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!!!

We used Aptamil cartons. DS happy to drink milk at room temperature. Kept sterilised bottles, cartons and small nail scissors next to bed. An absolute gamechanger! No need to even get out of bed :-)

If you have the tommiee tippee day and night machine you can turn the volume down

You can boil kettle ( litre of water and do not re boil water as sodium levels will be to high always a fully fresh batch of water ) leave in kettle 30 mins add formula ) and that bottle is good for 2 hours I have bottle carriers that help keep the heat or buy some ready to go milk ore made up in cartons ... it does get easier x

Oh, should it?! Never heard of that and certainly didn't follow it myself with DS whoops!

@TangoPink - don't feel guilty! If preparing infant formula this way would cause such problems, the whole of Scandinavia would have gastroenteritis.

Newmumma.....why do you leave the water in the kettle 30 mins? We used to pour it straight onto the powder from boiled. Surely if you leave it 30 mins, it's gone cold?

I used a flask of boiling water for night time and pre measured the formula into sterile pits so I could just pop it in and shake it up whilst still half asleep with no fuss.

You are all incredible thank you for everything you've shared

I've brought the TTPP upstairs and I think I'll also be making a batch of bottles to keep in the fridge as my boy isn't fussed about temperature. Wish I had more than 6 bottles but the kind he needs are so flipping expensive.

Bloody hell. I followed the advice of an experienced mummy and ex A&E sister.

Poured boiling water 3oz into sterilised bottles. Put in fridge. Added formula, topped up with boiling water when required.

MY DC SHOULD BE DEAD >>whispers - they are big and strong and have always had cast iron stomachs

How old is baby?

Perfect prep is just a shot of hot water on the powder with more cold water to cool. You can easily do this by taking up a flask of hot water, some cold water and powder and mix it in seconds to the right temp. We did this and was actually quicker (and quieter!) than PP.

Alternative - make up bottles, put in fridge/cool bag, add a dash of hot water just before using.

Our Perfect Prep has always been in the bedroom, so much easier!

As others have said, it’s the formula that’s not sterile so the water has to be above 70 degrees to sterilise it.

We kept a mini fridge upstairs and put bottles with the ready made formula in it. With a bottle warmer

Tabbymumz.....i was once told it takes the nutrients out of the formula if the water is to hot......i have no idea if thats fact!!

Wynston.....no, sorry, think that's a load of nonsense. The water has to be boiling I think to kill off the bacteria. Someone else up thread said dont boil the kettle twice as salt content gets too high....I've never heard that one before either.

According to the WHO it is the least preferable way to make up a bottle but still ok. I did it, sprog was fine

I'd second the individual carton/bottle (if it's within the budget to do so). Just snip the carton open, decant into sterilised bottle and that should be that.
I did that for a few months and it all seemed to go well. This was over a decade ago so perhaps guidelines are different now. Does add up a bit though - extra £5 a week but worth it at 3am I felt.

www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/micro/PIF_Bottle_en.pdf

The water has to be boiling I think to kill off the bacteria

It has to be above 70 degrees. You can leave the boiling water in the kettle for half an hour but no longer (any longer and it will drop below 70 degrees).

Buy the little bottles
So much easier

The recommendations in the Netherlands were similar @Fyette. The midwives were always saying how safe the tap water was. Then several babies in Belgium died from a batch of contaminated powder.

I can never understand people giving their baby cold milk, I know people say their baby is fine with it....but is that because they've never given it warm? I thought it was the warmth of the bottle that helped babies go into a dreamy sleep.

I make up batches of bottles and store them in the fridge and serve at room temperature. My head is melted just reading some of the convoluted methods people are suggesting.

Some babies like it cold, some don’t. DC2 liked it room temperature, DC3 won’t have it any cooler than 38 degrees. Don’t think the temperature of the milk makes any difference to their sleep (DC2 was by far my better sleeper).

My DD has always taken expressed milk warm, room temp or straight from fridge and doesn't seem to care either way. It's always consumed with the same amount of gusto!

Why wait half an hour though soydora? It's not dangerous to do it straight away with boiling water, then they can be cooling and put away in the fridge.

No idea TabbyMumz, I’ve never done it. Just saying it’s safe to leave the water for up to half an hour, as it will still be above the required 70 degrees to kill the bacteria.