Preparing bottle feeds in advance

[Sexonknackeredlegs]

Ladies, some advice please.

I understand that the Dept of Health do not recommend making up bottles in advance and storing them in the fridge (or anywhere else for that matter) which is what we did with dd1 4 years ago.

Seemingly, each time baby needs a feed, we have to make the bottle up from scratch, which seems to me to be totally impractical.

Obviously I do not want baby to be poorly, but what are others out there doing?

Many thanks

That's something o think about.....I'm due in june and would have carried on as I did with DS 5 years ago and that's make up four at a time and keep them in the fridge....are they saying why not to do that any more?

with sterilising...you can get units etc for the microwave that will take one bottle at a time, but it's the whole boiling the water and allowing it to cool...Can you keep stored boiled water in the fridge then reheat that and add the powder.

Think i might need to read up on this....

and waht about EBM...is that a no-no too then?

Aargh so many questions.....but my HV is dropping by later to introduce herself...i'll ask her and report back later....

congrats btw...i've been lurking about a bit reading all your birth stories...it'll be our turn soon....

You can buy formula powder shakers from Mothercare here

Make up/sterilise your bottles for the day. Fill with the right amount of boiled water and allow to cool and can just sit on the side. When time comes for a feed shake in the formula (pre-measured amount you keep in the shaker). Milk is ready for baby. Heat if required or feed at room temperature.

With DS who si 3 we used to make up 24hrs of feeds. What I do now and have for both the girls is make up bottles with water for 24hrs so at the min it is 5. I then leave them on the side and add powder as I need it. So bottles are always room temp.

Hi there. Daisy, I am not sure why the Dept of Health have brought in these measures - I expect they are being over cautious.

If you could ask your HV that would be great. I am not seeing mine for a few days yet, and tbh I don't like her one bit - met her with dd 1.

Gegs, because I had heard rumours, I was preparing bottles of water and keeping them in the fridge and then adding the powder when needed and warming up (in the microwave - naughty mummy). Not even sure if that is acceptable tho.

And this means you don't even have to get out of bed in the middle of the night!

Good luck!

I still make up mine 24 hours in advance and have never had any problems.
I think the advice is because of the risk of stomach bugs etc but nothing has really changed in the last 4/5 years and ds was fien doing it this way

I would have thought that if bottle sterile and water sterile when it went in then there wouldn't be a chance for anything nasty to be in there? But do double check with your health visitor if you are worried.

Thank you lovely ladies. What would we do without MN!!

I have to say I am not worried in the slightest, but just wanted to see what others were doing. I think had it been my first baby, then I could have got myself in a right old tis!

Bloody Dept of Health!!

i found an American webaite that recommended using the water straight out of the tap...not boiling it first. I was

LOL, SOKL....I used to heat DSs in the micro too....but when the HV came around i would dutifully get my jug of water and sit for ages waiting for it to warm through, with DS getting more and more antsy about the lack of food

I used microwave too until I discovered ds didn't mind room temp milk.

We use the blue Avent (I think) containers which are split into 3 and so you measure out the formula into there.
Our evening routine is to sterilise bottles, add boiling water and measure out the powder (we have two blue pots so they will last all day). By the next day the water is room temp and all you have to do is add the powder.
It is not much effort at all and prob actually easier than made up bottles as you don't have to worry about the temp of the water if you go out.

Top tip - we have never warmed ds' bottles and he will happily drink milk at room temp so no need to faff with warming the bottle.

Good luck

Gegs - you need hot water to kill bugs in the formula (formula is not sterile).

Ideal approach is make up powdered formula with very hot water, cool as required and use straight away (or use liquid formula in cartons as that is sterile).

Next best is probably to make up powdered formula in advance with very hot water, cool and keep in fridge till used (most bugs killed, and any left won't grow as much in fridge).

Least best approach is making up powdered formula with cold/warm water (not hot), even if water has been kept in fridge, as this does not kill bugs in formula (enterobacter sazakii I think). If you do this best to use straight away, so not too much time at room temp for bugs to grow.

Mainly an issue for very young babies, premies etc., but it's important to understand it's the powder that's where the bugs could be, not just the water.

