Making up bottles - is this okay?

[MormonMummy90]

I have been breastfeeding for the past 6 months and my baby has just started on bottles of formula. We live with my parents at the moment while we are waiting for the house that we are buying to be ready, and my mum uses the kettle constantly during the day to make hot chocolates, so this is what we have been doing:

Boiling a kettle full of fresh water
Pouring out 120ml into each bottle
Leaving them on the side with lids on
Measuring out formula into pots
When baby is hungry, we just tip one of the pots of formula into the water, shake and feed. He doesn't seem bothered what temperature they are at and is usually fine with them at room temp.

Is this okay to do? Obviously because he has been breastfed for the last 6 months I have never spoken to a HV or Doctor about bottles etc!!!

The formula must be mixed with water which is over 70°c as the powder isnt sterile so needs the heat to get rid of any bugs.

To ensure the water is hot enough, fill and boil and use within 30mins.

Once the bottles are made (make them all up together), they can be stored in the fridge for 24 hours. If you know roughly when your dc will want his next feed, remove.from the fridge about an hour before to get it to room temp. Alternatively, dunk in warm water to serve warm, or serve fridge cold (great for hot days like this).

The most important thing is that the powder is mixed with hot water, not that the water is pre boiled and left.

Hope this helps

Could I just carry on with what I'm doing but heat up the water again in the bottle before adding the powder?

You'd have to heat up the water to very hot to ensure it is 70 degrees, maybe check with a thermometer? Then cool.

I would have thought making up the bottle with recently boiled water, cooling quickly and storing in the fridge ready to be heated up for use would be easier.

When you say making up the bottle do u mean adding the formula and storing it ready made? I thought you're not supposed to do that... Confused.com!!

Everyone has different ways of doing this. I've done it your way with 2 children for well over a year each and never had an issue with tummy troubles. So long as you are scrupulously clean in measuring powder and the container is always dry I don't see the problem. I know this isn't the approved way though!!! Most people I know do it this way.

You can make a bottle completely and store in the fridge for 24 hours.

no point heating water twice.

Making the bottle up with 70+ degree water and formula and using within 2 hours is the best and safest method.

Making the bottle up with 70+ degree water and formula and cooling and storing is less good, but ok.

Using cold water to make up the bottle is unsafe though.

Rollerbaby as the powder cannot be sterilised prior to use, even being scrupulously clean will not kill any bacteria that already exists in the powder.

I mix and store 2 bottles for through the night then the rest I pour 2 oz of hot boiled water & mix with the formula then fill with 4oz of cold.

So easy, fresh and ready in 2 minutes!

Oh gosh, I really had no idea. So what is the easiest and safest method then? Because I do need to do them in advance most of the time...

Best method is making with hot water as needed. Second best is making with hot water, cooling quickly (under a tap or in iced water) and storing in the back of the fridge til needed. You must use them within 24 hours, but the sooner the better.

I did it your way for DD1 who NEVER got poorly and am also doing it like that for DD2 who has a really shitty life limiting condition so everything is utterly spotless, she has also never been poorly and our nurse and dietician have never told me I'm doing it wrong. I dunno, it is über confusing this bottle business! Hope this helps

Safest - male fresh per feed (inc hot water)

Safest convenient way - make in advance, refrisgerate and serve

So can I ask, why do tommie tippie give you those little formula pots in the starter kit I bought if it's not safe to do that? I'm so confused :(

So do people really go downstairs in the middle of the night to get a bottle from the fridge and heat it up? Man I wish I never stopped breastfeeding now!

Would making it up with full quantity powder to half quantity boiling water until mixed, then topping up with chilled preboiled water to correct dilution be okay?

I also did it the way you are now and my ds never had any issues,
The main reason I used to do this is during the night feeds so I wouldn't have to wait for the kettle to boil or if I was going out for a few hours
I'd say if you feel it's safer to add the formula to the boiling water then maybe make up 2 feeds in advance at intervals through the day and if you're going out for a few hours then the disposable cartons are really handy, I used to buy a couple a month and keep a few in the bag so if we were out and likely to be back later than expected feeds wouldn't be an issue

No, when you go to bed, just take a bottle with you and put it on the nightstand. Serve when baby wakes as is.

Right okay :) And what about when you go out? It's not normally possible to keep something refrigerated or find a kettle?

Take it out of the fridge, put into change bag, serve as is whenever and where ever you are.

Dd has always had room temp milk, I have always done this.

I disagree with Gnocchi there - I wouldn't take a bottle that had been made up previously from the fridge and leave it to stand at room temperature for any period of time, as it would allow any bacteria to multiply.

If a feed has been made fresh it lasts for 2 hours at room temperature. If it has been made in advance and stored in the fridge it needs to be consumed as soon as it is out of the fridge.

I always use ready made cartons when out and about

For night feeds I used to either use cartons, or make up a bottle and flash cool, then keep in a cool bag with icepacks upstairs, together with a flask of boiling water to heat the bottle in

Agree with rubirosa. When u go out take a bottle and store it in a chilled cooler bag. I used small ice packs. Take a flask of boiling water to warm while out, or if at a cafe get some hot water to stand it in. You could take it out if you know it will be used within two hours. When making them I would boil water and measure into bottles. I would use a sterile thermometer to check water temp was just above 70 degrees. Then make feeds and store in back of fridge. It really doesn't take long and much safer. Good luck.