Quick formula at night

[Emi2025]

Have been breast feeding but baby is not getting enough so now have to combine feed. When I did it years ago, water could be prepared earlier but now everything has changed and it has to be fresh and 70 degrees. How do you quickly prepare formula fresh in the middle of the night? I don’t think baby would wait 30 mins for water to cool. I don’t want to get a prep machine as I’ve been told they are not the best. Thank you 😊

Get a prep machine they are good , quick and easy is the answer

Just prepare it earlier. No one is going to know.

You can get a kettle that only heats to 70 then quickly cool in iced water.

How old is your baby and what makes you think they're not getting enough?

I use the Nuby Rapid Cool during the day and a prep machine overnight (as long as you follow regular maintenance - I also intermittently check the temperature of the hot shot too).

The RapidCool is easy but will need sterilising if you add formula. Or you can use it in a similar way to the perfect prep (hot shot method which doesn’t need sterilising)(plenty of videos online on how to do this).

I have in the past made up a bottle, cooled quickly in cold water and then taken to bed in a cool bag. These are ok for 4hrs. Then just need reheating when you are ready.

What are the signs they are not getting enough? You may have already done so but get professional advice before you start combining formula during the night, this can have a more impact on your supply.

I combine fed after I returned to work and just used premixed formula. It’s more expensive but if you are using less of it, I think it is worth it.

Rapid cool is very good but you have to sterilise after.

You can be your own ‘prep machine’. It’s much cheaper and safer. Add
a few oz of hot boiled water to the formula to kill off any bacteria. Then add cooled boiled water to cool it down. All done . You’ll soon work out how much you need of each so it’s the perfect temperature

I used to pre make before bed, quickly cool in cold water then put to the back of the fridge. Heat up for 15 seconds with lid off and its ready. It's recommended on nhs website

Tomee tippee perfect prep saved my life with dc2. Wish I'd had it with my first, as I wanted to do combined, health visitor put me off with the whole not heating water to boiling first. Some people fill it with cooled boiled water first, I didn't with dc2, although I would have done it if there were any stomach bugs. I used instant bottles at first, then moved on to the prep, because it was actually the instant mini prepped bottles that didn't agree. I took very good care of the machine, and it was worth its weight in gold, I would take it downstairs for daytime, then back up for the nights with the sterilised bottles. As soon as dc heard the machine, he knew the milk was coming and stopped crying!

Either get a tommee tippee prep machine..Bit pricey and not portable.

or a rapid cool flask (Much cheaper and take it anywhere)!! Literally life changing!

I have my hot water flask and rapid cooling flask in babies nursery each night as she much prefers me to make the bottle in front of her (weird child). It cools boiling water to perfect temperature in less than 1 min. She doesn't wake every night for a feed, but I still make sure the flasks and an empty bottle are in there and ready to rock if we need it.

Throw in the powder, pour in the boiling water. Shake. Ready to put in bottle.

Also amazing for out and about. The hot water flask in my set keeps it hot hot hot for 8 hours.

If you’re only combi feeding at night then use the rapid cool flasks (nuby and tommee tippee both make them). But use the hot shot method and not use the flask to put formula in as you’d have to wash / sterilise each time. Doing hot shot method (same principle as the prep machine) means you’re only ever pouring water in the flasks. If you’re going to do it all through the day too then get a prep machine. Both absolutely genius inventions I would sell a kidney for if I had to.

Yes we used TT perfect prep too! And my sister did! In fact, I'm sure she donated hers to us! It was a bloody life saver!

A hot water dispenser that you can set to 70°. I couldn't have managed without mine

If you are unsure on the pphave two flasks and diy perfect prep

One with hot boiled water

One with cold previously boiled water

And make up feeds that way so own perfect prep

That how I often make feeds up and I'm a maternity nurse

It's roughly 1/3

So for a 4oz bottle 1 oz hot. Add 4 scoops - swirl and then add 3 oz of the cool boiled water

Or 6oz - 2 oz hot. 6 scoops. Swirl and add 4oz prev boiled cold water

If I had a baby now I would use a Perfect Prep, when ds was a baby I used to make up bottles for night feeds & put in a cool bag with ice packs then use bottle warmer.

This is what I do as well. You can also do it on the go which is great. It’s how prep machines work, so easy just to copy it without having to fork out for a machine.

Yes much easier and no need to machine /electricity so great for days out