preparing formula

[stapes]

I have just started topping up my baby's feeds with formula as my breast milk is struggling to keep up with her growth spurt. Is it acceptable to prepare the formula in advance? I know it is against dept of health guidelines but what do you do to avoid a long wait with a screaming hungry baby?

There should be some formal guidance given by MWs/HVs to parents about making up bottles. I was never given any information about bottle feeding - maybe because I bf'd initially. But even those who bf (and I bf DD until 1yo with only a very occasional bottle of formula) sometimes top-up or even replace with formula at some point. I think, whilst promoting bfing is essential, we need to be very careful that we are not leaving those who bottle feed to get all of their info off the back of a carton!

does it not say to leave the kettle for no longer than 30 mins? that way it should still be over 70degrees and thus hot enough to kill off any bacteria?

the NHS does print a bottle-feeding leaflet which ought to be available to all mothers/carers

Totally agree Leftangle. And if it is so crucial for it to be at 70 degrees, are we meant to set a timer to ensure we wait exactly 30mins and then use a thermometer to check the exact temp? It just seems ridiculous!

Ok i was always told, and have just googled that you put water in first, and then add the powder.

Jackie you keep saying pour the water over the powder, is this new guidlines now?

Surely you have to put the water in first so that you can measure the exact amount of water using the guide on the bottle?

You definately have to put the water in first!

I used to make a days feeds in advance by filling the bottles with boiling water add the required number of scoops, cool them down put in fridge warm up again as required using a bottle warmer discard unfinished feeds and any unused feeds in fridge left at end of day.

I have just noticed this thread and am starting to bottle my ds after 11months of breastfeeding. Sometimes when I try to be quick preparing the bottle I put just boiled water into the bottle and there is this horrible smell of burning plastic mixed with sterilised water I suppose, which I 'm sure can't be right so I have discarded it and started again with cooler water. We have been using Aptamil Follow on which does say on the box to leave the kettle for 30 minutes, it doesn't say "for no more than 30 minutes"

Does this mean that the formula isn't safe for ds if it is left too long? Is there much evidence of children being very ill because of formula being made up too early and left or made up with water not above 70 degrees? I too had absolutely no information given to me on formula feeding as I chose to breastfeed.

Also up until now we have used the occasional ready made cartons. What is the difference between the milk being in the carton and being opened and in the bottle? Is it bacteria from the air that can harm it? I can understand in the summer the heat could cause bacteria to develop but what about in this cold weather? Ds doesn't always finish a bottle within two hours when we are out and about in the buggy.

We shouldn't need to have this discussion, the boxes should be clear and straightforward enough for us just to follow them nad not have to worry.
Are there any recent examples of children in the UK getting ill from forumla btw?
Angle starting to worry that this is why dd has had diahorrea (sp?) all week.

You should be able to add boiling water to a bottle without it damaging the bottle (they are effectively boiled in a steriliser).

I left cooled boiled water in sterilised bottle.

When needed zap in microwave for required time to reach 70 degrees (this will depend on your microwave, so is best to work out by testing water once with a food thermometer)

add formula, shake and stick in jug of cold water/hold under tap until ready to drink.

We also used to keep a jug of cold water in the fridge, so that the bottle would cool down quicker.

Hazeyjane, thanks for replying, but our steriliser is a cold water one, it was such a horrid smell though, my dh came through from the kitchen "saying something is burning in there" I thought he meant the cooker was on but it was only the bottle, perhaps it was worse because the lid was on but it even smells sometimes when I leave the lid off. Now I just let the kettle cool a bit and then use it, we don't have a microwave so can't zap it when needed, its a good idea to have some water in the fridge ready to cool the bottle though, I'll try that, ds is so impatient!

FlyingDuchess - I really don't think making formula is a 'break' at all. As I said earlier, I bf DD, and only ever used a few bottles of formula (and they were usually cartons). I always thought it must be much easier to use formula, cos the baby must feed quicker, be in more of a routine etc. How wrong I was!