From A2bags' post then, is it actually worse to make up bottles with just the water in advance and add the powder at the last minute (because you're adding powder to chilled/room temp/luke warm water) rather than make up 24 hours' worth of feeds including formula (so you're adding the powder to very hot water), in advance?

Daisybump, when I had DD in the USA I was shocked that the americans don't use sterile water too. But, not many americans have a kettle (because of not doing the British tea drinking thing of course). They don't sterilise bottles either which also confused me because the americans are the most germ phobic people I have ever come across. Anyway, I sterilised and used boiled water for my little one's bottles. I think that making up the bottles with water is the best thing to do and have one of those handy powder dispensers too if possible.

i don't think a2bags post is correct (the part about making hot milk and then letting it cool to use hours later) but i'm not sure -- I think it's worth checking out this advice before you follow it.

Also, in the US (New York, anyway) mothers are not told to boil the water probably because it is very good quality out of the tap. I have a ped friend who was very surprised when I told her that in the UK water is boiled first. There is also no issue there of limescale, or whatever it is in the water that turns the kettles here all crusty.

Also, in the US some people sterilize bottles but many just run through the dishwasher which seems to get just as hot and steamy as my sterilizer does here.

Um, doesn't the formula say to let the water cool for 30 mins before mixing it with the powder? SURELY you dont need to use really hot water to kill the "bugs in the formula"?!?!?! I rarely used hot water and DS didn't seem to suffer. If formula contains bugs wouldn't most formula fed babies have frequent stomach complaints?

www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2006/dec/infantform

Powdered formula can contain bacteria that cause illness and the recommendation is to make it up with water at at least 70 degrees Centigrade to kill them.

The recommendation for when you go out is to put just boiled water into a thermos flask to use later.

www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4123619

i use the formula container thing which is so handy. i tried to put ds on room temp bottles from day 1 but he hated itas it made his tummy gurgle and must have hurt him, so now i have to warm them (in the micro, bad mummy) but i warm the water and then add the milk powder, it dissolves better that way!

In other words, from the point of view of dealing with the bugs in the formula, it seems logical that making it up with hot water then keeping it, made up but refrigerated until later makes more sense than keeping the water and powder separate and doing the mixing at room temperature. Making it up with very hot water and not keeping it, just using it straight away, is the best thing though (or using the liquid formula in cartons, which is sterile, unlike the powder).

More information here:

www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press_room/press_release/2004/696.html

and here:

www.efsa.europa.eu/en/science/biohaz/biohaz_opinions/691.html

They are both a bit light on info about what is second best but 'always make up formula at 70 degrees or more' is a key bit of advice.

Worth remembering that the risk is very tiny and mainly for premature babies, those who are very new, and those who are vulnerable in some way.

I poured the set amount of boiling water out in the sterilized bottles, put lid on straight away and left them at room temp. Then when I needed one I'd put the formula in. I know you are told not to do that now due to pathogens but I did it for years with no probs.

I mean what about dried foods? You dont boil them when you use them you add room temp water & they pose the same risks due to them being powder. So much easier.

honestly, this can all just drive you nuts. i've heard lots of stuff about how you shouldn't put boiling water in bottles bc carcinogenic chemicals leech out of the plastic into the water (I have no idea whether this is true).

damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Spoke to HV today and she said that the latest guidleine she has had is not to even boil up the water and save it for later and that it is department of health recommendation to make feeds up as you need them, i.e boil the kettle, let it cool, make the feed, then cool to drinking temperature. (easy for them to say...they won't have a screaming hungry infant on their hands)

Seems like a bit of a faff, but apparently there have been some incidences of very bad poisoning in France which has prompted these guidelines.

Other alternative is to buy ready prepared, but that is just too fecking expensive an option for most people.

I hope to BF for the first few months at the very least...then will pre-prepare the water in sterilised bottles....

I also asked about EBM....apparently this is perfectly safe to store in the fridge for the recommended time as it contains its own preservatives which ensure it won't go off as quickly...as well, of course, of antibodies which help the babies gut fight any infection.

Phew......

ji31...if this is a concern, you can get glass ones...but not sure where...