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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

What to do with baby while making bottle

54 replies

CheryB7 · 05/01/2022 07:30

My first ungoogleable question!

All the videos show how to make up a baby bottle but none of them feature an actual baby. All the articles talk about positioning baby for the actual feed but there is nothing about where to put baby while making the bottle; the mechanics are all well and good but what about the practicalities of involving an actual baby….

During the night when the baby cries for food you get up together, you then need both hands to make the bottle (even using a perfect prep machine), you don’t want to leave baby unsettled while you make the bottle but other than holding baby while making bottle which seems impractical, or leaving baby crying in a Moses basket nearby which seems heartless, where are you meant to place baby while you prepare their feed?!

Just looking for a safe practical answer about what to do physically with crying baby while simultaneously making their bottle please.

OP posts:
romdowa · 05/01/2022 07:31

Invest in a sling and wear the baby while you make the bottle?

fassnk · 05/01/2022 07:39

I left DS grizzling in his moses basket/cot. We had a perfect prep, so I knew it was literally 2 minutes of him being upset before I fed him. Also as time goes on you learn how to work the machine 1 handed so you can hold the baby at the same time!

WashableVelvet · 05/01/2022 08:04

Pop baby under one arm. Possibly on the floor for 30 seconds while I shake the hot water in, but these days she crawls off if I do that.

Original poster
CheryB7 · 05/01/2022 09:18

Cheers - I had thought of that option too but figured it might be more stressful and time consuming getting it rigged up for every feed.

OP posts:
AntiHop · 05/01/2022 09:21

Baby bouncer. I'd recommend the baby bjorn one. It's eye wateringly expensive, but you can get it second hand. It keeps the baby so calm.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 05/01/2022 09:22

I always prepared a batch of bottles at a time, chilled them then put in the fridge

At night I used to just take a bottle out of the fridge and keep it on the bedside table so it was room temp for feeding.

Original poster
CheryB7 · 05/01/2022 09:22

This sounds sensible - I was a bit anxious about being in another room from the basket (I’m having a section so probably won’t be a good idea to carry the basket into the kitchen until I’m healed a bit)…might put a dockatot in the kitchen as an alternative….maybe there is a gap in the market for a kitchen feed queue cradle! haha x

OP posts:
fancyfrogs · 05/01/2022 09:23

I used to leave him in his cot at night. He generally didn't wake up crying though, I would wake at the grumbling stage so he was ok to be left a few mins. Similarly in the day, either leave in Moses basket, play gym or bouncer. Have done many one handed though and just managed - easiest to get one of those formula dispenser pots and measure out the scoops all at once so easier to just tip it straight in and mix. Never had a perfect prep x

1224boom · 05/01/2022 09:25

Baby bouncer or leave in the cot while you make it. Don't try to Hold baby while making the bottle that's not safe especially if it's in the middle of the night and you are tired. Don't worry you will work it all out.

1224boom · 05/01/2022 09:27

I also used to buy the small bottles of ready mixed milk and take a sterilised bottle up to bed with me then you can just pour it in and feed baby straight away. I did this when I was especially tired or straight after my section so I didn't have to do the stairs in the night.

Bonnealle · 05/01/2022 09:29

Moses baskets are so cheap, people give them away. You can just keep one downstairs. It will literally be a minute so just leave him in that. Just carry the baby and Moses basket separately if your concerned, I had no issues straight after my section. I had a newborn attachment in the Tripp trapp high chair which was a life saver. Popped the baby in and made tea, breakfast, pumping, etc. you can also buy ready made milk which is a bit more expensive but lasts in the fridge 24hrs once opened and you won’t need much of it from the beginning. Mine would take expressed milk and formula straight from the fridge!

Bonnealle · 05/01/2022 09:30

You can also buy milk with the sterilised teats in a pack that would be good for bedtime.

Daisydolly1986 · 05/01/2022 09:34

At night time I'd use the pre made milks. So much easier!

chineybumps · 05/01/2022 09:35

Why not just prepare bottles in advance and put them in the fridge? You can leave them there for up to 24hrs. I was never a fan of making bottles when you need them, it's so unrealistic especially in the middle of the night when baby is screaming their head off.
We still make bottles in advance and just warm it up with boiled water in a jug. Takes less than 5 mins🤷‍♀️

minniep · 05/01/2022 09:35

I always made bottles in batches of five and stored in the fridge until needed. I then took them out a bit before I felt they were needed and gave them at room temp. I'd bring a bottle up to bed with me at night and give that during the night.

InTheNightWeWillWish · 05/01/2022 09:39

You get surprisingly good at managing with one hand!

During the night, I hear baby stirring before she actually does and I force myself to get up and go downstairs to get a bottle. DH will roll to my side of the bed and comfort her when she starts to grizzle properly and wakes him. During the day, either pop baby in bouncer/Moses basket and accept she’ll cry for a minute. Or I hold baby in right arm, use perfect prep with left. I find I have to stir the bottle with my wrist rather than shake as shaking adds too many air bubbles and she then has wind/throws the milk back up. When bottle is made, pass to right hand, baby is in the crook of my elbow, while I screw the top on with my left. I do prep the bottles with the formula in advance though, so measure out the amount and leave the lid slightly loose. If I have to measure out the formula I have to put her down and let her cry.

Seeline · 05/01/2022 09:39

Send your partner to make the bottle.

You will perfect the art of doing virtually everything one handed fairly quickly.

Sanch1 · 05/01/2022 13:13

You can easily make up a bottle with one hand free and one holding baby, done it millions of times! Or leave baby crying in cot, won't hurt for a couple minutes!

bedheadedzombie · 05/01/2022 13:26

Play pendownstairs or cot upstairs. My baby would cry until she got her milk whatever I did so I just had to keep her safe and hurry up!

StrangerThanSpring · 05/01/2022 14:20

We had a bouncy chair in the corner of the kitchen.

MsSquiz · 05/01/2022 14:25

DD would usually be in her bouncy seat when I made a bottle, but there was a few times I did it while holding her, and you can definitely use a prep machine with 1 hand, you get it down to a fine art.

At night I either breastfed or used the pre made formula and had a sterilised bottle in our room or used the ones that came with the sterilised tear when she was tiny

Hoppinggreen · 05/01/2022 14:31

@chineybumps

Why not just prepare bottles in advance and put them in the fridge? You can leave them there for up to 24hrs. I was never a fan of making bottles when you need them, it's so unrealistic especially in the middle of the night when baby is screaming their head off. We still make bottles in advance and just warm it up with boiled water in a jug. Takes less than 5 mins🤷‍♀️
I did this with both my 2 but the guidance had actually changed in between my babies and it’s now not advised However, it was the easiest way and meant not leaving my baby to cry for long and there were no ill effects. My sil had her first baby at the same time as my second and I would have my baby fed, burped, changed and back to sleep while she was waiting for the kettle to cool I even used the microwave at times!
Topseyt · 05/01/2022 14:32

I always made up enough bottles for 24 hours the night before and stored them in the fridge. It always worked fine for all three of mine.

I either did this while baby was sleeping, or if they wouldn't sleep I left them with DH while I got on with it.

chineybumps · 05/01/2022 14:45

@Hoppinggreen I had my baby in May 2021 and I still did this and still do it now. Currently pregnant with my second and will be doing it again if I formula feed. I always take the guidances with a pinch of salt and do what's best in my own personal circumstance