Evidence of the problems with unsterile forumla?

[Bogeyface]

I will be FF this baby as I did all the others. The advice seems confusing to say that least as it seems to change depending on who one listens to!

With all of the others it was ok to make the feeds up and store them in the fridge for up to 24 hours. I get that it is now considered not ok to do that, and the milk must be made up with very hot water (I always did anyway, was usually boiling while I got the bottles lined up etc, so not far off the boil when I used it).

But is there any actual evidence of harm or is this all just theoretical? I know that milk powder isnt sterile and *could contain all manner of nasties but has anyones child ever actually got ill from it? What is the problem with storing the feeds? Again, has anyone ever actually got ill from it?

If I cant find proof that this is an actual threat rather than a theoretical one then I will probably make feeds as I always have and store them.

I used to take water in the bottle and the milk powder in a dispenser if we were going out btw, or sometimes buy cartons.

I used to make mine up and store them for 12 hours. So would make some for the day and then fresh for night feeds.

Making them up when you need them is insane advice - my DC fed on demand and it can take up to an hour to make a feed, how the hell was I going to keep them calm for an hour while boiling the kettle, mixing, waiting for it to cool, etc?

(My DC are 2.8 and 1.6 btw, so this was since new advice was issued)

I've never FF but the Baby Milk Action website might be helpful to you, they are campaigning for safer FF practices.

It was a few years ago now but there were a few cases in France I think where babies gor entero something or other from unsterile formula.

Try googling it maybe. I remember reading the articles at the time.

So the deal with the sterility of the forumla is seperate from the thing about storing feeds?

I always made feeds up with just off the boil water, except when we were out when I used cooled water and powder from the dispenser. So presumably that will still be fine, I'll just use cartons when we are out instead.

So I just need to sort out the storage thing now! I cant see that making fresh is a)particularly practical and b)necessary if the feeds are being stored at the back of a cold fridge, but I am happy to be corrected!

The fact that formula posder is not sterile is the reason why it has to be made up and stored properly.

Using water above a certin temp and making up a fresh feed each time kills off any bugs that might be in the formula wheras storing it inthe fridge etc allows them to breed.

My HV told me that there had been tests which had tested the levels of bacteria in a freshly made feed and compared it to one that had been stored in the fridhe and the levels of bacteria doubled

I'm pretty sure there have been quite a few threads on making up and storing formula recently. Have a quick look in the archive.

I dont get it (pregnancy porridge brain!)

Aslong as I make the feed up with just off the boil water then I have killed the bugs, right? So assuming that I cool it quickly (as per the old advice) and store it at the back of a cold fridge, then the bugs are still dead, surely?

The storage issue is then the one of making sure that all milk products are stored at the correct low temperature and is not peculiar to formula?

I really wish I could BF.....

Well, storing the feeds is a problem because the bacteria have time to breed. However, if you have made the feeds up with hot water and put them in the fridge immediately, you will limit their growth.

Mixing with cold water and storing is not advised. I think some people make 2 bottles at once so they're always one ahead.

I know it seems that the advice is always changing but it's not to make life difficult, it's so you can choose to do what's best for you and your baby.

Why can't you BF Bogeyface?

Breastmilk (that's hasn't been frozen) can be kept at temperatures longer than FF, because it has antibodies. Defrosted breastmilk is effectively the same as formula.

The NHS advice does say, if needs be you can make up I think 12 hours worth and chuck straight away into a fridge. I guess the recommendation is to do that when required. Other people do the half hot, half cold method to make a bottle instantly but still have hot enough water to sterilise the formula. If you'll be out for a few hours, then storing bottles is difficult and the carton are a good option there.

I think if you understand where the advice comes from, then you should make your own decisions about what you want to do.

I haven't read them, but try this, or this, or this, or this, or this old thread. There are loads on this subject.

Thanks for the links and info
:)

I have read various things and some say its ok to store, some say never, some say its ok sometimes!

I generally only had enough bottles for 12 hours worth anyway, so will go for that option I think. Making them fresh each time, certainly first thing and around dinner time, will be a right PITA!

I just cant help thinking the BF would avoid all this farting about, it does piss me off sometimes that it isnt an option, but you're right "what if's" are no use at all! :)

bogey we've not met (hi :) ) so I apologise if I'm going over old ground, but, you say you can't BF - is there anything anyone can help with to resolve this or is there a physical reason (that I appreciate may be personal) why you can't?

You sound like you want to, and if so, and if it may physically be an option, can I/we help?

Its not possible