Bottle feeds

[AmyG87]

Hi ladies.

I'm currently 39+2 weeks pregnant & wanting some advice on bottle feeding.

I decided long ago that I will be bottle feeding so please no judgement or questioning why I'm not breast feeding!

I have been told by the midwife that you have to make each bottle fresh & that you can't pre-make the bottles & store in the fridge until needed... I think that this is a new 'recommendation.'

I just wondered what you ladies actually do about this?? I can't see this working in the middle of the night whilst baby is screaming for a feed! My plan was to make some bottles up before I go to bed, store in the fridge, then when baby is due a feed, warm the bottle up - I have a Tommee Tippee bottle warmer that came with the steriliser.

My view is that if you aren't allowed to warm bottles up, then surely they wouldn't be able to sell a bottle warmer??

Thanks in advance x

It isn't s case of being "allowed" or not, of course they are allowed to sell these things, just as you are allowed to follow the advice or allowed to disregard it. Non of it is illegal. It's up to you to understand the hygiene and risks involved and make an informed choice.

But, in answer to your question:

www.amazon.co.uk/Tommee-Tippee-Perfect-Machine-White/dp/B00BG6304A?tag=mumsnetforum-21

It's not that newer guidance now. It is correct. Once water hits the formula powder bacteria starts growing, so the way to reduce risk is to make feeds up as you go. Many people do make up a load of feeds and store without issues but still doesn't mean it's correct or the safest thing to do.
I know other mums who boil water and put it in a flask to keep warm then add forums to water as needed. In this scenario the water has to be over 70 degrees to help kill the bacteria already in the powder which it won't be from a flask.

Lots of things are sold but doesn't mean it's right/safe etc.... dopplers for home, cigarettes, cot bumpers etc not safe but still sold

Yeah that's not advised any more, but our mum's would have done it that way. It's totally up to you whether you do it or not. We have a perfect prep machine too. Best thing we ever bought!

Perfect prep machine.

All the perfect prep machine does is add a shot of boiled water to kill bacteria and then top
Up with cooked boiled water to correct level.
I put correct number of scoops of formula in bottles before bed. Have a bottle of cooled boiled water next to kettle and when make up the bottle I use a set of scales. My baby on 120ml at the mo so I weigh 30ml hot water, swirl and dissolve formula then add another 90ml cooled boiled water. Perfect temp. It takes a few seconds xx

Small bottles of ready made formula were a god send but pricey.

Ready made formula.

Can you not still get the little tubs that fit in the top of bottles that you pre measure the powder into? I did that with DD but it was a long time ago. It was a godsend for nights as it required little extra concentration as I was mainly concentrating on not dropping DD or falling over my own 2 feet. I seem to remember also pouring the cooled boiled water into them too so it was literally unscrew mix and warm

Lolabee that way is not advised. Using cooled boiled water does nothing. You need to mix the formula with hot water

Formula needs to be mixed with boiling water to kill bacteria. Mixing with cooled boiled water is unsafe.

Like I said it was years ago. Everything changes every year

I will be pre making the night feeds.

Same way you intend. It is up to you if you follow the advice xxx

Why not just use ready made for night feeds

I did it like the perfect prep machine does, add a couple of ounces of boiling water, give it a good mix with the powder then top up with cooled boiled water I stored in the fridge.
People will be along in a minute to tell you that this is unsafe and that it isn't enough hot water to kill the bacteria and that perfect prep have refused to release their research. I think it's fine. The water is still scalding hot after mixing with the powder and DD never got an upset tummy. I did only start formula at 6 months though. I may have been more careful with a newborn.

I'm breastfeeding but to give my sore nipples a rest (bubba has a tongue tie we are waiting to get referred for!) we give her a bottle of pre made formula every other day or so. You could do this overnight although it is more pricey. Keep it at room temperature as its unopened and all ready and done. Be mindful of the perfect prep machine in the fact the baby would get used to only having a feed at one temperature and can hinder feeds when you are out and about. However do your own research on this and ask other parents who use it!

Using ready made every night, for every feed, for however long baby needs night feeds could prove very expensive when having pre made bottles did no harm to my large family

But your large family is hardly a great sample size. Unless you actually have had thousands of babies?

Hi I bottle fed my son and plan on doing again for my little girl, with my sons bottles I pre made every one up for the day and night and stored them in the fridge and just warmed them up each time in the bottle warmer. Midwives advise not to do this but my son was perfectly fine and it was a godsend through the night. Im sure a lot of the older midwives did this for their children but now advise against it x

Ah yes, the "I did it and my kids are fine" brigade.

One of my mums' friends was fed on. Nestle's evaporated milk from birth. She's fine but I very much doubt anyone would say that's fine.

I did it. I make no apologies for it.

I read about the risks and took the risks I was comfortable with.

Homity its more about the size of the risk and if you're comfortable taking it.

Everyone's entitled to do it the way they want to and everyone is allowed an opinion . People aren't saying my child was fine so yours will be , someone asked a question and people have given them their experiences, dsnt mean to say OP is going to do the same

I used a perfect prep at home and either ready made when out or took a flask of boiling water and a flask of cooled boiled water and did what the PP machine does. We used to take the PP up with us at night so didn't even need to leave the bedroom. No way would I have been wanting to trek down to the kitchen and faff with bottle warmers etc. When using ready made we didn't warm it up and was never an issue.

Quite why anyone would take the risk of giving their baby a potentially lethal gastrointestinal infection is beyond me but you know, your bubs your rules. Don't get me started on safe sleeping guidelines and car seats...

I also boil and measure the water and put it in the fridge and then add formula and warm it, it's not the recommended way but it's what I've always done.
In all honesty with an 18month old and 3 year old at home too, formula bacteria is the least on my concerns. I'm pretty sure the two month old has already been exposed to far worse by her germy siblings