Advice on premaking formula bottles

[LittleDoveLove]

Hello I am a first time mum and don't have anyone I can ask advice so was hoping someone could help me as google is conflicting.
I am planning on using cow and gate formula when I have my baby and I was wondering what is the safest way to batch make. I know some people do 24 hour ones. I will probably do one in the morning and one in the eve so won't be any long than 12 hours in the fridge. I've read conflicting ways of making them up.
I've seen you can get premade now so we may use that for night feeds but it is quite pricey in comparison so would like the option.
Thank you for any help in advance. I very much appreciate it.

Hey lovely, honestly there isn't a "safe" way to pre-make bottles really! If you want to be 100% safe you need to make them fresh, especially when they're newborn. We used a tommee tippee prep machine and had no problems but since using it we have read some people have had problems. If it were me, and I work in a nursery where we have to follow the STRICTEST methods ever...I would do it the proper way for the first 3 months at least, possibly have pre made for the night feeds. Then after that I would take a boiled flask to bed, pour 1oz of the hot water to kill the bacteria in the formula and then mix in the powder, then top up with cooled boiled water (from a jug or bottle with a lid). Babies can get super sick from the bacteria, particularly when they're newborn, so if you're deffo going to bottle feed I really would do it the right way for as long as you can. When you're out and about, there's always cafes etc able to give you boiled water and I always used to have pre made shop bought bottles in my bag...until we found my son was dairy intolerant and then a whole new story began haha. Good luck xx

When I say pre made for the night feed I mean the shop bought cartons xx

Preface this with the safest way is to follow the instructions on the box but......The way we used to do it for my now 4 year old was to sterilised the bottles and then fill with required amount of boiling water for a feed. We would then use them as and when required and add the formula (water discarded after 24hr and bottle sterilised again). So in the night I would take 3 bottles of water to bed and 3 little pots of pre measured out formula and make them up when my dd woke. This obviously doesn't kill any bacteria that may be in the formula so maybe that is why the advise changed.

The safest way is to make each feed fresh with the full amount of water above 70°C. Other options bring different risks.

Adding a smaller amount of hot water then topping it up with cold after mixing powder and hot water, does make it quicker and is made fresh, however the downside is that there may not be enough hot water to sterilise the powder and access to hot enough water when out can be an issue.

Making feeds as per instructions then flash cooling and storing in fridge means that you have bottles available when needed and can be transported in cool bag when out. Downside of this method is that bacteria can grow in the milk while stored. I did use this method and only kept bottles in fridge for max 12 hours.

I do think it would be interesting if a study was conducted on the various methods people actually use to see which compromises provide the best solution.

Congratulations 🌷

It’s always a bit of a contentious subject on MN, it can get a bit heated! Don’t let that put you off asking any other questions, there’s always good advice in amongst the bunfight!

There’s a lot of anecdotal advice that suggests it really doesn’t matter very much and most of the time it probably doesn't, but if there is bacteria in the milk powder and your baby gets sick, they can get VERY sick and sadly sometimes it’s fatal, that’s very rare though

The most risk is in any pre existing bacteria in the milk powder. That needs to be mixed with water at or above 70 deg to kill it off. (Our water supply is very safe in the UK so anyone saying they use cool boiled water is missing the point of the hot water).

However, proteins in the milk start to denature (break down, become less nutritious) above 60deg, so you’re better not to go hotter than 70deg.

Anything other than making it fresh carries a higher degree of risk and I personally wouldn’t risk it any more often than is unavoidable and I would rather risk the denature by making it too hot than not hot enough when out and about. You can reduce the risk by using a thermometer, but you’ll probably feel like a proper Charlie.

At home you can buy a kettle that heats to 70deg (I test them to check they’re accurate). Once heated pour the water into the bottle (take note of how much you’ve put in), you need to have plenty so all of the powder gets thoroughly mixed into the hot water then measure out the cold water to the total water needed in another bottle/jug and add that. It sounds like a faff, but it’s really not and you can make a bottle that can be given to the baby straight away - test it obviously!

When they’re tiny it’s really important to get the water measure accurate so that they’re not dehydrated or taking too much water and not enough milk. But when they’re bigger it’s no so critical and you’ll know by then after having made a million bottles already!

Ready made milk has its uses for sure, but at home it’s just as easy to make it fresh really - especially if the little darling will only drink it really warm!

I’m having iPad/MN issues so I’ve probably cross posted with loads saying the same 😖

Yes the guidelines say you can make up advance if you use within 24 hours (I would be doing 12) they just recommend each time is better hence my asking on method.

