Formula feeding: help needed!

[FiFi118]

Hi I know this may seem like a stupid question but I have been exclusively breast feeding my lo who is now 6 months old - i have to go back to work soon so have started weaning off the breast but have no idea about formula feeding. On the formula packet it says you have to make up each bottle for each feed - but i know other mums who make up all the bottles with cooled boiled water in the morning or the night before and then add the powder as and when a bottle is needed? Any advice is appreciated!

The reason we are told to make b ottles up as needed is because the powder isn't sterile, so needs to be added to water of at temp at least 70 degrees in order to kill any stray bugs etc. It is unlikely that your child would pick up an infection from the powder, but potentially fatal if s/he does.
I personally filled up bottles with water and put them in the fridge and added powder when I needed it and warmed in hot water.

i personally make up a couple of bottles at a time with boiling water and put them in the fridge. that's not the recommended way though. i think that's better than using cooled boiled water.

Fifi, Congratulations of doing 6 months of breastfeeding

I know you asked about formula feeding, but as you didn't say whether or not you wanted to wean your baby, just that you felt you HAD to. So I thought I would post alternatives solutions in case that helps.

On returning to work some mothers :-

: Continue to breastfeed when they are with their baby and put their baby in a nearby child care facility so they can visit baby for a lunch time nurse.

: Continue to breastfeed when they are with their baby and provide nursery with expressed milk for the baby to have during the day. (This assumes you having the time and energy to pump during the day whilst you are at work)

: Continue to breastfeed when they are with their baby and the nursery gives the baby suitable solids, water and NO milk during the day. Some solids can count to your baby's calcium requirements and the baby will nurse more when mother is around (BTW this is known as 'reverse nursing' and might happen anyway, even if the baby is provided with formula or breastmilk during the day)

: Continue to breastfeed when they are with their baby and ask the nursery to formula feed during the day. In this case you can give the nursery the formula and ask them to make it up as the guidelines outline.

If you decided to go to full formula feeding, please make the bottles up properly with hot water of no less than 70c and not how your friend and LittleBoyBlue makes up their bottles.