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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Formula-I'm confused!

13 replies

Pippaandpolly · 10/10/2011 10:25

Having made the (heartbreaking :( ) decision to stop attempting to breastfeed and just accept formula, I'm confused...

Advice is to make a new bottle each time with freshly boiled water that has been cooled for half an hour.

So why...

A) can't you make a bottle with immediately boiled water and then cool it under the cold tap? Is this formula companies covering their backs in case someone was silly enough to try and feed it to their baby at boiling point or is there a reason to do with hygiene/safety etc?

B) and why is it ok when out and about to take cooled boiled water plus powder and mix it when needed? All the official advice I can find says this is the best way to deal with bottle feeding on the go, but does it not directly contradict the advice to only put powder into freshly boiled water when at home?

Am I missing something obvious? Surely this is contradictory? And if it IS ok to put boiled water in a bottle, then chill it, then warm it when ready to use, then add formula powder (when out and about), then why isn't it ok to
do it this way when at home?

Sorry if these are stupid questions!

OP posts:

WoTmania · 10/10/2011 10:33

[[
www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2010/08/ask-armadillo-making-up-infant-feeds.html Analytical Armadillo]] explains it far better than I can but my understanding is:

A) Water shouldn't be absolutely boiling as this can damage vitamins

B)why is it ok when out and about to take cooled boiled water plus powder and mix it when needed This isn't current advice afaik. The water needs to be a minimum of 70c (I think) as it is the powder that isn't sterile. The water needs to be hot enough to kill any bacteria while not damaging the vitmains n stuff

tiktok · 10/10/2011 10:36

WoT is right....your B) question does not follow official advice...where have you found this?

Original poster

Pippaandpolly · 10/10/2011 10:39

All over the Internet! I've looked for something official from the FSA but can't find anything. That's good to know though. So what IS official advice on how to make up bottles when out and about?

OP posts:

oldsilverbullet · 10/10/2011 10:41

Pippaandpolly, my advice for out and about would be those individual formula cartons you can get, pack one of those, a sterilised bottle and a pair of scissors (unless they are tear openable now). It saves all the faffing about with mixing formulas.

WoTmania · 10/10/2011 10:44

www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2006/feb/infantformulastatementnov05 Well, still no help on how to get out and about but this is from the FSA

catsareevil · 10/10/2011 10:44

You can use the cartons for out and about, and then no hassle with boiling water etc.

Original poster

Pippaandpolly · 10/10/2011 10:44

We've been using the cartons so far-they're just so pricy! BUT I think I've answered my own question-Babycentre says take just boiled water out in a vacuum flask and I think I must have misunderstood that/confused it with other sites. Babycentre is pretty trustworthy right?

OP posts:

buttonmoon78 · 10/10/2011 10:46

Hi pippaandpolly. I feel your pain, having been in your shoes 4 times. I really don't do well at breastfeeding!

a) if you use freshly boiled water then you can damage the protein chains in the powder.
b) imo, the best thing to do when out and about is to use cartons as liquids can be sterilised whereas powder cannot. If you want to use powder, current WHO advice is to make up bottles with 30min cooled water then flash chill. When ready, take out and warm. I think the sense is that any bacteria in the powder would be killed by the hot water so you'd only (!) be left with multiplying bacteria from that point and if you chill them properly then they should be in the lower zone for multiplication (chilling does not stop bacteria multiplying - it slows them down).

However, I do neither of the above. I would never be able to predict ds's hunger to the point that I could make a bottle ready for him (we demand feed still) and he wakes going from 0-60 in hunger terms in about 1 minute! My ds has to have gaviscon in his bottles too which you can't make up ahead and doesn't dissolve properly in cool water so I have to make them warm. What I do is to fill all the bottles to halfway with freshly boiled water and leave to cool. When we're ready for a bottle I top up from a flask that I fill when I boil the kettle. That way it's nice and warm and dissolves the gaviscon properly.

I can't say that's what you should do, just what I do.

Re the heartbreaking decision - be kind with yourself. You've done your best. Sometimes it doesn't work out - for any number of reasons. At some point you will accept that (I have 4 and it's taken me 14 years to accept ) and end up being grateful that we have access to a substitute which will make our children thrive and grow. Breast IS best, but sometimes it just doesn't work out. Take care.

And they're not silly questions. You didn't know how to bf/change a nappy/bath a baby before you were told did you? Why would bottle feeding be any different?!

WoTmania · 10/10/2011 10:51

just boiled water out in a vacuum flask Presumably fine as long as it doens't fall below 70c. Otherwise you're still not sterilising the powder. Di you look at my link to FSA at all - I think that woudl pretty much answer your Q

tiktok · 10/10/2011 10:52

www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_100887

www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_124525

tiktok · 10/10/2011 10:53

Sorry - pressed post too soon!

Top link in my post takes you to a pdf which explains what to do if you are preparing in advance.

Original poster

Pippaandpolly · 10/10/2011 13:23

Thanks for all the links-am on my phone but will have a good look when I can get on the laptop.

I swear every day I find new things to worry about!

OP posts:

splatt · 10/10/2011 18:06

Pippa - I know how you feel. I was devasted when at 6 weeks I had to add in formula as DD had only gained 5oz, and by 14 weeks were just formula feeding.
I agonised over the rules and what to do out and about. Incidentlly, talking to friends with older children it seems they chsnge the 'rule' for each baby you have!

We had a tommy tippee flask which i filled with 20 minute boiled water, as it cools a bit more in the flask, and used this for out and about. Also filled before bed for overnight and the morning. Infact for a long time we had in constantly filled with correct temp water!! The outer bit of the flask is useful to ask a cafe to put cold water in to cool bittle dowm. As she got older and was taking 7oz we found it easier to switch to cartons for out and about. They are more expensive but if it's just 3 or 4 a week it's worth it for lack of hassle factor. Plus when I started weening and needed to carry snacks too there wasn't room for the flask!

Remember Once made up the bottle is OK for 2 hours. If you can be organised (and that gets easier with time) make them before you go. Ie if you know you'll need a bottle at baby group at 11 and you'll leave the house at 10 make it up and take it with you! Once I realised this all got easier. Frequently took one made up bottle and one empty one and a carton. DD drank the cartons or pre made bottles at room temp which means you don't have to worry about trying to warm when out.

Ooppss written loads. Hope it's helpfl. Good luck!

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