Complete confusion about making up formula

[lisalisa]

First a disclaimer - whilst I have 6 gorgeous children I have not formula fed for 10 years!
At that time I either made up the whole day's feeds in advance and stored in the fridge or made up bottles o fwater and kept them out of fridge and added formula when needed.

Now have been doing th elatter - so in the morning taking 4 sterlised bottles from steriliser and adding boiling water and letting them cool. As and when baby needs feed I have been adding formula. A chance reading made me discover that this can increase risk of salmonella or other bugs and water needs to be certain temperature to kill bugs in formula powder.

Surely MNers can't be making each feed from scratch? Its far too impractical.

Would I be safe in continuing to make bottles of water in advance each morning and perhaps when baby needs feed adding some freshly boiled water to the bottle to get the temperature then add powder?

The water must be at least 70 degree (usually boiled less than 30 minutes) when the formula is added to it.

You can make up the feeds, fridge them and warm them through if you want. Or you could add 7 scoops of formula to 4oz of boiled water, mix, and then add 3oz of cooled boiled water.

The most important part is that the water must be freshly boiled when you add the powder, as otherwise the potentially harmful bacteria will not be killed.

Ready made cartons are a convenient (if expensive) way of giving a feed quickly .

Here's the link to the guidelines on making up formula. While making up fresh every time is recommended, they do provide an alternative method when making up fresh 'isn't practical'

I went with the latter method on the basis that it was never very practical (especially at 2am when I was standing up asleep in the kitchen) to make up a feed. HTH.

You need to make sure that the powder hits hot water. The powder is the problem as it is not sterile.

You can make the bottles in advance and store them in the back of the fridge, discard after 4-6 hours - that should mean only a couple of sessions a day.

I think cartons are what most people go for when out and about.

Yep
I've never made up a bottle according to instructions for either of my children. Oops
No illnesses.
And god forbid I use tap water. Don't have a kettle!
Just a sparkling very expensive bean to cup coffee machine.
Oops.
I do sterilise bottles tho.

Thanks everyone - I think I'll use ready to feed liquid formula! Sure its more expensive but i don't want to take any chances and it all seems so contradictory the advice given.