Formula

[Newmumma25]

Hi everyone I’m a first time (very confused mum) I recently stopped breastfeeding my 12 week old baby as I wasn’t producing enough due to having mastitis for the 3rd time and had to use bottles to get through which she ultimately got too used too so had to begin bottle feeding. My question is how do you actually make formula up? What does everyone do? I’ve been following the instructions letting it cool and making it fresh but it’s a mega faff! My HV said she personally boils water makes the bottle up adds the formula when needed and heat it a little. When asking everyone they tell me they made it up with fresh boiled water and put it in the fridge! Im so confused on how to make it. The way I’m doing it just now is a real hassle!

Use common sense.

The babies that died from food poisoning were probably given bottles that had been made too long ago

We used to make up a few bottles in a perfect prep then put in a small cool box with ice blocks .
Took out and warmed as needed throughout night.

Or just make on demand with perfect prep, the one that doesn't sing and dance when it's ready.

Ok so it's early and that could be clearer

As long as it's made to the correct temp and stored correctly and used within the same night it's made how can there be a problem.

Another vote for a perfect prep.

I did a project for work where I observed dozens of mums make up formula as they usually do it, at home. Virtually no one follows instructions to the letter therefore achieving maximum safety and even those who think they are, don’t measure the temps exactly, so are also hit or miss.

So while perfect preps aren’t 100% in line with manufacturers guidelines, human preparation isn’t either, may as well save yourself the hassle.

If you don't want to wait for a perfect prep you could follow the method the prep uses.

Which is a shot of hot water (filtered) followed by cool filtered water.

So you could have a flask of hot water 70oc (I think it is) and then a flask of cooled boiled water. You might need to experiment till you get the right amount of each water you need to add so it's not too hot, but the prep machine you add the powder first , then hot water, mix and then cooled water.

experiment without the formula first so u get the right mixture of the water to the right level.

Once you add the powder before (perfect prep method) or after (traditional way of making as per box) the level goes up anyway so you need to work out mix of water first.

So you could do that, the amount of water you need for each depends on how big a bottle you are making.

Will need two clean bottles each time, one to measure out water in and one to make up the actual bottle

But a vote for perfect prep machine from me, but we did realise after we bought it we could have just used the two flask method.

NHS advises against making up multiple bottles and storing them in the fridge.

"To reduce the risk of infection, it's best to make up feeds 1 at a time, as your baby needs them."
www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/breastfeeding-and-bottle-feeding/bottle-feeding/making-up-baby-formula/

There's also lots of literature out there about why Perfect Prep machines are not totally safe and why HV's (ie the NHS) do not recommend them. I personally still decided to use one - but I think it's important to research properly and understand the potential risks you are taking.

The main concern with the Perfect Prep is that the 70 degree 'hot shot' is such a small amount of water that it cools so quickly that by the time you add the formula there's the potential that the water isn't hot enough to properly sterilise the formula. Other worries are linked to mould in the pipes, but I believe that this can be avoided if you follow the cleaning instructions properly and clean the machine regularly.

To reduce the risk of infection, it's best to make up feeds 1 at a time, as your baby needs them

That’s fundamentally unrealistic and makes for a thoroughly stressful life for everyone.

The main concern with the Perfect Prep is that the 70 degree 'hot shot' is such a small amount of water that it cools so quickly that by the time you add the formula there's the potential that the water isn't hot enough to properly sterilise the formula

Because the prep will dispense the correct that total amount of water regardless, you can add the powder to the bottle first, avoiding this concern.

Perfect Prep was my hero when bottle feeding DS2.

With DS1 I would always make up the days bottles first thing, keep in the fridge and heat as I went. Following the incident in France (I think) with babies becoming ill, guidance had changed significantly by the time DS2 came along and it was the whole "boil a kettle, allow it to cook to 70°, etc..."

The UK follows the WHO guidelines on formula preparation to the letter, but it's worth reading these guidelines yourself as they clearly state that it's fine to make up bottles in advance (providing they're cooled quickly) for babies in care settings. If you need further reassurance, have a look at the bottle preparation guidelines for some other countries, Australia and America for example.

@PumpkinKlNG

Oh great a BF bashing post, was wondering when there would be another one 🙄

What are you seeing that everybody else is not?

Another vote for the perfect prep here. It was hands down the best baby item we bought, it was worth its weight in gold. As a PP said, it is handy if you can get your baby used to drinking cool milk if you are often out of the house as it means you haven't got to worry about heating the bottles correctly, etc, if pre-made and kept cold, although you can get bottle warmers cheaply enough.
Formula feeding is a huge faff but it does get easier as they get older and less desperate for milk.

@CoalCraft

The main concern with the Perfect Prep is that the 70 degree 'hot shot' is such a small amount of water that it cools so quickly that by the time you add the formula there's the potential that the water isn't hot enough to properly sterilise the formula

Because the prep will dispense the correct that total amount of water regardless, you can add the powder to the bottle first, avoiding this concern.

