Making formula wrong for 3 months! Help

[reallyworriermum]

Hi, first time posting here. So unsure if it's the correct place or not, please go easy
on me.

My 3rd son is 3 months old tomorrow, we formula feed and use the TT prep machine, he doesn't take room temp formula too well so we always set the machine to one oz higher than he takes which means the hot shot is more making the formula warmer at the end.. so say he is on 4oz formula, we have it set to 5oz but then manually stop the water at 120ml ourselves.

I hope that makes sense.

Anyway, today it dawned on me this is really wrong and I've been using too little water to formula ratio and I am worried sick, I actually feel sick as this has been going on for 3 months and I feel so so stupid!

I trialled the machine without intervening and stopping it my self and it stops 1 dot over 120ml in a TT bottle and I've been stopping it at 120, so works out roughly each feed is under with water by about 10ml 😭 it has been this way since birth. I have googled and everything basically says that too much formula to water ratio is dangerous, it can cause kidney issues and even brain damage! Constipation and dehydration.

We have been back and forth the drs since a few weeks old being treated for suspected CMPA constipation being the initial symptom. Now I'm worried sick that all his issues have been caused by me under doing the water and I've caused some permanent damage

For those who don't use or know the prep machine, what I have been doing is essentially the same as putting powder in before water when using the kettle.. which would make the water measurements off.
(To which I know about so unsure how I didn't click doing it the way I was)

I feel so so stupid, I suffer severe health anxiety and he is my 3rd so how I didn't realise sooner I don't know. Would this warrant a trip to a&e or should I wait until Monday and get an appt with the GP? really sorry for such a long post! I hope it makes sense.

Hi OP

10ml a feed seems like very little difference to me. I definitely wouldn’t take him to a&e! I’m sure that you won’t have caused any permanent damage whatsoever, perhaps it has contributed to his constipation, but I’m sure that’s all!

Have a chat to your GP though I don’t think they will do anything except ask you to monitor whether his digestive issues improve now that you have adjusted the water. But honestly don’t worry! And try not to berate yourself, you’re human and we make mistakes.

10ml is fine. Stop stressing. The amount of times I lost count putting in the scoops was ridiculous. My child probably had a "wrong" feed at least twice every night! She's a healthy 13 year old now. Most of the warnings are about using less powder than you should to stop people trying to make a tin go further.

Oh, I really feel for you, it's obvious how worried this has made you. But it's not nearly as big a deal as you think. 10ml is within the margin of error - people who were just manually pouring water into the bottle could easily be off by that much just by not having it quite at eye level as they measured. It could possibly contribute to constipation, but it has probably done nothing at all. Make the bottles correctly from now on and try not to think about it again!

I honestly can't imagine that 10ml would cause a problem. When I pour from the kettle it's sometimes a little over or under and I too have lost count when scooping formula quite a few times 🙈 I'm not medical but surely kidney damage etc would be from more extreme lack of water than 10ml?!

If it was 100/200 ml out every feed then I would be worried. 10ml is minimal. Just think of people who make bottles with the kettle there is no way they stop pouring exactly. It will be a little over/under.

I don't think 10ml would make much up of a difference ....however these things are designed to be used according to the instructions - I don't know why you just wouldn't run the bottle under the cold water for a few seconds to cool it? 🤷🏻‍♀️ I used one for 12 months and it's pretty obvious that with the formulae in and the froth that you can't just stop it manually on the line at 120ml as you haven't accounted for the volume of formulae in it