Batch Feeds

[loudsoph]

Good evening,
I'm a new Mum of a 12 week old baby boy. I've been told not to make feeds up in batches due to risk of infection. My Mum and many other people used to batch feed. It would be such a help in the night. Can I get your advice. Thanks in advance x

So ideally each feed is made fresh but we all need short cuts esp at night! NHS advice is that you can make, flash cool and store in the fridge for 24hrs

Generally, I made day feeds fresh and night feeds in advance and in the fridge.

@Lockdownmummy

So ideally each feed is made fresh but we all need short cuts esp at night! NHS advice is that you can make, flash cool and store in the fridge for 24hrs

Generally, I made day feeds fresh and night feeds in advance and in the fridge.

Thank you!!!! Someone has just told me on another thread that it's essential that the powder is mixed with boiling water to kill bacteria. But then went into say they add cooled water to the feed after?? Wouldn't that be exposing the feed to air. Totally confused x

It's such a minefield! There is the 'ideal' way to make formula and then lots of 'real life' ways. The small risks increase with these 'real life' ways but you just need to assess and make that call yourself.

The powder needs to be mixed with water that has been boiled and is still above 70 degrees but after that it's a bit each to their own.

The perfect prep machine and methods that mimic it use a small amount of hot water and then top up with cool to make the right temperature to feed. Personally, I had a formula kettle and made the full feed with hot water and cooled by standing in a jug of cold water.

@Lockdownmummy

It's such a minefield! There is the 'ideal' way to make formula and then lots of 'real life' ways. The small risks increase with these 'real life' ways but you just need to assess and make that call yourself.

The powder needs to be mixed with water that has been boiled and is still above 70 degrees but after that it's a bit each to their own.

The perfect prep machine and methods that mimic it use a small amount of hot water and then top up with cool to make the right temperature to feed. Personally, I had a formula kettle and made the full feed with hot water and cooled by standing in a jug of cold water.

The Perfect Prep machines aren't recommended by the NHS. Like you say might aswell use the kettle. I just need 2 feeds to get me through the night x

I use a perfect prep in the day. They're fine if cleaned properly and regularly. But through the night and for days out I use 1 flask of boiled water and 1 flask of cool boiled water. Pop some boiled water in, then the powder to kill bacteria, then the cooled boiled water which is still safe and fine and cools the feed enough to use immediately.

I often make two bottles at a time especially overnight. I boil the kettle, leave it 20 mins before making the bottles so they arent so hot. The small increased risks of making the bottle before needing it outweighs the distress that my little one will have overnight whilst waiting for a bottle to be made & cooled down enough to have it. My little one is only 18 days old but my husband goes back to work on Wednesday so will be doing all the night feeds myself.

My sister in law often made batch bottles with her kids and they are now happy & healthy 4 and 2 year olds. A local midwife said NHS doesnt recommend the perfect prep machines as you cannot clean all the pipes properly.

Also feeds are good for 2 hours once made up fresh if that helps. That's what the NHS website says. Also says they're good for 24 hours in the fridge so I don't think there's anything against making them up and putting them in the fridge? All my family have done that, the only reason I haven't is because both mine HATE cold bottles and won't drink them😂 and I don't want to listen to them cry while I warm it in a jug of water.

You definitely can make bottles up in advance. I have a 10 month old and have been doing it this way since she was 2 months old.

• boil the kettle and let it cool for 30 mins (I set a reminder on my phone because I have a bad memory and will miss the time lol)

• make your bottles to whatever ml you need

• shake bottles for 10 seconds instead of swirling (swirling causes less bubbles but shaking reduces the little formula bits that haven’t broken down inside)

• place bottles into a jug/pot of cold water to cool them down so you can put them into the fridge straight away. I then change the cold water after 10/15mins so the bottles don’t spend too much time in the fridge

• you have to use the bottles within 24hrs. If anything exceeds 24hrs then throw it away

So much easier making bottles in bulk instead of trying to frantically make them when you’re half asleep or when the baby’s screaming their head off. I often see posters saying they’ve mixed cooled water with hot water from a flask and don’t know where the hell they got that from. Sounds dangerous to me as you’re not sure what the temperature of the water is and if it can breakdown bacteria

I forgot to add. When DD needs a bottle, we boil the kettle and place the bottle in a jug of boiling water to warm it up. Only takes about 3/4mins

I used the ready made bottles for night feeds. The 1l bottles last 2 days I believe and do 3 or 4 feeds depending how much baby has. They were a lifesaver.

We started off making them all up fresh and it wasjust unmanageable especially at night. We now make most up in advance. We make with boiled water cooled in the kettle for 20 minutes, put them in a big tupperware of cold water with ice packs in it then transfer to the fridge after about 10 minutes. If going out I either make up fresh with a thermos of hot water or take one in a little kids insulated lunch box with an ice pack and use within 4 hours (warm it up a little by standing in hot water first). Personally I'd rather do it like this than add cooled boiled water as I wouldn't know how much hot water was really needed to kill bugs in the powder - that's the controversy over perfect prep machines, whether the 'hot shot' is enough.

@Sundayrain

We started off making them all up fresh and it wasjust unmanageable especially at night. We now make most up in advance. We make with boiled water cooled in the kettle for 20 minutes, put them in a big tupperware of cold water with ice packs in it then transfer to the fridge after about 10 minutes. If going out I either make up fresh with a thermos of hot water or take one in a little kids insulated lunch box with an ice pack and use within 4 hours (warm it up a little by standing in hot water first). Personally I'd rather do it like this than add cooled boiled water as I wouldn't know how much hot water was really needed to kill bugs in the powder - that's the controversy over perfect prep machines, whether the 'hot shot' is enough.

Exactly. I don't think adding cooled boiled water to a fresh bottle sounds like a good idea. I'd rather make 2 up before the night shift shall we say then when they e cooled out them in the fridge