You know this business with formula needing to be made with water at 70 degrees......

[LooL00]

I've been window shopping in the baby porridge aisle as dc3 is 23w and I'm looking forward to trying solids with her. Now the instructions on all the baby porridges say use warm previously boiled water. But they contain follow on milk, so would I have to faff about with letting kettles cool for half an hour to make these safe, or is it different after 6m ? I know I can use 'normal' milk but the baby porridge all has milk in already and is easier to make than ready brek.

does it not just mean cooled boiled water? i usually boil and mix in with porridge let it cool to right temp.

That's what i always did with dc1 and 2 babyrose but there are new recomendations about using water at 70c to make formula so as to kill bacteria in the powder.

i have never understood this myself. i used to think it was because the porrage is steralised as part of the packaging process but that would only be well and good until it was opened and then the milk powder would still attract bacteria which could be potentially harmful. When i was using baby porrage a box would last about 2 weeks.

we use weetabix now. DD is quite keen.

I'd be tempted to skip the porridge and give her something with a bit of taste

I just make my LO porridge with oats and cows milk- two minutes in the microwave and much cheaper than 'baby porridge' I bet.

Organix porridge doesnt have the milk in, you add whatever milk you usually use.

I see your point. Bit inconsistent of the manufacturers.

Thanks skiing I'll get some of that, I only really want it for the first few weeks when i'm making ridiculously small amounts at wierd times, after that she can have weetabix with the other 2 and porridge at the weekend.

Boots also do their own organic baby porridge which you add milk to.

why does not say on box its used with formula milk?

A while ago I cam across a document that raised concerns about using formula with rice cereal, as if it was contaminated with entrobacter sakazakii -the bug that caused the change in prep of formula to 70C water from 40C water - can grow rapidly when mixed together.

The document quoted a study which compared apple juice, cows' milk, water and powdered infant formula and then stored incorrectly (4C.

As formula is a known infection vector for e.sakazakii it would make sense to make up a cereal/formula product as though it were just formula and not to store it over 4C (same with cereal made with water/cows' milk) and to use it as soon as possible and discard left overs.

I asked this earlier on a previous thread, no one seems to know and suggested i call aptamil.

You are just supposed to add cool previously boiled water and yes the ingredients imply that it contains formula.

I don't think it can be sterile because its currently not technically possible to sterlise powder - thats why PIF is not sterile. If they could produce sterile PIF they would.

I assume its ok because its for older babies and is eaten straightaway hence the risk is lower.

I use ready brek, much cheaper, just stir in the leftover milk from his AM feed (he has breakfast right after feed) to some ready brek.

I wasn't intending buying any formula as I'm going to carry on bf (and it would be wasted as I wouldn't use it fast enough,we went through this with dc2 until I discovered the SMA sachets,now discontinued) and with the other dc I used a pretty random method of mixing formula and coldish tap water and baby porridge which I know I can't do now . So I'll get some baby porridge without milk in it and use 'normal' milk for the first few weeks then she can have 'normal' cereal.

mumnwlondon doesn't readybrek need to be made with hot milk?

Babies can have cows milk as long as it is not a main drink

I used milk to make porridge (actual porridge, not baby porridge) for my two

Cheaper than buying the baby stuff anyway

I have been using lukewarm milk (remnants of bottle), without a problem, he has been eating it. I take a cube of pureed fruit out of the freezer at night and in morning mix with left over milk and ready brek. If I forget to take cube out night before put in in microwave.

I used ready brek right from when he started having breakfast at around 6.5 months (started on lunch and tea first). Not really sure why anyone would buy baby porridge as its much more expensive.

Fine to use normal milk in the porridge if you are BFing.

Ready brek is fine and a fraction of the price.

Ready Brek contains gluten though. I used the gluten free baby cereal/porridge until he was 6 months.

Ready brek! we're even cheaper than that Oats, soaked in water, in the fridge ready to go. Scoop out portion, mix in a bit of milk, microwave to get warm.

Thanks mumnw. The only reason i use baby porridge is that at first it's easier to make up a teeny amount and then make more if dc guzzles it down. But I'm going to try using ready brek , we don't have a microwave and I hate washing milk pans(I also let milk boil over frequently!) but I'll try it luke warm. I'm not using any of the baby packets with added formula though, thanks for everyones help with this.And thanks for the links truthsweet.

Ah, well, I didn't offer dd any solids till 6 months. I am hopeful that, now that she's 12 months, at some point she might begin eating them.