100% formula feeding - advice needed on ready made formula storage at night and out & about

[onedaybaby]

Hi, I have decided to 100% formula feed and finding it very difficult to get sound advice on the subject. Can you please correct/advise on what you do with the following assumptions as I am feeling very clueless about this.

I am planning to use ready made formula. When at home, I would assume I just pour into sterilised bottles from a large bottle which is kept in the fridge after opening.

At night and when out and about, can I keep the formula in the sterilised bottles (and how long for?) if put into bottle coolers with ice packs, or do I always need to be pouring from the carton/large bottle when required?

If you are out and only need half a carton (thinking of new born feed measurements), do you throw away the remainder in the carton or do you store it? And how?

Many thanks, and any advice on life with ready made formula would be much appreciated!

You can buy bottles of SMA ready made with teat.
That would solve your problem.
www.ocado.com/webshop/product/SMA-First-Infant-Milk-Starter-Pack-12-x-100ml-Milk-Bottles--12-x-NUK-Teats/38418011

I use ready made formula, I use the aptamil bottles and cartons. Once the milk has been decanted from the big bottle into a baby bottle it will keep for 2 hours. Once the bottle is opened it will keep in the fridge for 48 hrs. When we had night feeds I just poured a fresh bottles, didn't seem like much more hassle than just warming the bottle.
I use the cartons when out and about, just take a sterilised bottle as well, they are great if someone else is feeding, you don't have to worry about them making up bottles.
You do get the ready made bottles, I think they are about 100ml, I never used them, but DS never took less than 100ml, he was breastfed in the first few weeks. It was more economical to chuck a bit left in a carton, than break open another ready made bottle, I though they were expensive.
Also DS takes the cartons a room temperature, so there is no worry about heating up/cooling down etc.
It can be a bit of a minefield, but I have found it infinitely easier that using the powder.

We gave DD carton formula only. When out and about we just binned the rest of the carton. The ones we used were only 200ml, so by the time we were going out a lot she would need more than 1/2 a carton and saving 1/4 of a carton for the sake of 20p seemed pointless. We always decanted the formula as needed (but given the size of the carton this wasn't a problem).

Ready made is really the safest and most convenient way. But £££. For use at home I make up with powder and hot water then chill rapidly and store in fridge. Reheat in microwave. If I'm out I take 2 empty bottles for each carton. When I need to feed I pour half the carton into each bottle. I feed from one, then if DS needs more I top up the emptied bottle from the other one. Anything left in the drunk - from bottle after 1 hr is discarded. The remains in the untouched bottle lasts 4 hrs at room temp if not heated. This is what I was told on NiCU. NiCU is warmer than normal room temperature, ANC they deal with very vulnerable babies, so I trust their advice. I then use this at the next feed (DS usually demands another feed after 3 hrs). I always put new cartons into sterile bottles, not used ones even if at the same feed.

Correctly made formula, and ready made keeps for 24 hrs in the fridge at or below 4degC. Provided it has not been heated or been in contact with the baby. Once bottles have been heated or drunk from never reheat and never keep for more than an hour. The not reheating thing means that I only heat enough to get the milk to just above room temperature. I don't want the baby to demand very warm feeds that cool during the feed and need reheating.

I always made up a few bottles in advance with powder, maybe even 24 hours worth. I would make them, cool them and put them at the back of the fridge, then reheat them when needed. If I was going out, I would either reheat a bottle and then put it in one of those lined bottle holders to keep it warm, or take out a cold bottle and warm it where I was, I knew I'd be able to. The warmth really doesn't matter other than what your baby likes, though.

At night time we tended to either pour a carton into a sterilised bottle, or make one with water from a flask (DP would come to bed later than me so the water would only be in the flask for a few hours, enough to keep it at roughly the right temperature).

Making bottles beforehand is against the current recommendations, so I'd never 'recommend' to someone to do it, though in RL I know a lot of mums who did this. Because we did this, we were always very vigilant about any suggestion of tummy bugs, if that makes any sense - we never did have any upsets, but if in any way making up in advance didn't seem to agree with DD I would have sopped doing it.

