Moving from BF to formula - help!

[Brightonbelle87]

Have slowly moved from EBF to formula but we've been using the ready made bottles for ease and because we only used one or two formula bottles a day. Now I'm looking at full formula feeding and obviously the pre made bottles are expensive and the PHN says they don't contain some live bacteria needed to fight infection?!

Anyway, I need practical advice. Do I really have to wait for half an hour to make a bottle every time (I'm imagining my baby screaming!) Or do we make up individual bottles the night before and keep them in the fridge and heat them up as needed? Or can you make a big jug and just pour out what you need into a bottle and then heat the bottle? My mum says she used to make up a sealed jug the night before and use it the next day, but that was the 80s so not sure if there's stricter advice about it?!

Ooh and does the box of powder last long? Just trying to work out a budget before my boobs dry up! Thanks!

Have you thought about a Tommee Tippi Perfect Prep machine?

@TwilightSkies haha what on earth is that? 😂sounds like the answer to my prayers!

Perfect prep all the way, they are a godsend! Drinking temp bottle ready in 1 minutes. Just make sure run the cleaning cycle when needed and always use the official filters and not the knock off Brita jug ones and you won’t have any problems. Then out of the house use ready made cartons and pour into your empty sterilised bottle when it’s time for a feed. Easy peasy!

The NHS website will recommend not making bottles in advance or using the perfect prep machine due to very small risks.

We had a perfect prep which was amazing. As DD got to about 9 months she was having about 3 bottles a day with her solids so I just made them the night before and put them in the fridge. I didn’t bother warming them, just gave them to DD cold. If you do warm them in the microwave, make sure to shake to get rid off any hot spots and test on your wrist.

If you prefer not to pre make or use a perfect prep, you can use two flasks of water. You boil the kettle and let it cool completely and pour into flask one. Flask two is hot water. You make up a bottle by putting the power in, adding 1/3 hot water, stir the formula and water, top up to the required amount with the cold flask (this is what the perfect prep does, it just works it out for you). For out and about we still used ready made but we also had a nuby rapid cool flask which would use boiling water and cool it within about 5 minutes (so you need to plan a little bit in advance).

We used Kendamil for DD (which I can’t recommend enough). I think when she was about 5-8 months we were getting through about 5 tins a month (approx £60), which is when we using the most formula. After that her milk intake didn’t increase as solids took over and she then dropped to about 1 tin a month.

I just used to put the powder I needed to use in 1/3rd boiling water then it's all dissolved. Then top up to required mls with cooled pre-boiled water I kept in the fridge and replaced every morning

We use a rapid cool, or I keep boiled water in the fridge and make up half the bottle with boiling water but the full amount of powder and then top up with the cooled boiled water, we've not needed to use a perfect prep. Although we're on a dairy free formula so doesn't have to be made with hot first, she just prefers it warmer

Thanks for the advice! I'm liking the two flasks idea and making each bottle as I need it that way, I'll try that as a start. See how we get on, I might need to buy the perfect prep. I'm just so used to food on demand but I'll have to get myself organised into a routine with the bottles.

@PurpleBananaSmoothie I saw kendamil and like that it doesn't have palm oil, we've used to aptimil milk but the list of ingredients makes my eyes hurt! Wonder if baba would mind changing to a different formula/taste...

Lots to try out, onto amazon to get two thermos flasks I go😁

I used to make bottles in the morning and put in the fridge to cool (back of the fridge is best).

When you’re ready to use, microwave with the lid off for a few seconds to take the chill off. Shake thoroughly with the lid on to get rid of any hotspots.

Very handy for If you’re going out. The chilled bottles can be kept for 2 hrs at room temp or 4 hrs in a cool bag. (NHS advice).

Perfect Prep! Best money we ever spent, makes life sooooo much easier.

Nuby Rapid Cool - cools formula down from boiling to perfect temp in 3 mins. Totally portable. Godsend.