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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Making up formula- half hot/half cold?

87 replies

raininginbaltimore · 08/07/2012 18:29

You will see from my other post (bottle nursing) that I will be FF pretty much from birth for medication reasons, so please don't make this thread about how BF is easier! I know and I wish I could!

Anyway, I am thinking ahead to FF and I know that you need to make it with hot water so that it kills the bacteria in the powder. But what about when out and about or at night feeds? I can't imagine waiting for a hot bottle to cool with a screaming newborn. I know I could use ready made, but it is so expensive. In fact formula is bloody expensive as it is!

I am sure I saw somewhere that some people make up half the feed with hot water then add cool boiled water, so it is the right temp. Does that work? has anyone tried it? i am concerned it won't be the right concentration.

OP posts:
TheDetective · 09/07/2012 00:02

No, you go to the freezer and get some out :s

TheDetective · 09/07/2012 00:02

I would assume most people have a freezer these days??

PastaLadyHasNameChangedForThis · 09/07/2012 00:03

I make bottles at over 70degrees. Make four at a time. Refridgerate. Take out if fridge about 30mins pre feed and serve.

At night I made a bottle and took it to bed with me.

modifiedmum · 09/07/2012 00:08

I took keppra when archie ws a newborn so couldnt breast feed, i used to boil half what was needed for a feed end of every night then let them cool then when it come to night feeds top the water up with boiling then add the formula so then the feed wasjust the right temp. archie is a thriving nearly 3 year old now so guess i didnt do anything wrong!

Gill79 · 09/07/2012 00:10

Raining that is what I do. Boil kettle, pour into bottle, allow to cool for a few mins, add powder, shake VERY well, top up with cold water. Mine is older so I just use cold water out of the tap.

Obviously you can use a second container with volume on to measure out the cold water as it will be all bubbly once shaken so you can't see level, plus you need to account for volume of powder.

Gill79 · 09/07/2012 00:14

Modified it is important to mix the powder with hot water. Some v nasty germs thrive in formula powder.

Haylebop12 · 09/07/2012 00:17

I would make up bottles of cooled boiled water night before. Adding formula when dd was ready. Meaning her bottles were always room temp. They didn't supply facilities in hosp for warming bottles so was sticking to what she was used to.

Haylebop12 · 09/07/2012 00:20

Just to add I was adding the formula to room temp water... My ds is now 3.5 active and healthy so must have been ok!!

modifiedmum · 09/07/2012 00:30

U can buy these things to test the water, it has to be at a certain temp to kill the bacteria in the powder and say if your making up 90ml of a feed pre boiling and cooling 30ml of it and adding the rest 60ml of boiling THEN the formula was enough to kill it according to my temp thing i had, obv if a health visitor tells u different dont take my advice but it never made archie ill and he is well off feeds now (3 in september) x

Gill79 · 09/07/2012 00:47

Sorry Modified! didn't realise you meant it was hot enough...But hayleybop... you can't just say my DS didn't get ill so it must be alright then. If you don't do it with hot water you are RISKING your baby contracting salmonella etc. It probably won't happen to you but it will happen to someone.

Original poster
raininginbaltimore · 09/07/2012 06:47

Sorry, WHO guidelines which were on one of the formula company websites. They say that it is best to make up in each one at a time, but if you really have to if is best to make with hot water, cool rapidly, keep very cold and use within 4 hours.

I don't accept anecdotal evidence I'm afraid. Lots of people smoke and don't die, doesn't mean smoking isn't dangerous. I won't make it with cold water as I don't want to risk bacteria.

Thanks for all the advice.

OP posts:
pumpkinsweetie · 09/07/2012 06:47

Gills idea by far sounds the best Smile

HeadsShouldersKneesandToes · 09/07/2012 07:13

Yes you can do this - it's a bit more of a pain carrying around the cooled boiled water, I found this the best solution.

I found that about 1/3rd boiling water and 2/3rds cooled boiled water if the cooled water was from the fridge, or 1/4 boiling and 3/4 cooled if the cooled water was room temerature, got to about the right temperature.

You must fully disolve the powder in the hot water and count to 20 to give the heat the time to kill any microbes within the powder before adding the cold - if you add the cold right away some microbes could survive.

