Baby formula preparation

[rebecca100]

Can anybody shed some light on the fridge method of preparing baby formula?

NHS website advise that formula can be prepared and stored in the fridge for 24hrs.

2 of my NHS midwives say that this is no longer advised and should be removed from the website. I know they are made to promote breast feeding so probably don't verbally advise anything that makes life a bit easier for parents of formula fed babies, however my son is breast fed and only has 4x40ml formula 'top up's' a day on their advise so can't see why they wouldn't say the fridge method is ok if it is safe to do so.

Also any ideas on preparing formula on the go would be greatly appreciated. Up until now we have been using the ready to feed formula which works great at home as one 250ml bottle goes quite a long way. When we are out it's hugely wasteful as we end up throwing all bar 40ml away as can't be kept out of the fridge once opened.

I have considered the Nuby rapid cool, but would only cover us for one feed when out.

Any advice would be very much appreciated, I am one very confused first time mum x

According to my governments website, a bottle can be left at room temp for 2 hours once babies lips haven't touched it.

For that reason, I make the bottle up with 70 degree water before leaving the house and put it in a warmer pouch so it comes to temp after 1 to 1.5 hours.

If he isn't due a bottle for 2+ hours then I bring boiling water in a flask or get boiling water while out and make up the bottle 1 hour before he is due the bottle so it can come to temp. If using the flask method then you need to be making the bottle up within 2 hours to ensure water is still at 70 degrees (or at least with my flask).

In my opinion, I really think the most important thing is to make the bottle up with 70 degree water to kill any possible harmful bacteria in the formula.

I'm sure everyone has different ways of doing it and what they are comfortable with. In my case baba refuses ready made and also isn't too picky with temperature meaning if it cools too much that's fine for us as he will drink room temp milk.

I agree with you and really do think there is a slight agenda against anything that makes formula feeding easier. I think they just don't want to do any studies into the safety of anything that makes formula prep easier as they don't want people to FF over BF 😕

The fridge method isn't likely to help while you're out.
If you use the ready made I'dchill the pre mixed bottle first measure out 40ml into a feeding bottle and then put it in a really good cool bag. If you can keep it at 4deg (maybe get a thermometer) it should be the same as keeping in the fridge.
If you use powder formula it's 30ml per scoop so you might find it easier with 5x30 rather than 4x40. If you mix with boiling water before breastfeeding, then it shouldn't take much cooling when you come to need it. Or Mix with 10ml boiling then 20ml cool boiled water (or as directed on the packaging).

Oh and I don't necessarily think it's an agenda against ff, they just cant trust the general public to follow instructions and clean properly.

Thank you guys 🙏 I have been looking at flasks, but then realised that would actually only make one feed when out so I guess will be easier for me to just ask for boiled water as and when I need it, hopefully coffee shops,pubs etc. don't mind doing it.

Just take a flask of hot water. 40ml is tiny and feed will cool down fast once out of flask. You can also make bottle and then just hold it until cold running water in a bathroom if needed. Most flasks are 300-500ml which would easily make loads of feeds.

Thank you 😊 yeah I did think of this, but apparently the water won't keep at 70c for longer than 2 hours so will still only be ok for 1 feed.

@rebecca100 - a decent flask will. We bought a proper thermos brand, and you can see online many have reviewed saying all day.
ie this 500ml thermos was 83.2 after 6 hrs and 65 after 24hrs. So would easily be over 70 still for 10 hours

https://healthy-lunch.co/blogs/blog-healthy-lunch/how-long-does-a-thermos-keep-warm

buy one, fill it with hot water to warm 5 mins at 8pm, fill with fresh boiled water after. Then see what the temperature is in the morning

There are a lot of bad flasks, but my latest I've burnt my mouth on tea 24h later, so they can keep.

I use the nuby rapidcool but just use it to cool down the boiling water so it can be used over and over.
E.g pour 150ml boiling water into bottle, then pour approx. 120ml of that boiling water into the rapidcool (leaving a hot shot in the bottom of the bottle). While that is cooling the water, pour your formula into the bottle, give it a swirl, then once the rapidcool has finished pour it into the bottle and voila! Bottle ready ☺️

Yes this would be ideal, but don't think it's possible as his formula feeds are so small at 40ml. I'd make a 60ml feed using 2 scoops, but still not sure this is an amount big enough to be able to use a hot shot.

I fridged 6 bottles per prep (my steriliser held 6 bottles). When I went out, I'd take the required number of pre made bottles and put them in a thermal bag with ice pack. Serve as needed. Mine all drank them not warmed.