Any suggestions for during the night formula feeds?

[woodmill100]

At the moment, DS wakes at around 2 and then 5. We need to head downstairs (waking other family members and pets!) into kitchen to prepare feeds.

I think I am right in saying we shouldn't make feeds before we go to bed and leave them lying beside us but I wonder if any other formula parents have come up with any good ideas to prevent us from trailing down 2 flights of stairs to the kitchen to make up feeds.

there is a little regfrigaration/heating thing by Lindam, i have seen it in argos before that can be bedside...hang on

www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/0980474/Trail/searchtext%3ELINDAM.htm

take up measured out powder in container
and correct amount of hot water in bottles.
at 2am you mix the two resulting in warm milk!

or you could use a cool bag if doesnt have to be warm

Use cartons and either teach to drink at room temperature or take flask to warm up.

Or boil water, let cool till right temperature then put in flask. Make up bottle with water and take up powder in dispenser thingy. This method needs a bit of experimentation so water is not too hot or too cool by time of night feed.

As above but make up a bottle with 3 ish fl oz of boiled cooled water. Add near boiling water from flask up to correct level then add powder.

Or travel kettle in bedroom, boil, add powder then cool in jug of cold water.

Apologies to anyone if these contravene new regulations - just offering some options that I and people I know in RL have used.

I contravened the regulations by using room temperature cool boiled water measured into the bottles and then measuring the powder into a dispenser. At the time of the feed I added the powder to the water, gave it a shake and the feed was ready - I didnt have to leave the bedroom and then just got back into bed to feed ds. I did it this way for all feeds and ds has lived to tell the tale.

measure boiled water in bottle.
measure powder in dispenser
at 2 and 5 just mix and feed.

can't believe anyone has the strenght to do more in the middle of the night.

I'm with Seona1973, i make up 6 bottles of water a day, invariably forget to refridgerate them and just mix the powder in as i go. did this with both my (now) 3yo and my dd2 who's almost 4m.

i used to try and warm up all the daytime ones but she'll take the room temp ones, albeit maybe not as quickly. she'd roll her eyes at me like a threenager if she could, i'm sure!

in terms of advice about hygiene, this changes anyway, according to one HV, current advice is to make up the milk with freshly boiled water every time so as to kill the bacteria present in the milk powder. i think this is going a bit far... we'll be sterilising their thumbs next!

If you are worried about the bacteria in the milk powder either use packets or boil water and put in a flask, take flask to your room with powder measured out, use water from flask, mix with milk and put in a bit of cold water if necessary.

I always use cooled boiled water in the bottles (room temp) and add powder as needed.

If you are unsure about not making from fresh at every feed (I know these are new guidelines) then use cartons of pre-prepared formula at night.

we used the ready made cartons at night. Seriously expensive, DP was worried that we would go broke.

It is important to mix up the formula using water that is hot enough to kill the bacteria. (this is because of a specific bacteria, which is very dangerous and can be found in formula).

With this in mind the best way is to take water up in a flask, that has boiled, but cooled only slightly. Use this to make up the feed and either leave to cool in a jug of cold water (or bathroom sink?) or make up the feed with 3 oz hot water from flask, and top it up with 4 oz of cooled boiled water which you take up in another bottle.

Or you could use the cartons, if the brand you use makes them.