Formula feed, please help

[Traveljunkie]

Please help. I have just switched from breast to formula. Can i make up formula using boiling water and then cooling in a jug of cold water when baby is v v distressed? AND can I make up bottles in advance abd store them in the fridge? Thanks

Hi Traveljunkie! That is a downside to formula feeding I feel your pain! I know it is not strictly how the instructions say to do it but I used to boil the kettle every two hours so that there was always cooled water to use. I wasnt too obsessed with it being 'freshly' boiled water as long as it was boiled and had not been standing around for too long. Also used to to stand in cold water in a jug in the fridge at times when it was too hot and needed cooling down quickly.

Yes and yes.

Not sure how long you can keep made up bottles but my friend does hers for the day in the morning.

Good luck!

Current formula advice (as far as I know) is that bottles should not be made in advance but as and when needed.

The reason that the manufactures advise you to use boiling water is that the formula is not pasteurised.

There is a risk of salmonella food poisoning if the bottles are made up with cooled water.

I used to use cooled water (as that was the recommendation at the time) and DS had salmonella when he was 5mths old. I don't know how high the chances are of this happening, but he was quite ill for a few days and it can be very dangerous for a young baby.

You can make them up in any way you think is ok, there are lots of folk on here that follow old guidelines, or instructions that have been passed on from friends/family all of whom's babies are fine.

However the guidelines have changed - the correct way is:

Boil kettle, allow to stand for no longer than 30 minutes, before adding the correct amount of powder. Shake for 15 seconds, and then allow to cool to drinking temperature. Bottles should not be made in advance, powder should not be added to water that is under 75 deg or that has been allowed to stand for over 30 minutes.

These guidelines were brought into place as there have been cases of babies dying from bottles made up incorrectly - basically if the water is not 75 deg or more when the powder is added then it does not kill the bacteria.

There are other ways that you can do it - but this is the correct way.

If you are in a rush then premade fomula is the answer.

Thanks all, unfortunately I can't get my hands on pre made easily... It was the night feeds that do my head in, think I will go back to breast for these..

What I do is put one oz of boiling water in. Then add how many schoops of powder that you need (DS has 8). Mix it all up and then add 7 oz of cold water.

Traveljunkie, sorry I gave you wrong info.

Hope you can half sleep when doing night feeds.

Pre-made is a Godsend. Get it from Tesco online and have it delivered (that's what I do). Be careful tho - DS will NOT have powdered stuff at all and it costs a bleedin' fortune! Back in the days before I lost that particular battle - I would make it with just boiled water, then pop it in to a jug of cold if needed quickly! For the night, I would make one up just after his last feed (about 12.30-1am) and take it up ready for the 4am feed.
The advice I was given was not to make them in advance but, if we were out for the day, for example, it was better to make it correctly in advance, rather than try to wing it on the hoof. I just adapted this rule slightly, to suit my nighttime needs.

The official leaflet does have a caveat that if for some reason it is impracitcal to make up each feed fresh, that it is best to make them up as directed with water no less than 70C, cool it quickly and then store in the main body of the fridge for as short a time as possible.

I boil the kettle then sterlise 6 bottles while the water cools slightly and fill them up to 7oz.
Then I just warm the bottle slightly and add 7 scoops of formula as and when DD needs it.
I called Aptamil when DD was tiny and we were travelling abroad and this is the way they recommended doing it since cooled, boiled water remains sterile in a sterlised bottle at room temperature for 24 hours. However, I do keep the bottles in the fridge since 40 seconds in my microwave warms is perfectly and I've never mastered it otherwise!

When dd was born 5 years ago, I made up the set amount of sterilised bottles (8 x 4 oz?) every morning and put them in the fridge. Pig of a job! As she got bigger, I made up the set number of bottles of boiled water and added the formula as and when she had the bottle. I also bought the sachets of formula for when we were out.

I must admit i have no idea of current guidelines, but dd is 5 now and I never had any problems. She was always happy to have the bottle at room temperature anyway.

I changed from breast feeding to bottle feeding and had the same problem. I now tend to sterilise a few bottles and boil the kettle and leave it for the 30 minutes. Then I fill the bottles to 4fl oz (for a 5fl oz feed). Then when DD wants food I put the kettle on and top up the water to 5fl oz. This seems to make the water hot enough to add the formula and feed immediately.

Every morning i make up the bottles we will use for the day. I make them up with boiled water left to cool no longer than 30 minutes (15 minutes usually - while we wait for the steriliser to finish). The bottles then go into the back of the fridge to be used throughout the day.

When i use them i nuke them in the microwave for about 30 seconds to bring them back to room temp (or warmer, depending on DD's mood). I of course shake them thoroughly before giving them to DD to remove any hotspots.

If we are out and about i use a premade carton and take a sterile bottle with me with a dose of gripe water added to it as i find the premade cartons to be really full of air and DD always seems to get bad wind from them.