Formula feeding - how do you prep for night feeds?

[xalexandra]

For formula feeding mums, what's the quickest/best way you prep for the night feeds?

Bought a perfect prep machine.

In fact i know some people that had two: one for upstairs and one for downstairs!

Either by using the prep machine & already pre measured out formula (in tubs), by using a ready to feed store bought version of the formula or by using a flask of boiling water and a flask of previously boiled cool water.
Whichever we happen to have handy at the time really.

There's also the fridge method where the formula is made up, rapidly cooled and left in the fridge for up to 24 hours then just heat it in microwave or in a jug of hot water depending on what bottles you're using.

For the first week or so we used pre made bottles in the night for ease as it's such a huge change coming home with a new baby that we wanted to do the easiest thing possible even if using so many premade bottles gets quite expensive!

During the day we used the tommee tippee perfect prep machine and after the first week or ten days we started using that in the night times as well

There's also the fridge method where the formula is made up, rapidly cooled and left in the fridge for up to 24 hours then just heat it in microwave or in a jug of hot water depending on what bottles you're using.

That’s what we did.

We were gifted a perfect prep machine which I used with the first.

With the 2nd I never used it and just pre made bottles and kept them in the fridge and microwaved to warm up.

I made 5 or 6 bottles in batches and stored them in the fridge. I then gave them at room temp so never heated them.

Used readymade formula initially when DD was only taking small amounts and now use the perfect prep machine. I also premeasure the formula (you can buy a variety of small containers for this purpose) for overnight feeds and anytime when I’m in a hurry to make a bottle. I find the perfect prep quicker than heating up cold milk from the fridge unless you use the microwave (not advised but I guess fine if you mix it well after heating, likewise perfect prep is not officially advised but should be fine if you clean it regularly)

Ready-made formula when he was tiny, then onto the perfect prep when he was taking more per feed. I remember many mornings seeing the sun rise while standing by the prep machine with a crying baby (over the summer, in the winter it would have been pitch dark).

Perfect prep machines are awful. Please do your research.

We measure out the correct amount of powder in tubs and have a flask of boiling water and a sterilised bottle of cooled boiled water.

We use 1oz of boiling water to dissolve the powder and kill the bacteria and then top up with the cooled water.

Ready to feed bottles to begin with. Then we did bottles in fridge (bought a cheap mini fridge) and used a tommee tippee bottle warmer. Ready in 3 mins and it was still cheaper than a perfect prep

(mostly breastfeeding so no expert) but this time around, we have discovered the revelation of room temp/cold milk! DD has 1 bottle during the night so we have been using the mini ready made bottles and just giving at room temp. So easy! They last for 24 hours in the fridge, so half a bottle one night, put the other half in a mini fridge for the next night. No faffing with heating up.

With my other 2 babies, we had a system of measuring powder before bed and taking up a flask of boiling water and a boiled cooled water bottle and making that up for night feeds.

Perfect Prep - ideal if can have two - one downstairs for during the day and another upstairs for night feeds. They make life so much easier. They are my go to present for friends and family having their first baby