Leaving the house when formula fed

[QueenOfWeeds]

I’m having a total mind blank. For various reasons, we need to switch so that DC will be formula fed. Leaving the house when breastfeeding was easy, but what do I do/need to take when formula feeding? I’ve seen the NHS guidance but that seems to be more lenient than the guidance on the formula packet?

I’m thinking I need a flask for hot water, pre-measured powder, and maybe a tub of cold water to cool the bottle in? I thought a vacuum flask designed for pasta etc with ice cubes in which I could add water to? Or do I literally just premix a bottle and put it in a thermal bag with an ice pack?

I’m sure it’s obvious but I just can’t get my muddle postpartum brain to work it out.

Hi OP, my LO is bottle fed and I simply fill her bottle to a certain point with cooler boiled water then take a flask of boiling water and her formula measured in the pots ready. I then simply add the boiled water and powder when she's hungry.

I bought a flask on amazon which has a temperature display on top which means I know if the water is still hot enough etc.

How old is baby? Depending on age you can avoid out and about feeding, but only if close to one.

For me I used breastmilk bags to take out pre-measured amounts of powder.

I'd half fill the bottle with boiled water before leaving. Then ask in a cafe etc to top up with boiling water.

We only had 2 feeds a day so could avoid having to feed outside sometimes.

If my baby was due a bottle within two hours of going out I’d make one up at home and take it out; in a insulated carrier if I needed to keep it warm or not if I needed it to cool.
if I was going to be out even longer I just bought the ready made cartons and did them with a sterilised bottle. I only really needed to use them if I was going to be out beyond 5 hours which didn’t often happen that often without being at someone’s house where I could make up a bottle

If you’re in a cafe or restaurant they will normally help you cool or warm a bottle. A wine cooler filled with hot or cold water works very well.

Like Aftjbtibg, I used to take pre-made cartons and sterilised bottles to put them in.

You can get ready made bottles of formula I used to take those out with me and just ask for some hot water if I was in a cafe. I've also got a nappy bag that has a section for keeping bottles warm. I used to take a sore bottle with some boiled water in it and pop it in there to keep it warm and heat the milk up

It's a bit of an adjustment after the ease of breastfeeding. I used to just use the aptimal readymade bottles when out and about, bit expensive but worth it for the convenience. Or if I knew I'd be giving him the bottle within 2 hours then I'd just make one up before I left the house. I still found it a hassle having to make sure I had bottles and formula packed everytime I felt the house.

I use a Nuby rapid cool- it's amazing. Then take a container with powder in, a flask of boiling water (but if I'm going somewhere where they will have a kettle I don't!). I use the rapid cools at home now as they're so easy and the bottle is ready in a matter of minutes

Oh and I always gave the bottles at room temperature so he was used to that and it made things much easier.

Buy ready made! Two big brands that I know of sell handy little bottles of formula milk, perfect to slip a couple in your nappy bag along with your pre sterilised bottles.
Just open and pour!

Thanks everyone. DD is not quite 2 months, so still needing lots of feeds.

We have some of the pre-made bottles, so will probably stick with those for out and about until I’m feeling more confident.

I used to take a small flask of boiling water and a flask of cooled boiled water. I'd pour an oz or 2 (depending on bottle size) of boiling into the bottle, add the formula powder and mix then top up with the cooled, acted like the tommee tippee prep machine.

I either take a readymade carton and sterilised bottle, then feed at room temp or ask at a cafe for a mug of hot water and stand the bottle or the carton in it to warm a little.

Or if I know it's going to be needed within 2 hours I make it as normal with the perfect prep machine and put it in the microwave for a few seconds to heat it a bit warmer than normal, so by the time it's needed it will still be warm.

I'd make bottles up in advance for 24hrs anyway, so would just grab one or two of those, or in an insulated bottle container, and take a tommee tippee bottle cooler with me (basically like a flask with jug).

I know making them up in advance is not how the nhs likes it to be done, but it's a perfectly safe method, endorsed as sufficiently safe by the WHO, and it made life a lot easier.

This is what I do.
The ready made stuff makes DD puke.

Premix the bottle, put the teat on upside down, cool it and refrigerate; use the thermal wrap to keep it cool in your baby bag.

Take a wide-neck thermos of boiling water, stand bottle in hot water to warm it.

I make up a bottle if outing is less than 2 hours. Put in bag, sorted.

If outing is longer, I put boiling water in a Tommy Tippee flask, and when feed requires I pour a ready made carton into a bottle and pop into the flask for a minute to warm up.

@Babyboomtastic this is where I get confused - this NHS link suggests it is ok to make the bottles in advance and store in the fridge, but that goes against everything else I had read (including the formula instructions). It would make life easier though!

I typed pretty much this and somehow deleted it.
Highly recommend the perfect prep too.

The nhs in general has no interest in making formala feeding easy or practical for you - it goes against their pushing breastfeeding mantra.

Likewise, the formula companies want to cover their own bums so make the instructions overly onerous, which makes it harder to sue if you haven't followed their method. Lots of food manufacturers do the same -check with your doctor before starting taking vitamins etc.

Yes boiled and cooled water, flask of boiling water and measured out formula and just make it like the perfect prep does! Sounds a faff but pretty easy really. My DS wouldn’t take the ready made, sadly!

DD is mainly breastfed, but has some bottles too especially as she’s now too nosy inquisitive to breastfeed nicely in public.

If we’re not going to be out for long I generally make a bottle in advance with hotter water (I leave it to cool for about 15 minutes rather than 30) and then put it in an insulated bottle bag. It’s quite often still too hot for her to drink when I take it out! We also have a small insulated water bottle, so sometimes we’ll take out that, a sterile bottle and a little pot of powder. I pre-warm the bottle and the water stays hot for a long time.

But yes, pre-made is so much easier!

I always had batches of bottles made up in the fridge so going out I took one or two with me depending on what I was doing. I always gave them at room temp so never heated them

You can tablets know that are pre measured, just take a flask of just boiled water or use ready made.

Spelling, sorry!