Those people whose babies are formula fed...

[knottyhair]

I had my DS 8 years ago, and after a couple of months, he went on to formula and we always made up the feeds in advance and kept them in the fridge. I notice now that the guidelines have been changed and it is now not recommended to make up feeds in advance but instead to make each feed up as required which seems like a PITA. I'm now 24 wks pregnant with my DD and just wondered if those of you who ff follow the new advice, or do you still make up feeds in advance.

I have an 8 year old and a 4 year old...when I had the 4 year old the HV told me t use a blinking flask to ensure that the water was the exact right temp.

I never.

I did what I did with DD 1...which was to fill about 8 bottles with hot boiled water...gently screw lids and teats on straight out of the sterilizer...and leave to cool...I then added formula as and when I needed it...chose a fresh bottle of water every feed.

The water shrinks slightly...because it is hot when you fill them...as they cool some evaporates...this is good though, because I then added a splash of freshly boiled water to bring it back up to the right amount...say to 8oz for example...then the bottle was ready warmed! And the formula dissolved better.

The point of the new advice (it came in in 2005) is that formula powder isn't sterile and there is a chance of bacterial contamination in the powder.

Water that is 70C or hotter should be used so there is the best chance of killing any bacteria present (this bacteria can make babies very, very ill).

The idea behind preparing each feed as needed is that any bacteria that might not have been killed by the hot water doesn't get a chance to grow (the bacteria can grow at fridge temps albeit very slowly).

If you do make the bottles up in advance, flash cooling them and then refridgerating them for no longer than 24 hours is the next safest to making up as needed (ready to feed cartons are the safest way though).

Guidance on preparing formula feeds.

No. I make in advance and put in the fridge. I expect they are just covering their arses. As long as all bottle are sterile, you add the milk to 30min cooled boiling water, I would have thought you'd avoid the nasty formula bug.

OUr fridge is modern and very cold - things keep forever in it. If you have an ancient thing that doesn't get very cold you might want to rethink but I don't see why not else.

I make the next feed up as she has each one, so boil kettle when I fetch a bottle and prepare 10 minutes or so later and stick in fridge. This means that the formula is going into hot enough water and they are usually only in fridge for four hours max. To start with I used the pre-made cartons, which can go in the fridge for 48 hours after opening - I couldn't see any reason, biologically, that that milk was okay for 48 hours yet powdered prep wasn't for four. We've never had a single tummy bug at 9 months.

I make up 24 hours worth in advance and have done since DD was a month or so. I make them with 30 min cooled boiled water, then stick them in the fridge. No nasty tummy bugs or anything, though it does mean that we are still sterilising at 8mo, which is a pain. And if she ever does get a tummy bug I will go back to making as I go along, in case that is the culprit.

I either make up in advance (cool rapidly and put in fridge) or put the water in the bottles, measure out the powder into one of these and then add the powder to the room temperature water at feed time, and feed it to baby immediately (so the bugs don't have time to grow). This is particularly useful for out-and-about.

Thanks everyone, lots of food for thought if you pardon the pun. Guess they're not really "new" guidelines then, if they came in from 2005 ! DP is very much of the school of thought that we made them in advance for DS and he's fine, so what's the problem? Rationally I know that's probably true but couldn't get rid of the niggling "yes, but what if..."! As you say Eugene, they are probably covering their arses. It's hard, a lot of advice has changed in the last 8 years, like keeping the baby in the same room as you for all sleeps for the first 6 months (always put DS upstairs for sleeps and used a monitor). Thanks again everyone!

knotty, the guideline on sharing a room have been in place a l....o....n....g time - certainly more than 8 years :)

It's not 'rational' to say 'we did X, and everything was fine'....in fact it's the opposite of rational. 'Rational' is to look at the evidence which comes from research involving many more 'subjects' than just one baby.

I don't think guidance on adding formula to water no cooler than 70 deg C is covering arses - there are no cases I have ever come across where authorities have been blamed for parents not making up feeds in the correct way. Parents would probably get the blame, if there was blame being thrown around!

Read the evidence for yourself - here's a starter www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/113.htm

Salmonella and other bacterial infections are unlikely to cause serious illness in babies in homes where things are normally clean, but minor infections are not uncommon. Every so often, even in good conditions, the infection is more serious. That's the reason for the guidelines - and it's based on science.

Thanks tiktok, I had no idea that those guidelines had been in place so long! I certainly was never give that advice by HV or anyone else when DS was a baby.