formula feeding when out and about

[LadyBee]

I know there's an enormous (and quite tetchy) thread about making up bottles, I've read it. I want to get some suggestions for working within (or as close to) the guidelines for safe make-up of formula while not in the house. At the moment I'm BFing but will be moving onto formula over Christmas in preparation for going back to work and DS going to childcare. I've used a few cartons of ready-made formula and if that turns out to be the thing, I guess I can continue. But if anyone has a good system worked out I'd like to hear it.
What products do you use?

• coolbag?
• thermos flask?
• powder storers?

DS has taken cartons at room temperature without much protest, if that makes a difference

I didn't use much formula but I don't think you can beat the ready made cartons for use out and about.

Cartons are best I think. Or if you think they're too expensive, depends on the brand but SMA do sachets that mix with 7oz of water. I think the problem is that powder is not sterile (and so you need the water to be about 70 degrees C to kill off any harmful bacteria). The cartons are sterile and so much more versatile.

The cartons are your best bet for out and about - my nursery make FF as they go; surely yours will too?

I'm sure the childcare will do it as they go, it's more for me when I'm doing the transition and needing to do more than one feed if I'm out during the day. Can imagine being out long enough to need to give something before lunch and also a mid-afternoon feed, for example. But I guess carrying two bottles and a couple of cartons (and scissors ) isn't much problem.
I have visions of buying a box-load of cartons, but I'm probably over-thinking this one..in reality I'm probably not going to be doing much over Christmas - New Year other than hunkering down and enjoying my last few days full-time at home with DS

..

Do you think a thermos would keep the water hot enough?
Did think I could take a bottle of cold boiled, a thermos of hot and do the hot water, add powder, shake to dissolve and top up with cold to get temperature ok.
Opinions on whether that would be safe?
Given the milk is not going to be sitting around so bacteria multiplying is not the issue, just bacteria in powder problem to deal with...

hmmm...that's quite a lot of stuff to carry though isn't it.
Cartons are looking more attractive again.

We've just converted day feeds to ff, and my LO will ONLY take it at a warm temp.

You can't really beat the cartons for convenience, but the other option is taking sterile bottle, flask of boiling water and pot of powder pre measured.

Pour in water from thermos, add powder and shake approx half an hour before he needs feed and it's roughly the right temp for him. Or if in a hurry cool down made up bottle in a cup of cold water.

It's really made me realise how much more convenient bf was ...

I exclusively expressed for 6 months and even though I used to have to take pump etc out with me on longer excursions I actually found it more convenient than ff. The EBM keeps for 6 hours at least out of the fridge, and there was always the option of being able to express more!

That was in response to previous post by the way, not that I think the OP should express feeds while out etc...!

Have you considered mix feeding ? i.e. You nurse your DS morning and evening as normal and during the day when you are with him. i.e. Days off and weekends, therefore no messing about with bottles or formula at all for you.

Then ask the childcare to give him formula if he needs it during the day when you aren't there. Depending on his age at that time and if he is on solids, he might not even need milk during the day.

That's pretty much what I do Monthlymayhem..works well enough for me.

How about this.

Cooled, boiled water ready in the sterilised bottle(s), kept at room temperature. Train baby to take it at this temp.

Buy one of those little milk powder storage tubs with three compartments, and measure out enough milk for a feed into each one.

Then when it's feeding time, just tip the powder into the bottle. Shake up and formula is ready.

Lots cheaper than cartons.

Don't need to sterilise it - the bottle and water are sterile at the point at which you add the powder. Then you feed the milk to the baby straight away so it doesn't require refrigeration (unless you're saving a bit of course).

Great in theory BoffinMum and was done in the past, and still is today but the new thinking is that there are germs in the powder so the water needs to be at 70'C or hotter to kill them!! tho how germs that need warmth to grow will do so in room temp ~18'C water has never been explained.

BoffinMum, that's what I was sort of hoping I could do, as DS doesn't seem to have a problem with milk not at body temp. But the bacteria in the powder issue scares me a bit - although also don't see what would be killed without fairly prolongued contact with v hot temp.

BabiesEverywhere - I'm probably going to be going back to work 3 days a week. So potentially could be feeding during the day 2 days (weekend), then not for 2 days (at work), then again for 2 days (days off), then not for the last day.
Do you think supply would work for that?
This is aside from the problem I have with feeding DS in public (very very distracted baby..feeding anywhere but quiet room not terribly successful).

