Formula - do you really HAVE to make it up for each feed??

[cockle84]

I'm BFing at the moment but going to have to introduce some formula feeds as I need to leave my daughter (8w) for a few hours and I can't express enough milk. I've just read the formula advice which sayd you should make up the formula fresh for each feed. So boil the kettle, let it cool then add the formula then cool and feed!?? All while she's screaming because she's hungry sounds very stressful.
Is this ok......boil the kettle and cool quickly, put the boiled water into the bottles and put them at the back of the fridge, then when she's ready, add the formula and warm??

No. The germs are in the formula powder, not the water. The water must be around 70 degrees when the formula is added to kill the germs in it. A lot of people make bottles by boiling kettle, letting it stand for about 20 mins (by which time the water will be about 70 degrees), making up the bottles with formula, cooling quickly then putting in fridge for later - but this is not the recommended method. It's up to you how much risk you want to take, basically.

If it's only going to be occasionally, why don't you buy the cartons of ready-made formula? They are sterile and much less faff - literally open, pour into sterilised bottle, give to baby. More expensive than powder, but if it's not an everyday thing much easier.

Oh, and if your baby is only 8 weeks I would be prepared to express - you will probably feel engorged and very uncomfortable after a couple of hours away from her. Hand expressing is often the easiest way, have you tried it?

Ok thanks, I see, didn't realise the germs were in the formula. The cartons sound good for a short term solution so may use them this time. I think I might have to start using more and more formula in the coming weeks though as don't think I'm producing as much milk.
I understand that it is my decision regarding the risks so how about if I took the refridgerated bottled water from the fridge - warmed this to around 70 degrees then added the formula?

What Lurcher said

You can also speed up the cooling process if you need a feed by making sure you have ice in your trays in the freezer.

A big jug with icecubes and water and you can cool 70c down to drinking temp quite quickly

Yeah have done expressing by hand but I never seem to get that much. I will keep the expressing stuff to hand so that I don't get engorged like you say, thanks

How would you warm it to around 70deg though?

IE how would you know it was 70deg? Would you test it with a thermometer or something?

Does the tommee tippee bottle warmer, heat to that temp? Hmmm need to think about this obviously! Argh formula feeding sounds like a faff.

Just read on tommee tippee site that the bottle warmer heats to 85 degrees so that would be ok or not???

Bottle warmers are notoriously inaccurate in how they heat up, and to what degree.

And I'm not sure why a bottle warmer would heat up to 85 degrees...is that C or F?

If it heated up to 85c then I'd be surprised. You might as well boil the kettle and then make up the bottle and cool it to drinking temp using a jug and ice (5 mins, tops)

It's not that much of a faff really, but I noticed that you said you weren't making enough milk. I would ask for advice from a health visitor or phone a breastfeeding support line, or even ask in a new thread in this forum before giving up on BF.

Also it is important that the water is as hot as possible when you make up the feeds to kill the germs in the milk powder. I made up a couple at a time (using hot water of course!), cooled them quickly and stored them in the fridge.

It says C on the website. But if you start cooling the boiled water so quickly how do you know it's 70 anyway? I'm not desperate to get out of doing it the recommended way but it just doesn't make any sense to me???

Because it usually takes 20 mins for the water from a freshly boiled kettle to cool to 70c.

There really is no guarantee though that after 20 exact mins it will be at 70c - different kettles/water vols etc mean that might not be the case but they have agreed that 20 mins is usually where a freshly boiled kettle is at 70c.

Of course you could use it at 15 mins boiled etc.

Please don't be desperate to be out of doing it the recommended way - these guidelines are there for a reason. The same was the guidelines for 'feet to foot' are there.

Really interested in this. Have a 9 MO and been FF since 8 weeks. I can not believe that most people make each feed separately. 20 mins of screaming is not do-able IMO. I make up bottles 1x per day and cool them in the fridge then add powder and zap in the microwave shaking vigourously afterwards. My DD has never been ill except colds. Friends of mine with 4 yo told me that years ago everyone made up feeds at night and stored them in the fridge. Do other FF really make from scratch each time?

Point taken......just have to get used to it. Thanks

Peppa, the guidelines do allow for that - they have relaxed them a bit. As long as they are made up with water that is 70c+ (to kill the bugs) then, whilst still not recommended, it is within the guidelines to do this

OP if your baby is 8 weeks then it is very likely to have just gone or still be going through the 6 week growth spurt and so therefore feeding more often and taking more milk. this may be why you think you aren't producing enough milk. your body takes a little time to catch up to her demands but as long as you feed every time she wants it then your supply will catch up. if you give formula instead then your supply will not catch up and you will keep on having to give a bottle. it is up to you but this is exactly the thing that caused me to give up at 7 weeks when i should have carried on. if i had known it was a growth spurt i would not have given formula.

like the sound of that method peppa and booyhoo the growth spurt suggestion makes sense. Thanks

honestly, i was so cross with myself when i joined MN PG with my second baby. i learned all about the different growth spurts and realised that's what had happened with ds1, right on target. it was so helpful with ds2 to know to expect the growth spurt and expect to be feeding for longer and more often for a few weeks around teh 6 week mark. also another growth spurt around 16 weeks for you to look out for