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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

absolute best way to prepare bottle feeds?

21 replies

notsolilKel · 30/01/2007 18:23

Hi all

Just hoping for a few suggestions. When I had DS (our first) I think I tried every sequence and system possible in order to get a safe, perfectly warmed, bottle of milk ready for him in as short a time possible. You know how it is, when your baby is screaming and every second counts......well now we're expecting no. 2 and I need some help.

What do you recommend? For starters we've done:

-boil water. wait for it to cool in kettle about 110min. store in thermos. Measure our powder into dispenser containers. For a feed, pour water & powder into (sterilised) bottle & shake.

-Mix powder and boiled water in bottles. Cool in cold water bath. Store in fridge. For a feed, warm up bottle in bottle-warmer 2min or in microwave for 30sec & shake.

Tell me there's a better way!!!!!!!!

Thanks

OP posts:

Scootergirl · 30/01/2007 18:33

Fill bottle in advance with slightly less boiled water than needed eg, up to 5 for a 7 ounce feed.
When screaming begins, boil kettle and top up bottle with hot water.
Mix in powder and plug into baby. Breathe.
It took me a couple of experiments to work out how much water to put in to start with so it was at the temperature my DS liked but it worked out as by far the best way for us.
You can prepare however many part-filled bottles you want in advance which makes it even better!

clayre · 30/01/2007 18:34

not really, having the bottles made up but heating them in a jug of boiling water, the bottle warmer to slow and doesnt hold much water.

Original poster

notsolilKel · 30/01/2007 18:50

thx - plus any suggestions for out & about bottles? Those thermos-heater things where the top comes off and you set the bottle into the hot water to heat up just take too freaking long...

OP posts:

smittenkitten · 30/01/2007 18:55

we fill up the day's bottles with boiled water in advance and add powder when needed. DS takes them at room temp - if you never offer warmed bottles they will take them at room temp. he's never had a tummy upset but we don't keep the water more than 12 hours.

we tend to use cartons out and about, but again don't need to warm up.

seriously, don't bother. babies don't expect a warm bottle unless you teach them to.

Hillary · 30/01/2007 19:04

I agree with smittenkitten,

I don't warm feeds, do exactly the same but I take formula powder in a despenser as we use organic and you cant get organic cartons.

It the most easiest way of doing it - I have put a bottle in the microwave for 10 seconds to take the chill of when my baby's refused a feed (I put it in the fridge for later - as you can keep them in the fridge for up to 12 hours) - I know its not reccomended due to heat spots but if you shake it properly we've always found it ok.

totaleclipse · 30/01/2007 19:05

I totally agree with smittenmitten too, exactly how we did it

Original poster

notsolilKel · 30/01/2007 19:15

wow interesting - room temp bottles - I thought I was such a rebel by giving my jars of food at room temp !!! (MIL insists it's primitive to serve anything than warmed-up food but it's just not necessary!!)

One question: how well does room-temp water and powder mix? I think I tried it once and got all sorts of lumps??? (This is key when out & about and water is not heated at all...)

Thanks

OP posts:

Hillary · 30/01/2007 19:20

It mixes fine, It was actually the cow & gate helpline that told me it was the way to do it they said when you heat milk it looses alot of its nutrients, I couldn't believe it, I shake it well and serve, never a problem

Original poster

notsolilKel · 30/01/2007 19:26

I repeat, WOW. This should be broadcast on BBC news all day instead of the stupid BA strike...excellent stuff!!!

OP posts:

Hillary · 30/01/2007 19:28

I know I did a merry jig when I found out & could have kissed the woman who told me!

Flutterbye · 30/01/2007 20:55

However, the current advice from the government and the producers of the formula is that you need to mix the powder with water that has not been let to cool for longer than 30mins as the formula powder can have some horrid bugs in it that aren't killed if it's done at a lesser temperature, 'cause the powder is not sterile.
Page 3 of this document has the essentials.

