How does everyone make formula bottles?

[Mumofboys95]

How does everyone make there child’s formula bottles? Do you pre make? Or make as needed?

When I had Dc1 5 yrs ago I would pre make formula bottles (boiled water add required scoops and shake) for the day and heat when needed..

Now with DC2 I boil the water and put in bottle and add required scoops to a milk dispenser and leave them sitting on the side and when dc2 wants a feed I just add the milk to the cooled boiled water and heat...

I just make them up after his last feed. Boiling water first, then scoops , shake and leave to cool naturally or in cold water ready for his next feed. No faffing around

FromAtoB that’s sounds much easier, although most of the time the feeds are made fresh when required it’s usually when I have a busy day that I make them up that way.

Make all of them as per instructions on the box the night before and store in the back of the fridge. Only exception is when we're out for a long time then I take a flask of hot water and make it as and when required

Use a perfect prep machine at home and ready made for out and about.

Oo interesting. How long does formula last? My DD is mostly BF but happily takes a bottle when we're in long car journeys or I'm just exhausted in the evening! I thought I couldn't keep the bottle longer than 2 hours and have thrown out a fair bit of milk.

I pour boiling water in the bottle and add formula when she's ready for it. Probably doing it wrong but she's 2 months and not had any issues.

The formula powder is not sterile, it HAS to have boiling water on it to make it sterile. I used to add a small amount of freshly boiled water into a sterilised bottle, then add the powder and shake well. Only then did I add some cold but previously boiled water to make it up to the right quantity.

Yes, it’s important that the powder is mixed with the hot water as it isn’t sterile

I used to mix the formula with hot water and then top up with cooled boiled water so that it ended up being the right temperature to drink straight away.

It's not really that important that you make it up using boiling water. That's UK advice. WHO advice and advice in US is that cold water is fine. There's a real moral panic over the fact that formula is NOT STERILE! Loads of things are not sterile. Calm your tits a bit (collectively)!

Yeah, the powder isn't sterile so the water has to be hot enough to kill any bacteria. Then cool quickly and refrigerate if you want it for later.

I just boil kettle, pour into sterilised bottle, add powder, shake, then sit in a jug of cold water until cool enough.

If going somewhere I take a sterilised bottle and a bottle of ready to drink formula as it's already sterile and fine at room temp.

Make days worth with boiled water and store in fridge (can last 24hrs). Then heat in microwave for 30seconds when needed

I used to pre made them and store in fridge. I can't be bothered waiting for kettle to cool so i add half or most of the boiling hot water to bottle. Top up with cooled boiled water then add formula. The formula cant be below 70 degrees i believe as the milk powder needs to be sterilised. Ive made that many bottles i can tell whether the water will be hot enough to sterilise the powder just by feeling the bottle.

Sounds like the way you made it with your first baby was safer?

Thing is the powder can be contaminated with bacteria like salmonella and babies are susceptible to food poisoning, so it is worth following the instructions on the tub.

I either make up per instructions and cool in cold water or leave to cool (if used within 2 hours).

Or I make up with 7 scoops in 3oz boiling water and add 4oz cold water if consuming immediately.

For a 7oz bottle I would pour in 5oz boiling water, then when time came I added the formula and remaining cooled boiked water required.

When dc were babies I would fill 5/6 sterilised bottles with boiling water
Wait 20 minutes then add formula
Let bottles cool and then store in the fridge (not fridge door) 5/6 bottles can be kept in the fridge for 24 hours
I would heat the bottle in a pan of boiling water and throw away if not finished within 1 hour

Just bought a perfect prep machine so will be doing that way from now on.

@Pramcush that's not true. WHO advice is to make formula up with water at least 70Cwww.who.int/foodsafety/publications/powdered-infant-formula/en/

Perfect prep at home and ready made when out and about.