Ok own up, who pre-makes their bottles??

[blondebaby111]

I've been a real stickler and make all my dd who's nearly 7 months bottles up from scratch. However I have friends who are on there 2nd and 3rd babies who pre make and store in fridge. I must admit after a 20 minute screaming match this morning because we got up Late and was then late getting bottle ready im really considering doing the same. I look back to the early days where I was bottle making from scratch at 3am and I really don't know how I did it and if we have another I may pre make, what's your views and what do u do??

Can it really be that harmful???

I boil the kettle once in the morning, leave it to cool for 10 minutes and then pour the water into a large flask. Then when I need to make up a feed the water is still hot enough to serialise the powder but I've cut out the faff of boiling the kettle and waiting for it to cool. It then takes 5 minutes to cool the bottle to a drinkable temperature by submerging it in cold water.

I also take the flask to bed with me so if I need to make a feed in the middle of the night it only takes 5 minutes.

Think - how did you keep the bottle chilled when out? Then did you warm with boiling water? As in don't they have to be drunk within 2 hours once made - is this the same if they have been chilled and refrigerated once made up? I've been doing it the guidelines way and using premade when out but as of now have made up tomorrow's feeds just now and stuck in the fridge.

I didnt keep it chilled. I just served it at whatever temp it was whenever it was needed. I used to go out straight after a feed, and she fed three hourly so the bottle I took would be used in bout three hours, then id be home for the next one. I never spent whole long days out as I like a nap

OooOoo think is generally accepted that properly made up feeds can be kept for 12-24 hours in back of fridge with little risk.

I did I would make up 6-8 bottles a time, but threw any out after 24 hours. My child is fine she is 3!

Thanks think and rooty

My four kids are now 13-18 years old, after BFing for only a short time I moved onto Cow and Gate formula and then step up for all of them.

I always, always made up an entire days batch for the next day early evening, allowed them to cool and then put them in the fridge.

Purely because once at 2.30am an extremely bleary eyed NNN mistook the tub of strawberry slimfast for the Cow and Gate and the poor baby had a 8oz bottle of strawberry slimfast. I only realised when I went back downstairs with the kids in the morning. I was truly mortified.

The HV turned up later in the morning (she was absolutely lovely) and I was still in tears. She thought it was hilarious. I miss that HV, she was amazing.

I didn't know there was any other way to make them!

That is really funny Nelly. Did they seem to like it?

belly that is hilarious! I hope your dc enjoyed the change!

I think there is a whole host of difference in the way people make up bottles which is interesting because when our HV told us how to make a bottle she was insistent that this was the ONLY way. As a result it was the only way I made bottles for four babies!

Have to say they were never ill though. And I tended to use ready made on days out, once dcs were having full (ish) bottles as I thought it was an expensive waste when they only had two/four ounce feeds.

Nelly that is SO funny!

I've got a question: people are saying that breastfeeding and formula feeding are no no's. Why is that? I was told to feed dd at night with formula because my milk is lagging.

Thanks

Hey jo, people are probably referring to the fact that breastmilk production is stimulated by LO suckling and the removal of milk from the breast. So if you supplement with formula you can easily get into a vicious circle, where giving your baby bottle feeds causes your breasts to produce less milk.

Kellymom is a wonderful breastfeeding resources and has good information and explanations. Especially How Does Milk Production Work? and low supply info

Equally if you simply aren't producing enough milk and your baby is going hungry, formula is a brilliant alternative that can feed your baby and reduce your stress.

So it's balancing the two things.

I would chat to your health visitor or find a local breastfeeding support service who can see you and your baby before offering advice. Good luck

(oh another thing - I mix fed DD BF and formula from about 3 months because I wanted to reduce the time and energy spent on BF. We carried on happily for three months and it could have been longer, my milk supply just settled down at this lower rate of feeding - so mixed feeding works really well for a lot of people, regardless of supply issues.)

I'm a new mummy (DD 3 months old) and always make them up from scratch. After lots of experimenting I've got the cooling process down to 10 mins.

I follow the guidelines because i couldn't bear the guilt if my LO got ill through something that was my responsibility.

I'm sure its fine to pre make and store in the fridge but i just cant bring myself to do it! I am a self confessed worrier tho!

I made them up with both of mine and always had in fridge ready. 30 sec in microwave and a good shake job done.

Jo post on the breast and bottle feeding board - it's not bad per se to top up with formula but "milk lagging" sounds like bad advice. Even if your supply is low, topping up is not likely to help. Whether you want advice on a safe (supply supporting!) way to mix breast and bottle feeding, or advice on how to get fully back to breastfeeding, or how to switch to bottles completely, the advice on there is really good. Unfortunately health visitors and even some midwives don't always have good enough training on these kind of matters and some of them give really confusing or just plain bad advice.

The formula should be mixed with water thats 70 degrees, not 'zapped' with boiling water. Boiling water will kill off bacteria, but will also destroy nutrients.

I make up 24 hours worth of bottles and store them in the back of the fridge.