Formula feeding on the go

[BrickPeer]

Hoping for some help as a first time mum. My girl takes powder formula and I'd like to be able to give her a bottle if we're out for the day. At the moment the easiest option seems to be making up a fresh bottle and popping it in an insulated bag but im confused about how long it will last. I know the guidance is 2 hours at room temp but it takes about an hour for my bottles to reach that when left out, longer if insulated. Does keeping the bottle warm for longer extend the amount of time it will last before I need to worry about bacteria etc? Does the clock effectively start ticking once it's at room temp or do people just use these bags to keep a bottle warm and still stick to the 2 hour rule?

I would suggest investing in a Nuby rapid cool, it will mean you can make a fresh bottle. It’s a game changer.

You can also buy cartons of ready mixed formula which can be given at room temperature if the baby will take it, or heated. Slightly dearer than powdered formula but useful for outings.

You can either keep water hot or formula cold in the insulated bag. You shouldn't be keeping formula hot in it

Nuby rapid cool was a game changer for me. I had that and a mini flask with boiling water, and you can buy little tubs to measure the correct amount of formula into. Combine the boiling water and the powder in the rapid cool and your bottle is literally ready in a minute! So so handy.

I tended to take an empty bottle and a carton of formula

This, surely if you’re keeping formula warm for any length of time you are creating a breeding ground for bacteria?

We were making bottles in advance and stocking them in the fridge, so once put in the insulated bag they would take a while before getting to room temp. In summer we would put an ice pack (we had some Flexi ones that could be rolled around the bottle), but he was a winter baby so was weaning by the time we needed this.
Our kids always drank their bottles cold as well, never had a complaint or an issue.

Our friends who where a lot stricter than us regarding the WHO and NHS guidelines would take a flask, ask for water in bars/restaurants to cool it down etc. A bit of a faff IMO.

With my second who was mostly breastfed and a summer baby, we went the lazy option and got long life formula bottles. It's more expensive but OMG it made our life so so much easier!
Our local co-op stocks a couple of brands, and we could buy stock in advance on Amazon.

[Edit: we also have the cooling flask but we mainly used it at home. Our problem when out is that they rarely needed just 1 bottle. If we go for a half day, they would need 2-3, so the cooling flask wouldn't work because it needs to be cleaned thoroughly]

Don’t over complicate it. A flask with boiling water. Pre measured formula pots. I did this once a day for the entire days worth.
take however many bottles you want with a bit of cooled boiled water and just top up with the boiling water.

This is going back a few years now but, I used to measure out the powder in the bottle. I’d also take a flask of cooled boiled water. When out, I’d ask for a shot or two of boiling water to put in the bottle and then top it up with my cool water to the perfect temp. I could take numerous bottles out, each with powder already in them. Also, I had those microwave bags to sterilise things when travelling and carried a tiny washing up liquid everywhere (did a lot of travelling with my kids when we were all younger and more adventurous!)

We did the hot shot method. Powder in a sterilised bottle then added a shot of hot water from a flask (measurement varied depending on how much powder there was) then topped up with cold from a second flask. We bought two mini flasks for the job. The one for the hot shot was a Thermos brand and we tested it before use to make sure it kept the water above 70C for more than 6 hours.

It's 2 hours from when it's made I believe.

Four kids in and we have always made bottles from scratch every time because it's the safest way. A lot of people will think it's too much faff and tbh it is a bit of a pain but you get used to it.

A lot of people will also recommend using cooled boiled water then topping it up with hot. The problem with this is that you are meant to use water which is hot enough to kill any bacteria in the formula powder itself. So many people think the point of boiling water is to kill bacteria in the water itself. There is an element of that but it's also because of the possibility of bacteria in the powder. There are exceptions to this like for certain prescription formula powders which have to be made at a lower temperature.

Anyway, the Nuby rapid cool is good but you can also do similar without it. It does involve taking 2 flasks, one with water freshly boiled before you leave the house (remember to heat the flask up first so the water stays hotter longer) and one with cold water. You can do whatever ratio to get the temperature your child prefers. Ours have always been half hot and half cold. Remember you need to add the hot first then the powder, mix, and then top up with cold. Also remember, the powder displaces the amount of water so the final result will always be a little over the 5/6/7 oz mark etc. If this doesn't make sense try it out on ones you're making at home first by adding the entire amount so your 5 or 6oz or whatever of water then the powder and see what line on the bottle it now says.

Finally, I have always used the Tommee Tippee travel pots or similar. I even use them at home. Make them up in advance every night and don't have to faff about with scoops when baby is hungry.

Bottle of ready made or have two flasks

One with hot boiled water

One with cold previously boiled water

And make up feeds that way so own perfect prep

That how I often make feeds up and I'm a maternity nurse

It's roughly 1/3

So for a 4oz bottle 1 oz hot. Add 4 scoops - swirl and then add 3 oz of the cool boiled water

Or 6oz - 2 oz hot. 6 scoops. Swirl and add 4oz prev boiled cold water

Thanks everyone! I thought it seemed too straightforward to be true given the amount of gadgets for heating/cooling bottles there are! We've used the premixed stuff for days out and night feeds but our girl now needs Colief and it needs to be in warm milk/sit for 30 minutes which sort of defeated the point. Sounds like it might still be the most convenient method for on the go though! Ideally want to avoid multiple flasks etc. My concern about bringing hot water instead of forumla was that the instructions seem really specific about leaving the boiled water to cool for 25-30 minutes before mixing, so i worried a flask wouldn't keep it just right! Lots of food for thought anyway!

I used to take pre boiled water in the bottle. Kept in an insulated bag and just tip in the pre measured formula and shake. Seemed to get to a room temp by time needed or take a made up one in insulated bag If knew she would need it within a hour or so.

i did that for evening feeds also. She’s now 12. She survived!

my elder I did by the book and made each fresh and I stressed myself out madly.

I think the ready made cartons are great now, years ago we would boil the water and fill the bottles and then just add the powder when ready to feed, but not sure if that is still recommended.

Gosh, so different from 20 years ago when babies didn't drink cold milk or formula.

I have a 19 y o and someums fed cold formula
My PFB got hers warm.
By child 2 there was a lot of safety advice about scalding the powder with proper boiling water,shaking, then topping up to.the level with cold

2 flasks.
1 with boiling water, the other with cooled boiled water.
mix the formula with the boiling water then add the cold water to make it “perfect prep”
it was a game changer and wish I knew about it when I had my first! Same for night feeds so I didn’t need to go faffing about with kettles at night.

Oh! You got there first! Sorry to repeat. It’s the best hack

I’m sure formula has been around much longer than 20 years…

I gave birth 4 days ago and have done the same as all my others.
Make 6 bottles every morning, flash cool and store in the fridge. Take out as many as you need for the day out. Store in an insulated bag and ask for a jug of hot water as and when you need to warm one, or offer cold as some people do.

I always took 2 flasks. Hot water in one, boiled and cooled water in the other. Even on flights.

@Denim4ever formula has been around for decades. My parents were formula fed in the 1950s and DH and I were in the 1980s.

I’m mid 40s and all of us had formula.

OP I just pre made with hot water and took them out with me and fed as they were, no ill effects.

I always took a sterilised bottle and a readymade carton of formula out with me for mine as it’s so much easier. I don’t know what brand you’re using but SMA cow and gate and Aptimil all have readymade cartons available in lots of shops.