Powdered formula vs ready made cartons? Please tell me about the pros and cons of each.

[DDDixon]

I'm breastfeeding just now, but will be switching to formula for daytime feeds before I go back to work. I've never been able to express enough to make it feasible to send my milk to nursery, so I'm planning to introduce mixed feeding gradually a couple of months before I go back.
I've read some threads on here about formula and have got myself thoroughly scared about the safety aspect of making up feeds myself! My friend has done mixed feeding since her baby was born and swears by cartons, and they seem like they'd be perfect to send to nursery, but are they very expensive compared to powder? Any other drawbacks of cartons other than the price?
I'd love to hear about the pros and cons of powder and cartons from some seasoned formula feeders, obviously I won't be making any firm choices until I start the mixed feeding, but I like to be prepared

I don't think there is any drawback to ready made apart from price and packaging wastage. You just open and go.

Just a thought but - are you sure you need to send milk into nursery? My son's nursery provided formula for under ones.

If you do, then yes the cartons do work out more expensive. But they are very good and it's safer than making it from powder. Also if you are bf morning and night you may not need to send much milk in (not had experience of this myself as wasn't bfing when my son went to nursery but someone more knowledgeable will come along soon!)

I use ready made exclusively for my twins. The powder was a total faff, messy and a pain to make up.
I just pour and feed now, no warming, cooling or mixing to worry about. I just have to remember my scissors when I go out.

Second GoldenGreen's point - ds has just started nursery and I feed him am and pm, but he's refusing to take milk from them during the day. He's 10mo now and eating us out of house and home well, so I'm not concerned about his daytime milk intake if he's also drinking water there.

But in answer to your question - send in a couple of cartons, it's infinitely easier

Thank you! That's what I thought, baby isn't fussy about temperature thankfully and has cheerfully taken expressed milk straight from the fridge.
I did wonder about nursery perhaps providing milk, they cook meals there which are included in price so I suppose milk for the little ones may well be too.
Do the cartons have a long shelf life? I'm thinking I should start buying them now to spread the cost a bit!

DDD - check with the nursery about milk, as ds has his meals included in his fees, but I have to provide milk, nappies and wipes.

Pros - the ready to feed liquid is sterile (it's been pastuerized). Bottles are quick to make. Very convenient especially when out an about.

Cons - cost.

To help you a bit with your decision: you need to know that formula powder is not a sterile product. The manufacture process cannot guarantee to eliminate some very harmful types of bacteria which have caused serious illness and death in babies. (All be it the number of reported cases is small).

Do not be fooled by how other people make up their formula bottles. These need to be made up with water which is at least 70 degrees C. This means boiling at least 1 litre of water and then leaving for no more than 30 minutes.

Making bottles fresh each time is recommended. There is guidance on how to make bottles in advance - you have to decide on the risks v rewards.

Maybe have a look at this thread.

Useful links:

FSA press release

FSA Guidance for HCPs on preparation of formula.

World Health Organisation Guidelines

A guide to infant formula for parents who are bottle feeding. (UNICEF). I'de recommend the one for HCPs - more info.

Due to health reasons I wasn't able to bf my ds at all so had no choice but to ff. I found the easiest way by far was to make up bottles in advance with the correct amount of water and pre-measure the formula in sterilised containers (tommee tippee do containers that sit inside the bottles). When ds needed a feed I would heat the bottles of water and add formula when the temp was right. I never had any problems with this and found it really easy. Added advantage was that I knew if someone else was to feed ds then there would be no mistakes in the amounts.
I found the ready made cartons too expensive and the packaging too wasteful but it's whatever you're most comfortable with.

Whatever you decide I wish you lots of luck with it x

With both DD and DS1 when I switched to formula I saw no need for the cartons. Each night I got the boiled water ready and filled up the bottles with them and added the powder as needed (had a little container for the powder when out and about).

However it appears that this is not infact a safe way to make formula so when I switch this time I guess despite the expensive I will be using cartons when out and about and powdered stuff when at home.

It would seem that the only "safe" option (involving powder) when you are out and about is to carry some very hot water with you to mix the powder etc. That sounds like too much hassle for me.

In terms of nursery I would send in a container of powder because they will know how to make bottles safely.