Discarding anything that is undrunk after an hour still applies, as you'd expect.

Finallygotaroundtoit · 09/07/2012 08:16

Would anyone go on the weaning boards and say

'I gave my baby undercooked chicken and she never got salmonella'

or 'cooking chicken according to guidelines is impossible - take the chance it was fine for me, it will be Ok for you too' Confused

pumpkinsweetie · 09/07/2012 10:24

But Finally, if everyone made each bottle up as an when needed with hot water, then you wouldn't be able to leave the house!
Feeding undercooked chicken to a baby is completely different thing, as there is a very high chance of salmonella with chicken compared to a minute chance with formula.
I think whenever possible it should be made from scratch but that isn't always possible when out for the day, on a flight or at the park and i think the coolbag idea is by far the best if you need bottles when out and about or at night

Original poster
raininginbaltimore · 09/07/2012 10:50

I suppose the safest answer is to use ready made formula when out, but it makes it so expensive.

That is why I support the baby action on cheaper formula. Some of us don't have much choice.

OP posts:
tiktok · 09/07/2012 11:07

"Feeding undercooked chicken to a baby is completely different thing, as there is a very high chance of salmonella with chicken compared to a minute chance with formula."

Not correct - it's unusual but not 'minute'.

cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/46/2/268.full

Vast majority of babies in western settings recover, happily. But there is a reason why the guidelines changed!

modifiedmum · 09/07/2012 11:34

Thats ok gill, i think i got the little temp thing from boots or something, might of been given to me actually but was a handy lil thing to have! also them pre made things are dear but sometimes you can catch them on offer and its worth keeping one or two in your changing bag just "incase!"

Haylebop12 · 09/07/2012 12:42

I'm
Not saying she didn't get I'll just because of the way I made bottles. I didn't come up with this way by myself. I know of others that have done it... I just mean personally I'd never heard of having to add formula to boiling water? Maybe I'll investigate for next time...?
H

pumpkinsweetie · 09/07/2012 13:03

Not everyone can afford to buy ready made formula each and every time we go out so the cool bag is the only answer for cash-strapped parents.
I understand the risk are minimal but can still happen but you cannot possibly make bottles with 70c water whilst you are out and manage to cool them too!!
My advice would be to make up a feed each time unless you are off out inwhich you would make bottles using 70c water, flash cool, put in fridge and then into cool bag-take flask with you to warm them.
You can stick to the guidlines but they are not at all do-able on trips etc are they?

StarlightWithAsteroid · 09/07/2012 13:10

Pumpkin. That's a bit like saying you can't expect cash-strapped parents to purchase a car seat.

5madthings · 09/07/2012 13:11

i did the half and half method in the night so two bottles one with boiled water that has been measured, normally half or 2/3 quantity of the feed, then i had a flask that kep the water hot that i filled with boiling water when i went to bed, so at feed time i would measure that out into the empty bottle, then add the powder to that, make sure it was mixed well and then top it up wiht the pre-measured water from the other bottle,

just make sure you measure you water out correctly so you have the right amounts of water/powder.

i did the same when out and about, its easy tbh

or make up the bottle in advance, cool quickly ie in a jug in the sink wiht cold running water, then put in fridge or if going out a cool bag, so yes you can follow the guildlines even when out and about.

hazeyjane · 09/07/2012 13:13

Pumpkin, several people have said there is a way to make it up with hot water when out, ie take a flask of boiled water, an empty bottle, premeasured formula and exact amount of cooled boiled water in a bottle - add the formula to the hot water, shake, add the cold water and shake again.

pumpkinsweetie · 09/07/2012 13:15

Fgs a carseat is a nessecity, buying ready made formula isn't especially when the tin had already cost £8:99 a week!
I can understand following the guidelines but some of you are very pfbish about it.
What is wrong with the cool bag method if bottles were made with 70c water to begin with

5madthings · 09/07/2012 13:15

yep what hazey said for out and about, the same as at night, the first few times i did a few experiemental ones to see how much hot and how much cold so that you get it drinkable temp straight away, depending on the size of the feed its normally half and half or 1/3 hot and 2/3 cold :)