Right. How the hell do you make up bottles????

[sleepdodger]

I ebf to 4mth, then introduced a pre bed bottle and since 5.5mth a lunch time one too, however the bit that gets me is the huge amount of variety in the way in which people make up bottles....
My DS seems to ahve a v delicate tummy after colic & reflux, so I dont want to do anything which might upset it more.
When I'm at home I use powder formula (aptamil if it makes any difference) and out and about cartons.
The tub says to boil kettle, add formula, cool & serve immediately. voila.
The nhs leaflet I was given says the same
However
I see people adding powder to water which is cool boiled, but the tub says it must be added to hot to nuke the bacteria, I also know people who make up a whole feed and then fridge it, people that prep all waters in the morning etc etc
So, what do you do? surely if you ff all the time in the 'proper' way youd be hovering by a kettle the whole time, counting down the standing time?
If you add to cool does it effect your baby
I'd consider myself a bright girl, but for some reason know I'm really over thinking this!
Help!
thanks...

This is what I did. Neither methods are recommended by NHS or manufacturers, but I had more to do in life than wait by a kettle.

1- Boil water, leave to cool for 30 mins, make up a days worth of bottles, put in backf of fridge, use throughout the day.

or

2 - Boil water, make up bottles of sterile water. Add powder when needed. I tended to do this when I was out.

DS was bottle fed from a week old. I did the "proper" method for about 2 days.

People who add formula to cold water are not using the formula powder as safely as they might. The safe way is as the NHS leaflet explains. You don't have to count or time the standing time - just use water that has been boiled no more than 30 mins before. It can be less than 30 mins, but it must be cooled sufficiently for your baby.

The water must be no less than 70 deg c, in order to deal with the bacteria in the powder.

Older healthy babies are prob safe with made-up bottles that have been kept in the fridge - the point is to make the feed with hot water.

I boil kettle with fresh water, leave to cool for about 15-20 mins, try and have a cup of tea while waiting . Make up the bottles, flash cool in a jug of cold water then store in fridge. I usually make up 2-3 bottles at a time, all my dds were fed on demand and sometimes cluster fed so I made a few up.

And the reason for using water above 70c is that is will kill and bacteria in the powder - which is not sterile.

The danger isn't from the water - it's often assumed you boil the water to get rid of nasties and then all is fine, even once its cooled.

But the bacteria which can cause all kinds of things can be in the powder itself. So if you don't kill the bugs off with hot enough water there is the risk of them multiplying. Especially if they are made up with cooled boiled water, refridged and then reheated.

(by cooled boiled water in my post above I mean boiled water left to go cold)

I used to make up each bottle fresh then dunk it in icy water to cool the milk.

30 mins of cooling in the kettle meant it was still scalding hot.

I also took the 'throw money at the problem' option and bought loads of cartons. My DS was on a strict routine by 6 weeks which made making up bottles easier.

I used to make up a days worth at a time.

boil the kettle, leave for ten minutes...

Fill bottles, then cool them straight away in cold running water and keep them in the fridge.

Tabula, that's the next best way of making up bottles according to NHS advice. (afaik)

Ooh, I was expecting that to be bad and old fashioned, lol.

No, it's not, It's as tiktok describes - to make with water >70 degrees, cool and use immediately. However, if you have to store bottles then apparently that's the best way.

We have to add Gaviscon which adds another dimension - you can't use it in bottles made up in advance and it doesn't dissolve well in cold milk so has to be added to warm.

I therefore put fresh boiled water into sterile bottles up to half the total amount needed and store. I then fill a flask with boiling water. If I'm at home I'll normally use fresh boiled water to make up the rest and add the powder but if I'm out I take the flask and use that.

It's not the best way, I am well aware, but it's the best I can currently manage.

thanks all....out of interest why is the powder not sterile? I just wondered seen as it will be made in a super clean food factory etc?
right
time to boil a kettle....

It's impossible to sterilise powder, and as soon as you open the tub it isn't sterile anymore anyway. Liquids can be sterilised though, hence the cartons being safer.

I used to make my bottles up as I went along and actually that was easier for me than storing them in the fridge because I didn't have space to do that!

I used to boil the kettle, leave it for about 20 minutes, add the formula, shake it and then put it straight in a jug of cold water and it was usually ready after about 7 minutes. I think you are not supposed to add formula to water that has just boiled because it damages the nutritional content or can in theory.

It is a good idea to have some cartons for when you get caught short but I found my dd preferred the made up with powder option.

I make up a day's worth too - I have a thermometer which I use so that I don't have to wait so long for the water to cool. I boil water, pour it into a clean jug and put the jug in a water bath to cool the water quickly. I leave the thermometer in the water and once it hits 75 degrees (a couple of minutes) I then pour into bottles, add powder, shake and store them in the back of the fridge. I then warm as needed during the day. Once warmed, I never use them for more than 2 hours. I start pouring at 75 degrees because by the time I get the water in the bottles the water will have cooled further. Sounds like a faff with the thermometer but it reassures me knowing the water is the right temperature.

I find this method really quick - takes me about 10 mins in the morning to make up a day's worth of feeds.