How do I make up formula?

[ratbagcatbag]

So I've been using ready made formula for ease but now dd at six weeks has been prescribed aptimel pepti, which is powdered, how do I do it, according to the tin I need to boil a kettle leave it to cool thirty mins then make feed, yep dd will wait that long at night? Can I not make up two or three bottles at bed and put them in the fridge? I don't get it :( help please???

Call the number on the pack (assuming there is one - there should be) which links to a consumer helpline for the product.

Normally, you don't have to leave it for 30 mins. You leave it until it gets no cooler than 70 deg C and this means it is still hot enough to be safe.You then cool it to make it safe to drink.

The safest way is to make up formula when it is needed not in advance.

But many parents compromise and make up some in advance and then store in the fridge.

The key essential is mixing up the powder when the water is still hot.

Yep the water should be at least 70 degrees as this sterilizes the powder.
You also always put the water in first to make sure you have the right amount.

The advice is to make it on demand to prevent bacteria etc growing when stored. You can put the hot bottle in a small bowl of cold water or run under the tap to cool quickly.
We did this when DS was really little. Once he got older and his immune system had developed we started making one, two max, in advance and putting these in the fridge once cooled.

I mentioned to my HV about it being impractical at night etc. She said "just use your common sense and do what you think is right".

Buy a bottle warmer boots £10 I boil kettle in the morning make up 5 bottles with the water from the kettle then at each feed warm the water in the bottle warmer then add the powder which I have already separated into individual containers soooo easy it takes 4 mins to make a bottle rather than anticipating it 1/2 an hour before which I found always needed cooling.
Happy feeding x

Um, Lynz, how do you get the water to be hotter than 70 degrees to kill the bacteria in the powder (which is not sterile)?

-Boil kettle
-Set timer for 20 mins
-Make up bottles according to pack instructions
-Stand bottles in the sink in very cold water
-Set timer for 20 mins (less if they're small bottles)
-Put in fridge on the bottom shelf, at the back.

(thats what we did because DS woke 4 times for a night for a bottle and I would have cocked it up/lost the plot if I'd tried to make bottles at 1am, 2am, 3am......)

I did it the same as alien

The bottle warmer heats it to that tempreture, my midwife said that this way is fine

My midwife told me if the water is too hot above 70 degrees it kills of all the nutrients so never to add it too boiling or water that is too hot. We tried the fridge way but the milk goes cloggy and separates occasionally

Ok attemp one as per alien suggestion, as she's feeding every two hours at night, ill make five up for overnight and get them in the fridge if my first crack at it goes well. Eeek, what about if you're going out for the day? God ready mixed formula was a lot easier. :(

The easiest way I've found of preparing formula safely and quickly is to fill a lidded jug with freshly boiled water every morning, allow to cool and store in the fridge.
When you need to make up a feed (8oz for example) boil the kettle, put 3oz of freshly boiled water into the bottle, add 8 scoops of formula, shake well until it's dissolved. Then using another bottle, measure 5oz of the cooled boiled water and add to the milk. The temp is perfect to drink immediately.
It sounds a bit faffy written down, but you can do a freshly made, drinking temp bottle in less than 5 mins.

Exactly what nannyr said is what I used to do, perfect!
I used to boil the kettle twice in the morning, one to have for cooled water, then one I kept boiling hot in a flask for the whole day feeds. I had a flask that kept it hot for 12 hours.

I never heard anything about using hot water at all, until I came on mumsnet when DD was about a year old. Here in Belgium I was told simply to use bottled water to mix with the powder. I've just looked up the advice on babyfrance.com to see if I somehow misunderstood but that's exactly what they say there too. They have recommendations for the brand of bottled water and strictly forbid the use of tap water! It worked fine for me (and was very easy to do).

ratbag :)
Just make sure you cool them quickly and get them in the fridge as soon as they're cold.

For days out we took ready made bottles, but ones that had been in the fridge for a couple of hours so they were nice and cold, then used a small cool bag with an ice pack. Ready made is easier for days out though.

Lynz your midwife is talking nonsense. It's not the water that's the problem, it's the powder. Water must be above 70 to kill bacteria in the powder.

Agree - if the nutrients were killed off by water over 70C then why would the instructions on the box state to mix it that way?

It really actually shocks me how many formula feeders don't know that the boiling water is to kill bacteria in the powder NOT the water.

I have so many friends that add the powder to cooled (cold) boiled water and I really have to stop myself from saying something.

Not having a go at you op as you've said you've never used the powder before and are asking how to do it properly.

Yes we go back and forth a lot between England and France and the totally different advice for how to make up what appears to be the same product is v. confusing. If anyone can shed any light on this I'd be interested to know!

As has already been said the water needs to be above 70 degrees to kill the bacteria in the powder.

After that it's just normal food hygiene, either use it while it's fresh or cool it down quickly and chill it ready for reheating later. You get little ice packs and stuff to keep them cool if you need to go out all day.

The UK guidance is based on European-wide recommendations, which in turn comes from evidence and research into the risks of formula powder when it is mixed unsafely.

The European Food Safety Authority?s Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards made the recommendations about 10 years ago. You can read the paper here www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/113.htm

Other evidence for the presence of bacteria in powdered infant formula is here:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22410240

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18171262

www.ibfan.org/how_widespread.html

If you google Guidance for health professionals on safe preparation,
storage and handling of powdered infant formula you'll find a pdf which explains the UK guidance.

The powder is far riskier than the water - in the UK and other countries with safe water, that is.

However, these risks are reduced very effectively by safe preparation. I don't know why other countries like France are not on board with these recommendations - they may be, officially, but like here, some of their HCPs may not be communicating any of it to parents.

It is quite wrong to tell mothers that if they use water that's over 70 deg C then 'all the nutrients are killed off'. Rubbish, and scare mongering, too.

I'm sick of some of the mums on here I'm not fucking scare mothering what is wrong with u ppl!! Always looking for drama my midwife said that the word needs to be as near to 70 degrees when the powder is added to cold the bacteria is not killed off the powder too hot the nutrients is lost!! I'm not disagreeing with any of u I was agreeing that 70 degrees is the right temp it appears to me that's at mums on here only like others if they agree with their opinion or their way, what's the point in asking others for advice if u don't want to hear all sides ways and opinions if u just want patting on the back all the time and a massive following

Mongering*

And by the way if u leave the water with the mixed formula to cool from boiling could well take upto or more than an hour which we r not supposed to give formula to babies that's been made for more than 2 hrs, taking a risk there r u not????

You make it with hot water then cool it rapidly by standing in a bowl of cold water, I stood mine join a bowl in the sink with the cold water running into the bowl to cool it quicker.

But mainly I did it the way nanny said, mix powder with hot water and then add pure measured cooled water to the right amount. Always measure both lots of water to you are using the right amount.