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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

for those of you who take a flask of boiling water to make up bottles fresh when you are out......

28 replies

nappyaddict · 09/04/2008 17:04

how big is it? how many mls of water does it hold? what do you do if you go out for a whole day and you've got a younger baby who has maybe 5 or 6 bottles a day? is it big enough for that?

OP posts:

theUrbanNixie · 09/04/2008 17:06

my friend has one of these

crackpotdog · 09/04/2008 19:34

we just take 500ml mini flask but have never been out for a period of time more than 2 feeds!!

KMUN · 09/04/2008 19:56

I take 2 chilled sterilised water bottles out. Use water in flask to reheat to right temp then add powder. Not quite by the book, but works for me.

The flask (thermos babycare) can heat two feeds, although 2nd one not as effective once flask has been opened/emptied a bit. Cafes/restaurants are normally happy to refill if I need it.

I never use water in flask to make up feeds, as once opened it's not sterile and I can't be bothered sterilising a flask. Then for rest of day would use ready-mades and maybe steri-bottles (pre-sterilised disposible bottles); but thus far have not yet been away from sterlising equipment for more than 4 feeds.

Original poster

nappyaddict · 09/04/2008 20:30

did you know you do not need to sterilise

how much water does each flask hold KMUN?

OP posts:

Monkeybird · 09/04/2008 20:33

but do you also know you're supposed to make up formula with water over 70 degrees C?

kayzisexpecting · 09/04/2008 20:34

We took a normal sized thermos flask and did what KMUN does. Take chilled water bottles and powder and then heated.

Monkeybird · 09/04/2008 20:40

do you heat the made-up bottles to very hot then cool down? or am I missing something?

I just don't see how a thermos can keep the water as hot as it needs to be...

kayzisexpecting · 09/04/2008 20:41

Thermos flasks keep water quite hot.

I heat the made up bottles until they are warm enough for ds to drink.

Original poster

nappyaddict · 09/04/2008 20:46

flasks keep the water near boiling if you put boiling water in them in the first place.

i assume kmun knows that it's meant to be 70 cos she says she doesn't do it quite by the book.

OP posts:

Original poster

nappyaddict · 09/04/2008 20:47

kayzi what is a normal sized thermos? they seem to do them in all sorts of sizes!

OP posts:

kayzisexpecting · 09/04/2008 20:49

here is the one we have.

Original poster

nappyaddict · 09/04/2008 20:59

how many feeds does it do?

OP posts:

kayzisexpecting · 09/04/2008 21:03

We only used it for 2 as thats all we were out for but its really good and could probably do 3.

Original poster

nappyaddict · 09/04/2008 21:20

would it do 3 7 oz feeds?

OP posts:

kayzisexpecting · 09/04/2008 21:23

I dont know. What we do is take a bottle filled with chilled water, add the formula and the put the bottle in a jug and pour the hot water from the flask into the jug.

KMUN · 10/04/2008 00:29

My flask probably holds about 500 ml - so 2 and a bit 7oz feeds; but as I said, I only use it to warm up a chilled bottle. I put the water in straight after boiling, so reckon it just about makes the 70 degree mark, well close enough for me. Who wants to spend all their life messing about with thermometers? Had no idea about the sterilising thing, but loathe to give up now and would need to improve my slap-dash washing-up ways !

madamez · 10/04/2008 00:33

Well I used to either make up the bottles in advance and carry them about in a coolbag or, if going out for a long time on a hot day (ie day out), take the premixed cartons and sterilized bottles.
DS never had any tummy bugs and is still alive.

pinata · 10/04/2008 09:20

i'm wondering about this at the moment, too - we have just stopped using colief in DD's feeds (which meant we had to make up all feeds in advance to give it a chance to work). i now want to start making all feeds fresh, but am not too sure about how best to do the 70 degrees thing...

ideally i would prefer to take the hot water in the flask and use it to make feeds, but does it matter than the flask isn't sterile?

Original poster

nappyaddict · 10/04/2008 09:36

no it doesn't matter that the flask isn't sterile. your kettle isn't sterile is it? also did you read the you do not need to sterilise link below?

OP posts:

pinata · 10/04/2008 12:44

no, i guess it isn't - i just assumed, though that because the water acutally boils in there it's ok. whereas the flask would hold water at less than boiling point

mind you, i suppose the thing that needs bacteria killing in it is the milk powder in any case, isn't it? rather than the water

is it then a case of taking water at around 70 degrees in the flask (ie cooled for a bit)? and would i need to take more cold water to cool it down further?

I have never measured exactly how hot 70 degrees is - is it cool enough to drink?

I have a nice tescos flask for about £2.50 that holds half a litre, so enough for 2 feeds (making up or reheating).

Hersetta · 10/04/2008 16:31

I have two - both from tesco's. A 500ml one which does two feeds and a 1 litre one for up to 4 feeds.

Original poster

nappyaddict · 10/04/2008 17:16

hersetta how many oz are each feed?

what i'd probably do for an 8oz bottle which is what ds has is put say 6oz of cooled water in the bottles already prepared and keep them in the fridge and i'd keep a flask of boiling water on the side (or take it out with me). then i'd use one of those tiny bottles that hold only a few oz and put say 2 oz of boiling water in and then the 8 scoops of powder, mix it and then add it to the larger bottle which already has the 6oz of cooled water in. or you could put 2 oz boiling water in a bottle add the 8 scoops of powder, shake it then add 6 oz of boiled water in but you'd have to take out a large bottle of cooled boiled water (say a 750ml bottle) and a baby's bottle so you could pour it out and measure the 6oz. you can't just top it up to 8 cos the powder always means it should go over iyswim. the second way means using less bottles overall so less to carry/wash up but carrying more of the smaller bottles (from the first way) would probably be easier than carrying around a 750ml bottle of cooled boiled water.

OP posts:

Original poster

nappyaddict · 10/04/2008 17:55

just tried it myself and it worked fine using 1 oz of boiling water to mix the powder in and the rest cooled boiled water.

OP posts:

pinata · 13/04/2008 13:55

i just did the same - it's great - instant milk at perfect temperature. night feeds will never be the same again!

claireybee · 13/04/2008 14:13

When dd was on bottles I used to put 4oz of boiling water in a bottle and allow that to cool to room temperature. When it was time for the feed I'd add 2oz hot water from the flask (filled and sealed while the water was boiling so was still very hot)then add the powder and shake. I did this for night feeds and when out and it meant that the milk was instantly at drinking temperature.

HOWEVER I have since learnt that the water should have been at 70 degrees when mixing in the powder so if I was to do it now I'd make the proportion of boiling water greater and then allow the mixed formula to cool before feeding the baby

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