Question from a friend about bottle preparation for a newborn

[BettySpaghetti]

A friend of mine had her first baby last week -she tried breast feeding but, for one reason and another, it didn't work out and she has moved baby onto bottles.

Anyway, she has been told that you should make up each bottle as and when you need it and not in advance. Apparently this even includes sterilising the bottle and boiling the water only when you need it and not in advance.

Surely this must be a nightmare if you have a baby waking hungry and you then have to boil the kettle, sterilise bottle, make up feed, cool it down?

Anyone else been told this? I certainly don't remember hearing this when i had my two, but as I breastfed it wasn't really relevant.

nooooo, she should sterlise all for the day, put in the boiled water and add the milk powder when needed to each one.
That is what i did anyway. Must be a miunderstanding!

I made up a days worth of feeds in one go. They keep in the fridge for 24hrs, so no probs AFAIK. DD is/was totally fine.

Making them up like you've mentioned popmum and NDP is how she was going to do it and how I thought you did it too.

Apparently though it is a recent change in the guidelines and advice being given (at our local hospital anyway).

bumping for the daytime crowd

I agree with nomdeplume. I (or rather DH- it was his job) made a days worth and put them in the fridge. DD was fine too. DH said that was true satisfaction seeing 6 bottles of milk in the fridge. But then he is a bit strange!

Men are strange!

This advice shes been given is obviously a very recent change in the guidelines as nobody else seems to have been told it.

I have heard that this is the new 'official' advice but just don't see how it is feasable, as you say. I agree with all others - at the risk of sounding like scum 'never did my DS any harm'!

The advice has changed but the bottles can be sterilised in advance - it's the making up of feeds that has to be done each time. The more expensive alternative is to use ready to feed all the time. She needs to check with her midwife or HV and they will explain what she needs to do. She has obviously misunderstood the thing about sterilisation.

At just a week old, Betty, your friend's baby might be able to go back to breastfeeding with the right info and support. What went wrong??

sallycinnamon - think you must be married to my DH

Thanks everyone for all your help and experiences.

Tiktok -I'm not sure what went wrong with the breastfeeding really. I've only spoken to her on the phone briefly (will see her tomorrow).

She had an emergency CS Friday after long drawn out labour, so baby is a week old tomorrow. I'm pleased she gave BF a go actually because when we were working together and trying to conceive at around the same time she always said she would never BF but after talking to me (I've BF two) she decided to try.

From what she said she was given lots of conflicting advice in hospital ( which seems to be a common complaint from new mums doesn't it?) - I think she said the baby was licking and not latching on.

can I offer some advice? Sterlise the bottles daily, add the boiled cooled water at the same time. Then leave them like that, in a cupboard or on the worktop, until they are needed. Then when baby is hungry add the powder and give them at room temperature.

ie, dont put anything in the fridge and dont heat anything. Makes life so much easier for days out etc. Breast milk is room temperature so why do we usually heat bottles of formula? Juyst because they have been in the fridge I guess but by doing it this way you take out that extra job. The water can stay in the bottles for 24 hours, just the same as milk in teh fridge.

Hope you dont mind my poking my nose in and saying this but when I went on to bottles with Baby no 2 and was given this tip, it was so much easier than it had been with baby no 1.