Sterilised bottles and being out and about

[Popsandpip]

Hi ladies

My DD is 3 months old and I've EBF until now. I'm in the process of beginning mixed feeding as she's starting nursery in a month's time. I've done my reading and picked up loads of tips on sterilising, preparing and storing bottles/milk when at home but am finding it harder to find out info about what to do when I'm out and about.

How do you prepare a formula feed for your baby when you're at a cafe, for example? What do you do if you're on a long car journey? And how do you keep bottles you've sterilised at home usable when you're out? If they have the cap on over the teat, is that enough?

Thanks so much for any advice you can give me. My head is swimming with too much info!

Generally, I used the cartons of formula when I was out - they're pre-made, and sterile till open. I also pre-sterilised the bottle and teat at home, put the bottle together with the cap over the teat to keep the teat clean.

In my experience, cafes are usually happy to provide a jug / teapot of hot water to warm a bottle of milk up. Although some places do insist on keeping the jug and bottle behind the counter to reduce the risk of scalding.

I do the same - take a sterilised bottle (with cap over teat), and a carton of formula. Or if I don't have any cartons, I have small pots that I can fill with the required amount of formula powder which fit inside the bottle, and then I can just mix it with water when needed.

Same here, I use ready made formula when out, more expensive but v easy. Wash and sterilise bottles, put them together with tops firmly on and away you go.

Oh that's super helpful, thank you! I imagined there was something more complicated to do, i.e. keep sterilised bottles in a sterilised container. This is much more faff-free!

I sterilise the bottles and assemble them before going out, and use cartons of formula.

As some places don't like to give out hot water (which is pretty much the same temp as a cup of tea anyway....) I take one of these with me - www.johnlewis.com/231199973/Product.aspx?s_pccid=pc_gs_600_100000&

I fill it with boiling water before going out, and it stays hot all day. You just pour the water into the big lid, and pop the bottle inside.

Some places (Westfield Derby, for instance) have bottle warmers, but it's easier to just take your own really.

That's a good idea, PP.

Just to check (and sorry if I sound a bit naive), do you always have to mix the formula powder with hot water? Could you use room temperature (cooled boiled water) instead?

Methinks I'm not getting enough sleep this week, or I'd know the answer to this question alreacy!

A tip I got from someone on here is this:

For a 7oz bottle - Hot water in a flask so by the time you use it it's about 70 oC.
Put 4oz of the hot water in the bottle with the 7 scoops of powder. Mix

Then add 3oz of cold water, I take a small sterilised bottle with the right amounts measured out.

This means the powder is still added to the hot water to kill the bugs but you don't have to try to cool it down as it should be just about the right temp for drinking.

I do this at home when I'm in a hurry too impatient too :)

You might need to experiment a bit with the amounts to get it right, and it does mean taking extra stuff out but I prefer doing this than having to heat a cold bottle.

I didn't sterilise. No need imo if your bottles are clean of milk bacteria.

pops, the formula needs to hit hot water in order to kill the formula bugs.

Current advice is to sterilise bottles and teats until the baby is 12 months old.

Thanks for the advice, ladies. I really do appreciate it.

Maples, I keep getting blocked milk ducts when I express so mixed feeding seems to be the way to go for me.

If your baby is happy to take the pre made cartons without tgem being warmed up ths can be great as you never need to look for anywhere to warm tgem, plus if you or anyone else needs to use them on a night feed, no need to faff on warming them.

Thanks Gnocchi.

I think I know the best way to approach this to suit us now.
I'm grateful to all of you who've helped!
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