Preparing formula?

[HJ82]

I'm breastfeeding my baby but now giving her formula top ups of up to 90mls twice daily 😳 on top of her breast feed!! She's got a huge appetite at only 8lbs... or my breast milk is compromised 🤷🏼‍♀️ anyway that's another rabbit hole...

My question relates to prepping the bottles. There's conflicting info even with this out there. I've been boiling the water and storing the bottles with said water in the fridge. When it comes to mixing I take it out of the fridge and put in the bottle warmer till 37deg then I mix the powder in and feed. I've now read that the water needs to be 70deg when mixing (ffs) my mother just rolled her eyes and said she'd mix it boiling and keep the mixed formula in the fridge for up to 24hrs lol. Maybe that's why my stomach is so touchy!!

Anyway, anyone shed light on this? I'm not prepared to hold a screaming infant at 2am boil a kettle wait 30 mins for it to be 70 degrees and then add powder AND then run cold water over bottle till it's cool enough to feed her. Who does this? Poor child! Is it worth getting a prep machine? What does one do when out and about? I'm hoping this is temporary and I can go back to exclusive bf. Baby is 8weeks (3 weeks adjusted)

Thanks!

[Flowers12345]

Nhs advice is that formula can be kept in the fridge made up for 24 hours.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/infant-formula-questions/

[FlibbertyGiblets]

The point about 70 degree water is that the infant formula powder contains bacteria that are destroyed at point of contact.

Ok to make up, flash cool and refrigerate as per link from pp.

Not sure why you haven't read instructions on the tin though? They are very clear.

[HJ82]

@FlibbertyGiblets of cause I've read the instructions and says to boil the water and cool it for 30mins, which assuming is less than 70 degrees by then anyway, then mix it... This takes 30-40 mins. No one can have a hungry baby for up to 40 mins while they make a bottle, surely not? Or Boil, run under cold water till roughly 70degrees (thermometer use here? Impossible to know really. Then add powder and cool more?

Not able to do this when out and about obviously! So do people just take cooled water and heat in a cup of hot water or something then add formula when out? On the carton it says mixed formula must be consumed within 2 hours. I read leaving mixed formula longer then that in the fridge breeds bacteria so either way there's potentially bacteria! Unless I follow instructions and take forever to prepare a bottle... then no idea what we do when not at home.

[HJ82]

@Flowers12345 thanks for the link that's useful! A flask did cross my mind but I had no idea about this 70 degree part as doesn't say that I'm the carton

[dementedpixie]

Ready made cartons are easier when out and about.

[Mumsymumphy]

When I had my 3 DCs - eldest now 26, youngest is 8 - I prepared 6 bottles at a time. Boil the water, make feed, leave out to cool, then put in the fridge. Keeps for 24 hours. I did this twice a day. All children happy and healthy.

[dementedpixie]

And you leave it to cool for no longer than 30mins so that it is still at least 70 degrees

[HJ82]

I'm terrified now! We have definitely fed our baby at least 3 bottles that have been mixed lower than 70 degrees. I had no idea about the 70 degrees and it says nothing about it in the box. Could my baby get very sick?

[dementedpixie]

If your baby was going to get ill they would have done so already. The instructions on the box are to ensure the water is hot enough to kill bacteria in the formula

[mrsed1987]

I boil the kettle, make the feed, then run under cold water. When out i add boiled water then cold water to cool quicker, my lo has been fine this way since birth, 6 months now

[dementedpixie]

If you didnt want to leave too many in the fridge at a time then make a couple at a time using hot water and use one and store one in the fridge. Use the fridge one next time. Out and about, either take hot water and powder to mix later or take a chilled bottle of milk in a cool bag with an ice pack and it'll keep for 4 hours. Or use a carton

[NannyR]

I always make it with freshly boiled water - I've not found any research that shows nutrients are destroyed at that temperature, I've been told that 70degrees is recommended to reduce risk of scalding.
I mimic the perfect prep machine, by adding the formula to 2oz of boiling water, shaking well, then adding cooled boiled water (or tap water past 6 months), so 4oz of water to make a 6oz bottle. If you use this method it's important to measure out the cold water and not just top up to the 6oz mark as the milk will be too concentrated if you do that.

For going out you've got a couple of options; take sterilised bottles and ready made formula cartons; make up the bottles, chill well and store with icepacks in an insulated bag and warm as necessary; use the flask method; or depending on how long you are going to be out, a freshly made bottle is ok for two hours, so if I was going to toddlers and knew that they would need a bottle in an hour or so I would make it up with boiling water and it would be cool enough to drink for her when she needed it (disclaimer; I'm not sure that this is in accordance with nhs/who guidelines).

[NotSoThinLizzy]

Invest in a perfect prep machine it's a god send 2 mins to make a bottle

[meow1989]

Pp are correct about the water needing to be at least 70 to kill any bacteria in the powder.

I used to make the bottle with boiled water then top up with cooled boiled water.
so for example a 6oz bottle I'd use 4oz boiled with 6 scoops of powder in then top up with 2oz cooled boiled water (premeasured in another bottle).

When we were out we either used cartons or had a flask of boiled water plus some little bottles of pre measured cooled boiled water to use.