then put the formula powder into a bottle ready. Then took it to the bedroom. Would I be able to use that (room temperature, but sterile) water in the night/early hours to make a bottle up? Would it be safe to do so?

Backstory I fully intended to BF, baby born with condition that means I had to bottle feed but I was completely unprepared, never made a bottle in my life. After EPing for 3 months I switched to formula and from day one of formula have been using a Tommy Tippee bottle maker machine, so I have no knowledge of making formula the good 'old fashioned way'! I don't know the 'rules' for sterilising the water or how long it's sterile for, etc, etc.

Also moved house recently to a VERY old cottage... I would like to be able to NOT have to venture downstairs in the night alone!!!

As I understand it the water should be hot as formula powder isn’t sterile so the heat is what makes the formula safe.

No. In short the formula needs to be mixed with the boiled water. It is the formula that is not sterile. The nhs has detailed info about safe formula predation. Why don’t you just take the perfect prep upstairs if you’ve been using that? (Also technically not recommended but I’ve used it with no issues).

I could be completely way off the mark here but i thought the point of using boiling water straight into the formula was the kill any bugs in the formula too because powdered milk isn’t sterile.

Ah cross posts!

I used to sterilise a flask and put warm milk into it then just pour it out into a bottle in the night when it was needed

The water has to be hot to kill the bacteria in the formula.
When I switched to bottle feeding DD2 we kept our perfect prep upstairs.

Take the perfect prep upstairs?

My method was to take this upstairs at bedtime:

• Flask of boiling water
• Pot of formula powder pre-measured
• Empty sterilised bottle
• Bottle/container with cooled boiled water, pre-measured

Then you can replicate what the perfect prep does, i.e. use the flask water for a few oz, add all the powder, top up with the cooled boiled water. You need the formula to be mixed in the hot water. A decent flask will keep it hot enough through most of the night.

However why does the fact that the cottage is old stop you going downstairs at night? Have you been going downstairs to prepare the milk previously?

Move the perfect Prep?

Why not buy cartons for in the night. It's only a little bit more expensive than powder. Handy when you're out, too.

Take the tommee tippee upstairs with you so you can make up a bottle upstairs? The water needs to be hot when the powder goes it.

It's what I did,my DD liked room temp milk.

But there will be many who come on and state that the milk needs to be added to boiling water to kill bacteria in the formula milk.

You could.... Fill a flask with hot water. Pour say 2 Oz into a bottle and add formula powder. Top up with extra cooled water.

Or use ready made milk?

I will tell you what I used to do; I believe it is safer than the method you propose, and will explain why!

Boil water, and pour required amount into stabilised bottle(s).
Add the necessary amount of formula and put the lid back on.
Swish around (not up and down, but in a circular motion).
Loosen lid to release steam.
Leave on counter with lid half on (I.e. not fully tightened) so steam can escape but milk is still covered.
When sufficiently cooled, secure lid firmly.
Bottle is now ready for use.

By this method, the formula powder comes into contact with HOT water, thus killing any lurking microbes (there are some such as Enterobacter which can be present in the powder). If you add the powder to cold sterile water then it doesn't kill the bugs. Once you HAVE killed the bugs, however, the bottle should be pretty safe overnight at room temp; I wouldn't leave it longer though.

I hope that is useful!

P.S. I am an ex-microbiologist so veer between being cavalier and over-cautious about bugs....

Same as @Userzzzzz. We had the perfect prep upstairs :) also it's the formula that contains the things that need killing through sterilising so the water needs to be hot (at least 70 degrees) to make the formula powder safe.

You need to make up a batch (I'd do enough for the evening, so 2/3 bottles) of formula in the usual way I. E. with boiling hot water.

Cool quickly I. E. In a bowl of cool water, then store in the fridge. Zap in the microwave for 20 seconds before giving to baby during the night.

Simples.

I used to make the formula up with boiling water when I went to bed, knowing he would wake a couple of hours later. I'd put it in an insulated bag and by the time he woke it was the right temperature.

God, missed all the other posts since I took so long to type sorry!!

No you can't do that. The water has to be hot (70 degrees or whatever it is) when the powder is added. It's the powder, not really the water, that is the problem.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/making-up-infant-formula/

Hot water needs to be added to the formula powder to sterilise it

You could try taking a good quality thermos flask filled with boiling water upstairs with you (you would need to check the temp just to see if it stays above 70 degrees all night, I think it should though)
You could then make up bottles like the perfect prep does, 2oz hot water, 6 scoops of formula, shake well, then add 4oz of cold water (measured out, not just topped up to the 6oz mark), safely prepared formula at a drinkable temperature.

Oh yikes I didn't even know that the boiling water is to kill the bacteria in the formula!!

Thank you all for your replies.

I think I might have to bring it up then. The beeping on it is just so loud it goes right through you and will probably startle the baby (and sleeping DH lol).

Oh yikes I didn't even know that the boiling water is to kill the bacteria in the formula!!

Thank you all for your replies.

I think I might have to bring it up then. The beeping on it is just so loud it goes right through you and will probably startle the baby (and sleeping DH lol).

As far as I know, PP are mistaken: your method sounds perfectly safe. As long as you always mix the bottle on the spot, and make sure the powder is in an airtight container before you do. Where I live now (not the UK) people don't even boil water anymore; they heat it up to room temperature / the temperature baby prefers in the microwave, then mix it, which is the official recommendation here (because the tap water is very clean).

Cross posted with lots of posters!!