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Original poster

new bottle feeding guidelines

73 replies

kri5ty · 13/10/2011 10:06

Hey girls :-)

Ok I don't want to start a debate on different ways (right or wrong) on making up bottles. I plan to stick to the new guidelines and make them fresh ( following the government guidelines), but I just wanted to know if this would still be ok-

Allow some boiled water to cool, and keep this in a flask once cooled.

then when its time to make up a feed, boil the kettle, and pour a little less water than needed into the bottle

Then pour a little of the cooled boiled water into the bottle (to make it up to the correct level, and making sure its above 70 degrees)

Add powder, shake and cool in water to drinking temp

Would this work? I'm thinking so, as the water will still be above 70 degrees, and it will be quicker than waiting 30 minutes for the kettle to cool each time?

Thank you

OP posts:

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AnaisB · 14/10/2011 09:36

DD is 9 months and started having formula at 6 months. I haven't followed any of these guidelines cos I mistakenly thought that it was about sterilizing the water and not the powder, but surely milk powder has no more bacteria in than other foods that she eats raw (not to mention that this morning she was playing with the toilet brush while I was in the shower)

Finallygotaroundtoit · 14/10/2011 09:38

Oh and Chippingin - the numbers of babies admitted with gastroenteritis is higher than you would expect but it isn't routine to keep a central record of how sick babies are fed.

It is only when someone undertakes a piece of research that the increased risk from bottle feeding is clear
http://www.unicef.org.uk/BabyFriendly/News-and-Research/Research/Gastro-intestinal-illness/Breastfeeding-reduces-the-risk-of-gastrointestinal-infections/

My friend's mum feels bad about it now - if someone had made the link 30 years ago I doubt she would have been telling all her friends and relatives about it

Freezingmyarseoff · 14/10/2011 10:11

Thanks chipping and everyone for advice. I'm not going to be too finickety about it but now I know why the water needs to be 70 degrees hot, I really ought to follow the guidelines.

Pudding1979 · 14/10/2011 11:28

It sounds to me like the nhs/government having decide to have a real push on bf has come up with a load of reasons to make ff a hell of a lot more complicated. After having two kids I have learnt to use my common sense and do what's right for me and my kids. By the way the water isn't sterile either until its been boiled. I had two children and with the first the bottles were made up with the formulae, cooled and put in the fridge and the second by keeping bottle of sterile cooled water in the fridge for 24 hours and then added powder and warmed to drinking temperature as needed. Both mine are fine. Never heard of any children being ill as a result of the bacteria. Feed them how you think best but believe me finding the simplest way for you is best as you'll be soon fed up of faffing.

thesurgeonsmate · 14/10/2011 11:34

I've eaten undercooked chicken and I'm fine. Doesn't mean I'd eat it again in the future if I could avoid it. Bit risky, no?

Original poster

kri5ty · 14/10/2011 11:42

I had NCT classes last week, so I asked about bottle feeding and was told they aren't allowed to teach it as it goes against family friendly policy and breast is best.

The thing is, I can't breastfeed for medical reasons, from my point of view, yes it is best, but by not teaching the correct method its putting lives in danger!

But maybe it should lie with the manufactures, and they should put on the tins one extra step... do not re warm... like a micro meal says do not re heat... for the same reason!

I bought a kettle. It was 40 pound so not as much as the other, its the this one if anyone is interested x

OP posts:

latrucha · 14/10/2011 13:48

The government has just cut almost all funding for bf initiatives. it is 'not a priority' of theirs.

RitaMorgan · 14/10/2011 13:59

How on earth is improving formula safety going to encourage breastfeeding anyway?

Surely letting babies die from contaminated formula would be a better way of improving breastfeeding rates.

kingram · 14/10/2011 18:50

[Shock] I used to fill bottles with boiled water, cool and put in the fridge then when it was time to feed I put powder in shook and warmed to right temp. Can't I do this any more? It was 6 years ago I last had a baby lol and didn't have probs back then. Xx

RitaMorgan · 14/10/2011 18:58

You can do it if you want, but it is a risk to your baby as the formula powder isn't sterile. Pointless boiling the water if you aren't treating the powder with the same caution.

Fifis25StottieCakes · 14/10/2011 19:19

Im with Rita on this as i know from experience. DD1 was fed with milk made up and stored in the fridge. She was a nightmare and was sick all the time. Cue dd3 made up following guidelines was never sick. DD2 had gastric reflux so probably would have been sick anyway

Finallygotaroundtoit · 16/10/2011 08:21

Pudding and kingram have made the usual assumption that the water is the risky bit

All the faff over putting boiled water in the fridge - why ?
You could probably make feeds up with unboiled tap water cos the bugs are in the powder

As surgeonsmate says - would anyone be so gung ho about raw chicken?

Oh and NCT tutor is wrong - she can give info and should have the NCT guides to distribute. She just can't give a 'making up a bottle' demo to the whole class. This was a nifty way of advertising brands & making formula feeding seem inevitable

Finallygotaroundtoit · 16/10/2011 08:35

And also a bad way to teach a skill that needs to be done on an individual basis and when it's needed - not months or weeks beforehand.

