How do you make bottles of formula in the dead of the night?

[passthemustard]

Just that really? How do you manage preparing formula feeds in the night?

I'm transitioning from breast to bottle and tonight it'll be the first night entirely on formula. Baby is 5 weeks 4 days and I've been combination feeding from birth due to only having one milk producing breast. I'm so sore and my working breast is absolutely ginormous, more that twice the size of the other one, and it hurts like hell ALL the time so I have reluctantly decided to stop. But it's so convenient in the night just to pop him on the breast to feed how do I manage preparing formula whilst half asleep with a screaming baby?

What do you do?

Perfect Preps are fine if used properly. The areas of concern were the build up in the pipes, but if you use the correct filters this isn't an issue, and the build up was found to not be harmful anyway. The other was the concern that the powder wouldn't be hot enough to kill bacteria when dispensed, but if the powder is put in the bottle first and then the hot shot is added it is hot enough.

I would absolutely recommend one, I find that mixing from the kettle is fine obviously, but time consuming, and actually getting the right temp is more of an issue than with a PP machine. Freshly boiled is too hot and can damage some of the properties of the formula, and leave it too long and it's not hot enough. If you aren't going to be using overly much you could use ready made, but works out more expensive.

I made them fresh.

I wish I had got a perfect prep! I did burn myself on two occasions making middle of the night bottles

Back in the 80's I made all of my son's bottles before I went to bed. He is still alive (at 40). Mind you he rarely woke up for one.

@namechanging202020

Half these comments are not what's recommended at all. Your meant to make a feed fresh each time! Ready made is the best for nighttime but it's pricey. Perfect prep is fab. You can mimic the perfect prep with a flask of hot water and some cool sterile water. Add powder (measured out into little tubs) into the hot water (needs to be atleast 70degrees to kill any bacteria) give it a shake then top it up with the cooled water to the correct amount.

But that won't be the correct amount, all the water should go in first, then the powder. If you are only topping up to the ml on the bottle it will be too concentrated.

@Camperbran

Perfect Preps are fine if used properly. The areas of concern were the build up in the pipes, but if you use the correct filters this isn't an issue, and the build up was found to not be harmful anyway. The other was the concern that the powder wouldn't be hot enough to kill bacteria when dispensed, but if the powder is put in the bottle first and then the hot shot is added it is hot enough.

I would absolutely recommend one, I find that mixing from the kettle is fine obviously, but time consuming, and actually getting the right temp is more of an issue than with a PP machine. Freshly boiled is too hot and can damage some of the properties of the formula, and leave it too long and it's not hot enough. If you aren't going to be using overly much you could use ready made, but works out more expensive.

The area of concern is that the hot shot of water cannot retain its 70 degree long enough to make the powder sterile, a larger volume of water is needed.

Perfect prep! You can buy one 2nd hand off Ebay.

Another mum here you always made up 6 bottles at a time. You sterilised 6, and made them up immediately. Refridgerated until needed, and used within 24 hours.

This is still allowed. You don't need expensive machines.

This.

Formula powder is not sterile. It needs to be mixed with hot water thoroughly to sterilise it. The water needs to be at least 70° at the end of mixing to still be hot enough.

Check the NHS website for guidance. The only alternatives it gives for making formula up is fresh every time or if not possible eg for nursery then to make it up as per directions and cool very quickly and keep in fridge.

Also, you don't need to rewarm the milk. If they'll take it they can have it from the fridge.

I mean what @sosshedid said is correct

The area of concern is that the hot shot of water cannot retain its 70 degree long enough to make the powder sterile, a larger volume of water is needed

No, it wasn't to do with volume. The original process in the instructions was to add powder to the hot shot, but this obviously doesn't consider the fact that scooping out up to say 8 scoops takes time, and by that time the final scoop may not have any contact with water that his hot enough, and a lot may have been absorbed. This was rectified by the advice changing to adding powder first and then water (the volume of the hot shot adjusts depending on the mls chosen), if done that way it is absolutely fine.

