Preparing formula - quick question for confused first time powder formula feeder.

[StewedApple]

Hi, My little 4 month old has been having pre-prepared formula for a couple of nights with some success (hasn't been windy and has slept through the night... hurrah!).

Anyway, I have powder to make up the feed tonight. I've read the official guidance to boil water, let it cool for no longer than 30 mins and then add the powder and the water should be no cooler than 70 degrees when you add the powder.

BUT a friend told me that you should add the powder just before you feed, so the water will be much cooler than 70 at the warm feeding temperature. She said she usually gets the bottle ready in the day, and then tops up with boiling water just before the feed to bring it up to temperature and then add the powder. She thought it would be dangerous to add powder to water that was too hot.

So what do I do?

And... if you have to add the powder when it is no cooler than 70 degrees then how on earth does anyone manage to prepare a bottle when out and about??

Thank you!!!

If you look through this topic, there are lots of threads with advice on how to prepare bottles, but it is important that you add the powder to water that is at least 70'. Your friend is taking a risk doing as she does.

The official guidance is here

you need to add the powder to water that is over 70 degrees to kill the bugs (like e-coli, salmonella etc) that can live in powdered formula. The powder itself is not sterile so you need to add hot water to make it safe.
In an ideal world you should make up each bottle as you need it, but if you can't it's better to make the bottle up with hot water and then cool it and take it out with you if you need to , than to make the bottle up with cooler water.
Hope that makes sense.

Thank you! Gosh I didn't think it would be this faffy. Definitely will prepare bottle as needed and wont let water cool as friend says. Bit concerned now about the way she prepares it. But then she's never had any problems. She didn't seem aware that there can be bugs in formula. Boggles the mind that no one ever said!

I've just read some of the old threads (thank you dibbler for pointing them out)!

If I have pre-prepared formula and cooled it quickly as seems to be the advice from most, I assume what people do is to then pop it in a bottle warmer and re-heat it later on when it is needed?

And just noticed the thread asking almost exactly the same thing down the page... sorry... but still, if anyone could just answer about reheating then I'll stop filling up thread space!

It is a minefield and the instructions on the tins don't really make the information very clear or explain why you have to use hot water. You can feed it straight from the fridge if your DC will take it cold but yes, I used to quickly warm the pre-made middle of the night bottle - either in a jug of boiling water or a quick whizz in the microwave (making sure you shake/swirl it well to avoid hotspots and leave it a moment or two before feeding as it continues to heat after the m/w has finished).

The harmful bacteria in the powder is hugely reduced when it hits the hit water so it is best to then feed immediately. If you don't you are giving the bacteria time to multiply again which can be slowed but not stopped by refrigerating.

Warming the bottle will cause rapid multiplying from whatever level the bacteria are at when you warm.

Keeping the bottle at a warmed temp for prolonged periods is the most potentially dangerous way of doing it. Making feeds fresh is the safest.

Yes - make it up with the 70 dregree water then cool and if you want to warm it up again then 20 seconds in the microwave and give it a shake. I think it is a physical impossibility that it continues to heat after the microwave has finished, so I would just give it straight after warming it.

We only used ready-made cartons, but they are very expensive. I didn't want the faff of making the bottles up correctly with powder, but I read about the risks of not doing so and decided that they were very serious and not nearly rare enough to take the chance. I think the highest risks are with premature babies or those who are otherwise sick, but perfectly healthy, older babies can get a full on tummy bug and end up dehydrated and in hospital. DD got through a whole year of being formula fed without having a tummy bug, but obviously that isn't exactly evidence to support my stance.