The strange focus on boiling already clean water is a bit like obsessing over washing and rewashing salad but ignoring undercooked chicken!

hiviolet · 16/10/2011 11:08

I'm formula feeding my four week old (not through choice, but suffice to say my chances of successful bf were ruined by lack of support in hospital - but that's another thread. We've been using cartons because in my fragile state I couldn't face the hassle of making up bottles using powder. Having read this thread, I'm thinking I might stick with the cartons, even though they're expensive. How the hell do you manage to leave the house with a ff baby? I don't even know how to do it with cartons, unless I take a new carton out with me and throw away the half carton she doesn't drink (since I wouldn't be able to fridge the opened carton straight away). So far, I'm timing trips out of the house in-between feeds, which is quite limiting

Pudding1979 · 17/10/2011 09:35

I didn't mean to upset anyone and I know there is bacteria in both and If I am pregnant Like I think am now I will be making a damn better effort at breastfeeding that I ever did before but mainly due to babies dying from kidney failure in other countries and despite what everyone has said it being more difficult to ff in mo on purpose. There are always horror stories about manufacturers having accidents and baby food having glass in it. None of the hospitals near me give out ff and force you to bf now. I made all meals when my kids were weaned from scratch so I knew what was going into it. I was just trying to reassure the op to find a way that suits her best (safely) but got misinterpreted. Sometimes health officials can be a bit ott and its best to use your own common sense as long as you know you are doing it safely. For instance my hv was telling me I couldn't wean my last child until he was 6 months - i ignored her and did it at four months - it wasn't her that was having to put up with the increased feeds and being woken in the night every couple of hours again. Sorry if I was misunderstood and upset anyone. It was my first time on here in a long time and I think I may go back to bounty - where people are friendlier and don't criticise others all the time. Before anyone says anything I have noticed this on a lot of posts that I have looked at and not commented on. I thought the newspaper articles about mumsnetters being bitchy was inaccurate - now I know its true.

fraktious · 17/10/2011 09:46

pudding just because you've never heard of it doesn't mean it doesn't happen and there's no cast iron way of knowing whether a FF baby with gastro got it from licking a shoe, parents making a bottle with unwashed hands or the powder. I personally know someone whose DC got a serious infection from formula - the true extent of the damage and delay is only just becoming apparent. Another poster's DS got salmonella and she had no idea how because all he'd had was milk and she washed all the bottles thoroughly. Random freak occurrences, maybe, but they happened. The consequences are so severe that the minimal likelihood still brings it out as a big risk.

I assure you it isn't scaremongering

latrucha · 17/10/2011 09:49

I don't think anyone has been bitchy on here except perhaps you. People have given facts which others, including the OP have been happy to know.

no one forces you to bf. If you want to formula feed you have to take in your own mik, that's all. As you do if you bf.

Fifis25StottieCakes · 17/10/2011 09:54

what do you make of this gadget that was on this morning. It may help with carton feeding but i dont think under the guidelines it would be safe to used for formula

www.yoomi.com/

latrucha · 17/10/2011 09:57

It says it heats it to 32 degrees. I can't see how it helps with preparing from powder.

Pudding1979 · 17/10/2011 09:58

I was just saying what the 6 people I know who have given birth recently have told me. Oh and if you want to ff my friends take a flask out with them and a bottle of cold water. make the bottle up with the hot water and powder then cool in a jug or the large part of the flask you can get for ff with the cold water. Failing that other friends buy the ready made formulae which you have to heat up then cool down. I am not bitchy far from it. People just haven't read my posts properley and have misunderstood me. I never saidthat bacteria wasn't in the milk just that it was also present in the water. I only said how I used to do it - not that either was the right way - and that neither of mine were ill. My parents were from the generation when drinking and smoking in pg was acceptable - doesn't mean I ever did it or that I would ever. I was merely trying to comfort the original post and advise that sometimes (maybe not in this case though) its best to use your own initiative. Sorry I spoke now.

kirrinIsland · 17/10/2011 10:09

hiviolet I do exactly that - take a carton out and throw away what is left. Yes, it's more expensive than powder but it's better than being trapped in the house :)
As someone mentioned above, if you boil the kettle and then pour the water straight into a bottle and leave it to cool to 70* it will only take about 5 minutes. Then add the powder, mix it up and leave under running water to cool - you can have a freshly made bottle ready to drink in about 10 mins.

If you look at the WHO guidelines it says that it is perfectly ok to make bottles in advance, providing you make them up correctly in the first place (i.e. everything clean and sterilised, water at the right temp etc), cool them rapidly and store them in the back of the fridge for up to 24 hours. It also advises on taking bottles out with you.

ragged · 17/10/2011 13:26

kri5ty: may I just say how upsetting I find it that your NCT won't give out any bottlefeeding advice? I'm saying that as a rabid exclusive Breastfeeder, too. For all the reasons you cite and more.

DuelingFanjo · 17/10/2011 13:32

"It sounds to me like the nhs/government having decide to have a real push on bf has come up with a load of reasons to make ff a hell of a lot more complicated"

I don't understand why it's complicated... unless you don't have the internet and can't read.

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