CM Club......Making up bottles

[hennipenni]

Can anybody tell me what the latest procedure is for making up formula? Are we supposed to make them up as needed? Have a baby starting soon who's parents want to make all the bottles needed for the day at home for me to store in my fridge but I read somewhere that this isn't best ptactise. However if parents really want to do this, if I ask them to sign a disclaimer saying that they're happy to do this and it's their own choice etc then is this ok? (should know this but haven't looked after a bottle fed baby for eons!).

this the way that childcare prefessionlas are meant to make the feeds but tbh it isnt always pratical

mb and i agreed to make up feeds by making up bottles with just water, then heating water and adding powder

but

The safest way to make up feeds is one at a time with water that has cooled to no less than 70ºC. If you need to make feeds in advance, put some boiled water into a sterilised vacuum flask. When away from home, take the flask, together with the right amount of powder in a cleaned, sterilised and dry plastic container and the cleaned, sterilised bottle. Make up the feed, and cool the bottle before feeding it to your baby.

read here and here

I would go with the parents preferred way

I am a parent who has sent sent formula in a special container and sterilised bottles filled with water to the childminder which is how we did it at home.

as long as you get them to sign something saying this is how they want you to do it.

Would they maybe send in cartons of ready made formula rather than powder? The reason you have to be so careful with making up feeds from powder is because it's not sterile and can contain bacteria, but the carton milk is sterile.

I've alway had parents provide bottles and tins of formula - i provide the steriliser! When I've had a tin of formula for 3 weeks, I give it back to parents and they send another the following week.

You can get those little plastic things for powder now that fit inside the tommee tippee bottles, but they are really fiddly to use.

Cartons are good but expensive!

parents may previde the powder and bottles but it is the way you make them up that counts

you are not meant to give cold milk ( as in cooled water and add powder) anymore because of the bacteria in it - so you ARE MEANT to make sure the water is 70* then add powder

OFSTED commented on my 'good practice' making up bottles at 70 degrees (using a probe) then cooling them when she inspected me on Monday

tbh i think its a pita HAVING to ensure water is right temp

so much easier giving room temp milk or as my ex ex charge did 11years ago stright from the fridge freezing cold !!!