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Original poster

Help please - best way to prepare formula when out & about

19 replies

panic6weekstogo · 02/08/2017 11:58

Please can I have some tips on how you prepare formula for your baby when you are out and about? I'm looking for the quickest and most convenient way to make a bottle up without leaving the baby crying and starving while it cools etc. Thanks in advance.

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notheretoargue · 02/08/2017 12:01

I used to take out a thermos of water at exactly the right temperature. Pour into bottle, add powder, shake - voila!

Rainshowers · 02/08/2017 12:02

I just used to use the pre-prepared bottles. A bit more expensive but just a bit easier than messing around.

ILoveGrammar0 · 02/08/2017 12:02

notheretoargue

Doesn't the formula need to be made with water which is at least 70 degrees C?

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Original poster

panic6weekstogo · 02/08/2017 12:03

When you say exactly the right temp do you mean for baby to drink or the recommended 70 degrees to kill the bacteria?

OP posts:

ShowOfHands · 02/08/2017 12:05

You can't do what nothere does as it isn't safe. Friends do one of two things:

Make bottles in advance and carry them in a chilled cool bag and then warm up to temp

Take a thermos and make up the feed with half boiling water, add powder and then top up with cooled boiled water.

DoubleCarrick · 02/08/2017 12:06

I used to make up the bottles, cool them in the fridge and put them in a cool bag.

Wishforsnow · 02/08/2017 12:08

Buy the ready made cartons and just give it at room temperature.

vanillacandllle · 02/08/2017 12:08

I make bottles at home in advance, using boiling water.

Flash cool under tap.

Store in small cooler bag with an ice pack.

Take out flask of boiling water and put the bottle in to warm it up.

I find doing it that way far easier -!: less faff than making from scratch hot then cooling down.

LondonLauren · 02/08/2017 12:14

The quickest way is to use the small liquid bottles of formula – no worrying, no fuss. I just serve them at room temperature – no need to warm them up when you're out and about.

tappitytaptap · 02/08/2017 12:37

Readymade bottles/cartons (then warm up when out if you need to). Though I imagine this gets expensive if FF from birth (I stopped BF at 8 months and within a couple of months he dropped to just a morning and night bottle and obviously wa usually at home for those). Friends did the two flasks thing. I occasionally made up a hot bottle fresh and it cooled before he drank it, however only did this if I knew he was going to need a feed soonish after leaving the house.

Original poster

panic6weekstogo · 02/08/2017 12:37

The ready made stuff does sound the easiest but I am worried about the expense!

ShowOfHands - the second option sounds quite convenient that way the feed is still being made with boiling water.

OP posts:

Cutesbabasmummy · 03/08/2017 10:57

I used to boil the water, measure of bingo bottles and then put the formula powder in those Tommie tippee dispensers. All my nct group did the same and we all have healthy 2 year olds

PsychoPumpkin · 03/08/2017 16:47

We take sterilised bottles & those bottles of ready made milk for under a quid & it's definitely the easiest way to do it!

boopdoop · 03/08/2017 18:40

So a couple of things which I’ve found so so helpful... You can make the formula up before you go out, with boiling water as you usually would, and as long as you cool them quickly they are then fine to stay in the fridge for several hours. Anyway, once you've made them up, use these two things to take with you are you are sorted:

Fridge-to-go: www.amazon.co.uk/223/dp/B0040AJP5W" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.co.uk/223/dp/B0040AJP5W - this is amazing! It keeps bottles at fridge temperature for up to 8 hours, which means you can make up your bottles and take them with you, and they stay cold enough for the whole day. With one extra normal freezer block in it even kept ice cubes of purée food frozen for 6 hours!! Very impressive! I can’t recommend this highly enough with bottles. And as they get older you can use it for lunches etc too, keeping yoghurts and cheese cold on days out!

Travel bottle warmer: www.amazon.co.uk/Tommee-Tippee-Closer-Nature-Travel/dp/B002L3TEN8" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tommee-Tippee-Closer-Nature-Travel/dp/B002L3TEN8 - Obviously if you are out and about and kept the bottles at fridge temp, the you need to heat them up unless your baby will drink the milk cold. Most places refuse to heat bottles up now, so you have to have your own. This is really useful.

Hope that helps. Saved me a fortune not having to buy ready made formula but knowing it was all safe, made with boiled water, kept at right temperature etc...

Heatherbell1978 · 08/08/2017 21:12

I'm on baby number 2 and both have been ff from 5 months and want warm milk so I've come up with a few ways to make life easy! Just back from a week long road trip too and it went fine.
Get the Tommee Tippee bottle warmer pouch (comes in pack of 2). If baby needs a bottle within next 3 hours then make it up with water straight from kettle (boiling) and put it in the pouch. It'll gradually cool and IMO is at perfect temp about 2.5 hrs later. Remember it's easier to cool than heat a bottle out and about if you can't get access to hot water. Earlier than 2.5 hrs just blow it cool or run under cold water.
If I'm out all day I'll also bring the ready made bottles and sometimes carry hot water (again have a Tommee Tippee flask for that) to warm it if I don't think I'll get hot water anywhere.

Foxley11 · 08/08/2017 21:14

Ready made formula. Definitely worth the expense.

LittleTink76 · 08/08/2017 23:06

I pour boiled water into a bottle then put in an insulated bag once it's cooled down a bit. I put powder in a Tommee Tippee dispenser then make up the bottle when needed. If I'm out for a full day I'll take two bottles of boiled water, two lots of powder, then 2 extra sterilised bottles & 2 bottles of ready made formula.

PollyDolly88 · 09/08/2017 10:58

We use perfect prep machine and when we are going out we push button once for the hot water and then push it again for the cooler water so we have the right amount of sterile water ready in the bottle. We then use one of those avent formula containers. When we are out and about we just pop the formula into the room temp water - dissolves absolutely fine if you give it a good shake and voila! It's so simple and perfectly safe as recommended by a midwife :) (obviously if baby prefers it warm every time then might be a bit tricky but if you can get then used to room temp then you're onto a winner!) xx

welshweasel · 09/08/2017 11:04

Ready made is honestly the easiest way to do it.

Otherwise I used to take a smal flask of boiling water and a screwtop Tupperware pot of cooled boiled water and the powder already measured out into pots.

When I made up a feed at home I used a marker pen to mark the bottle (you have to take into account the powder which always meant a 5oz bottle would actually measure nearly 6oz).

When I needed a feed I'd put an inch or so of the boiling water in the bottle and add the powder then top up to the mark with the cooled water.

Alternatively you can just use the boiling water but then you have to wait forever for it to cool or find a cold tap.

Or make it up fresh, flash cool in the fridge, take it out in a cool bag and take a bottle warmer.

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