Perfect prep machine all the way!

But that won't be the correct amount, all the water should go in first, then the powder. If you are only topping up to the ml on the bottle it will be too concentrated.

No, that's wrong.

As long as the hot water is in first, then the formula, then the cold water in addition is measured correctly according to the measurements on the bottle. If you put the formula in before the hot water, that's when the measurements are out.

I used to make enough for 12 hours at a time. Cool rapidly in a sink of cold water and then put in the fridge. Against all laws known to man now.

You have to put hot water to the correct line in bottle then powder then mix. If you go against recommendations and add a small amount of hot then powder then cold water you have to use measured amounts of water. Eg 50ml of hot then powder then a pre measured 100ml of cold. You can't just fill to 150ml on the bottle as the powder will have taken up some of this volume

@Camperbran

The area of concern is that the hot shot of water cannot retain its 70 degree long enough to make the powder sterile, a larger volume of water is needed

No, it wasn't to do with volume. The original process in the instructions was to add powder to the hot shot, but this obviously doesn't consider the fact that scooping out up to say 8 scoops takes time, and by that time the final scoop may not have any contact with water that his hot enough, and a lot may have been absorbed. This was rectified by the advice changing to adding powder first and then water (the volume of the hot shot adjusts depending on the mls chosen), if done that way it is absolutely fine.

Yes, it is all to do with volume. A large volume of water can retain its heat for longer than a smaller volume.

@Reachersloveinterest

I used to make 8 bottles at a time, sterilised then filled with 9oz of boiling water, then leave to cool - tip out 3oz and top up with boiling, add milk powder, shake well and cool a bit under a running tap if necessary, but should be perfect temperature. That was 11 years and 6 years ago. Probably completely against the rules now.

I did this 16 and 12 years ago Totally against guidelines now though. (Would still do it)

You can do the job of the perfect prep by adding powder to hot shot or hot shot to powder (doesn't matter which way round if both are measured out correctly before combining, you can't top up to the line if the powder is already in the bottle and water not measured out though), mix (shake), then add a cold shot (pre measured cooled boiled water). This actually involves a fair amount of pre planning and having the right sterilised bottles, measuring cup/spare bottle, pre cooling the water etc. So it's often easier just to make the bottle with all hot water then Cool by placing in a jug of cold water and/or Under cold tap.

Once the formula is made is starts to form bacteria again, so if you are going to Cool it and heat it later make sure to put it in the back of the fridge ASAP. If you leave it out it will need to be discarded or used within the window you would normally (usually 1-2 hours).

Ready feed is so much easier, but one of mine had a horribly upset stomach from it. I think it was the preservatives. So had to make from powder every time

Same as you do in the day or ready made cartons

We made them up of an evening. Kept them by the bedside in a bottle cooler and warmed them up at the bedside in a bottle warmer. Took two minutes.
This was 18 years ago though and probably frowned upon now.

I do find it odd that people will take risks with formula milk who probably wouldn't take risks with other aspects of food hygiene by giving babies cow's milk that had been out of the fridge all day or slightly undercooked chicken.

I found it interesting, especially when my eldest were babies 10 year ago, that the mums who couldn't be bothered to make bottles up with hot water, would be militant about boiling tap water for drinking
I was really conscious of not risking food poisoning from milk, but was pretty relaxed about giving my 8 month old water from the tap.

@minniemango

I do find it odd that people will take risks with formula milk who probably wouldn't take risks with other aspects of food hygiene by giving babies cow's milk that had been out of the fridge all day or slightly undercooked chicken.

I found it interesting, especially when my eldest were babies 10 year ago, that the mums who couldn't be bothered to make bottles up with hot water, would be militant about boiling tap water for drinking
I was really conscious of not risking food poisoning from milk, but was pretty relaxed about giving my 8 month old water from the tap.

I have seen many parents pouring ready measured formula powder into warm water and feed it straight away.

I can understand if there is a lack of information available, but knowingly putting your child at risk?

Perfect prep every time. Best invention for new parents.