Original poster

notsolilKel · 30/01/2007 21:12

Oh dear, well that is annoying. Especially step 9:

"Cool quickly to feeding temperature by holding under a running tap, or placing in a container of cold water."

Specifically, the word "quickly" is misused - there is no way I've been able to forcibly cool a bottle in less than 10 minutes, and with screaming baby that is just waaay too long!!!

Surely if you mix the powder with just-boiled water, cool it, store it in fridge, then heat to use, this is ok?

OP posts:

Flutterbye · 30/01/2007 21:46

Yep, that's what I do, make up and put in fridge, I think it says that it's o.k to do that later in the document.

Jennster · 30/01/2007 22:02

I came to powdered milk really late coz am still bf, but dh came up making all in advance with just boiled kettle so all bugs killed anyway.

Found that the scoop got clogged and you couldn't guarantee the volume of powder going in, so he put the powder in the bottles first, then used an empty bottle to put the correct amount of water in on top of the powder and give it a good shake.

Put the bottles in a sink of cold water and shake every couple of minutes. After 10 they are cool enough to go into the fridge.

Original poster

notsolilKel · 31/01/2007 08:54

Brilliant. Thanks...

(of course would be more brilliant if you could just make them up from room temp previously boiled water, but hey...)

If you use Flutterbye's technique, and need to heat a fridge-chilled bottle, while out, what do you do? Assuming no microwave available where you are?

Cheers again

OP posts:

Hillary · 31/01/2007 18:54

I think everyone finds their own way of doing it, I'v not come accross these recent guidelines.

When my dd was in hospital they didn't sterilize anything properly, with my first DD I did it the make them up in advance cooling them in the sink business but it was tedious and my DD would only take it at a set temp it was crazy - bottles were ruling our lives!

After doing it this way with no ill effects I wont be changing

Twinklemegan · 31/01/2007 22:45

I used to make up feeds in advance and warm when needed. When I realised the reasons behind the new guidance I found the following compromise, which I now find quicker.

put boiled water into sterilised bottles, quantity about one third of what's needed for the feed

cool and keep bottles in fridge

top up with freshly boiled water then add powder (water will hopefully be hot enough to be safe)

cool to temperature in bowl of cold water (takes much less time than if made totally from freshly boiled water)

My DS will take cold water, cold food but he absolutely will not take cold or room temperature milk. I think it's a bit mean to be frank - I wouldn't want to eat a cold roast dinner, and that formula must taste bad enough when it's warm!

Hillary · 01/02/2007 18:04

Twinklemegan my dd was given room temp milk in SCBU they will not heat milk there my dd spent so long there she will not take milk any other temp.

Guidelines are always changing - the pathogen which is in powdered milk can also be present in any packaged dried food so when mothers feed the feed which comes dried in a box - the ones which you add milk or water to, what do the guidelines say about this? Do they want you to boil this too? It wouldn't be sterile either and if your feeding this from 4-6 months then well it doesnt' make sense to me

Kiff · 01/02/2007 18:22

personally I think combining boiling kettles, squaling babies and tired parents is an accident waiting to happen.

I say make up in advance for the day once a day, chill, m'wave just to take the chill off. Same time you can wash and sterilise bottles - routine will mean you won't get confused.

Twinklemegan · 01/02/2007 20:34

Hillary - that's a very good point about the packaged food. My DS is 6 months now so I guess I shouldn't worry so much about the bacteria thing. I was only being a bit serious when I said it was mean to give cold milk - but my DS certainly thinks it's very mean indeed!

Hillary · 02/02/2007 11:05

I know what you mean about thinking it mean to give cold milk but if your baby likes it that way then its so much easier, I always cringed at first and swore blind it would give my dd tummy ache but it didn't so great!

I stopped sterilizing at 6 months as my toddler would give my baby everything unsterile, I'd find her gnawing on the most horrifying things It seemed pointless for me so I stopped and she's been absouloutly fine. I wash her bottles thoroughly and rinse them with hot water.. so so much easier

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