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???

[thepestinthevest]

OP I also had a child who fed all the time every two to three hours at night at first. I made up bottles in advance, which is safe if done correctly and good food hygiene practices applied such as not touching the teats, washing your hands after touching the powder and throwing away any unused after 1.5 hrs if heated (guidance says 2 hrs - I err on side of caution), or a maximum of 18 hrs (guidance says 24) if left in the fridge. Also never reheat a bottle that has already been reheated.

All DS bottle stuff e.g. steriliser, kettle etc were kept on one side of the kitchen just for his stuff.

I made bottles with boiled water that had been left to cool for no more than 15 minutes, so if I were to pour it on myself it would be still very hot and burn. It must be hot to kill germs in the powder as the powder is not sterile. I poured water in first, so that you get the measurement right and then the powder, so that as it goes down through the water the germs are killed off. I would then shake the bottles and cool them as quick as possible in a large pan(s) of cold water, so that the water level reached the top of the milk level. I would change the cold water as soon as it warmed up, to speed up the cooling of the milk. On warm days this could be three times. The bottles were usually cooled within 20 minutes and completely cold to the touch. They would then go in the fridge, bottom shelf, on the left hand side, separated from any other foodstuffs in there. Never put warm bottles or anything warm in a fridge.

As I began to learn DS feeding schedule needs, I could interpret the signs and warm a bottle in the bottle warmer within 8-10 minutes, direct from the fridge.

OP - we used this to transport cooled milk and stuck an ice pack in it: www.mothercare.com/Philips-Avent-Neoprene-ThermaBag/769037,default,pd.html (it came with the bottle set). We still use it now for his yoghurts etc. To be honest I didn't go anywhere when he would need a feed that didn't have a means to refrigerate his bottle (boring life he led until about 4 months old - so limited to Nanas, Grandmas etc).

[SmileAndPeopleSmileWithYou]

Someone said before about putting the hot bottles straight in the back of the fridge to cool, not flash cooling them...
Just thought I'd add that you shouldn't put hot things in the fridge as it can raise your fridge temp and/or the food in it. So not something that would necessarily be bad for baby, but maybe bad for you?!

[TheSurgeonsMate]

Whenever I read these threads I can't help thinking that the cost of one of those kettles that heats the water to the temperature you desire would be more than worth it.

[MortifiedAdams]

I made up as per packet instructions, four at a time, flash cooled and refrdgerated. Dd fed to a schedule (she chose it!), so Id take a bottle out.of the fridge an hour before.needed.

She had all her bottles at room temp. Dont think she has ever had warm milk.

[LittleBearPad]

Thanks choccy.

[saycheeeeeese]

Have come late to tbe thread but I agree with tik tok about bottle warmers there's no way they would heat the water to 70º and therefore would not kill bacteria in the milk.

I suggest Lynz that you speak to a health visitor instead if midwife about this as they will be up to speed on this stuff, MWs are not experts on this, my own MW admitted she was not up to speed with current guidelines on formula feeding.

Try not to see everything as an attack on you, being a new mum is hard enough :)

[Choccywoccydodah]

And if you used bottled, the sodium (salt) content must be less that 7 (I think it is around there, not 100%, but certainly not 40 like what we got free in our room in Egypt!!)

[Choccywoccydodah]

I used cold tap after 6 months

[ratbagcatbag]

I'm back, sorry for the delay, I appreciate all the advice, I in the make more than one up at a time, and flash cool and shove in the fridge, I then microwave it (I know, I know) but only for twenty seconds to take the chill off. Dd seemed ok with that last night, if not overly impressed with the new formula as its thinner than the ready made stuff :)

I made six feeds for last night, as she normally feeds every two, now she's on meds and different formula she fooled me and only had two last night, I did ditch all the left overs and start again this morning.

Ok so for going out does anyone have any links to cool packs with ice packs specifically for taking bottle feeds out.

I didn't realise that ff threads can be a bun fight, I don't generally start threads like tht, so I do appreciate everyone that took time to reply. Tiktok, I will have a nosy through all that information at 2am when up again as I haven't had time to look at everything in detail. :)

[LittleBearPad]

Sorry , I meant 3oz of boiling water on to the formula powder (to kill the nasties) and then top up with cold water.

Post 6 months: must the cold water be cooled boiled water or can it just be tap?

