Ready made to powder

[MoominKitty]

Hi hoping for advice incase I hit a bump in the road.

My 12 week old son has been on pre made aptimal Since he was 2 weeks, really bad tongue tie and a nearly 3 week wait to have it snipped ruined my supply and I dried up at week 5, and drinks 7 big bottles a week.

With the limitations, 2 per customer, I've had to buy powdered tins to ensure he can eat as I don't drive I wouldn't be able to go out every other day to get the amount I need.

His next bottle will be powdered, do you think he will transition okay? And any tips on making powdered formula up?

I haven’t got anything helpful to say!
I’m in a similar situation - I’ve got a couple of days left of ready made and then on to the powder!
Any advice much appreciated

My son was in hospital for 12 days after he was born so he was on ready made formula while in there. When we came home I switched to powdered as it's much more cost effective and I prefer it to ready made. He had no trouble at all, I found the ready made is thinner, though could just have been with the brand we used (SMA), I don't know if other brands are the same or not, so he had slightly less when we switched.

As for making them up I know it's not recommended now but I did it the old fashioned way. Emptied and refilled kettle, boiled it and left it to cool for 30 minutes to reach the correct temperature to make bottles, added the water then equivalent number of flat scoops of powder. Shook them well, then left to cool naturally at room temperature. When cool I stored them in the fridge, they can be kept for up to 24 hours. To warm up I used boiling water and a plastic jug (we had a flask full it boiling water for going out).
I think it's so much easier than messing about making them as needed. And I know most people use the perfect prep machine but sorry to me that's laziness, you don't need a machine to make bottles in my opinion. I'd only ever make them the old fashioned way, regardless of what's recommended.

I'd really recommend the perfect prep machine for making powdered milk, if you can get one. I find it really easy to make up formula and baby seems to like it and doesn't have any issues switching between that and ready made.

And yes - it probably is a bit lazy, but it's so simple and there's a million other things to be doing!!

Thank you @happymummy12345, that's what I read on the NHS website, but wasn't sure if anyone did it or not lol I'll give that a go to save time when my partners at work.

He has had two bottles of it now and drank them normally @Albta, he actually spit up less than normal to, but it is a bit thinner than the premade so I'll see how long that lasts 😂.

Such a nightmare with the limitations but I'm just greatful I have got him milk tbf so don't mind the extra faff, for now.

I'd not heard of the prep machine @Plantmoretrees, he's a velcro baby so any thing to help when I've only got one free hand would be a god send haha.

Every baby will be different, but we used ready made when DS was born because I was so scared of making up the powder wrong! I was really worried that switching to powder (because it was a lot cheaper once he started drinking more) would be hard, but it was okay. We did buy a perfect prep though, honestly so useful, even though people say that they are not recommended, they are fine as long as you use the correct filters when you change them, and put the powder in followed by the hot shot so it's hot enough when it first hits the powder. There is guidance if you Google as for some it can upset their tummies, I remember reading that ready made tends to be easier for them to digest (not sure how true it is though), and we did notice some interesting nappies and a bit more wind to start with, but it soon settled. I did keep an emergency bottle just in case lol. Depending how much you have left, you could maybe switch out a bottle a day, so 1 bottle of ready made a day, then 2 the next and so on?

Does this work?

Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep Machine, White https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00BG6304A/ref=cmswwrcpptai_plqFEb1RRF4NB

HV and midwife told me to avoid the perfect prep as it's not very hygienic.

My dd has been on powdered formula via the perfect prep since she was 3weeks old and never had an issue.. it's a god send!

Perfect prep are hygienic as long as you use the actual tommee tippee filters and run the cleaning cycle every 7-10 days. Mould only builds up when people don't maintain them properly.

We chop and change Dd from pre made to powder, I use pre made if we're out for the day (not so much now) and powder at home. And the perfect prep is the best money I ever spent. Takes all the worry out of making it up wrong.

My little one switched between powder based at home and premade if were out and about ( he is combination feed but dont think that matters). He has never behaved differently on either.

This website goes through how to make them up
www.aptaclub.co.uk/products/aptamil/infant-formula/aptamil-first-milk-safe-preparation.html

@happymummy12345 i think they need to be used within 2 hours of making them up.
At least the aptamil ones do so mabey it varies by brand.

I've formula fed three babies. The ready made is fortunes so you'll be saving yourself a bit, which will be a little bonus, and you don't need to worry about making up powdered stuff when you're out because of the lockdown!

Just get a perfect prep if you can, honestly they are a godsend. I've used one for all my kids (not the same one) and I wouldn't have been without it.

As to the transition - I've not used ready made but when my son was constipated the GP said ready made might make him go, so I can only assume that in your situation the powdered might bung him up a bit?

My son fluctuates between both ready and powder and we've had no issues.
I send him to nursery (when they are open) with 2 small bottles, so his day time feeds are ready twice a week and his home feeds are powder. Been doing this no issue for about 2 months since I stopped breast milk.
But, he has his milk cold straight from the fridge this includes the powder feeds, I make them up and put them in the back of the fridge to cool. Nursery put the ready bottles in the fridge when I drop him off then put them in his bottles ready for his feeds. He's been like this since birth as I expressed to feed due to also having tongue tie and a delay in it being cut.
I hope you have the same ease.

Update, he loves the powder, more so than the ore made, though now he has korma pooops instead of steady one's haha.

Thank you all so much for your advice one happy boy and mum here ☺.

He is beautiful. Thank you for the update!

Aw so glad, he is adorable!