Keeping a bottle warm (i.e. drinking temperature) is a bad idea as the bacteria that thrive in warm bodies, making you sick, multiply much faster in milk kept warm than milk kept below 4 degrees in the fridge.

If you do use powder, then you should follow the instructions to add it to water that is above 70 degrees as the powder is not sterile and needs to be added to hot water to kill that bacteria.

I know it is anecdotal, but my carton fed DD never had a stomach bug as a formula fed baby, while friends who mixed powder with tepid water for their DC seemed to regularly be cleaning up puke.

We used. Cartons only for going out as they are a bit pricy.
Threw out unused portion.

Otherwise used to make 24h worth of bottles and put them in the fridge. Warmed them in microwave. We were very careful making the bottles, clean hands, clean surfaces clean jug etc. We used to make them with freshly boiled water as we just could not be relied upon to time a wait.

No problems with either baby. They've never had a tummy bug. Grew well ;)

Nothing back from OP?

Didn't want to start entirely new thread so thought I'd piggy back into this one.
My little one is 3 weeks, mainly FF plus expressing once or twice a day.

With FF there just doesn't seem to be consistent advice. We've just been making up a fresh bottle each time, even during night feeds.
Other friends have advised to boil water & then cool, keep in fridge and then add powder as you need to make up feeds. The Gina Ford book I have also suggests this.

My question is- surely you are meant to use boiling water/hotter than 70 degrees to make up the bottle? This is to kill the bacteria in formula powder as I understand.

Others have suggested making up 24 hour worth of bottles with formula, then cool & place in fridge. Does the 2 hour rule only apply to room temp bottle of formula?

Apologies if these questions have been done to death in the past...it's all v new & overwhelming at the moment!
Thanks in advance.

The book and your friends who add to cold water are wrong. Making up fresh with hot water is safest but you can make, cool and store in the fridge. You are right that the water needs to be 70C.

If you have other questions I siggest starting your own thread. It does come up all the time but people don't get shirty about it :)

Ok I'm surprised the Gina Ford book says that about storing cooled, boiled water...other friends swear by keeping large bottle of cooled boiled water in the fridge.

I know it makes life easier but it doesn't feel like the safe way to do it, judging by instructions on formula packet. Not made a big issue of it with friends, everyone has to do what they feel is best.

Thank you for reply, gives me confidence to continue that way. May try storing some ready made bottles...we've just been following procedures religiously since he was born- certainly can be scary being a first time parent!

When ds was smaller I used to take cartons and sterilised bottles out, decant into bottle, chuck what he didn't finish.
I still use that now, he just finishes the whole carton now.
I used powdered formula in the house, and made them up fresh, until he was taking more than 4oz,
It starts taking too long to cool down quickly. So I make them up on advance at night, flash cool, store in the fridge and warm as I need them. And chuck after 2 hrs.
Ds is not a sick baby, so I must be doing something right. Or I'm just lucky.

Before we had the perfect prep machine I would add the powder to the bottles then add boiled water say 2 fl ozs worth to kill the bacteria in the powder then top up the rest with filtered cool water, this will then give you the perfect temperature to use the bottle straight away or flash cool it and store in fridge then heat up when needed - we also use the cartons when out and about and always made sure there was somewhere to heat it up or took a flask out with us just in case.

My GF books date from before the guidance changed and that was recommended. It's possible you have an old copy or it's just not been updated for reprints. Either way those sorts of books aren't gospel :) and you're right to be careful.

Sorry another one jumping on to this with another question!

How should the pre made bottles be stored? Before DD was born I bought a couple,planned to breastfeed but wanted some formula at home in case of emergencies (if that makes sense!) Bought SMA newborn bottles. Checked the bottles and no info about storing in fridge so have kept them in cupboard. DD couldn't latch but have been feeding her expressed milk through a bottle but my supply now running out and she will need at least one of the pre made bottles later today,will they be ok having been kept in the cupboard or should I get more?

If they were sold on a shelf in a shop and not in the fridge, then I would think they would be fine.

Hello Ladies
Can anyone recommend a dual breast pump please. Looking at elvie however quite expensive for a dual!