[Choccywoccydodah]

Just to confuse things even more, just reading back and someone said if you are out, you could ask for boiling water off a cafe or something. Just make sure it's only been boiled ONCE and not in one of those big boiler thingies If it is boiled more than once, the minerals in the water become harmful for baby.
Personally, I used to take a flask of just boiled water left for 20 mins to cool (as it would cool slightly over the course of the day), and bottles of cooled boiled water. It was bulky, but at least I knew it was safe. Our flask used to keep the water boiling overnight or all day as long as we filled it right up (we used to use the left over water for our tea and coffee in the morning it was that hot!)

[tiktok]

Lynz, if this is something you want to investigate further, then how about just asking your midwife about it? Give her a call! If she's a good person and supportive, then she won't mind a bit - if she's telling mothers something they then read is not current guidance, then she will want to know (surely) or explain why she does not agree with it.

Bottle warmers only warm the milk/water to about 37 deg C. To then add the milk powder to water of this temperature is not considered an effective way to ensure safety.

[Lynz1987]

I don't make them with cold water I make them with sterile water which then gets heated in a bottle warmer until hot then milk is added as a new mum I didn't know how to do bottles in the begining, so I did the way u described ie boil kettle wait 30 mins etc and asked my MW how to make it easier for night feeding she suggested this way as she noticed I had a bottle warmer or using a flask of hot water I chose the bottle warmer

[SmileAndPeopleSmileWithYou]

Out of curiosity Lynz, did you ask the MW if your way was correct or did she tell you to do it that way?

[alienbanana]

Sorry, that should read *the instructions on the packet.

[alienbanana]

Ok, but you aren't preparing bottles according to the instructions on the bottle, or the NHS and WHO guidelines.

The fact is that preparing with water over 70C IS safer than making with cold, whether you want to believe it or not.

[Lynz1987]

+Passmethecrisps* FYI I still believe the way I make my bottles is ok I trust my MW and her advice, I don't doubt that all the ways shown on here today are right also to say my way is wrong in itself is wrong. I am very careful and insure my bottles and feeding is up to a high standard to imply I'm feeding my daughter wrong is hurtful and upsetting. Call me defensive etc I don't mind. But I have not been feeding my DD incorrectly for months!!

[SmileAndPeopleSmileWithYou]

LittleBearPad - I think someone mentioned before that doing half boiling/half cold water would not kill the bacteria as there is too much powder for the 70 degree water to kill all the bacteria. I may be wrong about that but I would check it to make sure!

After 6 months old I think it becomes a little more complicated to be honest. Think about the bacteria they come into contact with at that age. Everything goes in the mouth!
I think with the immune system being more developed then bottled water wouldn't do any harm. However I think the official advice is still to use cooled boiled water even then!

I found it interesting that a few of you said FF threads can be a bunfight! I've never been on one before, its amazing how defensive people can be about their methods!

At the end of the day, the official advice is always best!

[LittleBearPad]

The topping up bottles with cold water thing is something I've been wondering about. (Ie make 8oz bottle with 3oz boling/70 degree water and 5oz CBW as suggested above)

Could you use tap water (or bottled where we are as adults don't drink tap water let alone babies) after your baby is six months old? DD drank tap water in the UK and drinks bottled water here without boiling and has done since 6 months.

Would make it easier to make them quickly - dd will NOT drink warm milk having had fridge cold/room temp ready to feed until we moved overseas.

[alienbanana]

Passmethecrisps - the worst thing was that she worked in a nursery and this is how she advised people to send in their babies bottles for the day!


I guess these threads do get a bit heated because inevitably someone will come along and find out that the way they've been feeding their baby for months isn't actually correct (and usually down to some dodgy MW or HV advice) and it's hardly surprising that they get defensive.

[HandMini]

Ah yes, thanks, should have known that given that ones advised to use cooled boiled water just to wash their faces!

This is baby No 2! You'd think I'd know these things by now.

[tiktok]

Re bunfights: I think a straight question 'how do I.....' will almost always get dealt with in a straight way. They can get derailed a bit when someone takes something the wrong way or feels criticised.

[Choccywoccydodah]

Handmini, babies can have tap water after 6 months, before that it's cooled boiled water :)

[Passmethecrisps]

They do and it is awful. People get too scared to ask for help so just muddle along.
I've seen some terrible threads which I had to hide in the end because I found them too upsetting.

[Passmethecrisps]

Yikes alien! Don't think I would fancy drinking those never mind giving them to a baby.

Yup. I have dispensers so I will just make up the bottle when required when out. The water will still be hot enough.

tiktok when DD was first born and was drinking expressed BM we used to give her it straight from the fridge - we didn't think anything of it. Then MIL suggested we should be warming it. I actually think she would take it any temp - I will experiment.

Sorry for the thread hijack!