can someone please tell me how to

[talulahbeige]

feed on demand but make up a bottle when it is needed (as per the instructions to use immediately) but do this before the crying starts? it's bloody impossible

When mine was tiny I would make a days worth of feeds in advance (safely, with water at 70 degrees etc.) then I would put them at the back of the fridge and warm up when I needed one. There is still a small wait while you warm up, but it is quicker than making an entire feed on demand.

I understand that guidelines say you can keep pre-made feeds refrigerated for up to 24 hours before they should be discarded, however, I would only do so for 12 hours, just because I was a bit neurotic.

To warm up many people use a bottle warmer, or stand the bottle in hot water for a few minutes. I actually would microwave mine for 20-30 seconds then give it a good shake to get rid of hotspots but I chose to do this; it is against recommendations so I'm not telling you to do it but it's been fine for us.

I made 2 or 3 at a time the same as mummytopoppy as long as your careful store them correctly and only keep for max 24 hours you won't have a problem

thank you both, I had considered that but guidelines always seem to advise against the easy way. I'll give it a go

the guidelines only changed a couple of years ago and the main reasons for the changes where people not storing correctly or keeping the formula to long, also your more likely to miscount scoops if you make more than 1 so as long as your carefully you'll be fine.

We've done the above but just to add to the info provided (as we had the same issue initially):

• flask of boiled water, formula container with required scoops. When required fill bottle with water, tip in formula, shake, stick in jug of cold water. Cools pretty quickly.
• get a general idea of how often your baby feeds; we felt like it was constant until we realised it was every 3 hours. So on approaching the 3 hour mark we would make a bottle so it'd be ready for DS.
• keep some ready to feed formula in the house. This has been so useful for us with growth spurts, DS usually sleeps through so when he cries in the middle of the night it takes us by surprise a bit.