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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Formula at room temperature - is that ok?

18 replies

oysterpots · 07/09/2007 10:26

I've always given my DS his formula at room temperature rather than heating it up (might reconsider in the depths of winter, but he doesn't seem bothered now).

I sometimes get weird looks from other mums, but is there any real reason to warm milk even if DS is fine with it as it is?

I have noticed that sometimes the powder doesn't dissolve completely - is that problematic?

OP posts:
Seona1973 · 07/09/2007 10:48

I have given ds room temperature formula since birth (in October 2006) and at 11 months that is what he still gets. If he drinks it that way then there is little point heating it. I find I have to shake it for a while to get it dissolve properly and it probably tastes a bit grainy but ds drinks it so it must be what he is used to.

Hamishsmummy · 07/09/2007 11:00

Oysterpots, you really should make it up with boiled water that has been cooled for no less than 30 minutes to kill off the potential bugs in the powder (powder not being sterile u c). Then cool it down to room temp if thats the way your DS likes it

Nip · 07/09/2007 11:07

i always made my formula with cooled boiled water, stuck it in the fridge and when it came to using it i would heat it up, but not so it was hot, but literally room temp. This made it loads easier when going out as you didnt have to find somewhere to warm it up.

Hamishsmummy is right thought, you should make it with the boiled water.

Seona1973 · 07/09/2007 11:13

There is a WHO leaflet that gives this info:

The safest way to prepare a feed is using water that has been boiled and cooled to no less than 70ºC.

? If you do not have access to boiling water, you may wish to use sterile liquid infant formula.

? Alternatively, you can prepare feeds using fresh, safe water at room temperature and consume immediately.

? Feeds prepared with water cooler than 70ºC should not be stored for use later.

? Throw away any left-over feed after two hours.

The full leaflet can be found here:

Formula preparation

Jo71 · 07/09/2007 11:20

I make mine up with cooled boiled water store in the fridge for no longer that 24 hours keep cold when out rather than hot and warm just to take the chill off - I know it is recommended to make each bottle up as it is needed but lets be honest what baby is going to wait 30 mins for boiling water to cool @ 2.00am and how many mums actually do that the only alternative is to spend a fortune on the ready prepared formula

Original poster
oysterpots · 07/09/2007 15:42

Should have said - I do the boiled water thing, but keep the made up bottles of water at room temperature rather than in the fridge. That way, when I have to make up a feed a night I have the measured out water in the sterilised bottles at room temperature, and just add the pre-measured powder from one of those little pots (does that really need to be sterilised or just washed and dried thoroughly?), shake for 10-15 seconds and away we go.

So going by what you've all said, sounds like what I'm doing is ok?

OP posts:
Hamishsmummy · 07/09/2007 18:17

Jo71 hear hear...

I reckon there are various ways of doing it!

PS I don't sterilise my powder pots.

Flibbertyjibbet · 07/09/2007 18:37

yes yes yes. I mostly bf and my boys never fussed that formula was a different temp. I put boiling water into sterlised bottles then kept on the worktop or in bag till needed and added formula at the time of 'serving'.
Didn't sterilise powder pots just washed thoroughly in very hot soapy water and dried.
After about 9m I just bung tap water in and add formula when they need milk - they drink tap water with meals so I can't see much point in boiling and cooling it to make milk feeds when they have it straight from the tap at other times?
The thought of carting those special 'baby bottle warming flasks' around or standing about while a bottle warmed up in the middle of the night. No, just room temp for us.

NineUnlikelyTales · 07/09/2007 18:45

Did the thrush clear up in the end OP? (Sorry, I know it's not what you asked about but I am a busybody!)

Original poster
oysterpots · 08/09/2007 10:02

Hi NUT - am on the flucozanole to try to get shot of it after the daktarin didn't really do much. Bit of a struggle to get the GP to prescribe it but I think she realised I wasn't going to leave without it!

Still doing at least 2 breast feeds a day and things are so much less painful. Long may it continue, fingers crossed.

OP posts:
NineUnlikelyTales · 08/09/2007 10:33

Good for you for being so persistent. I'm glad it's less painful now

Jo71 · 08/09/2007 16:30

Hamishsmummy - thanks!!! my friend doesn't steralise her powder pots either and her baba is fine!!!! we passed a mile stone today after a week of trying and failing my little one finally got the spoon and I think everything crossed we are on our way to solids!!! she will be 6 months on the 24th experienced mums when can we stop steralising????

TheDuchess · 08/09/2007 16:41

why sterilise at all? seriously?

NAB3 · 08/09/2007 16:44

I used to make up the bottles with cooled boiled water and then add the formula when needed. It was fine. The formula will all dissolve if you shake it enough, it does need to be dissolved.

Eddas · 08/09/2007 16:56

well i make mine up 6 at a time put them in the fridge ready made. That's what i did with dd's(she's 3 now) and she's fine so even though mw advised making a bottle when the baby wants it(yeah, like they'll wait). And I heat it in th microwave for a bit too make it warm, but not really hot IYSWM. I have tried the room temp thing but ds just spits it all back at me like i'm poisoning him so it has to be heated a little everytime. Such a PITA when we're out. But when we go out I do the water in bottle and powder in the pot thing so that don't have to keep the bottles cold.

I don't sterilise the pot. Actually might stop sterilising now since ds is 5 months and we're off on hols on monday and it'd be easier to not take the steriliser. Bad mummy

Willowwisp · 09/09/2007 10:08

Hi

I'm a bit confused now if I'm making up my little one's feeds correctly?

I use the tommee tippee bottles with the powder holder that sits in the middle of the bottle, I boil the water, let it cool sometimes its in the kettle for a while then measure the water out in the bottle and put the powder in the little holder. When she needs a feed I then mix the powder and water together, does this sound OK?

Is it OK to use the boiled water when it has completely gone cold, we have got a separate kettle that we just use for her feeds. I also keep the bottles with the water in a cupboard and not in the fridge?

I give all her feeds at room temperature and she doesn't seem bothered at all, in fact she doesn't know any different as we did it from birth!!!

Thanks girls!

Willow
xxx

Roskva · 09/09/2007 10:18

I've always sterilised dd's bottles, put the water in them, and then left them at room temp until I need them, and then put the powder in and feed at room temperature. If I want to give her a warm bottle, I put one oz of freshly boiled water for 6 oz room temp water in it.

I still can't bring myself to stop sterilising the bottles, though, even though I know I don't need to. I use water straight from the tap sometimes, now.

Jo71 · 09/09/2007 13:36

My Health Visitor says once she is on the move we can stop or at 7 months which ever comes sooner which will be October but I am scared to stop steralising - but I guess once now she is starting to shove everyting in her mouth her immune system is growing

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