To Perfect Prep or not Perfect Prep, that is the question....

[Suzysuz]

I've seen people say how amazing and helpful they are, and others saying about the potential mould issue.
From looking up about the potential mould issue I can see TT saying that it may be harmless carbon / people not using the clean cycle / people not changing filter or using the official TT filters. However some of the reports from people who had this are that they did follow all the right steps - I can't see any final or conclusive statement from TT so it seems to be left hanging officially unanswered unless I've missed it somewhere?
I'm torn between getting a machine and actually just trying to replicate what the machines do using fresh boiled water (our kettle shows temperatures) with the powder and a top up with cool boiled water (would need to play around to ensure right amount hot water to powder, cool water enough for tight feeding temp etc)

Thanks sycamore. Yes, I'd assumed it was a lesser of two evils situation.

We are careful, though no more so than with our much easier non-CMPI DD1. Interestingly, the instructions had only recently changed from adding 70'c water. I'm quite glad not to be getting a thermometer out every time!

CatchingBabies I already knew about the hot shot, but isn't the current advice to boil a kettle and leave it for half an hour, then cool to drinking temperature?

Surely this is more dangerous? First of all, the temperature of water in a kettle left for that length of time must vary hugely dependent on the size of the kettle, the temperature of the room it's in etc. And then cooling hot water to drinkable temperature under a cold tap is hugely dangerous, I would have thought, especially when there's a baby screaming for food. There's a massive risk that the bottle will still be too hot (even lower temperatures can scald babies' mouths if they drink the liquid for long enough).

How do you personally recommend that bottles should be made up?

I hope I don't sound like I'm getting on at you - I'm not at all and I can understand why you don't recommend the perfect prep. I'm just interested because when I first started bottle feeding DS the advice I was given was awful.

I agree the advice given regarding bottle feeding is appalling! We are so heavily trained in supporting breastfeeding and following baby friendly guidelines and then receive very little training regarding formula feeding.

I advice people to follow the WHO guidelines. So if making one at a time then boil the kettle. The advice to leave for 30 mins is wrong it's actually leave for NO MORE than 30 mins. So you can do it sooner. The water needs to be above 70 degrees at the time of adding the formula.

Cool the bottle under the tap, shake it well to make sure there are no hot spots and then test the temperature.

It's more practical however to make a few bottles at a time. They can then be flash cooled under the tap and stored in the fridge. People seem to think this isn't recommended anymore but what actually changed was when people used to make them and put them STRAIGHT in the fridge. That's what shouldn't be done anymore. The advice never changed that you can't store them in the fridge however.

I agree about the kettle water being left to cool. I used to leave it half hour as told but one day I took a temp reading and it was only 55. It totally depends on the kettle, how much water you boiled etc.

Just to clear up when people say the prep machine only uses filter water not boiled for the cool bit - the TT filter removes the same bacteria that boiling a kettle would. And no limescale so thats a bonus haha.

I think its a decision you have to make as a parent yourself. This is a very controversial issue so I won't wade in with the research and my views. Shame TT haven't released a proper statement on this.

They can then be flash cooled under the tap and stored in the fridge. People seem to think this isn't recommended anymore but what actually changed was when people used to make them and put them STRAIGHT in the fridge.

More people need to be told this by health visitors etc. It would save so much stress! I was terrified that I was going to make my baby ill and actually hallucinated at one point that I had used dirty water to make a bottle. I cried for days because the internet told me that chronobacter can live in a baby's stomach for up to three months. I can't be the only first time mum who has been really scared of making up formula - you're right to say that the advice given to bottle feeding mums is appalling

That's awful and shouldn't be happening.

The BFI restrictions we have to follow prohibit so much and that's where this all comes from. So for example you can't demonstrate making up a formula feed unless it's specifically asked for, and many new parents wouldn't even know to ask for it so don't get it.

It's great that breastfeeding is being supported obviously as standards there have been awful in the past but we shouldn't be ignoring the parents who choose not to breastfeed.

Your baby your choice I don't care either way, I will just provide the information I can and then it's your choice if you follow it or not.

CatchingBabies Wish I'd had someone like you around to sort me out! Ive read a bit about the Baby Friendly initiative in the US and it sounds dubious... I hope the UK is applying it a bit more sensitively

Thank you, that's lovely to say. It's just so sad that mothers are still experiencing this.

" Ive read a bit about the Baby Friendly initiative in the US and it sounds dubious"

Possibly you might conclude this if you've fallen prey to the 'Fed is best' propaganda campaign, started by a mother who had seriously poor care with breastfeeding in hospital and whose baby was damaged as a result. Instead of capaigning to improve breastfeeding support and education, she's decided to campaign to get hospitals to give formula to breastfed babies much more quickly if there are any signs of breastfeeding being problematic (not that hospitals aren't already suppementing far more breastfed babies than the research says is necessary).

I wouldn't use the PP. if I wanted to make up a feed in a hurry I would add half the water to the formula at over 70% then the other half boiled, cooled water at room or fridge temperature to bring it to an acceptable temperature for baby. I wouldn't want to have to worry about the safety of the machine.

Just to say a Brita filter does not remove bacteria from water. I assume a perfect prep one does.

"Part of me suspects this whole thing about the perfect prep being 'unsafe' is is just more bf propaganda"

No - it's because independent testing has shown that the hot shot doesn't kill all the bacteria in the formula, as claimed by TT.

perfectprepinfo

Just wanted to add - it's not the mouldy issue it's the fact that they don't add enough water to sterilise the formula powder. And whilst loads and loads of people will say they had one and it was fine, it's the equivalent of not making bottles up according to the guidelines, which puts your child at risk