formula cartons... AARGH!

[Beesmummy]

Does anyone else find formula cartons impossible to open without spilling everywhere, or is it just me being malcoordinated?! Even with scissors I spill some, but usually I only use them for travel and emergencies, so I am ripping them open with my teeth and spilling it EVERYWHERE!
sorry, small niggle for a Big Rant!

yes yes yes - completely agree!

I completely agree!

Especially as I bought cartons for ds for ease on a recent holiday and now he wont take anything but cartons!

It costs us £80 a month to feed him - and thats just the milk! Its a good job I make and puree all his food instead of buying jars to save on the cost.

Changing topic a bit here - is it just me, or does anyone else think that the stuff in the cartons is different from the stuff you make up at home? DS will not drink Farley's Nuture cartons, but will slurp his way through the made up powder more than happilly!

I've got this down to a fine art now. You peel off the outside layer of paper first from the bit you want to open. Then you don't have double thickness to tear and it opens gently and without spills. I do mine in advance though as it can be time consuming for night feeds.

It's got to be different in the cartons. It's a different colour, for a start - browner.

We used to use the SMA ones.

First they are definitely different to the powdered milk, if you taste it, its much sweeter and a bit thicker.

Second we found that if you unfold both sides of the carton completely then tear carefully vertically down one side while squeezing together just underneath where you're tearing , then tear the corner off horizontally you can minimise spills! Huge faff!

These days we take pre-prepared bottles of water and measured out milk into little tommee tippee containers. Much much easier.

still think we should get up a petition to put spouts or something into the cartons - Aptamil, are you listening?!?!?!?

Agree with Pheebe. Lift both sides so it creates a bit more room for the milk inside.
I always have to do it with scissors though, as my fingers feel numb and my nails feel loose afterwards if I do it by hand(!). Then combine that with balancing a baby on your lap.

well i lifted both sides, ripped the paper and did it with scissors tonight (experiment!) and STILL got milk all over the counter. Must be just me.

so cartons and powder are different? i'm just about to start mixed feeding, he will take cartons just bought some powder i'll be v. upset if he doesnt take it now!!!

he did take the formula from powder, i'm v.confused i had to wait for kettle to cool down and then run under cold tap to cool it down so he could drink it ! it doesnt say on the box that i can make a bottle and the pop it in the fridge i'm still confused with a baby who has had to wait half hour for feed is this right????

Hi hanna

I believe the recommendation is that you make each bottle up fresh. The theory being that milk powder isn't manufactured in a sterile envinronment so once you add water there's a risk that nay bugs in there could start to grow and give bub a tummy upset.

As an alternative we boiled a kettle in the morning, let it cool then measured the water into sterile bottles and popped them into the fridge. When we needed a bottle made up, we put the powder in and warmed it in the mircowave for about 20 seconds for a 5oz feed (could warm in boiling water too). That way you aren't mixing the powder and water til you need it. Thats what we do anyway.

Once they get to about 6 months you don't really need to sterilise and we switched to tap water so the faff doesn't go on forever.

Hanna, if you have a look on the feeding threads you'll fing pages of chat on making up bottles and sterilising. Lots of theory and lots of what people do in RL!

Yes we also found that the cartons were a lots creamier than the powder, and ds would regurge a lot more after being fed with milk from the carton. In the end I used to dilute with some cooled boiled water.

And finally yes they are a complete pita to open!

Whilst on this subject, does anyone know where you can bulk buy cartons of formula? We are expecting DC 3 and I remember that the supermarket often didn't have a weeks worth of cartons available and it felt too selfish to take all that they had on the shelf. It would be great to buy trays at a time. Ta

Anyone?

Costco, or what about bulk buying on line from Tesco etc

Hadn't thought of Costco - do you have to be a member? I shop online for groceries but as it comes from the shop they would often be out of stock which would be a PITA.

You do need to be a member of Costco and they don't always have exactly what you are after so you may be better bulk buying from the supermarket.

Thanks pudding

I HAVE THE* SOLUTION to the spilling acrtons malarky.

Take a little pair of scissors out with you As has been said lift up both sides. Cut a corner off both ends. One is the pouring hole. One is the air vent and then hte milk will flow smoothly into the bottle and won't glug all over the place when you pour it.