Why can't nurseries deal with "spillages" ?

[pookamoo]

DD is starting nursery next week and will be taking a combination of formula and expressed breastmilk for her feeds. She is 1.

Today the nursery told me that the water for her formula will need to be prepared in advance by us at home and sent in a cool bag. They will add the formula powder (which we also supply in measured pots).

However, if there is a leak of water, they are "not allowed" to deal with the spillage. They can't just boil a kettle and let it cool and make new water for the formula, they would have to phone me at work and get me to go there and do it.

Why is this? I didn't get the chance to ask her.

just get some ready made cartons and send those in. It's to do with health and safety liability - if the staff make up the formula with the wrong amount of water as a result of a staff spill rather than a miscalculation of measurement by you, the nursery is legally liable for damages should your baby become ill as a result.

their method of formula contravines WHO guidelines for the preparation of formula. Whilst it probably wouldnt be a risk to a 1 year old I would be very concerned if this is how they are making formula for babies under 6 months. Is dangerous and wrong - formula must be added to water that has not been boiled for longer than 30 minutes.

It really shocks me that childcare PROFESSIONALS dont know/choose to ignore this. Its clearly written on the side of every tin of formula.

Grrrr

Rant over

I'm probably totally wrong here but if she is 1 why can't she have a mixture of cows milk and expressed breastmilk?

Hmm, I didn't know that geordie, I will definitely ask them tomorrow when I take her for her settling in session. They do ask us to put it in a cool bag. They did say that one little girl has her formula pre prepared at home and it goes in the fridge. Now I know that's not advised. I don't know how old she is though.

Libra DD is not a particularly enthusiastic eater of solids, and at home she has a mixture of cows' and bm, mostly bm. I want to give her the additional nutrients in the formula to compensate for her small appetite for solid food. I haven't expressed before, so I'm not sure if I will get enough ebm to fulfil her whole needs. I think I am being "belt and braces" about it probably, but can you see my point? If I get enough ebm for 3 bottles full every day, I will just send that.

colditz that makes sense about h&s, but the cartons are a lot more expensive than the powder.

I've never known a nursery to do this, most good baby units have a milk room, parents send in tins of formula and bottles and the staff make up fresh when needed. I agree with georgieminx sounds very wrong not to follow correct guidelines and I would have thought the chances of something going wrong doing it this way are far higher than the staff just making it as needed.
Re: health and safety sounds like a load of pants, I make up formula for my mindees fresh, and am fully insured, but I suppose if thats their policy theres not a lot you can do about it.

Would be interested to hear from any nursery workers if they operate similar systems.

I would give her organic cows milk, she will prob eat more at nursery with other children then if you are still worried give her multi vit drops (ABIDEC OR SOMESUCH)

Formula prepared with cold water is nasty, all gritty

I tend to agree with littleducks -- cows' milk plus ebm plus vitamin drops will be a lot easier (and cheaper!) than formula plus ebm.

DD's nursery makes up formula fresh (and they provide all the popular brands, so you only need to send in your own if you are giving something obscure).

My nursery doesn't make formula up fresh. They tell the parents to prepare them and they will put it in the fridge to be warmed up as necessary. They won't add powder to cooled boiled water either as they are not supposed to make up formula. This is indeed not the right way to make formula, and I don't know how they get away with it TBH. As my son is over 1yr now I don't mind the risk of prepared formula too much, but I have started sending them cows milk instead now.

He also doesn't eat a lot of solids, so I give him Abidec.

Oh dear now I don't know what to do.

They do heat the formula as well, in a microwave, which I know it says not to do on the box.

I didn't ask about it today at the settling in session. I will ask DH to talk to them on Monday when he goes in with her. To be honest I'm a bit overwhelmed by it all.

The whole formula game is totally new to us, as DD has always been breastfed from birth. I just don't want to put too much pressure on myself to express, when I am stressed out enough about going back to work as it is. I really don't think I would be able to get 3 whole feeds' worth out.

We really do need to talk to them about it, don't we?

I wouldnt get stressed over it, at one years old I cut down to a morning and bedtime feed and ds started eating more

one breastfeed am and pm, cows milk for midday (plus any milk you express) and food of course should work after a short while

honestly i think that it will prob bother dd far less than you are worrying about now

It's hard to keep up with all the new rules regarding bottled milk and babies. For years people made up bottles for a whole day and stored them in the fridge. And I confess that even though it wasn't recommended I always heated bottles in the microwave - I would just let them stand for a min, give them a good shake and always check the temperature.

i work in a nursery, years ago in the old building, when i worked in the baby room we didn't have a proper milk kitchen (as most purpose built nurserys do) so parents either brought in cartons, measured out milk and cooled water, or pre made bottles, however we did boil water on a daily basis (and still do), for water in their cups, so this was sometimes used to make up bottles.

In our new purpose built nursery we do have a milk kitchen, and parents do still provide either cartons, or pre measured formula which we now mix. Some parents provide the water or we do, however we would never make up formula out of tins, for health and safety reasons.

However if your nursery is anything like mine, cows milk is free for children over aged 1 so that may be the cheapest option for you?

Pookamoo I have just noticed you have 2 threads about this and I have replied to the other one. Just to be sure you see this, there is clear guidence on formula for care settings and i have posted the link on you other thread. Just to clarify about 2 points mentioned here. It is still ok to make up bottles for giving later but they must be made up with water at least 70 degrees and cthen stored in temps of max 5 derees info is on link i mentioned.

the microwave advice is to avoid hot spots in the bottles which can be solved by giving them a good shake tbh.

link about milk is here www.dwrcymru.com/English/library/publications/milk%20guidance/english.pdf

If your daughter isn't used to the taste of formula I wouldn't introduce it now! She might not want to drink it anyway! Cows milk for nursery, BM at home. Easiest, cheapest and avoids all issues around the nursery and formula.

I agree. DS did this when he started nursery. He was fine with cows' milk for weetabix or porridge and his own milk at home. He was on formula by then (10 months) but I didn't send any in. When he reached 1 they started to give cows' milk as a drink.