Few questions about formula feeding

[mabel12345]

I am new to formula feeding world, my baby is 4 months old and I just switched to 80% formula as 20% breast milk but bottle feeding after a very bumpy BF journey.
We are waiting for a perfect prep machine that our friend will hand us but for now we are preparing formula following packaging directions. So I boil the kettle and wait half an hour but can I mix freshly boiled water with formula and just add some cold ? So it’s quicker ? Or can I wait 15min instead of 30 as it says “no longer than 30”? I’m just confused with the whole 70 degrees thing. Also do you feed your babies responsively or are you strictly following guidance on the box ? Can I prepare few bottles and just stick them in the fridge, warm up when baby is ready for feed ?
Thanks in advance! Any tips appreciated.

Definitely feed responsively, ignore the amounts given on the box for that.

We mostly used prep machine - if we couldn’t for any reason then I would boil the kettle, leave it 5-10 mins and make up the feed then cool quickly in a jug of ice water/ under a cold running tap - still took an age but not quite as long as waiting 30 mins then making up then it still usually needing a bit of cooling anyway.

Another way I tried for out and about but you could use at home is to have two thermos flasks - one with freshly boiled water and one with cool boiled water. Then make up the feed with enough of the hot to fully cover and dissolve the formula powder then top up with the cool to desired amount. That worked quite well as a sort of DIY prep machine.

You’re not supposed to make it up in advance as it’s not ideal ( but then they don’t recommend the prep machines either - or anything other than making it up the exact way it says ie boil kettle cool for 30 mins then make up, but when you’re also supposed to feed responsively and have a screaming baby that’s not doable) but on the nhs page I think it does say that you can make in advance and cool for eg if you’re going to be out and about. I think they say for up to 4 hours.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/breastfeeding-and-bottle-feeding/bottle-feeding/formula-milk-questions/

This is the page that sort of says it’s ok to make in advance and keep for 4 hours - but it says it’s only for if you need to transport a feed. If it’s ok in that circumstance though presumably it’s fine at home too?

I always feed on demand.
And my ideal way is to make 3-4 bottles in advance and put it in the fridge. And I have a thermos with a temperature display so I know that water is above 70 degrees. So when I’m down to my last bottle I always make 2 more bottles with the water from the thermos and then just boil water, put in the thermos again and so on.
So I always have bottles in the fridge + extra water in thermos. Hope that makes sense.
Never had any issues with this.

Granted I never mix fed but I’ve never paid attention to the box. I fed in a routine with set feed times between every 3 and 4 hours- I had very sleepy newborns that I had to wake to feed and we just stuck with it through to weaning as it worked really well. If the bottles were being drained, then I’d do an extra oz going forwards. It’s of course ok to feed on demand, this is what’s recommended, but it may not be massively practical if you’re making every feed from scratch- it’ll certainly be easier for you if you can pre empt their hunger. You could also do 2 flasks, one of cool boiled water and one of fresh hot water and mimic the action of the perfect prep so mix formula with a small amount of hot water (enough to fully dissolve it), then top up with cool. The perfect prep is great though, you’ll love it when it comes!

Please don’t use a perfect prep machine, the are some real concerns about whether the hot shot kills bacteria. Xx