How do you make formula at home/on the go for 6m old

[SunnySideUp2020]

I read the instructions but it sounds like a lot of hassle.
I mean boiling the kettle, letting cool down and measuring temperature to 40C and then mixing... really? Every time? At night?
How about when outside? Travelling?

What do YOU actually do in real life?

I have been EBF and introducing formula now at 6 months

Thanks

At home, used a perfect prep machine, when out and about/on holiday I had two flasks (chilly bottles), had cooled boiled water in one and boiling water in the other. When needed a bottle I’d pour a bit of boiling water in a bottle, add the powder from a little tub (pre measured) then top up with the cold water. Very easy!

You can add boiling water to the formula, you don’t need to wait for it to cool down. But you do obviously then have to wait until it’s cold enough to drink, which I never managed to get right! Always had a screaming baby or a cold bottle.

I haven’t made up formula for some time. I believe a lot of people use perfect prep machines now. You can buy ready made cartons for on the go. More expensive though.

For making at home I boiled the kettle, poured into bottle the required amount. Measured the powder in straight away. Lid on. Really good shake then put it in the fridge. I usually made up a couple of bottles at a time so they were already made for feeding time. At feeding time (or a bit before) I heated in the microwave then left to sit to cool for a bit. I know they say don’t heat in microwave but I always shook them and let them sit before feeding.

At home I have a formula kettle which I love. Make bottles fresh with 70 degree water and cool down by standing in cold water for a couple of mins. uneeqbaby.com/collections/multi-functional-formula-kettle

Out and about one of three ways depending where I was going:

1. Pre measured powder, pre measured cooled boiled water and thermos of hot water
2. Make bottles and flash chill then cool in fridge. Take out in a koo-di cooler ( koo-di.com/collections/baby-travel/products/cooler) and warm up in hot water as needed
3. Pre made bottle!

We made formula by waiting 30 mins for the boiled water to cool then making up several bottles and cooling rapidly at the back of the fridge. When needed, we warmed the bottle for a couple of mins by steeping in boiled water. This method is one I read about on an NHS website. My son was fully formula fed.

And outside on the go, use ready mix bottles. Much easier and safer

I make up the bottles every morning

Boil fresh water in the kettle
Measure out into bottles after about 20 minutes
Add the powder
Into the fridge for up to 24 hours
Use a bottle warmer or boiling water to warm before giving to LO

On the go I will either take a bottle I've made from the fridge, this is safe for 2 hours or 4 hours in a cool bag with ice pack. If the formula you use has a ready made bottle these really are the easiest option, just take a ready made bottle with a sterilised bottle and good to go. Other option is a flask with boiling water and then the powder separately in a pot.

Perfect Prep - if you don't want to buy one, we had a way around it when staying with friends and family. On the go we used the ready carton milk.

-Boil water, let it cool down (in advance) and store it in a sterile bottle. We did this daily.
-When baby is ready for feed, boil the kettle, then mix all the formula powder with a little boiling water and shake (1:3 ratio, 1 being the hot water).
-Measure out the remaining amount of cool water into another bottle and add to hot bottle. Shake.

Takes little just as long as the kettle boils and essentially this is the same process as the prep machine, but that does all the measuring and temperature for you. Hope this helps.

We did Perfect Prep at home and premade bottles for out and about.

I just made a bolimg bottle up before leaving home, let it cool while out and about and by time DS wanted it, it was cool enough to drink. On the occasions the bottle wasn't cool enough I placed it a jug of cold water to cool quicker.

We didn’t have a perfect prep - if I could go back in time to when I was making formula I’d get one! At around six months I relaxed a bit with the ‘rules’. I’d boil the kettle, pour up to about half way to cover and sterilise the formula and top up with cold to get to the right temperature. I’d also store in the fridge from time to time and warm up. To take out I’d make a bottle fresh and take with - it can keep safely for around two hours so unless you’re out all day it shouldn’t be a problem. If it was an all day thing I would just have one of those ready made bottles.

Perfect prep at home (best thing ever!! just make sure you keep on top of cleaning and filter changes)

Ready made 200ml bottles for out and about

Perfect prep machine and premade for out and about

Same as lots of others, I use my Perfect Prep machine at home and we use the ready mixed 200ml bottles when we are out and about.

I used the perfect prep machine at home, then bought ready made bottles for when we were out of the house/on the go.

If I had run out of ready made bottles, I would put the powder in a dispenser, then boil a kettle and fill 1-2 bottles with it and let it cool.

Then if I was somewhere with a kettle, I'd get 2oz of boiled water, add to the powder to kill the bacteria, then top with the cool boiled water I'd prepared earlier, then it was the right temperature for him.

Much easier with a prep machine and ready made bottles, though.

We made bottles as and when needed with my first, would get one ready and let it cool in time for the next feed. You will find you get in a routine and get used to measuring out etc, With my second we got the prefect prep machine and that was so much easier and quick , for on the go we just used ready made very handy.

At home I use a perfect prep
When I'm out I use ready made cartons.
Cow and gate milk

At home I would use the perfect prep machine. When out, I would take 2 flasks, one with boiling water and one with cooled boiled water. I would add the boiling water to the bottle with the powder, and top up with the cooled boiled water, it was generally at an ok temp to feed straight away

I either made it at home and then fed within 2 hours when out or have ready made in a carton. It’s more expensive to buy the cartons but I wasn’t using many as often I’d be able to use the one I made at home

Perfect prep at home and ready made out and about. Used self sterilising MAM bottles so no need to be faffing with sterilisers either.

I will say though that I got a lot more relaxed about sterilising bottles etc once my eldest was six months; when you watch your child drop a banana on the grass, pick it up and shove it straight back in her mouth you worry a lot less about obsessive hygiene!

1/3 boiling water to mix the formula with. Top up with 2/3 cooled boiled water. Essentially what the perfect prep machine does. Took no time at all. When travelling two flasks and formula measured already in the bottle.

I pre-make a batch, store in fridge and reheat as needed mostly. If going out I'll do a fresh feed and pop in thermal bag or take a sterilised bottle and use the ready made bottles. If I'm going somewhere where I can reheat (like my parents) I'll take a cold bottle from the fridge and put it in theirs until needed.

The trick is to check the temperature in the INSIDE of your wrist. Pour a drop in there. Best way to check the temperature

Perfect prep in the house. If I know she needs one in the next hour, I make up a bottle on that and stick it in my bag. If not I use ready made.

Used a sterilising machine, made up 6 bottles in one go, cool and pop in the fridge to use within 24 hours. If I needed to take milk with me I'd pop them in a special insulated bottle bag and try and use within 2 hours. If l was going to be out for longer I'd take a sterilised bottle and put ready made formula from a sealed bottle into it when I needed it.