Making bottles wrong?

[Shannon9955]

I'm a second time mum, but this time I'm not using a prep machine.

My daughter is 8 weeks old and formula fed. I give her 5oz bottles because she's been clearing 4oz. But last few days she's only been taking 3oz at a time. I had my 8 week health visitor check and she said I was making the bottles wrong.

So I have a flask of boiling water and a flask of cool boiled water. I add 2oz boiling water and then 5 scoops, then add 3oz cool boiled water so it's not scolding hot and can be given there and then.

My health visitor has said this is wrong and I'm making the bottle to concentrated. My baby is also mildly reflux, she's still putting on weight and not bringing up all her feed, just sometimes sick. Sometimes also a watery/milky bits sick. Health visitor has also said this is normal and won't prescribe anything. But I'm just concerned now in case she isn't reflux and I'm just making her sick. I feel so much more out of my depth second time round. I'm not enjoying it at all

Also to add to this, health visitor said feed on demand. I've been doing every 3 and a bit hours when I notice my babies feeding signs and that's been our routine and she's said no routine and to stop doing that. So also concerned in doing that wrong also🫣

So 5oz of water and 5 scoops of formula. Sounds right to me. I think your HV misunderstood.

HV don’t normal prescribe medication that would be the GP. A small amount of occasional sick is normal.

@Recoverymoreprotein sorry, I worded it slightly wrong. Didn't want her to prescribe anything. I asked if I would go and get something prescribed and she said she wouldn't go and do that because my daughter isn't dropping weight. She's gained a pound in weight in 4 weeks and I think that's a small amount. Health visitor said it's fine

Feeding when your baby first gives hunger signals is feeding on demand. As long as you’re not ignoring feeding signals because it isn’t feeding time.

Is she following her centile?

@Recoverymoreprotein oh god know. I feel like my daughter is very 3 hourly and that's when she tells me. But the health visitor said don't stick to 3 hours

@Recoverymoreprotein yes, she's been on the 50th throughout. She was born 7lb 11oz and now 10lb 8oz at 8 weeks old

Sounds absolutely fine to me, my LO had reflux and didn’t get on with prep machine as it added a lot of air so that’s exactly how I made bottles until he went onto cows milk. He actually preferred it to prep machine made formula which i always found was a bit too cold for him. He liked his milk on the warmer side.

OP, you make it perfect, not sure what the heck she meant by "too concentrated"?!

My first daughter wasn't a sicky baby at all so this is all new to me. But she also liked her milk warm and in the end the prep machine wasn't making it warm enough for her so I started doing it by the kettle.

Also I think the prep machine with the cleaning and changing filters is to much effort. Filters being really expensive also

Just to say my daughter has problematic reflux and hasn't had an issues with weight gain but has been on medication for her reflux for 4 years!
If you think the reflux is a problem for them do go the the Dr. Some reflux is normal in 2-4 month olds weight gain is one indicator for normal and problematic reflux but there are others

You must put all the water in first, hot and cold, then the milk powder.

Your schedule sounds just right, though.

This is wrong. The powder needs to be mixed with the hot water only to kill any bacteria before topping it up with the cooled boiled water

Sounds perfect to me as well. 5 scoops, 5oz of water and I used to do the hot shot flask method when out and about and I did the same as you - 2 hot, 3 cool.

@crispyeggs did you use to pour it into the same bottle or did you measure the 3oz cool water in a different bottle and pour into the 2oz powder?

This isn't advised. Because i did ask this and the hot kills bacteria so you need the hot with powder first

Just checking are you topping the bottle up to 5oz or are you adding pre measured 3oz so the milk goes over the 5oz when the bottle is finished?

Yeah, this. Don’t try and measure the 3oz in the bottle that already has the powder and 2oz hot water in. You need to measure it in a separate bottle.

As long as you’re doing that, it’s fine.

No, I pour the 2oz boiling water in, 5 scoops of powder for 5oz, swirl, and then I measure 3oz cool water in a different bottle and pour it in

I think your HV just wasn’t listening to you.it all sounds fine.

I have a child who has been on/off reflux medication over the years.

Your baby is gaining weight well, doesn’t seem to be over feeding in amount or frequency which can be a sign of discomfort and is only sick a small amiunt bit occassionally, as long as she is happy then I wouldn’t see the GP. If you think she is uncomfortable then go and discuss it with the GP.

Other thing to note is her skin and poo OK? If not it could indicate and allergy but I would expect a lot more vomitting.

Op get a formula kettle. Or a smart kettle. You can boil the water and then set it to 70 degrees and it'll stay at that temp for 24 hours, not that it'll stay there that long with hungry babies !! Then you just stand the bottle in cold water (I keep a jug in the fridge) for a couple of minutes til it's cool enough to drink. This has saved me so much faffing about

amzn.eu/d/fU2d0Ag

That's fine then, as it's 5oz water total so not too concentrated. Did the HV see you make it or did you just tell her? As from your description in the OP I thought you were topping up to the 5oz mark after adding the powder, so HV may also have thought that's what you were doing, which wouldn't have been enough water.

This is perfect. She's text book! We are reality!!

Sounds like you're making the bottles perfectly, HV must have misunderstood.
Weight gain sounds fine too, following the 50th line is great, lots of babies don't grow super quickly- my eldest didn't she just tracked the 50th centile the whole time from birth until 12 months.
A bit of sick is normal, what you're describing doesn't sound concerning or like it needs any medication.
Feeding every 3h because that's when your baby is hungry is feeding on demand, but I get what your HV means - like if tomorrow she suddenly wants feeding after 2h then do that.
Sounds like your HV is just not very good at listening!

Your HV is right that the proportions aren't quite right, but actually it's a bit more dilute, rather than too concentrated.

The milk powder 'should' be already in when your at the water, and then your add to the 4oz/6oz/whatever line. It means there's less than 4oz of water in a 6oz milk bottle.

So for your 5oz bottle, add 2oz of boiling water, and then add up to the line with the cooled boiled water. If its too hot, then add a bit less of the boiling next time.

Realistically, slightly dilute formula isn't likely to cause problems, it just means slightly less calories and your baby is growing fine. For a baby struggling with growth it could be harmful.