Making up formula with cooled boiled water...

[SeriousWispaHabit]

...is not correct, I know.

However, the whole of the local midwifery team would appear to think that it is.

I am a GP and have noticed a lot of people doing it this way at toddler groups/in cafes etc locally so thought I'd mention it to the midwives and health visitors to see if we can try and improve things - maybe with some leaflets at baby clinics or making sure it is covered in antenatal appointments etc.

She told me that as long as you make up the feed fresh and the water is cooled boiled water then it is fine. I explained why this is not true and she then phoned labour ward and checked with 3 colleagues who all agreed with her.

Now I know there are some new guidelines somewhere that have a NHS logo on them and possibly a unicef one that explain all this very nicely but my overworked and sleep deprived from non-sleeping baby brain cannot find them. If anyone could post me a link and maybe some links to some nice peer reviewed articles on why formula must be made with hot water I would be very grateful and will get on the case at trying to change the wrong advice being given.

Also, can a couple of you just come on here and post that I am right to be following this up and making a fuss and it is actually a big deal, because I am starting to doubt myself when faced with a ward full of midwives who clearly think I am a bit bonkers

Thanks!

I have discussed this with several ff mums. None seem to know that guidelines have changed or that formula should be made with hot water.....

They won't do that wispa for the simple reason that they would then be admitting their manufacturing procedures aren't resulting in a completely safe product and people might develop a negative view of formula.

However they are meeting their obligations in a weaselly way by say you should boil the water and let it cool for 30 mins (which would, in well insulated conditions, result in a temperature drop of 30C down to 70C due to the specific heat capacity of 1 litre of water), although they don't make it clear you should be boiling a litre, or that the time is dependant on the insulation of your kettle and a whole host of other factors.

They make it very clear you shouldn't try to make up bottles with boiling water not because of any risk to the milk but because you might severely scald yourself and then it would be their fault because they told you to handle boiling water. Gotta love liability.

I posted earlier on in this thread about the ridiculous confusion and lack of any advice on formula feeding that I've had. Just wanted to add that I'm in Derbyshire, so guessing this is quite a widespread problem.

I now use SMA Staydown milk due to DS having bad reflux, this says in big letters on the tin to use chilled, refrigerated water anyway.

The manufacturers really need a kick up the bum here.

The possible contamination of formula powder has been known about for at least 10 years.

Everyone I know who bottle feeds has interpreted the instructions as meaning you should use COLD water, not water at 70 degrees. I think the packet tells you to leave the kettle for 30 minutes, this is because 1 litre of water will cool to 70 degrees in approximately 30 minutes. However, this isn't explained on the packet at all.

I am also irritated by HCPs who pretend that they aren't "allowed" to even talk about formula feeding. It becomes this conspiratorial thing and we get this kind of situation where misinformation is constantly perpetuated.

I am wary about telling people the safest way to prepare formula as I don't want them to think that I'm trying to punish them: make their lives difficult because they didn't breastfeed. I'm not, I want their babies to be fed as safely as possible.

Maybe I am paranoid.

It makes me so angry that there is such conflicting and basically crap advice around formula feeding. So much time and effort is put into promoting breast feeding that those of us who either decide to formula feed out of personal choice or out of physical necissity are made to feel like second-class citizens in the mothering world. Well I'm sorry, we're not. We're every bit as good a mother as anyone who breast feeds.

HV and midwives do need to be retrained to offer current and up to date advice to new mums on formula feeding as well as breast feeding.

Sorry, but this whole breast-feeding gestapo business really gets me angry. There are a million other things to be done raising a healthy child and chosing formula isn't a bad route and won't damn your child to an unhealthy future.

I found guidance on how to prepare my bottles from MN, the formula tin and a convenient how-to card in Mothercare. Absolutely nowt from the HV. And the MW in hospital provided ready-made.

FWIW, I sterilise the bottles (microwave), boil the water and leave to cool for 27 mins, then make a batch of bottles with the powder so that the bacteria are killed, rapidly chill them in a bowl of cold water for 20 mins and then store in the fridge for a maximum of 24 hours. When out and about I used to use the ready-made cartons. It worked for me and my son is a very healthy, happy 11 mo.

I don't think it has anything to do with the gestapo.

[stashes long leather coat behind sofa]

Midwives who pretend that they "aren't supposed" to give advice about preparing bottles are talking rubbish.

They are supposed to, and they can. Since the advice they usually give about breastfeeding is rubbish anyway and most mothers end up bottle feeding as a result, they might as well.

my nursery (kindercare) has changed its group policy to accomodate these "new" guidelines - they used to make parents send bottles already made up and keep chilled but now have to have water and powder separately.

When I asked they did say they reheat the water before adding the powder but am I being suspicious in suspecting they only heat to drinking temp rather than to 70c then cool to drinking temp???

DS only has formula at nursery and only goes 1 day a week so havent pushed but think I will have another word with them to check.

I would rather send in a ready-made bottle to ensure it is made properly!

they are a fab nursery but i will just check to be on the safeside