Preparing formula

[Littlemissexpecting]

Ds is now exclusively formula fed. We have been using the pre made cartons mostly but now wish to use the powder exclusively.
My friends are making up bottles differently.
Some pour boiling water from kettle into bottles and add powder as and when required to the bottle (which sits on worktop or bag until required).
Some make the days bottles up and chill then put in fridge.

So how do you make your bottles? Please no criticism on breast vs bottle, I really just want more info to help me make my decision. TIA

I have ff since birth as I had to take medication during pregnancy that would have passed to my ds through my milk.
Once I knew I was unable to breast feed I struggled to find information and support on ff. Now my ds is 11 weeks old we have managed a little routine. The main point is that the formula powder should only be mixed with hot fresh water to ensure any bacteria in the powder is killed.

Before bed I empty the kettle fill with fresh water and boil. I then make 2 bottles and 'flash cool them in cold water and ice blocks then put them at the back of the top shelf of the fridge. I then take my bottles for the night and fill them with the hot water and my powders seperately in little containers (I have a mini fridge upstairs which has a heat setting which keeps my water hot). When baby is hungry in the night i add the powder mix and cool.
During the day I take my bottles from the fridge and microwave for 30 secs and shake very well so no hot spots occur. when I use my second one out of the fridge I make my last 2 bottles for the day and put them in the fridge as before.

The NHS and D of H say make each bottle individually but my hungry boy was going stir crazy whilst waiting for a hot bottle to cool. They advise if you need to you can make the bottle fresh and keep in the fridge for 24hrs.

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/212827/2900017-Bottle-feeding-leaflet-v1_0-no-crops.pdf

Hope this helps x

The powder should go into water that is at least 70 degrees I believe in order to kill the bacteria in it. It's usually this hot up to 30 minutes after being boiled. After that the official recommendation these days is to use the bottle immediately (cooled under a tap or whatever), though many people (myself included) make them in advance and store them in the top of the fridge for no more than 12 hours...

I used to boil the kettle, let it cool to the right temperature, then make up half a dozen bottles, flash cool and put at the back of the fridge. At nighttime I still used cartons as it was easier.

Obviously the above is no longer recommended but you do have to weigh up how able you are to make bottles on demand. We did this as it suited us and DD best (when she was hungry, she was hungry) but if she had any stomach upsets at all (very rare) then we went back to making bottles as near to demand as we could, just in case there was something in the bottles that was upsetting her.

Most people I know did this and it was fine, however that's of course anecdotal.

I'm making up in batches of 3. Boiling water into sterilised bottles add powder, flash cool and in back of fridge. Also warm in microwave for 30-40 seconds, good shake and its ready to go.

Nights using half the amount of very hot water out of a flask to powder, top up with cool boiled water.

With ds (6 years ago) it was boiled water in fridge, add powder warm and feed.

Both my dc have so far been fine!

A friend of mine has a tommy tippee bottle prep machine and swears by it so I have bought one in readiness! it works a bit like a coffee machine. I havent used it yet as expecting my first but it looks easy enough watching her do it.

I used to boil the kettle let it cool for half an hour and then make up a days worth, let them cool and then put in the fridge. However I don't know if this is still right, but using the carton they must make it up and then you have 24 hours to use it. I just don't get why it changes all of the time.

I'm due DC 4 any day now and with every baby the guidelines seem to change!

For dc1&2 I made bottles in advance and kept in the fridge, for DC 3 I made his up fresh at every feed. At nights tho it was taking to long to cool down feeds when he got slightly older so made up the milk before bed and kept in the fridge.

I've heard good things about that machine emilycee however a friend who had to use the comfort formula for her child had problems and tt have advised her the machine doesn't mix the comfort formula properly so hers is no use to her

I boil the kettle and put boiled water straight into sterilised bottles (3 at a time). Add powder and store in fridge. I make 3 bottles up at night but as DD has started to sleep through, those 3 bottles will last 24hrs in fridge so her first 3 feeds of day are prepared the night before. I then make up 2 feeds in the morning and they will be her 5pm and 8pm feeds.

Just to add to the question, how do you guys work feeding if you're going on days out? Do you have therma cover things to store bottles in bag? If so, how long do they last in them, seeing as they are not in fridge?

