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???

tiktoks waynsinrecomended by true NHS and WHO.

Y advice was given to me by aid wife is she doing a bad job then? Anyone can use a copy and paste button for Christ sake

Midwife*

Sadly, Lynz, the advice given by midwives is often outdated, and it varies from one midwife to another.

When I was struggling with BFing my DS one midwife told me to stop BFing altogether, another said I had supply problems, another said it was the quality of my milk.. I know we're talking about FF here and not BF, but you get my drift. They're only human, they're not perfect, and some of them aren't up to speed with the latest guidance.

I don't know why you're bring so sweary and defensive or, indeed, getting at Tiktok, who regularly posts incredibly helpful advice on here.

It gives the reason for not adding powder to boiling water on the packet, it is apparently to avoid scalding. It doesn't say anything about killing nutrients and I would assume that if that was the case it would have to say on the box?

In my mind I compared the safety aspect of it to me making myself a cuppa! As an adult I am quite capable of pouring boiling water from the kettle without scalding myself so I put the powder in straight away.
The water is above 70 so kills all bacteria in the powder.
The bottle is left to cool and then stored in the fridge at the back.

I'm baffled. Someone asked where the UK recommendations came from. I happen to know, so I explained and gave a link (several) that answered the question. I said I did not know why other countries seemed not to adhere to them, and speculated this might just be their HCPs - like some of ours - not explaining well.

I said that being told water over 70 deg C 'kills off all the nutrients' which is what you said your midwife said, Lynz, was rubbish and scaremongering....and it is! If you 'kill off all the nutrients' in a bottle of formula then you might as well feed your baby on water alone....and yes, it is scaremongering to make mothers worried about their bottles being reduced to 'no nutrients' because the water is a bit hot. But it was your midwife doing the scaremongering, as I made clear, not you!

Then I am being told, by you, Lynz, that I am somehow laying down the law and not seeing the other person's viewpoint, and wanting a pat on the back.... WTF???? You now say your midwife didn't quite say what you said she told you, so I am even more baffled.

Defensive, much?All I did was answer a question and yes, I did copy and paste links....what do you expect me to do? Copying and pasting means the link comes out correctly spelled and accurate, which is a good thing on a talkboard....only my opinion, of course

Jeez.

Yes your midwife is giving out incorrect advice, my midwife and HV told me the correct way to make up the formula.

If you look on the NHS website it explains there how and why to make the formula up with 70deg water, that is the official NHS advice which your midwife should have given you :)

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/Pages/making-up-infant-formula.aspx

NHS official advice :)

What Tiktok said.

Personally I do as NannyR does and have done for 20+ years, current dcharge is thriving so obviously even tho Hipp say 50'C water she is getting plenty of nutritional benefit.

Ok. My baby is on nutramigen Lipl. I make hers with freshly boiling water and flash cool. Mostly I make up her bottles in advance sometimes I don't. She is older and pretty patient so I can do either really.

I just called Mead nutrients re the 30 minute rule. It is to prevent scalding. Nothing, categorically nothing, to do with nutrients. If it was it would say.

The best thing to do is look up the UNICEF leaflet on making up formula . It is clearer than any NHS information on it - including information from leaflets midwives and health visitors .

When I was in hospital with DD when she was 4 weeks old I directed te nurses to the current NHS guidelines as they were using cooled boiled water.

In answer to OP's question about going out - my formula lasts 2 hours from making so I make one up immediately before going out with boiling water and stick it in a bottle jacket. If we are going to be longer than that I take a wee formula tub and just ask for boiling water wherever we are. You could get a flask though.

It feels like a massive faff initially but you get into the swing of things.

"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????"

nobody is saying to do that - formula needs to be cooled quickly (either by running under the tap or standing in cold water until cold) and then putting in the fridge.

Obviously you don't leave prepared formula standing on the side until cold.

Just because you've been given incorrect advice by your MW don't take it out on the people who are giving the correct advice.

"In answer to OP's question about going out - my formula lasts 2 hours from making so I make one up immediately before going out with boiling water and stick it in a bottle jacket. If we are going to be longer than that I take a wee formula tub and just ask for boiling water wherever we are. You could get a flask though. "

Sorry Passmethecrisps - are you saying that you make up the formula with hot water, then put the hot bottle in a insulated jacket? Forgive me if I have misunderstood.

Nobody is attacking anybody Lynz. Stop being so defensive.

Nobody is attacking anybody, Lynz. I'm not sure why you're being so defensive.

But, although I don't FF, I will challenge you on your assertion that "the point is to hear all sides" when it comes to making up formula.
Because personal opinion on the best way to make up feeds is not equal to the official NHS, WHO or Unicef advice, links to which have been helpfully provided by a number of posters.

With regards to Tiktok, I don't know her on here or in real life but, when it comes to feeding, her posts have been absolutely invaluable to me over the last six months.
There's no suggestion of being "bitchy" or "getting her point across" - she just provides extremely helpful advice, IME, which you are free to take or leave.

Not all opinions are equal. That of the NHS and WHO outweighs that of one midwife.

Lynz, you said your midwife warned you not to use hotter water because it 'killed off all the nutrients'. Read your post again - this is what you said!

This is, as you now know, WRONG and it is scare-mongering - your midwife was scare-mongering if she said this, as some women would worry a lot if they thought hotter water would reduce the formula to zero nutrients.

"Seriously thought mums net was supposed to be a nice place to offer advice and take on board opinions and advice from others.so far mainly from u tiktok as u are on every post I find it just a bitchy excuse for ppl to get their point across, and not even consider others."

Eh? I am not putting my point across, bitchily or otherwise! I criticised your midwife for scaremongering. I explained where the guidance came from. I pointed out that the guidance made sense, and that safe preparation of formula meant the bacterial risk in the powder was effectively tackled.

I did not attack you. Read your posts and mine. You on the other hand are pretty handy with the defensive, angry reactions!

I agree with you - make an informed decision. What do you think the point of me posting the link to the research was? But that gets sneered at by you, because 'anyone can copy and paste'.

I'm being defensive as I was accused of scare mongering!!! When I was just offering my advice
As for hearing all sides I was talking generally of mums net questions again being attacked because u have misunderstood my meaning

Lynz, your midwife was scaremongering. It is quite clear from my post that I was commenting on your midwife telling you rubbish. Not commenting on you.

If it wasn't clear, I have said twice since then it was your midwife I was criticising. Not you.

Give it a rest, why don't you? :)

You were not being accused of scaremongering. Your MW was.

You are passing on incorrect advice from your MW. People are just pointing that out. That's all.

alien I boil the kettle and make up the bottle with formula popping it in an insulated jacket. I only ever do this if it will be used in the next hour or two max. The instructions on my formula say if can be used 2 hours after making so I presume that this is ok. I could put the water in the bottle then add the formula when we get to destination but I would be concerned that it isn't hot enough to kill bacteria.

I have such a paranoia about being out without food for DD.

tiktok's advice is always clear, non-judgemental and, most importantly, evidence based.

Also! I have tested this and after 2 hours the water is still over 70 degrees and needs to be cooled so should be ok?

I should probably keep cool then warm for drinking shouldn't I?

Thanks everyone for all the info. Im only a few weeks into formula feeding so finding this useful. DD obv not the most patient at 12 weeks old!

Two questions please:

If you make up your bottles in advance with boiling or 70 degree plus water, can you put them straight in the fridge, or do you have to "flash cool" as described above?

If you do the 3oz boiling water plus 8 scoops powder, topped up with 5oz cold water to get the temp right, why does the 5oz of cold water need to be pre-boiled? I thought the whole point was powder contains bacteria, not our tap water?