How is best to prepare formula?

[Kione]

I have read about the prep machine, and think I can mix like that at home (and even out) with boiled water, to mix and kill bacteria and then add cooled boiled water to bring it down to the right temperature??
How do you do it?
I have been breastfeeding for nearly 7 weeks but DS refuses now and I am to do bottles as well as managing my boob pain and disappointment

I used the prep machine, was amazing.

Could you express and bottle feed your DS?

Buy a prep machine, we manged without one for a while but it's worth its weight, especially in the middle of the night

Tried expressing and I engorged my boobs it was so painful. I also can't express regularly as it is advised to avoid mastitis.
The machine is not recommended by the NHS and I just think the same thing can be done just the same with a flask and cool water anyway?
For the middle of the night we will use the bottles of ready formula.

We decided to boil the water before putting it into the machine, works well for us. The premade bottles are great, but we just found that using them in the night, and when out visiting, soon became really expensive as the baby started taking bigger feeds. If money isn't an issue then go for it.

I boil and cool the water before putting it in the machine too.

Honestly, it's great. You really should just buy it.

If I didn't have one I'd put freshly boiled water into a Thermos and use that, then top up with cooled water. That's what I do when I go out.

It'll be a pain though because you'll have to keep topping up the Thermos, the water in it might not be at the right temperature (70 degrees is recommended; any lower won't sterilize the powder, too high will damage the formula's components and over a period of time could lead to some kind of deficiency in the baby) and you'll have to measure out all your cooled water in advance because if you add it straight to hot water/powder mixture you won't get the amounts right as the formula itself adds to the volume.

The machine is worth the money.

I always kept hot water in a flask, put the power in the bottle, added 2oz of the hot water and swirled round to dissolve before adding the other 3,4,5 etc oz of cooled boiled water to bring temp down for instant serving. Worked especially well for night feed and trips out.

I didn't like the idea of a machine preparing bottles for me, and saw it unnecessary.
I've always made bottles in advance and stored in the fridge.
We empty and reboil the kettle so the water is fresh. We leave the water to cool for 30 minutes, so it is the correct temperature to make bottles. Then we make them. We leave them to cool naturally at room temperature, then put them in the fridge, where they can be kept for up to 24 hours.
To warm them up at home, we simply boil the kettle and use a plastic jug of boiling water. When out, we have a travel bottle warmer, that you fill with boiling water before you leave, and it acts the same as a jug, and the water stays boiling for a few hours, and warm all day.
To keep them cold when out we have a cool bag with ice packs that works fine. And in cold weather we just use the bottle bag on its own.
It's so much easier than trying to add the powder to the water when out.

I researched cool bags (and almost bought a Fridge 2 Go) but I would always have worried that the bottles weren't colder than five degrees. Any higher than six and enterobacter sakazakii starts to grow.

I was under the impression that it's best to cool bottles really quickly if you're going to refrigerate them as that minimizes the growth of bacteria.

Off topic, but I have seen kettles that heat water to 70° so perfect to kill bacteria in powder. Is that hot enough to kill potential bacteria in the water itself though?

I used to keep bottles of pre-measured cooled boiled water in the fridge.
At feed time I would measure out a small amount of just boiled water, add the powder to that so it killed off bacteria.
Top up with cold boiled water from fridge so it was drinking temp.

So eg 2 oz just boiled water, 5 scoops powder, 3 oz cold boiled water.

Essentially what the machine does.

Alternatively make up bottles with just boiled water, quick cool in a sink of ice water then store at back of fridge.
Use within 24hrs.
Method above obviously safer as using bottles immediately.

Can I just ask anyone who keeps made up bottles of formula in the fridge, is that safe? It says on the packaging to use within 2 hours. I wanted to do that but I've been afraid to

Boiling water in bottle, add powder, shake to dissolve. Top up with cooked boiled water to required level, then it's ready to drink!

Out and about, I have s bottle of cooked boiled water, and formula measured out, plus empty bottles. So I just get boiling water from a cafe and do the same thing.

I'm planning (currently pregnant) on making them up in advance in the fridge. Its perfectly acceptable to do so, according to the WHO guidelines and a lot less faff than making each one up from scratch.

The question really is what is an acceptably safe way of making up bottles.

The ideal might be to use a dedicated daily descaled kettle, which you use with clinical grade already sterile water. You make each bottle up fresh and everything you touch goes in a sterriliser first, and you wear a lab coat, gloves, protective mask etc.

Obviously thats crazy, and you shouldn't do that, and wouldn't, but what I'm saying is that its a matter of evaluating the risk and managing it. Making up fresh might be very marginally safer, but if making them up in advance is acceptable levels of safe, then thats perfectly fine.

Bear in mind, that in the US, a lot of people use room temperature tap water and don't sterilise. I certainly wouldn't go that far, but even with that approach, most babies will be fine.

I'd try to come up with a system that gives you sufficient reassurance that its safe, plus is doable without being a huge faff.