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Original poster

Changes to bottle feeding

49 replies

Rosetip · 21/04/2007 12:28

A friend of mine went to visit her friend and newborn son yesterday (she gave birth about 2 weeks ago).
My friend told me that everything has changed to do with bottle/formula feeding since we gave birth to our children 2 years ago.
Something to do with not being allowed to make up bottles in advance and store them in the fridge etc.
Does anyone know anything about this? I breast fed my last two children but am going for my first c/s this time and don't know if my body will produce milk straight away. I want to get to know any new rules well in advance but don't have an appointment with a midwife for a little while.

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Original poster

Rosetip · 22/04/2007 21:36

I must have pregnancy brain because I still don't get it.
I have looked at the government guidance (thank you TheBlonde), and it seems to me they are saying that you shouldn't let water cool at all before adding powder feed, whether you store the water bottles in the fridge or at room temperature.
If so this makes it all much more difficult than when I bottle fed with my other two children.
Surely it is a lot easier and quicker to take bottles out of the fridge (either plain water or pre-prepared formula) and then heat them up in the microwave than it is to cool hot bottles down.
I'm really confused!
The best bet (after breastfeeding) would seem ready made cartons, but much more expensive.
Any more help anyone?

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Jan2 · 22/04/2007 21:41

I am probably being stupid but I am still totally confused about all this!!

Would it be acceptable to make up the bottle with freshly boiled water and then store it in one of those little 'thermal' bag things that you can buy which would keep it hot?? - I am thinking about if I want to go out and about/ for night time feeds?

As for normal at home during the day feeding would it be OK just to use boiling water and then run the bottle under the cold tap to cool it?

My first baby is due in the next two weeks and I will be bottle feeding from the start due to being on medication.

Arriety · 22/04/2007 21:53

To be honest I don't think anyone really knows! I am working on the basis that by using hot water I kill off the really nasty bugs, and by then keeping it cold I stop other bugs from growing. By this reasoning it means that keeping it in a thermal bag might not be the best thing as I seem to remember from biology lessons/food programmes etc that keeping stuff at a warm temp encourages bacteria to breed. Now she drinks them straight out of the fridge so I don't do any reheating!

Think the govt advice says if you go out and about to make it with hot water, then cool and transport cold and use within 2 hours. No help for night feeds though, hence the fact that I make those up before I go to bed and keep in the fridge. Works now with a 6 month old, was very hit and miss when she was smaller and I did have to resort to pre-sterilised bottle and ready made carton when I had miscalculated how hungry she would be on a certain night.

Jan2 · 22/04/2007 23:05

Yes I see what you mean about the thermal bag and possibility of germs!

But I thought that the whole issue with the new advice is that they say it's not safe to make up the feed and store it and therefore the old method of making up night feeds and storing them in the fridge is no longer advised??

They seem to say that you should only make up the feed as you need it which to me just doesn't seem practical!

Hopefully I will be able to get some more advice from my midwife/doctor.

jdd0709 · 22/04/2007 23:45

I know this doesn't really help but this did my head in so much a year or so ago with ds1 that we used the cartons, and I am a microbioligist. To me, the bottles people made always looked suspect to me as, like people have said, the tubs of powder aren't sterile and sit around for weeks and adding that to room temp water just seems like a recipe for bacterial colomisation to me. To be fair, he was mainly breastfed and only ever had a maximum of 2 cartons a day so it wasn't too much more expensive but it was so much easier just opening a sterile carton each time, and heating up if necessary. We used aptamil and you can buy them in value packs at tesco and I think I worked out that there wasn't that much in it as it bought it down to 30 odd pence a carton rather than 50.

Original poster

Rosetip · 23/04/2007 09:41

Thanks a lot everyone (and thanks also to Diege for mentioning the gov website a while back).
I need to see my midwife anyway so will find out what she thinks.
Apart from that, I will look at the instructions on the tins and buy as many ready made Tesco value cartons as I can afford (I tried to tell my DH that we couldn't afford a third baby!!).

OP posts:

nogoes · 23/04/2007 09:46

I used the ready made carton because I knew I would fret about the risks otherwise, even if they are only small. It is expensive but much less faffing about and no room for error.

Arriety · 23/04/2007 10:03

Hopefully you will be able to breastfeed anyway like you have before. Then it is easier cos even if you have to top up for a little while cartons aren't so bad, and anyway you have time to make fresh bottles and let them cool while the baby has as much breastmilk as possible. Good luck with number three. Let us know how you get on!

gingertoo · 23/04/2007 13:16

Aaaaaaah! Why do things always have to be changed??!!
It is 6 years since I had DS2, which i know is a fair-sized gap, but I can't believe how much has changed in that time e.g. weaning at six months (4 months was fine before) and this bottle feeding malarky!! When the midwife gave me all of my booklets at the 'booking in' visit I put them in the bottom drawer thinking 'been there, done that, haven't got the time!!!!!' Perhaps I ought to get them out and have a look through.......wonder what else I've missed!

