Perfect Prep

[Middicat]

This is what Norfolk Health Authority says about Perfect Prep:
Perfect Prep machines
Some people now use ‘Perfect Prep machines’. We advise you against using one of
these machines. This is because they deliver a small volume (‘shot’) of very hot water
and then add cool water to make up the rest of the feed. This is not sufficient to kill the
bacteria in formula milk. The Food Standards Agency recommends using cooled, boiled
water above 70 degrees centigrade to make up infant formula.

Do you agree with this please? Did you have any issues please?

I used one, regularly cleaned it, and changed filters. It was, hands down, the best thing I bought for dc. I think everyone has to make their own judgment call, for me the risk felt low, and the ability to have a bottle ready within minutes of ds demanding to be fed made it worth every single penny it cost

I love mine - made feeds so much easier especially at night. Mine is now 4 months and never had any issues.

Used mine for both kids - regularly cleaned and always use TT filters. Never had any issues

It is the greatest invention. I love it. It saves so much time.

Two babies, zero problems. Use the right filters and clean it regularly.

I've heard the same. Making up multiple bottles with very hot water then refrigerating until needed worked just as well when I babysat my nieces (though I breast fed mine even more convenient)

I used one and had no issues. PHE follows the WHO guidelines for bottle prep to a tee. If you have concerns have a look at the bottle preparation guidelines of other countries (namely Australia and the US).

Loved mine and it saved me completely losing my mind. Their 'risk' is hypothetical. No evidence of ever being an issue. You choose what risks to take I suppose but for me this was one worth taking...

Tommee tippee have always refused to publish their evidence that the 'hot shot' effectively sterilises. I'm glad this knowledge is becoming more wide spread, so people can make a more informed choice.

Hands down best thing we brought complete time saver. No issues with it at all. Just make sure you use the proper filter and put it through a cleaning cycle every 2 weeks

Homemade perfect prep machine: a flask of boiled water and a bottle of previously boiled cooled water. Half the bottle size of hot water to sterilise/dissolve powder and then topped up with cool boiled water to serve to baby at the right temp!

@Tinkerbellswings that’s what I did last time. Buying a prep machine this time for the kitchen and the bedroom!

Yes I do agree with it. I breastfed mine though so never had the inconvenience of making formula up.

I wouldn't use one. I didn't see the need really, yes it can be inconvenient when they need feeding frequently and unpredictably but you can get a bottle cool in a bowl of cold water in ten mins. Everyone I know who FF has one though.

Oh god, I loved mine, it was brilliant for night feeds. Dc was never ill once and is a healthy 7 year old now. But yes there has been a lot of issues around them for years. I.e not being cleaned properly/regularly.

Loved mine and would use one again

We did the making up bottles without the prep to begin with and I will never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever do that again. 5 or 10 minutes when you're feeding on demand is too long.

Use the prep.

Follow the instructions. Clean it regularly. Use the correct filter.

DD has never had a stomach bug, from the perfect prep or otherwise.

I wouldn’t bother, we made them up with hot water, flash cooled and put in back of fridge. Mini fridge in bedroom for night feeds and they drank cold milk.
However the risk of cronobacter is ridiculously low especially beyond the newborn stage. If I had a high risk baby (eg prem, immune deficient), I’d use ready made formula if possible or if not follow formula prep to the letter

Lower risk especially older baby I’d happily use a prep machine, make up 24 hours in advance or if desperate make in cool water and drink immediately which is low risk of bacterial multiplication and hence illness.

Also it’s worth nothing formula prep guidelines are not primarily about preventing stomach bugs. Formula fed babies are at higher risk of these but predominantly because of the high iron content of formula and the alkalinic gut environment, not formula prep.
It is about preventing food poisoning notably salmonella (many formula powders are contaminated) and especially meningitis caused by cronobacter sakazakii which is thankfully rare but has a frighteningly high mortality rate.

People always talk about ‘flash cooling’ bottles on these threads but I never know what they mean- how do you actually do that? I have visions of dunking them in liquid nitrogen (I used to work in a chemistry lab) but I suspect that is not the real answer!

Homemade perfect prep machine: a flask of boiled water and a bottle of previously boiled cooled water. Half the bottle size of hot water to sterilise/dissolve powder and then topped up with cool boiled water to serve to baby at the right temp!

I did this (well, boiled a kettle, added that half to half boiled cooled water). I was offered a free PP this time round and I’m battling to understand how it would improve things / offer any convenience or speed over what I was doing anyway.

I think the problem with people saying 'I used it and it was fine' is that it doesn't mean a small number won't be fine. You get people saying that on all baby threads like this (my baby slept in their own room from day 1 and was fine, I used cot bumpers and my baby was fine etc).

I haven't looked at the research as I didn't use a perfect prep but I would see if there is any actual data about the risk from it and not just anecdotal evidence from randoms.

If I was going to use one I'd only use it for bottles I was going to feed immediately. If I needed to make one for use later I'd use the kettle.

The UK advice is a bit belt and braces, it goes kill any potential bacteria in the powder but also don't let the formula sit around made up for hours. In reality you only really need to do one of those. That's why they say second best is to make up, flash cool (under cold running water or in a jug of iced water, for the person who asked :)) and back of the fridge (the coldest part).

Even though the WHO agree with the NHS, most other countries (most of Europe, US, Canada) go by just making it up with cold/tepid water. And a lot of them don't even offer advice against storing it either. This is probably a more risky approach than the WHO/NHS, but there are not huge amounts of babies getting infections in these countries either.

If you are interested in worst case scenario type thinking, there was a formula contamination scandal in France a few years ago, which did sadly cause the death of some babies, who presumably had their formula made up with room temperature water which therefore had not sterilised the powder. But on the other hand many many more babies drank the same contaminated formula and were fine. And France have not changed their recommendations.

We did as others have said, measure boiled water say 3oz, add scoops of formula eg 7 shake to mix and measure 4oz cooled boiled water separately and add to make bottle up to 7 oz . Takes no time. I don't understand what the pp does any better

I used the do it yourself method for our DD but we are having twins now so I thought this might make life a little easier in those early months.

@NerrSnerr the OP asked for people's experiences/issues so we are giving them?