Bottle-feeding: making in advance v. making each time

[Meandacat]

I tried to BF but it just didn't work - that's a whole other story.

So now I'm bottle-feeding and am confused about the practicality of making a feed using formula from scratch each time. So far, I've been making up a bottle with boiled water cooled, chilling it in the fridge, then taking it out, adding formula and heating by standing in more (slightly) cooled boiling water while I change DD.

But I am worried about the sterility of this and know that making a feed each time is recommended. I've read suggestions that you can get over the annoying 1/2 hour wait for the boiled water to cool by running your made up bottle under the cold water tap. But what about the bottle itself? Surely I'd still have to sterilise a bottle for every single feed? I have a microwave steriliser which takes 4 bottles and this seems a ridiculous waste of its capacity and energy (though, ok, I 'fess, I have no idea how much energy a 6 minute pop in the microwave is). What are the options?

Can you supply ready made formula for creche?

Can you call the manufacturer's helpline and ask them?

This formula is not on sale in the UK, so there will be very few mumsnetters who have used it.

Prometheus I recall having seen this mentioned on another thread and think that some formulas contain a probiotic that would be destroyed by water above 40oc. I second calling the helpline.

sticks fingers in ears

ds has formula that must be made with cool water. I hate it.

Now I feel worse....I've rang the Nestle helpline and the woman had no idea that anyone would ever want to make formula with water that was above 40 degrees ..even when I told her that WHO guidelines say the never should never be below 70 degrees

She said that if the water in any formula is above 40 degrees it kills all the vitamins!!!

I feel so guilty about having to give up breastfeeding and now I am going to worry about bacteria and salmonella every time I give DS a bottle

Prometheus - I recommend getting in touch with Baby Milk Action. They should be able to give you unbiased advice on properly preparing your formula.

Prometheus

Probiotic vs Enterobacter sakazakii

I know which I pick and I don't care what the people in the helpline say. How is water at 40 meant to help? Bacteria can still thrive then.

Might as well make it up with Evian from the bottle

Frankenstein - that is actually what she suggested. She was shocked that I wouldn't just use bottled water as then I "only need to heat to 37.5 degrees" instead of boiling...only tap water needs boiling apparently.

I put a question on an expats forum here in Belgium to see what other Brits, Americans, Australians do and I got a lashing for being too overprotective as everyone here just uses bottled water which they don't even boil.

Guess I'm just going to have to use 40 degree water or I risk my baby not getting any nutrients at all.

I don't see how that would be the case. If UK formula still contains nutrients in 70 degree water why would European formula not?

I know it's what they suggest. I gave the French midwife a right tongue lashing for suggesting it to a client of mine. In an absolute emergency unopened bottled water is safer than unhooked tap but boiled kills the bacteria lurking in the formula and Evian won't. Other people are extremely badly informed, particularly by HCPs.

Vitamins will survive 70C water. You boil vegetables, right? Heat and cool quickly to preserve as much as possible. Bacteria won't, in theory, survive the initial heat shock and any that do will be insuffucuent to colonise. 70C is the best compromise.

If you are seriously concerned about the probiotic add it after preparation. The risk of contamination from doing that is less severe - the bacteria found in formula is rare but can kill or seriously disable a child as I know :(

I also had a terrible time trying to breastfeed my son due having had a blood transfusion and him needing light therapy and formula for jaundice. When it all went wrong and I ended up bottle feeding I was on the verge of post natal depression due to the pressure to breastfeed. Once I reached breaking point and there was no going back from bottle feeding I found the support stopped. There are no support groups where you can go to talk about the emotions of it all going wrong and to ask for advice on how to prepare feeds, only support groups to try to help you to continue to breastfeed. I believe this is a really vulnerable time and more support is needed for those who pass the point of no return. If you would like to support me please join my facebook group www.facebook.com/groups/152821398183116/