I always used to make bottles up once a day and store them in the fridge for up to 24hrs........sounds like I might have to have a rethink.

Twinklemegan · 23/04/2007 17:23

I think the sad thing is that with the new advice people will be tempted to make up feeds at the time, but with water that's not very hot, or even room temperature, so it doesn't take ages to cool down. And that is so much worse in terms of risk to the baby than making them up with very hot water and storing in the fridge. And yes I've done this myself, but only since DS has been quite a bit older.

Daisypops · 23/04/2007 19:49

Arriety-I bought some more formula today, the tin has been revamped and it says 'if you need to make feeds in advance, speak to your health care professional'-sorry!

I've thought about this and discussed it with DP, who thinks that what we've been doing is ok, DD hasn't been ill and it works for us, so why change it???

Arriety · 23/04/2007 20:10

What's the betting that the hv doesn't even know the guidelines have changed?! Be interested to know what they say though if you do ask. My DH said the same thing by the way when I was getting all stressed about what to do. And DD2 is a sturdy little thing and I am still making up batches although now she only has 5 bottles a day so I make up the 10pm and 7.30am one at 8pm and then the day ones at 8am.

gingertoo · 24/04/2007 11:19

Going to see community MW this afternoon. Will ask her about it. It seems that knowledge about the whole issue among health professionals is 'hit and miss'. Most literature that you receive during preg still suggests that you make bottles up in advance / no mention of water temp............Clarification def needed!!!!!

Original poster

Rosetip · 24/04/2007 11:25

Great- could you let us know what she says and maybe we could pool our knowledge together after we all maybe speak to midwives etc?

OP posts:

gingertoo · 24/04/2007 14:42

MW not much help on this one I'm afraid. She said she wasn't sure....
She suggested following the manufacturer's instructions on the label!!
It's all as clear as mud!

wildwoman · 24/04/2007 14:49

Making up bottles with cooled boiled water is fine. The risk of contamination is really small and to talk about the need to have hot water ot kill off bugs is misleading. Formula is not sterile but it isn't crawling with bacteria either. You are more likely to make your baby ill by not washing your bottles well enough or not sterrilising them properly.

daisyhun · 24/04/2007 17:07

Finally the voice of reason Wildwoman!!

The label on the formula just says to use boiled cooled water, as confirmed by the Cow & Gate helpline.

No manufacturer is going to put their reputation at risk by putting instructions on the packet and making recommendations which are dangerous for babies.

All of my friends with babies make up the bottles with cooled water and I have been doing the same with no problems at all.

When babies are putting toys and whatever else they pick up into their mouths anyway I don't think that making bottles up with boiled cooled water and sterile bottles is putting them at any great risk.

Original poster

Rosetip · 24/04/2007 17:34

Yes daisyhun, it does sound ok to me too.
I spoke to a friend at the school gate whose son is about 8 months old, and she said she has just ignored the new guidelines on the basis that her elder son survived.
I will speak to the midwife, but just cannot see me making up each feed as I go- maybe cartons to start with to be on the safe side.

OP posts:

Twinklemegan · 24/04/2007 19:46

Just to clarify - I was talking about very young babies as Rosetip was asking the question in relation to a newborn. I for one wouldn't want to take any risks with such a young baby.

Arriety · 24/04/2007 21:09

I'm with Twinklemegan on this one. A friend who is a doctor said by 4 months their systems are pretty robust but before then it is best to be as careful as possible because if there is anything nasty in the formula it could do serious damage. Once they are rolling around on the floor, drinking the bath water, putting all and sundry in their mouth, chewing the shopping trolley etc it is a different matter entirely!

Arriety · 24/04/2007 21:12

Just checked the Hipp packet and that says to leave the water to get to 50-60 degrees (30-40 minutes) which is considerably hotter than room temp or fridge cooled water.

Original poster

Rosetip · 25/04/2007 02:12

Thanks again, ladies, for all your advice.
I'm going to try breastfeeding, buy as many cartons as I can afford for the early days and later probably buy the powder and add it to cooled boiled water and store in the fridge like I used to (but maybe in smaller batches than before). Sadly it does seem that leaving bottles of boiled water out at room temperature is out.
I do think that they should have made things clearer before bringing in these changes and after all it must vary from country to country (I've heard that in America they don't even sterilise bottles and think that the dishwasher is enough).

OP posts:

Arriety · 25/04/2007 10:41

A year ago in the States my SIL was making bottles with cold water straight from the tap and then warming in the microwave so yes it does seem incredibly variable! Hope breastfeeding goes well cos it sure works out easier if it is possible.

mamascott · 25/04/2007 13:03

With DS1 I often used powder sachets (SMA Gold) when we went out - adding them to cooled boiled water. As they haven't been opened, are they sterile? This might help provide a solution for immediate feeds, and isn't as expensive as the ready made cartons.

Still four months to go for me until next baby, hadn't even considered how things might have changed since then! Eek!

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