Sterilising bottles - help!!

[Ireallydowonder]

Can someone with a modicum of intelligence please help me!

I am currently formula feeding my nearly 8 week old after a massive struggle trying to breastfeed, mastitis, baby wouldn’t latch on properly, was dangerously underweight etc, basically told to give up by a not very sympathetic midwife.

Anyhoo, I have been formula feeding for just over a week now, and sad as I am that I didn’t get to breastfeed for very long, she has gained weight, is much happier etc. So a result there.

However, the last few days she has been really quite sick after feeding, sometimes during feeding... not sure if I am feeding her too much etc but going by her demand.

I am currently using the tommee tippee steriliser box I got with my now defunct breast pump for the bottles, scrubbing them out before putting them in, microwaving them for 4 mins with 100ml of water.

It has suddenly occurred to me that I might not be sterilising the bottles properly, and that might be contributing to making her sick, god forbid. Got a docs appointment early next week anyway as an extra check up due to her lack of weight gain,so will obviously mention it then, but in the mean time, can someone wiser advise on the best method of sterilising bottles, without having to resort to a steriliser that costs £££ (google tells me I must rush out and get an all singing all dancing one immediately if I am to do it properly).

Sorry if I sound a bit clueless, I am currently extremely sleep deprived. Thanks.

Try sitting her upright while feeding - my DD was sick a few times after feeding, I sit her up now and she hasn't been sick since

I only use a cold water steriliser, cold water, sterilising fluid, 15 minutes later it's done

Sterilising definitely sounds right so I don’t think it could be that.

Read about paced bottle feeding, and burp baby mid feed as well as at the end. Sounds like you've had a tough time so far but you'll get there.

It's not the sterilising. Could just be a sicky baby. Mine were dreadful for emptying their entire stomachs all over us both. Both breastfed. Both got over it eventually.
How much and how often?

Ah ok. Thanks for the replies. Only the bottles seem to look a bit cloudy when they come out of the box... wondered if anyone knew why?

I have tried sitting her upright, but still the same result. It was only a little bit of sick before (possetting?) but yesterday it’s been quite a lot and quite thick, not quite mucous but along those lines...

Any ideas? Also when sterilising, do you use washing up liquid before putting the bottles to dry and then in the steriliser?

I’d make an appt with your health visitor and discuss this. Could be a million different things. Could be reflux could be she doesn’t like the formula (I tried everything with my youngest and he only could drink hipp) cow and gate and aptimal are exactly the same recipe so if you try one you’ve tried the other. Could be taking too much air when feeding. Could just be getting used to the amount of milk she’s taking.

You can get microwave sterilisers for about £15 if not tablets and a plastic Tupperware pot or just a clean pot will be fine.

We just put them in the dishwasher on a hot setting. It was one that went up to 85 deg. C. I was careful with using cooled boiled water.... each time the kettle was boiled the leftover bit was put in a sterilised bottle. To make up the bottle we disolved the powder in a small amount of boiling / hot water from the kettle and then topped up with the cold from the fridge.

ALso just thinking my pump only fitted one bottle so are you doing one bottle at a time?

Does your baby have a cough/cold?

My DD has been bringing up some feeds too and she's had a terrible mucusy cough. Apparently it's the only way they can get rid of it when they are so small.

Thanks bookgirl, I’ve done the mid burp feed, but she gets very distressed, and will be sick and then want more? Obviously I am concerned about lack of weight gain anyway, as obviously whatever I was producing wasn’t enough, and as the delightful midwife told me, I was starving her with my ‘desperate need to breastfeed’ (not true, she had top ups from day one as she was worryingly tiny, considering she was nearly two weeks late...)

humphumpwhale it’s gone from a little bit to strings of the stuff for up to an hour after feeding... she wasn’t this sicky by any stretch when breastfeeding. Perhaps at the docs next week I should see about a different formula?

Can't offer anything too helpful as to what the issue is but it's unlikely to be with the sterilising. In some countries (e.g. Australia) it's not even something you're advised to do. Washing thoroughly so no trace of milk powder left is very important though; sterilising and washing are not the same thing and you definitely need washing up liquid.

