Cooling boiled water.

[Lullaby88]

Hiya to make up my feeds for my baby I usually cool boil water. I boil the kettle and then leave it open to cool down takes a few hours to do this then I pour it in a flask and keep it for 24 hours
Before the feed I boil a shot of water (fresh).and then add the formula and top up with the cooled water from the flask. Is this a safe way to prepare the feed? I'm worried I'm cooling the water for too long? Or is that safe? How else can I do it? Suggestions are welcome.

Best thing we did was get a perfect prep machine, just took all the hassle out of it. If you can afford one I'd recommend it. When we were out and about I'd use the pre made bottles.

I poured the recently boiled water into cheap but sterilised bottles and kept them in the fridge
I put boiling water in a brand new life venture mug.
I was mixing prescription formula which has to be mixed with warm water but it worked well. I had the formula measured out in the mam formula pots

OK is it safe to put really boiling water straight into the fridge? Or if I leave mine to cool for a couple of hours at room temp is that safe? Really confused!

I wouldn’t put boiling water in fridge as it will warm your fridge!

Make the bottles with boiling water and let them cool.
If you need it to cool them quicker, stand them in a bowl of cold water.

Is the flask sterile ? If not you need to keep the water in a sterile bottle instead.

Formula has to be made with boiling water, not water that has been boiled. I think its meant to be mixed with the formula within 30 mins of boiling, to kill any bacteria.

I boil the water and add the formula pretty quickly. I either do it in advance so it can cool down, or in the morning when I don't have time I put the bottle in a jug of water and ice. This cools it down enough within minutes. You could just use a jug of cold water too (we have an ice dispenser on our fridge)

The NHS website has lots of guidance on making up formula feeds if you are still confused.

When I make bottles using this method, I pour the boiled water into a clean jug with a lid and when it has completely cooled, store it in the fridge for 24 hours.

I left the kettle for 15 mins before filling the bottles and then left the bottles on the side for a bit before putting them in the fridge. My baby didn’t drink from the bottles I just used them for storing boiled cooled water. I mixed the cooled water with boiling water to get the correct temp for the prescription formula.
I never used normal formula but I’d put half the amount of boiling water in with the formula and mix it then top up the correct amount of water with the boiled cooled water like a perfect prep.
I used the life venture mug for keeping water hot for during the night, not sure if you could do this with normal formula

Pop boiled water in a sterile bottle and put it in front of a fan, it cools them quite quickly and then you can store in fridge.

I pre-make feeds, store in the fridge and reheat as needed. It's no longer the recommended method but it was when we had our eldest so we've used it for all 6 kids without issues. Make as per instructions, cool quickly and store in back of fridge for up to 24 hours.

Thanks for all your tips.
My method has been I boil kettle water and then open up the lid on the kettle and allow it cool and once its gone like warm I transfer it into a clean sterile flask. I use this water for no longer than 24 hours at room temp. I don't use the fridge.
When it's time for a feed I boil the kettle put around 30 ml of boiling water and then top up with the cool boiled water from the flask.
Does that sound okay? Iv taken some tips from these posts aswel so thanks everyone.

I would get a perfect prep but if that's not an option then I would make 6 feeds at a time & flash cool and keep at the back of the fridge and reheat when needed.

The nhs website actually says this is fine to do and Iv done it with all 4 of my dc.

I would check on NHS and NCT breastfeeding website as I'm not sure your method is safe either.

I used to make up enough bottles for a 24hr period and store them in the fridge.

I would add the power to a full bottle of boiling water, cool them down, then put in the fridge.

I'd microwave one when we needed it. I would stop the microwave every 15 seconds and swirl the milk around to avoid hot spots and keep going till they were warm.

If we were going out I would warm one up and store in a bottle bag and use it within an hour or so. We also had a tommee Tippee travel warmer/flask to stand a bottle in.

No it isn't the official guidance. But they were made safely in sterile bottles with boiling water. It just isn't always convenient when the baby is screaming and doesn't know what's going on to follow the formula instructions.

People on Mumsnet seem to faff about transferring water from here and there and leaving the kettle for however long and doing hot shots and adding cold water. It just complicates things and isn't as safe as just making it with boiling water.

The key for safety is making them with enough boiling water to kill bacteria, storing them in the fridge and using them up within 24hrs.

I used to do something similar op. You're basically doing it the way the perfect prep does. I'd boil the kettle, pour in some bottles, let it cool and then put it in the fridge. Then, if making 7oz, I'd boil the kettle, let it cool for 2 mins so it wasn't scolding, put 3oz boiled into the bottle, add the powder, shake it up, then sop up with 4oz of fridge cooled, boiled water, and voila, perfect drinking temp for little one

What about buying a cheap kettle and keeping on hand just for the cool boiled water? That's what that Gina Whatserface suggests.

I have another kettle, but use it for travelling. Iv been using stainless steel thermos flasks to store the cool boiled water but not refrigerated. I keep it at room temp and have questioned if that is OK to do. Baby drinks and seems fine tho. And the feeds get made up really quickly.
I used a prep machine with my first but the midwives strongly recommended I don't use it. My first was fine with it though. Il see later down the line as doing the flask method is very similar and takes me 2 minutes aswel. Just not sure if it's OK to do it the way I am doing it.

I sterilise the flask after each use with boiling water and drain it and then fill it up with the cool boiled water.

Many years ago (24) I remember being in tears waiting for a bottle of boiled water to cool enough for my ed to have it. She just wouldn't settle and wouldn't feed and I was at the end of my tether. I spoke to my midwife and she said put the boiled water in the bottle, put the lids on and then stand in a jug of cold water. It took minutes. Such an obvious thing, but my sleep deprived first baby brain couldn't work it out.

OP you’re doing fine. If that works for you then it sounds practical. I definitely couldnt be doing with the faffing to so bought ready made SMA microwaved it! Eventually I switched to formula and always made up 3/4 bottles (very hungry baby) and stored them in the fridge.