He's 6 months now, so will be 8-9 months when he's off to childcare.

I work 3 days and feed dd at night, after nursery and before bed. My supply seems fine, she feeds late morning on my days off as well, couldn't be doing with faffing around with bottles. My nursery insist on ready made cartons though.

I don't think the way BoffinMum explains is meets the new standards/rules for making up formula - although I'm pretty sure there are a large number of people doing it - up to you I suppose.

I bf mornings/evenings/weekends and dd takes a bottle of formula 2x per day when I am at work (FT). She's been doing this since she was 8mths, we just started using cartons and never ever heated them, so she's used to room temp now.

My supply has been fine, I used to express at work but was getting very little and didn't have time, so now do a very quick hand express down the loo (glam!) at lunchtime. Been doing this for a few months now and so far so good!

She is also v distractable and I am bit wimpish about feeding her in public now, so if I can't be at home, eg for her mid-morning feed at the weekend, I take out a carton and a pre-sterilised empty bottle. We do waste a fair bit of the formula but it's worth the extra cost to me to know it's all safe etc, plus so easy (and you can rip the Aptamil ones open, no scissors needed!). There is always the odd occasion where she'll refuse a bottle from me and demand a bf, but most of the time she's ok with it as long as I feed her when she gets home.

well that sounds promising wonderstuff.
And thinking about it, there isn't really any reason (except my own laziness) that I couldn't use bottles of EBM when I'm out with him during days - I had been doing that, but couldn't see any advantage to it after starting solids. But the safety aspect wasn't one I'd considered.
I haven't been expressing much lately but could start a regular express and build up my freezer stock again for days out.
Childcare would make up as they go or I'll supply cartons, whatever they want.
Hmmm...might be getting towards a plan.

Caz10 - so you express at work to keep supply up? Or just to keep comfortable. I could do that, my work has an on-site nurse with private rooms with washbasins etc so shouldn't be too awkward.

Had no idea you could rip open Aptamil ones...will have to experiment , although I do seem to have developed the same hand weakness my mother has since having DS. Can't open a jar to save myself.

fisher price do a thermos flask that has a bid lid that you can put the bottle in to warm up the bottle. (put boiling water in before u go out) they r really good too keep the water hot all day.

i have the tommee tippee closer to nature bottles which you can buy the powder pots which you but inside the bottle with the water in the bottle and the pot on the top then when you r ready to feed you can warm the water up (though if you have put boiling water in it may still be hot) in you flask water and then just pour the powder in.

have done this with all 3 of my children and have manage to stay out for whole days at a time

There is always a bit of spillage from the cartons I will admit!

I started expressing at work to get EBM to feed her but wasn't getting enough and I wasn't getting the time, so it just became a quick 5 min session both to keep up supply and keep myself comfortable - although I'm aware that might be a cycle, perhaps if I dropped the expressing my supply would adjust and I wouldn't get so full - but I'm too paranoid about my supply! I said to the leader at a BF group I used to go to that I probably wouldn't have time to express, and she said a quick hand express would still send the signals that milk was being removed and this would maintain supply.

Plus I was doing it in a stinky cupboard, and if the bell went for a wet lunchtime the pupils could come bursting in at any moment - it was all a bit yuck! BUT - it was nice in that I felt that dd was still connected to me and still my priority etc, so if you can do it I would, and your room at work sounds really nice!

The same as chips and tart.

I was told by my HV that this was fine.

For some reason pre made ones didn't go down well with my son and TBH I found it more hassle opening the carton than using fresh water and powder from the little tubs.

Happy to be proved wrong but not entirely convinced just yet ... Bit worried about reports of bacteria in pasteurised milk powder - anyone know what these bacteria might be? How did they decide that 70 degrees was the right temp?

ladybee ds2 has also tolerated my completely eratic hours with no problem...he wouldn't take a bottle when I went back to work so just carried on with bfing when I am available. Now 18 months he drinks from cups but still has 2 feeds most days. It has been nice to keep bfing.

LadyBee-to pick up on your question about supply/working etc, and not having to change.

I went back to work 3 days/week when ds was 7 months (OK, I expressed his feeds, rather than give formula) but he fed more than I expressed iyswim. I went back full time when he was one (he had cow's milk by this time), and he was still feeding at 2.4. Twas only pregnancy that did for my supply.
By 6 months, your supply is pretty bombproof, and boobs are amazingly flexible.

I only suggest it as all this cartons/boiled water business sounds a terrible faff.