2 questions re feeding

[secretgirl]

Hi. Firstly after a very rocky start breast seeing is going quite well at the minute for me. However I seem to have a very very hungry baby. She's looking for feeding about every 2 hours. I know every baby is different, but When she actually is feeding, how long approximately should she be spending on a breast feed? When she has a bottle she has 4 oz.

Secondly I am giving one or two formula bottles a day, to date have been giving the ready made aptamil milk. I got the powder form to start making bottles, aptamil, the number 1. I am very confused as it states that the water is left cooling for 30 minutes max before adding the formula and then it has to be listed immediately. You cannot prepare a couple of bottles before going anywhere or make them in the morning for the day. How do other people do it? Using a different formula or what?

But this isn't about parenting choices, like blw vs purées or cosleeping or not. This is information from the manufacturers, NHS, WHO that exists because there is a serious threat to your babies health if you choose to ignore it.

I do not ignore it, the water is heated up again before the formula is added

That makes no sense. Why boil water, put it in a bottle, then boil it again to add the formula.

So that the bottles are ready in the fridge. It makes no sense to boil the water when the baby wants to be fed, wait for it to cool enough to add the formula then cool it more so they can drink it, it's much quicker to reheat it

But it needs to be above 70 degrees, how do you work that out? Surely boiling the water, adding the formula then flash cooling and reheating when you want to use it would make more sense?

And to be honest with you all of my friends, sisters and sisters in law have babies, all do it same way as me and all babies are perfectly healthy and have never been sick

You can use boiling water, you don't have to wait for it to cool. It's only so you don't scald yourself.

Water must be boiling hot to kill bugs in the powder - not so the water is sterile. It must be boiling hot when the formula is added. Then either wait to cool to drink or add cold, previously boiled water, to cool down quickly.

I wish someone had told me: If a breast fed baby is crying, feed it. Doesn't matter if you've been feeding for 3 hrs or if they've just come off 10 mins ago. Offer a boob, before anything else, every time. I spent months wondering why he wouldn't settle in the evenings - he must have been so hungry poor thing.

You're not supposed to reheat the formula? I add the formula after I reheat the water

Welshweasel I know you can use boiling water, I do I just let it cool and reheat when I want to use it and then add the powder

That's exactly the sort of comment that is unhelpful though. The risk is tiny but credible. Most people's babies will never have been in a car crash. Doesn't mean that you wouldn't bother with an appropriate sized car seat (I hope). You're obviously perfectly within your own rights to do whatever you want with your own baby but if someone asks how to do something, it's only fair to give out the correct advise (which they may or may not choose to follow).

Grand I'll keep my opinions to myself. Btw you are NOT supposed to reheat formula once it has cooled. Anyway you're right I'm wrong. Do pardon me for commenting

I bf and have ff on occasion, using the made up bottles, so out of interest just looked up the guidelines for using powder. The NHS site does say not to reheat boiled water so this shouldn't be advised.

As for baby being constantly hungry, this sounds totally normal. I thought something was wrong with my ds in the early weeks as he was always fussing for more, I didn't know cluster feeding was a thing! He still has v fussy evenings and usually goes for hours. I've been told it will ease off! (11 weeks old ATM)

Yes I am right!

The best and recommended way is to make up each bottle fresh, with boiled water that's cooked for no more than 30 minutes. Then cool under running water. However, even the NHS ( not known for its flexibility) appreciates that it's not always possible to do this. So it recommends preparing a feed as above, flash cooling in the fridge and using within 24 hours. Water should never be boiled twice as it concentrates the salts in the water. As I said up thread I don't do this, I have a perfect prep machine at home and use ready made when out. But this is the recommended safest way to prepare formula. Far easier to breastfeed! Still resentful about that...

Resentful why? I did breastfeed and took the advice of phn when I stopped, I'm not in the uk. The op asked how other people do it, I simply answered that's how I do it. I wasn't trying to tell her or anyone else that it's the perfect way. Granted her baby is very young and mine was older when I started using formula. I probably should have mentioned that. Ready made is probably the best way at the start. I really feel there's always someone waiting to pounce on here no matter the subject or opinion shared.

Can I ask what people do when they go out, do you make one up to take with you and heat when out or take powder to make up a fresh one?

Sorry I meant I was resentful about the fact breastfeeding didn't work out for me! Nothing to do with you, apologies. I'm not trying to have a go and I realise different countries have different rules.

Ginger if I was going to need a bottle in the next hour I'd make it up with boiling water before I left the house and it would be cooled enough by the time I needed it. Otherwise I'd make it up when I needed it or better still use ready made stuff.

Pp up thread was right about sterilising the formula, not the water. So in theory, you could put four scoops of formula in a bottle, 30ml of literally boiling water, then add 90ml of previously boiled, cooled water (thay you have in a container in the fridge) to bring it to temperature and correct mix.

And so quickly too. Within kettle boiling time of screaming baby. Or instant water heater (godsend )

*Today 21:34 maroda16

I know you can use boiling water, I do I just let it cool and reheat when I want to use it and then add the powder

So the powder needs to go into boiling water. You don't want to wait for a boiling bottle to cool, so reheat already boiled water? Either way that's NOT recommended because you're either reboiling the water, which removes oxygen and concentrates minerals or you're adding the formula to water that isn't hot enough to kill any bacteria in it. So either way it could make a baby ill.

That's ok! I was very lucky it worked for me and I realise that!! I think we're all a tad sensitive when it comes to our babies and how we do things!

fusion that is brilliant advice. Op , my 2 month old dd has fed approximately every hour today (seems like the entire day!) so every 2 hours is totally normal, don't worry! La leche league and kellymom both have good advice and info about bf.

So in theory, you could put four scoops of formula in a bottle, 30ml of literally boiling water, then add 90ml of previously boiled, cooled water (thay you have in a container in the fridge) to bring it to temperature and correct mix.

30ml of boiling water wouldn't be enough though because of the temperature drop when the formula goes in. Needs to be about half the overall volume.

(My babies preferred their breastmilk hotter than body temperature so it wasn't an issue for me to use half and half.)

Hecantbeserious
The op asked how people do it. I did not. I told her how I do it and apparently I'm a terrible person. Please leave me alone I didn't ask for your opinion.

Ok then hecant 60ml of boiling. But you get the theory.? Instant bottle.