MummyWithA1Family - this is not the correct way to make up formula (however I do realise that the reason you made your bottles tihs way is due to HCPs not stressing the correct method plus formula companies not properly explaining the risks on the packaging.)

It is irrelevant that you "never had any problems with this".

Formula powder is not sterile and must be made with water which is at least 70 degrees C. This is why the packet says: boil the kettle, wait for 30 mins and make the formula.

At least 1 litre of water needs to be boiled to ensure that after 30 minutes it is still over 70 degrees.

The bacteria which can be in the powder can cause serious illness or death. Now, thankfully there are very few cases - however - experiments done by the Workd Health Organisation show that using water which is 70 degrees lowers the risk by 100,000 times (see page 15 of this presentation).

WHO guidelines.

I'm in the same situation as OP with my second baby, and I've decided to send cartons into nursery. Last time round I made up formula hot, then chilled it and sent that and reading this I'm not sure that was very sensible. Cartons will be more expensive but much less hassle and safer. Can't see any other drawback, apart from waste packaging, but it's not a huge amount.

MarineIguana - if you have a look at the WHO leaflet linked to about or to the FSA leaflet for HCPs you will see guidance on how to make up in advance.

It means using the 70 degree water and cooling rapidly and storing for as short a time as possible.

The trouble is there was absolutely no advice given/available when I had DS. Whenever I asked for info I was always told that 'breast is best'. Yes, I agree 'breast is best' but I had no choice but to ff and was still treated like a second class mother for not bfing. There is not enough information given on ffing. I agree that bfing should be promoted but a woman's right to choose (or not to in my case) should not be forgotten. There needs to be information leaflets available from HVs, MWs, hospitals, GPs etc when a mother asks for it. I was simply told the following;

• Do not store bottles of made up formula always add formula when you're going to give to baby
• Never used re-boiled water from kettle (only fresh water boiled once)
• Don't heat bottles in a microwave

MummyWithA1Family - I agree that there should be more info but there are instructions on the pack which you chose not to follow?

I think I'll just have to go for cartons, we can eat own brand beans for a few months or something

It seems very that there are such margins of error for making up formula, why can't they just make the powder safer so that you don't need to be so exact with the water temperature?

There are inherent difficulties with manufacturing a formula powder which render it impossible to make it sterile.

You'd like to think that they strive to make it safer and safer, but I sadly fear that what they do is based solely on how tough the regulations are.

Cartons are more expensive, but they are so much more convenient. As you intend to mixed feed, the costs won't be that bad compared to using cartons to FF exclusively.

If you are sending powdered milk in to nursery, then you probably want to ask them how they prepare formula and that all their staff do it correctly in the way tabouleh has stated. I have to say I didn't after around 6 months, but if they are looking after your child in a professional setting then they should follow guidlines to the letter. I think I would have felt safer sending cartons and pre-sterilised bottles.

Formula in the cartons is more concentrated than the stuff you make yourself

v good posts from tabouleh

Cartons are easier when you're out and about. Though they are more expensive (i only know about aptamil - about 60p for 200ml / 7oz carton). If your dc is older when they go to nursery, i'm guessing, they'll prob only have 1 milk feed while they're there, so an extra 60p or so per day to give the nursery cartons is prob insignificant compared to childcare costs for the peace of mind that nothing can go wrong with formula they make up. As for the quality of milk in carton or formula - that would just depend who was making up the formula i guess.

thanks sherby!

Do you have a link to something about cartons being more concentrated?

I know that in N.America there is concentrated liquid formula which has to be diluted with water.

However I thought that the ready to feed was the same allbeit rather than having the water extracetd to form a powder the liquid milk has been pastuerised.

Interesting point on thickness, would be interested to find out - it definitely tastes thicker.

will try and hunt the info down somewhere

I know we got taught during our bf training that it is more concentrated (and babies tend to get more constipated using it all the time) but will have a look for a link somewhere

Cartons are about 60p a feed, I think the powder is about 25p to make a similar amount if that helps at all.

Could you just water cartons down slightly to avoid a constipation issue? Or am I being too simplistic there?

LolaKnickers - I'm sorry I don't think that your suggestion should be made as it may lead to a baby not getting enough nourishment/calories. I am hoping that someone will be able to post definitive proof that RTF cartons are more concentrated.