How to safely make a formula feed quickly?

[LittleRayOfSunshine911]

I've been making bottles up in batches after some advice from a friend who formula feeds but now I'm panicking I have perhaps been doing this wrong.

I've been boilling the kettle then leaving it 30 minutes, added the water to the bottles then using the scoop to add 6oz to each bottle. Shaken them and popped in the fridge ready for night time and morning feeds.

Am I right in thinking it should only be the water I should be putting in the fridge? Then heating the water and putting formula in after heating the sterile water from the fridge? If this is the correct way, is it harmful quickly heating the water in the microwave?

I've had no problems but I thought id double check how others prepare theirs.

Your method is an acceptable one as the hot water will kill bacteria in the formula powder. They are then ok to be stored in the main part of the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Perfect prep machine is the only way, or readymade formula

I did it the same as you op but rapid cooled them in a sink of cold water before I stored them in the fridge.

Never had any problems with DD.

I was always told formula bottles should be consumed within 2 hours of being made, whether they were in the fridge or at room temperature.

We got a perfect prep machine. If I'm out and about I buy the small pre-made bottles.

Your way is better than making with cool water.

You can keep a made up bottle for up to 24 hours in the back of the fridge. It's better to cool them quickly in water before chilling.

From nhs site:

If it isn't possible to follow the advice above, or if you need to transport a feed (for example, to a nursery),prepare the feed at home and cool it for at least one hour in the back of the fridge.

Take it out of the fridge just before you leave and carry it in a cool bag with an ice pack, and use it within four hours. If you don't have an ice pack, or access to a fridge, the made-up infant formula must be used within two hours.

If made-up formula is stored:

• in a fridge–use within 24 hours
• in a cool bag with an ice pack–use withinfour hours
• at room temperature–use withintwo hours

We made a fresh bottle each time as we used the Dr brown bottles.and they tended to leak.
We kept a jug of water in the fridge to help cool the bottle quickly.
At night I would make up a bottle as I heard ds stir then put it into jug to cool, by the time his nappy was changed it was cool.

Why are you waiting 30 minutes before filling the bottles with the boiled water?
So many people misunderstand this. The instructions say to leave it "no longer than 30 mins" (because any longer than that would mean the water was too cool). So you're fine to boil the kettle, fill the bottles straight away and add the formula. No waiting for 30 mins!
If you're storing in the fridge, the bottles need to be flash cooled beforehand and then stored at the back.

Cooled boiled water in bottle in fridge. boil kettle add boiling water, add powder, shake, top with cooled boiled water-use measure on that bottle to take into account the other one has had powder added. Just as quick as a perfect prep

The important thing is that the powder goes into water that is at least 70 degrees.

I would either make the bottles up with boiling water, cool in cold water and put in the fridge to reheat when needed (eg make a couple of bottles ahead - keep them in the fridge for as short a time as possible, no more than 24 hrs)
Or, make a bottle with half boiling water, all the scoops of power then top up with cold eg 3oz hot water, 6 scoops powder, 3oz cold water and cool under the tap to drink immediately.

We just use the big bottles of pre made formula for night feeds.

Perfect prep. It is a godsend!

I’m going to ask a really stupid question here, but when you get these bottles out of the fridge, that have been in for up to 24 hours, do you then need to warm them up or at least bring up to room temperature before giving them to the baby?

I made mine with the boiled water when it was still hot - but otherwise I did it just the same as you. Never had any problems with two babies.

Papergirl1968 Yes, just put the bottle in a jug of hot water for a couple of minutes. Babies will drink cold formula at a pinch, but they prefer it warm.

Thank you. Sterilising and making up bottles seems so complicated but I guess once you’ve done it a few times it starts to become automatic!

My understanding is that the instruction to leave the kettle to cool for 30 mins is so that you’re making formula with water that is 70 degree. It shouldn’t be colder than 70 degrees but nor should it be 100 degrees. If you were supposed to use just boiled water, you wouldn’t be instructed to leave the water to cool.

Boil kettle, Pour water into the bottle. Either put bottles in fridge for the rest of the day or if I wanted to cool quickly, into a jug of cold water (with ice cubes when desperate!)
Add powder into boiling water if cooling straight away, or add when needed from little sterilised formula dispenser.
Have fed all of mine this way.
I don’t like perfect prep 🤷‍♀️

I guess the first night feed you could take upstairs in a cool bag and warm it up in a jug of hot water from the bathroom to save coming down at night? But for the second night feed you’d really have to come down and get the bottle out of the fridge or make one up fresh?
Those insulated bottle bags are not going to do the trick? You need a proper insulated bag with ice packs?

We put water in all bottles at beginning of day (boiling) then used as and when needed to add formula too. Didn't put in fridge

That's not a safe method delilabell.

Most important thing about making formula is for the hot water to sterilise the powder. Storage in the fridge after is fine, you may not need to warm it up, my DD was happy to have it cold.

delilabell the point of boiling water is to sterilise the powder

To reiterate, the most important thing is that you're using water over 70 degrees to sterilise the powder. Using cooled boiled water is not sufficient. If you can't make up each bottle fresh, making bottles up correctly and then rapidly cooling and storing them in the fridge is the next best option.

My understanding is that boiling water kills a lot of the nutrients, hence the requirement to leave the kettle 15-30 minutes. If you pour the water into the bottle straight away though it should cool a lot quicker than 30 minutes.

The point of boiling the water is to sterilize the water surely?! As well as the formula!

It's best to make up the formula by adding the powder to the milk and then putting them in the fridge.

Although I had reflux milk for my eldest that had to be made with chilled water to thicken it!!