How to prepare powdered formula ?

[mabel12345]

I am just curious whether there easier ways to prepare formula than the one instructed on the box. Surely when baby is hungry you don’t have half an hour to boil the kettle and wait ?
I am new to (powdered) formula feeding so any tips welcomed ! Thank u x

@LaMadrilena The NHS advice to use only hot water is quite OTT compared to the advice given in other countries like Spain, France, Australia, the US etc where your method would be considered perfectly fine for a healthy full term infant.

I personally don’t think there’s any definite best way, the NHS reckon you need hot water in case there are bugs in the milk powder which I agree makes sense. Then I read something a while ago so can’t link it but I think it was from Australia where they were actually suggesting that using hot water (like the NHS recommends) to prepare your bottles can cause condensation to get on the scoop, which goes back into the formula carton for the next scoop, and is actually more likely to cause contamination which thinking about it also makes sense!

I’d personally carry on as you are as long as you’re following the health advice of your country and family doctor.

Thanks for the information! I've just checked our local health advice and it is a bit mixed, mostly saying unheated bottled water is fine but others advising more caution. We're going to have to move to bottles in a couple of months, so will take it all into account!

Best thing you can always do is chat to your baby’s doctor and go with their recommendations :)

@lakeshored that's what I found with formula with the condensation on the scoop and then your putting it back in pot. Infruitating 🤦🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️

@NannyR

Jade2270 the nhs advice is that formula that has been made up correctly with hot water and cooled down quickly can be stored for 24 hours in a fridge, up to 4 hours in a cool bag with ice packs and up to 2 hours at room temperature.

NannyR, thanks for the info. I never know what people mean when they say cool rapidly.

On the box it says 1 scoop per 1 ounce of water, I find Because my lo is only having 2-3 ounces per week I would make up 1 ounce of boiled water fresh from the kettle and then 2 ounces of cool boiled water that I had boiled previously and stored in the fridge, then once I know that's at the right temp I add the powder and give it a shake. I'm just very confused as some places I read that the powder should be added to boiling hot water and other things I have read is that I should not add it to boiling hot water Bevause it kills the nutrients? I'm confused ... but you are saying if my baby is feeding every 3 hours, I could literally put 8 feeds in the fridge if I wanted? Then heat up in a jug of warm water? How do you cool rapidly?

We would make up a batch of four or five bottles together and store them in the fridge. I then took them out and gave them at room temperature when they were needed

Sparky blue

Would your baby not want them luke warm?

My baby can tell the difference between room temp and Luke warm and then sometimes even refuses it as she gets fussy

Jade2270 cooling down rapidly just means putting them in a bowl of cold or iced water, rather than leaving them on the worktop to cool down slowly at room temperature.
If your baby is only taking 2-3 oz I would make a feed up with freshly boiled water, (you could leave it to cool a bit if you wanted to, there is conflicting advice as to whether it affects the nutrients, I always use it as soon as it boils) and just shake it under a running cold tap for a few minutes, such a small amount will cool very quickly to drinking temp.

@Jade2270 I've never served bottles warm to any of my three. Always room temp