Formula feeding

[Smellybears]

So confused! First pregnancy, due very soon. My question is about formula feeding as I’ve read so many different ways and am seriously confused!
I was going to purchase a prep machine but have been advised that they’re a waste and to give making up feeds a try first and see how I get on.
Anyway, how does everyone do it? The whole waiting 30 minutes for boiled water to cool is swaying me toward the prep machine as I don’t think it fair to expect baby to wait that long for a feed. Realistically how long does it take for the water to cool, apparently bottles can’t be made up with boiling water and then cooled under the cold tap?
I’ve read about making up feeds in advance in the morning for the daytime and in the evening ready for night feeds and then putting them in the back of the fridge. When needed just put them in a jug of boiling water to heat up.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated thank you!

Thank you all for your help and guidance! My kettle isn’t a proper kettle, it’s one of those one cup things that dispenses I think 200ml water at a time (makes one cup of tea at a time). Obviously I know I can just press it a few more times to make up to a litre or whatever I want.

Perfect prep is the best thing ever! I started off boiling kettles and all that faff but they don’t recommend cooling under the tap and they don’t recommend making in advance and heating in the microwave so it was just such a rigmarole. We do the same as marzipan, boil and cool the water every evening and fill the prep machine in the morning. My DD is 1 now and never had an issue.
I know a few people who stopped using them when the issues with mould came out but we check ours and de scale it monthly to ensure it’s clean.

For our and about we started off using a tommy tippee flask but quickly ditched that and use pre-made cartons. Much less hassle!

Passthestarmix

Please read UNICEF guidelines or the instructions on the formula packet. It's NO more than 30 minutes to ensure the water is still hot enough. There is no harm in too hot water. If boiled water killed nutrients in formula wouldn't it also kill nutrients when boiling veg and therefore make there no point eating it?

You can't 'kill' a nutrient 🤨 It's not alive

Here you go. Scroll down to page 14.

www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2008/02/start4life_guide_to_bottle_-feeding.pdf

My only negative review of the prep machine is I didn't have it first time around. Used it with my second from birth. We kept it upstairs so easy for night feeds. Just make sure you take it apart and clean it regularly. I use to soak all the parts in a colder water steriliser. Also use the proper filters for it and always have spares in. Don't use cheap alternative filters.

We have used our perfect prep machine since DD was around 1 month, never had any problems.

You can use water that's freshly boiled. The reason they say to let it cool a bit is to avoid scalds. You won't kill nutrients, that's bollocks. Make it up then cool under cold tap. Takes ages to cool though.

Personally I used a perfect prep machine (as did all the other bottle feeding doctors that I know), just make sure you clean the machine regularly as advised.

So can I boil the kettle, put the relevant amount of boiled water into a bottle, add formula and shake. Then cool down under a cold tap?

Yes that's perfect.

I went to a parent education class and asked about bottle feeding but they refused to talk about it! She would only advise on breast feeding, that was it, no advice on formula feeding which I think was a little unreasonable. I understand the ‘breast is best’ but some people have personal reasons they want to formula feed and obviously I went wanting to ask advise but she refused

My health visitor said boiling water can kill some of the vitamins and nutrients in the powder.. ????

Bare in mine op it'll take awhile to cool under tap from boiling.

mind

Catchingbabies thankyou! I’ve been so worried and doubting myself, as long as I know I can make it up that way then I feel so much better and a lot more confident!
Regarding making up feeds and storing them in the fridge, do I make them up the same way but then as soon as they are cooled put them in the back of the fridge? These will then be ok to reheat as long as used within 12 hours?

The fact that bottle feeding isn't talked about because of baby friendly is exactly what has led to so much misinformation and leads to people making bottles up in potentially unsafe ways. It's a real bug bear of mine. You may guess by my username I'm a midwife, I give all bottle feeding women the UNICEF leaflet and advise them on the safe preparation of formula as it's important.

The baby friendly guidelines have recently changed and said this is allowed but only after the baby has been born and only to one mother at a time not in a group situation where there are breast and bottle feeders.

Breast is best but formula isn't poison and it's ok to talk about is my message!

I boiled a kettle and filled 6 bottles (the contents of my steriliser), sealed them straight away and put them in the fridge. When I needed one I took one out, added the formula, shook well and microwaved. Shook it well again to get rid of any hot spots. I know you're not supposed to do it like that but she never had any issues, either with infections or heat and she guzzled it with huge enthusiasm!

Doing it the recommended way nearly broke me. My friend told me to do it as described above and said a microbiologist friend had assured her it was completely safe. How true that is I don't know but we certainly had no problems and it saved my sanity!

CatchingBabies If you boil veg it can lose vitamins and go into the water which is why they advise to steam so it maintains more of its flavour etc

It's best to make them up one at a time as and when they are needed but you can flash cool them and store them in the back of fridge if needed, e.g overnight.

You need to make sure your fridge is cold enough and that you cool them before they go in the fridge, don't expect the fridge to cool them fast enough to prevent bacteria growth.

Reading back over it. Can I do what passthestarmix has recommended then for night time, use cooled boiled water out of the fridge? I’m thinking for the night feeds, so use boiling water to dissolve the formula powder and then top up to the relevant measurement with cooled boiled water to get to correct temp?

That’s what I did smelly, when we were away from home. I took a thermos of boiling water and a jug of cooled boiled water and the powder all measured out up to bed with me so could make up a bottle without coming downstairs.

As long as you add powder at the end that's fine. You could do what welsh said.

I’ve never formula fed before, so my idea of prep is literally lobbing a boob out and going back to sleep, therefore all you women are actually superwomen because Jesus Christ this all sounds very complicated!! BUT my friend uses perfect prep and swears by it

I recently had dc3 first time with prep machine, it is incredible. It's changed my life! My health visitor was all for it. When your demand feeding and baby decides I need a bottle NOW boiling the kettle and waiting for it to cool feels like an eternity! Prep has it done in less than a min! Worth every penny and a night, priceless

I always made bottles in advance and stored them in the fridge. To heat I simply used a jug and boiling water. It's so much easier. And no need for a machine which I don't think is necessary at all.
A lot of people will tell you that you shouldn't make bottles this way. Including professionals. But I don't see the harm at all.