Your sterilisation method seems fine to me.

If she has been struggling to feed it could be that her tummy has shrunk and now she can get food is gorging and over filling herself.

How many ounces are you making up?

I formula fed from the start for a variety of physical and mental health reasons. Feel free to pm me if you want to chat it through

Sorry, just seen the other replies. She has been a bit snotty and a bit sneezy but she has been like that since birth. Again, as I keep getting told, a by product of her birth weight.

Been doing two bottles at a time, with the tests and plastic rims removed. Lid fits over no problem, and I do the open thingy for the microwave, then shut as soon as it comes out (much to the detriment of my fingers!)

Just really worried I’ve been poisoning her inadvertently! Feel a failure as it is (personally I am not of the absolutely must breast feed brigade but have been made to feel quite inadequate by quite a few - mother and mother in law, charming!)

To give a bigger picture, I woke her up for a bottle - 6oz at about 6.30, she drank it all, vomited a bit, then cried for more, so I offered her another 3oz of which she drank about 2, and was content, burped her in between the two, and whilst she was drinking them, but then screamed and screamed so winded her on her tummy across my arm, and then across my shoulder, which resulted in the massive stringy almost mucousy vomit, all down me and all down her... she then cried until I put her down, and she has been asleep for about half an hour, she’s just woken up, grizzling and I can still see the milk inside her mouth, as in her saliva looks like milk.

She is also producing huge amounts of dirty nappies as well. But they look like breast fed nappies, if that makes sense...

Starting to panic now.

Does sound like it might be reflux - my little girl had it. We moved from aptimal to hipp milk and also used infant gaviscon. You're doing the right thing by checking with a doctor, they come across these kind of things all the time too. Bottles can go a bit cloudy even when washed and sterilised properly.

Also, if bottle feeding, I'd definitely recommend a perfect prep machine - great for making bottles up as needed and quickly.

I have had 2 vomity babies but they were fat and healthy. Some babies are just vomity. 9oz sounds like too much to me - I would give less but feed more frequently and wind thoroughly at least once during feeding even if she gets upset. But vomiting isn’t necessarily a problem.

Don’t panic. Milky mouth is normal. Sounds like she has a little tummy ache after she’s fed. Call the health visitors tomorrow they will help. Or try infacol. Send hubby out to get some tonight and try it see if it makes her feel better over night

How many 6oz bottles is she having a day?

Bringing back some is normal. I can totally relate to your bf story. Mine is now 4months old and thriving. I dont feel tearful anymore about not being able to bf.

In terms of weight do you have any weighing clinics you could go to? Might reassure you that baby is being nourished despite the sickiness.

9 ounces definitely sounds way too much to me at 8 weeks. Even 6 ounces at his stage? I would speak to your health visitor as I'm no expert but maybe less ounces per feed and add in a couple more frequently? My friends little one would just keep on drinking, she would have to watch how much he was taking in case got too full which would end up being brought back up.

Also if she’d crying for more it might be that she just wants to suck for comfort particularly if she’s been bf so you could try a dummy?

Oh trust me, I am so glad that she now a well filled out little monkey for her size, she is only just getting those little chubby legs, cheeks and arms now (weighed 7lb 5 at her last weigh in at 6 weeks old 😱😫) hoping when we go back next week she has put on lots more. But conscious of trying to not overfeed her, but she is quite a sucky as well as sicky baby (as it turns out) so not sure if she is just drinking more for the sake of having something to suck on... so when it adds up to 9oz I reckon she only took about 7 of that, and obviously then the vomiting...
she seems perfectly happy and alert now, smiling and waving her arms about so she is fine. Just glad to know on your advice that I am not poisoning her!
Will ask next week about changing formula, and seeing what else I can do.

Forgot to mention that yes, she does have a dummy.

Oh and yes, tried infacol as well. It seems to make her sicker?

Formula is amazing stuff Don't worry about her weight. My little one was very poorly and needed surgery at 4 weeks old and her weight dropped well below her birth weight. As soon as the surgery fixed the issue she took no time to keep her feeds down and jump right back up the centiles. Hope you find a solution soon.