Thank you for the advice, it does sound quite complicated with all the hot and cold waters, I'm sure I'll get used to it! I will do a few practice runs!

Hi @Bluebelltulip how did you flash cool of you don't mind me asking? Yes I would only do 12 hours x

Do what suits you. Who wants to be making bottles every time their DC are hungry? Especially newborns when they could have a milk every 40mins or so?!
My DC were on c&g. I made bottles up and put in fridge. Warm milk made both DC sick so I had to give them cold milk. (HV said this was fine) the bottles were always drunk within about 14hours anyway. Even now dd 11m has c&g milk. I make up smaller feeds (usually 4 or 5) and she has them after lunch, after dinner, before bed and 1 if she wakes up in night, the other is a spare just incase. I make these feeds in between 9-10 at night tbh.

Thank you @Lunalula so do you boil kettle and wait for it to cool 20 mins then mix in formula and put in fridge or do you put hot water in them and mix in formula then put them straight in the fridge to cool?

My plan is to:

Boil water
Wait for 20 mins to cool
Pour in bottles
Add formula
Allow to cool
Place in fridge and store for 12-24 hours

The advice is conflicting on whether you can store or not. All of my friends and family have always stored in the fridge so I'll be doing the same. I agree with a PP that I wouldn't want to have to make a bottle every time I have a screaming baby. I'd rather have them made up. My plan is to take out of the fridge an hour before they're due a feed and give them the bottle at room temperature.

I'm gonna be honest, maybe about 20-30 mins after kettles boiled I put the water in bottles then put formula In and cover bottles. I sort out rest of house for maybe half an hour then go and shake the formula up in bottles then straight in fridge. (Shaking a hot bottle is just no for me unless you want to burn yourself)
My 2 DC are fine. I've always done it like this. And they are barely sick too!

I always used to boil water, leave to cool and add formula when I needed the bottle. That was the advice then. I know it's changed now but I had no problems and I'll still do the same with our new baby.

I ran cold water over it or put bottles in a bowl of cold water. Then put them in the fridge. My DD also likes it cold so didn't need to warm it up.

I wouldn’t batch make personally, not in the first month anyway. It goes against all the advice I’ve been given

Bottles start to smell a bit funny quite quickly too.

The only certified safe way is making them fresh each time with a full bottle of hot water (boiled then cooled to 70 degrees) then rapidly cooling so baby can drink it.

HOWEVER

Batch making with a full bottle of boiling water and then rapid cooling under running water or in a bowl of ice water, then storing them in the rear of the fridge (not the door shelves) is as safe as using a prefect prep machine, they are just different risks.

I have Lways batch made bottles since dd was born. and she's never been sick. I know the guidelines say you should make fresh each time but my mum used to do it for me when I was newborn and I was fi e as well. It's also made my dd not fussy about having to have warm milk, she will happily take it at room temp

Honestly I'd recommend a perfect prep machine. Made so quickly as and when you need it . I haven't read the new guidelines but my DD is only 20 months and when I had her i was told you should make them as and when you need them with hot water . Before I had my prep machine I'd put a few oz of boiling water in, add the formula and stir then top up with cool boiled water and that was it ready to use. But it's such a faff!

I've got the Tommie tippee bottles so might look in to the perfect prep-machine too, they seem quite expensive? The midwife was really against them for general advice on bottles when I asked but surely they wouldn't be allowed to sell them if they weren't safe?

@LittleDoveLove

I got one at the weekend from John Lewis for £60 on sale! Might be worth checking if it’s sfill on offer.

Can’t offer any advice about bottles though, I’ll be in the same boat come May.

I got mine on offer in Mothercare , think it was only about £50. Think they've a new model out so the original one might be reduced now

I don't think they could sell them it there was an issue with them ? I think as long as you change the filters and change the water regularly it must be fine . A light comes on when you need to change the filter, they last around 3 months so not changing it that often

I wouldn't bother with perfect prep. Loads of faff .

@LittleDoveLove they sell plenty of unsafe things, especially for babies (bag slings, cot bumpers, baby headbands, baby walkers, positioners).

Perfect prep machines don't fix the out and about problem either.

1st safest way make fresh
2nd safest batch make, flash cool, store for up to 24 hours

Perfect prep machines are probably not as safe as the second safest way.

cronobacter infection is low risk but high consequences. It is most common in pre term and low birth weight babies. Ideally pre made formula would be used for this group.

Most neonatal units however use the second safest way

Thank you @TheDisillusionedAnarchist with the second safest way do you add boiling water to the formula and flash cool under tap or wait for the 20-30 mins from kettle, add formula and flash cool under tap?