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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

bottle feeding - is she right?

37 replies

bamboozleslover · 03/07/2006 10:48

hi there,
i was talking to a friend of mine who bottle feeds her ds and she said it is okay to leave opened ready to drink formula in the fridge for 48 hours and any prepared formula or opened ready to drink milk can be left at room for temp for 3 hours. i thought it was only an hour but apparently that is only for where the baby has started the milk cos it has been contaminated by the babies mouth. is she right cos i would hate her ds to get ill cos if this? she also gives her ds water from the tap - she says it is okay as long as you run it for 30 seconds. when i asked her where she got this info from she said MN, so it probably is right as people on here usually are but just wanted to make sure.

OP posts:

tiktok · 03/07/2006 11:01

Hi, bamboo. You're right to check info, even if it comes from MN, as not everything said on here is correct.

Storage instructions of ready-to-feed are on the packaging and last time I looked it said 'refrigerate immediately' if it is not used straight away and use within 24 hours of it being opene. You could also call the manufacturer's helpline for detailed guidance.

I am less sure about tap water. Running it for 30 seconds would mean you would not be giving the baby any nasties that have been in the tap. But the guidance in the UK is to boil and cool for young babies....I wonder if that is unnecessary as long as your water supply is ok.

Babies don't normally need any water anyway - breastfed babies certainly don't, and formula fed babies rarely do.

tiktok · 03/07/2006 12:04

How's the breastfeeding going, by the way?

Original poster

bamboozleslover · 03/07/2006 20:50

he doesn't cry when i put him to the breast anymroe but he still gets very frustrated when nothing comes out straight away and tends to give up very quickly. still offering him the breast at every feed but he only accepts it a minority of times. HV says he has a floppy larynx - don't know if this has any connection to why he won't breastfeed.

OP posts:

tiktok · 03/07/2006 23:31

Floppy larynx will not affect bf, no.

Good that you are hanging on in there, but what you say does not fill me with confidence for you long term, sorry.....to rescue your milk supply you'll need some help, preferably face to face, and a lot of motivation (and poss. expressing). It can be done, but not alongside increasing formula use.

That's just the way it works

Original poster

bamboozleslover · 04/07/2006 12:48

oh no when he doesn't accept the breast he has expressed milk in a bottle. he only tends to have one formula bottle a day.

OP posts:

nikki48023506 · 06/07/2006 20:45

I am not breastfeeding so cannot comment on the breastfeeding side of things. My little girl is now 9 weeks old and has been bottle fed from birth. If you buy the small ready made cartons they can be stored in the fridge for UP TO 24 hours, the bigger cartons 48 hours. As for the water, my baby has at least 6 ounces of water every day (it avoids constipation), but this is always cooled boiled water from the kettle, AND CERTAINLY NOT JUST FROM THE TAP!!

tiktok · 06/07/2006 20:48

Why not from the tap. nikki? Not challenging you, just wondering why this advice is given to mothers. I am curious! I know water that's been sitting in the tap could have bacteria in it, but water after the tap has run for a bit....I don't know what would be wrong with that, seriously. I genuinely don't know - there could be a good reason.

vkone · 06/07/2006 21:13

Water does have something in it that's tiny and not too wonderful as optitians now tell people not to wash their lenses under the tap for the same reason (only wish I could remember what it was )

Original poster

bamboozleslover · 06/07/2006 21:32

my GP told me that i should give my ds filtered water from the tap to help his colic and that there was no need to boil it at all. if this was his advice, then i assume it must be ok.

OP posts:

nikki48023506 · 07/07/2006 17:56

Well I just go on what I have been told. Its not worth risking it. If water straight from the tap is okay for them to drink, then why do they tell you to use boiled water to make up formula?

Original poster

bamboozleslover · 07/07/2006 19:21

you don't. you can use normal tap water. its just most babies like their formula warm and you can only use cold water from the tap not warm water. there is a reason but i forget what it is. therefore to get the water warm you have to boil it.

OP posts:

nikki48023506 · 07/07/2006 21:35

Well I just go by what it says on the side of the tin and that is that you are to use "boiled fresh water" to make the formula mix? I don't really see it as that much of an issue to boil and kettle anyway just to be on the safe side.

tiktok · 07/07/2006 23:24

Water has to be a certain temperature to mix the formula powder properly. You boil it and then cool it down.

I still don't know what you are risking if you give water straight frm the tap (when not mixing it with formula).

colditz · 07/07/2006 23:29

Formula powder is an ideal medium for any gribleys in water to breed when added. that's why you have to boil it to make formula. But if you are not making formula with it, there is nothing for the gribleys to breed in. Certainly by 6 months old you can give tap water. I really don't think that any baby needs 6 oz of water a day until it's weaned though, sorry.

colinandcaitlinsmommy · 07/07/2006 23:34

I definitely put my formula extra in the fridge ASAP. I've never boiled my bottle water for either of my children. DS only had the occasional bottle and was fine, but DD is quite severely lactose intolerant and is strictly bottlefed, and neither one of them have had any problems. I've noticed that my few friends who bottle feed don't seem to boil water for their bottles, either. (At least they don't in my presence). I think things are just more laid back here in America. I don't know anyone here with a bottle sterilizer, either.

muffinmum · 08/07/2006 00:20

vkone, it is giardia, a parasite which is why you dont wash c.lens in tap water but prob also why you boil tap water for babies.big cause of Vomiting and diarrhoea.

nikki48023506 · 08/07/2006 07:52

All 3 health visitors have recommended that I give her water to prevent constipation as she has problems in this area. They have also suggested giving her cooled boiled water after a feed to encourage her to wind. I just go on what I am told, and resent you judging my actions of giving her 6oz colditz

colditz · 08/07/2006 09:43

Oh well then, you resent away, if it makes you feel better.

moondog · 08/07/2006 09:46

lol

nikki48023506 · 08/07/2006 10:26

What I have been told is consistent with what this website states.

link

It is certainly not doing her any harm and if you want to give your baby tap water that's up to you, but I wouldn't even drink it myself. I think you need to sort out your sarcastic replies.

nothercules · 08/07/2006 10:33

I drink tap water.Why not?

colditz · 08/07/2006 10:33

I don't need to do anything of the sort.

colditz · 08/07/2006 10:35

you may do as you please, NikkiNumbers, but I don't have to agree with you that it is the right thing.

bubblez · 08/07/2006 10:57

Nikki - I was told as well to boil and let cool tap water for baby, both when using formula and just giving water. I was also told that mineral and spring water were not good enough because they haven't been filtered enough.

Oh and Nikki, any amount of water that you give to your baby is a good thing, flushes out the system, clears the skin and gets them into good habits from young. It doesn't do your LO any harm, as any excess water is expelled by the body anyway. So there isn't anything for anyone to 'disagree' with. If you were giving your LO 6oz of chocolate per day then you could expect someone to 'disagree'.

Bamboozleslover - As far as I can remember it is 24 hours in the fridge for prepared formula and one hour room temp. Personally I wouldn't use the same milk that had been out for 3hours as DD would be ready for her next feed, so would just use a fresh bottle.

Isn't filtering and boiling having relitively the same effect on the water?!?! I've never filtered water before so I don't know, and was actually considering a filter system.

nothercules · 08/07/2006 11:02

cant it fill them up though rather than having milk?

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