DS lost a considerable amount of weight over the first few months (despite me demand feeding) and refused to feed at times. I felt that 'topping up' with formula was my only option, even though I was very disappointed not to be solely bfing him as I had done with DD. I was incredibly worried about some health problems he had, and the worry over his weight was making an already bad situation worse. So I chose to top up, but it was NOT the easy option AT ALL. It involved trying to get him to bf as often as possible (a nightmare as he just wasn't interested), AND having to faff with bottles, sterilising etc - which led to feeding taking up much of the day and being very traumatic.

Introducing a bottle as a top up was certainly in no way a break, that's for certain!

You are right FlyingDuchess - and some things which are normal and/or expected with breastfeeding, like constant feeding, are considered a problem simply because they don't happen with bottlefed babies.

flying duchess thanks for answering my questions. I did wonder about whether I needed to sterilise now but didn't want to risk ds getting tummy bugs so just carried on. You are right though faffing is the last thing I need right now.

He does have water and will drink from a cup as well but we have gone back to more bottles these last couple of weeks to get more down him as he has been poorly and the hv said he hadn't put enough weight on, also dh has been feeding him the evening feed, he won't have it from me as he wants the breast. Hopefully it won't be for much longer!

Ok, here's what I do..

Either
Make bottle with full amount of powder and half amount water with recently boiled water then cool with premeasured cooled boiled water in bottles from fridge.
OR
Make bottle fresh with full amount recently boiled water and powder and cool in jug of very cold water from fridge (takes about 5mins)

I use cartons when out and about and heat them using this handy gismo Thought it was really daft when first saw it but it's very handy.

I think it helps to understand the reasons for the guidelines: which as everyone have said relate mostly to the fact that powder isn't sterile (and couldn't be. Even if it left the factory sterile and sealed, it would not be after the first scoop).

Hairtwiddler's work around is the standard one. Powder goes into half the quantity of very hot water, then top up with cold (just make sure, as she says, that you pre-measure the water. Otherwise you don't account for the volume of powder and make it up too strong). This addresses the issue of the powder going into hot water.

It is also worth knowing that bacteria multiply far easier in made up formula than in powder. So making up bottles and leaving in the fridge then heating is the worst option. Making up bottles with pre-prepared water and adding powder at the last minute still isn't in line with the guidelines, but is better as the bacteria possibly present have less time to multiply.

But Ribenaberry - if you make up the bottles with hot water (over 70 degrees) the harmful bacteria that is possibly in the milk powder will be killed. Then if you cool quickly, keep under 4 degrees and are careful with your bottle washing then bacteria shouldn't be a problem.

The above method is recommended by the department of health in circumstances where you can't make up a bottle freshly so can't be too bad.

Sorry MsJuan. I wasn't very clear. I was talking about all the people who say that they made up 2-3 days of feeds. Yes, I'd say your way is better than adding powder to cold water. I was trying to show that there was a spectrum of risks. It's not that, if you don't do it right you might as well ignore all the guidance. Again, sorry I wasn't that clear.

I fill 1 thermos flask morning and evening with freshly boiled water and 1 sealed jug with cold freshly boiled water.

To make a 4oz feed i pour 2ozs of this hot water into a bottle, add 4 scoops of powder to it, screw on teat/lid and shake, unscrew and add 2ozs of the cold boiled water and add teat/lid, shake and feed.

To measure the cold water i use the Avent steriliser measure jug for a single feed, when making two feeds i double the amount and use the second bottle for the cold water and pour this in as before then devide the volume, current twins have 7 ozs made using 3ozs hot and once mixed is then divided to 3 & 4ozs.

I didn't realise you now had to discard a feed after 2 hours (used to be 1) and that you couldn't use recently boiled water. Anyone know what is the minimum time a kettle needs to be left for the temperature of the water not to destroy nutrients?

Also I'm confused about the storage issue, surely a bottle of freshly made formula at room temperature or higher for 2 hours, is a better breeding ground for bacteria than a freshly made bottle, rapidly cooled and then stored in a fridge for a few hours .