I boil the kettle, let it sit for 30 minutes and then make up all the bottles for the day (3) and put them in the fridge. In an ideal world I'd make them up as I go so they're fresh but that's not something I think I'd be able to do...

If you're waiting 30 minutes then it's worth checking that your kettle does allow water to cool at 1C/min. Mine doesn't but I wouldn't have known without a food thermometer. It hits 70 around 15mins after cooling which means 30 minutes would be way too long for formula.

I am a sad, sad individual who wrote a guide on FFing and wanted to have accurate facts about timing

On the prep in advance vs fresh with my own I'd prep in advance with no worries (but I've never FF my own). I make up fresh professionally or if watching a friend's baby because it's just force of habit.

How I do mine is;
Add boiling water to bottles (3-4 at a time, my baby is on 5oz so only put 3 in the bottle.
Put the bottles in the fridge.
When it come to feeding time I boil the kettle and top up bottle to 5 oz then add the formula.

This works well for me.

You will find a way that works best for you

What I do is add 2 litres boiled water into a thermos kettle jug thing I bought from Ikea each night (actually i make all bottles up with very diluted fennel tea which is the ONLY thing that stopped her awful colic) - this keeps the water quite hot - then as I go I make bottle and flash cool for a minute down to drinking temp for her, no issues at all so far. Sometimes i make some for the fridge - depends really. I have a good system with sink to steriliser to microwave to basket next to jug ready to be filled.

The powder has to be mixed with water above 70deg C to kill any bacteria in it, that bit should be non-negotiable, think of it like cooking a chicken, you wouldn't eat it raw as the bacteria that might be in it need to be killed.

My DD gets formula when I'm at work and what my DH does is add just boiled water to bottle to 3oz mark, add all powder (6 scoops) then shake well. This kills any bugs in the powder. We then top up to 6oz with cold tap water ( as she is older than 6m) but before 6m if you give water it should be previously boiled to kill any possible bugs in the tap water so you could boil a job lots of water each morning and put it into a spare bottle in the fridge.

Thank you for all your replies. Most seem to do as I thought I would do. I did read that the water doesn't need to be 70degrees to kill bacteria if the bottle is drank straight after mixing the powder. So complicated!!
We have a couple of nights booked in a hotel soon so not sure what we'll do there! It will have a kettle but no fridge

I put almost 1/2 the amount of boiled water i need in to bottle

Top it up to required amount with boiling water from flask

Then add Formula

My baby is 8 months and this has worked for us.

I make bottles up for the day - boil water, allow to cool for 20 mins, add to bottles, add formula, cool in sink of cold water and then store in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

The World Health Organisation advises doing it this way if you are not going to make it up fresh each time. Making fresh each time is completely unrealistic and it's good that the WHO recognises that and provides a safe alternative, unlike the sodding NHS website!

The water should still be at 70, or at least as hot as possible, because the bacteria will continue to multiply even in the stomach. The really nasty bugs that can potentially contaminate formula powder aren't dealt with by the digestive system and in a young baby (less than 6m) the gut is still 'leaky' so the bacteria can pass into the bloodstream. Making up with room temp water is a last, last resort and it would definitely need to be used straight away.

On the tap water from the tap vs boiling issue it's nothing to do with bugs in the UK unless your taps are filthy, it's actually about the chlorine concentration (which is what makes sure there are no bugs). Boiling the water boils off the chlorine which again a young baby wouldn't be able to deal with.

If you have a kettle but no fridge then either pre boil some water or use Evian or another water that's safe for babies (check the sodium, sulphate and nitrate content) then put in half the amount of boiling water, the full amount of powder, mix really really well and top up with the cold water like monstergoose said. It should be approaching drinkable temp.

Looks like I am the only person in the world making up each bottle fresh as it is needed !!

Use cartons for night feeds if you can! Sterilised bottle, scissors and carton next to bed.

Otherwise I do the 'top up' method.

For a few days, I'd just do cartons!

Oh yes sorry (didn't see second post!) for the hotel stay totally cartons!

Be aware though that some babies find a difference between powder and ready made (my HV couldn't explain it) - if LO is unsettled that might be why.

I have the Tommie tippee perfect prep machine and it is great, we take it upstairs for night feeds bottles done in about a min. If your baby has only had cartons up till now I would check baby is okay on the powder formula first before spending the money, the consistency is very different.