Yup, we added the formula powder first - that way it gets hit with the 70 degree water and dissolves instantly.

Perfect prep - add formula to the bottle first.

Always make sure you change the filter regularly and use the proper filters for the machine - don’t scrimp a few quid for the cheaper ones. Follow the instructions on cleaning the machine and you won’t have any problem.

HV and midwives are so critical of anything that makes FF easier in my experience over three children - who I tried and failed to BF as I don’t produce a drop of milk.

I keep my perfect prep upstairs by my bed - would rather pop up to make a bottle in the day than drag myself out of bed at 3am to do it!

Pretty sure I read you shouldn't use standard filtered water for formulae

I also read TT are very secretive about the science behind the perfect prep machine and especially the "filter" - it's not the kind of filter used elsewhere like a Brita filter etc

@Newmumma25 they dont tell you that to put you off formula feeding, there isnt a mass conspiracy. They tell you that because those are the official guidelines and thats what theu have to say. Its the difference between learning to drive to pass your test compared to how you actually drive when you are qualified- the instructor has to tell you the proper way even if they dont do it themselves.

If you are using bottles take a look at glass bottles as plastic ones have been shown to release microplastics x

www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/19/bottle-fed-babies-swallow-millions-microplastics-day-study

I just used pre made, much easier. You can buy big bottles for the fridge and little ones for taking out.

@AndTheReasonIsYou

Another vote for the perfect prep here. HVs don’t like them but never did I meet one who could give me a decent explanation as to why that was…

It’s because when they’ve been tested independently the ‘hot shot’ of water was not sufficient to heat all the powder to kill the bacteria in formula. Open tins of formula are a pretty perfect breeding ground for pathogens. Making up formula ‘correctly’ is a faff so I do understand why people might want to take the risk, especially with older babies.

Perfect prep machines aren't recommended, but you can Google that and make your own mind up.

I formula fed my son from five months. I used to boil water and out it in a flask and pre-measure the amounts of formula and keep in those little containers. Once you get into the habit it's quick and easy.

Your HV is doing the least safe way. The reason to use boiling water is to kill bacteria in the powder. By boiling and cooling water, there is nothing to kill the bacteria 🤦‍♀️ which is why it's safest to make with boiling water and cool as PP mentioned, if you can't make fresh.

I found having a supply of ready made easiest when we started although that was with a newborn, at 3 months you may find you know baby well enough to make the formula.

Perfect prep machine not advised however I wouldn't have survived without it!!! Just buy a food thermometer and make sure you check the hot shot from time to time to make sure. And only use the tommee tippee filters. One of my HV actually said "whatever you find works best for you" when I told her I use the prep machine!

I used to keep pre boiled water in fridge. Add hot boiled water to formula then top up with pre boiled fridge water.

As an aside, I’d love to see how many parents use a thermometer to check the temp of the water in the kettle they have let cool to 70 degrees!

Use it properly, PP machine is fine. When you hear horror stories of then being “full of mould”, it’s usually from people who haven’t bothered to clean them and then complain.

Am I reading this correctly? "My HV said she personally boils water makes the bottle up adds the formula when needed and heat it a little" So she boils 8oz of water, puts it in the bottle and leaves it. Then adds the formula when needed and then heats it up a bit? If so that is shockingly bad advice. The formula needs to touch boiling water to sterilise it.

I use a perfect prep and cartons when out and about. If not using a prep then 3oz boiling water, add formula and mix, then top up with 5oz of pre boiled water from the fridge.

Sat here breastfeeding baby and I literally do not see how this is a bf bashing post?

Incidentally OP, I do agree with you and often said that when I had my first (that they make formula so difficult to force bfing, we swapped to formula at 6 weeks due to mastitis also which killed my supply)

With my first we got a prep machine. I always bought the official filters and religiously did the clean cycle. I periodically removed the back also and checked for mould in the tubes (probably didn’t need to be done but I was an extremely anxious ftm)

We couldn’t use ready made with DS1 as he had CMPA so was on prescription formula, I did the flask method when out and about.

Also - well done for 12 weeks breastfeeding!

I used pre made with DD but too expensive with twins but when we are out and about use pre made except one twin absolutely hates the stuff and refuses to drink it and gets really upset she would seemingly rather go hungry than have it so have to plan days out quite carefully

Everyone is covering their own arses at the end of the day - no-one wants to be liable for endorsing something that's not 100% safe in the rare event that a child becomes seriously ill or worse. It all comes down to your own risk assessment.

Nobody connected with the NHS will do or say anything that might even slightly be seen as recommending formula. Even when i was losing my mind over breastfeeding in the nicu, when i eventually switched to formula not one bastard nurse would help me work out what bottles or formula to buy for a premature baby. They told me to Google it. They had to be persuaded to show me how to make up a feed. They "weren't allowed" apparently.