Making up formula feeds

[walkingonthemoon]

Hi I'm a new childminder and have a little girl starting with me who is FF. I understand the DofH guidance on taking a flask with you on outings, etc. etc. But does this really work if you have several mindees to look after? Does anyone insist on ready made cartons to take out with a sterilised bottle, and happy to be given a dispenser with powder measured out by parent for home feeds (I suppose you could do a flask of 30 mins cooled water at the start of the day to cut out the 30 minute wait at home...).

Can anyone give me an idea of what they do? Step by step please for my tired 'completely maxed out on paperwork and preparation' mind!

Thanks so much.

Walking

how old is the little girl? I gave my CM ready made cartons but by 9 months or so DS2 was only having one bottle in the day so it was easier all round.

hi am cm.. have a child on formula.. mum gives me the dispenser and i make up feeds from bottles of boiled water she sends.. keep in fridge... if on a picnic or trip i take one allready mixed up and use..

these are good for 3 hours or so out of the fridge and i dont usually stay out longer than that anyway..

if out longer or stuck as in the snow last year i use tap water to quench thirst.. trust me this is fine.... even for new borns....havnt poisoned either my own 4 dcs or mindees yet..... pople dont realise how clean out tap water is .. much higher quality than bottled water... much more stringent policies... sil works for severn trent so take it from me its true..

dont worry too much...

See what the parents want you to do. What the DoH recommend and what a lot of parents do on a daily basis can be two very different things. Realisitically if they want the formula made up correctly they need to give you cartons.

But make it their call.

The danger is with the powder not being sterile not with the water

Safest to use cartons, if not follow DoH guidelines

if making with powder the water must be 70C + at time if mixing

you can use your flask to store boiling water; if making a 7 oz bottle add say 4oz boiling water, 7 scoops to mix the powder, (will kill any lurking bugs) then add 3oz of cooled boiled water to it so its the correct temp straight away.

I think as a CM (or any child care proffessional) you have a duty to make up the feeds correctly (rather than it being "too difficult") but no reason not to insist on cartons for use while out and about

Using a flask works well. I find it keeps the water very hot for a good 5 hours. Obviously will depend on the flask used.
I use one of those multi compartment small tubs with lid to store premeasured powder whilst out and about - so I've got at least two feeds worth.
The problem can be cooling the bottle once made but that's the issue when at home - baby demands a feed and it takes time to make and cool.

Cartons useful as a backup. Some babies will take them at room temp.

I agree just because parents don't follow every guide line doesn't mean that childcare proffessional shouldn't - applies to loads of things. If a baby got ill and you hadn't followed the guidlines it might be problem too

Parents provide a tin of formula to be left with me (this saves the problem of them forgetting - yes I have had a parent turn up with no milk for child and who then got upset that they had to go home to fetch it for me !!!!!) It will depend on where I am going as to how it works I either take a flask of water with me or where possible use boiling water freshly boiled e.g.if at a childrens centre group.

in the official guidelines (which i have just recently read) they say (at the bottom) that milk can be made with hot water, then chilled quickly, and stored at back of fridge and warmed up to 24 hours later.

with this in mind you probably COULD make a bottle properly, keep it very cold (so not ideal if you need it several hours later) and warm it up. Not ideal if for example you are doing a day trip to the zoo / beach / country park etc though