question re. making up formula

[ParanoidAtAllTimes]

We've just started 1 bottle a day after ebfing and I'm a bit clueless! The advice seems to be that you have to boil the kettle then leave it for 25-30mins before making up the feed. This is a bit of a PITA- can I make it straight after boiling or will it kill off nutrients?

Always assumed that the leaving it for 25 mins was to cool it sufficiently for baby to drink straight away. I used to make the bottles straight from a freshly boiled kettle and store in the fridge, but guess if youre only giving 1 bottle a day then thats unnecessary.

So Im assuming that the 25 mins is so baby doesnt burn their mouth.

Well that would sound logical but apparently it's still at least 70 degrees at this point to kill off the bacteria! Confusing!

70 degrees will kill off the bacteria. I use a jug of boiled-and-cooled water (sterilised jug and covered, or you can use individual bottles) then reboil boil the kettle, add half the amount of hot water to the formula powder (thus killing the bacteria), shake to dissolve, then add the boiled-and-cooled water to make the feed up to the right concentration which also cools it to a drinkable temperature.

Formula powder is not sterile once opened and although the bacteria is rare it can cause serious illness, not that I wish to sound alarmist!

If you're just doing one bottle a day, why not just use a carton of ready made milk? Then you don't need to worry about the boiling water etc, just having a sterilised bottle ready.

Thanks frakkinaround and runjhc. I'm happy to use very hot water, just wondered if I could use the kettle as soon as it's boiled rather than waiting IYSWIM. I like the jug of water idea though.

I would use the cartons but ds has been prescribed lactose free formula to try as the normal stuff seems to give him projectile diahorrea!

Shame about the cartons! I thought the water had to be at least 70 degrees to kill the bacteria (i.e. could be hotter) and that the only reason you're supposed to leave it to cool is avoid scalding risk to you and baby.

So we quite often just leave it for about 5-10 mins when we're in a rush and then cool it down in a pan of cold water before giving it to DS to drink.

We make up 2-3 bottles a time and cool the ones we're not using straight away as quickly as possible and put straight into the fridge. We then heat them up in a jug of boiling water when it's time for a feed. The DH guidelines say that unless you're making up each bottle fresh (which is obviously the best thing to do) then storing them at below 5 degrees is the next safest thing (bacteria multiply most between 5 and 70 degrees)

We only tend to leave the kettle about 10 minutes once the it's boiled.

Then plunge the bottle into cold water for a bit.

I have heard that using boiling water affects the nutrients in the formula but not sure about that.

I thought the leaving the water for 30 mins was a mix of scalding safety (for you) and that we're not supposed to put boiling water directly into bottles

But then the whole thing is quite confusing isn't it?