Formula milk, hot or cold?

[shinyshoes]

I am pregnant with my 3rd child and have always heated up formula milk when I've given it as i prefer to warm their little bellys up, especially when its the winter months.

I was having this conversation with my also pregnant friend yesturday and she said' nah, I just give it room temperature'. What is the 'norm' is it unusual to give milk that is warmed up or is it normal for it to be given at room temperature.

I know this one is a bit of an odd question too and I dont want to ask her at the risk of sounding thick but when do you give water to babies, is it from birth everyday. I cant remember its been 7 years since I had a baby last LOL

thanks all

I don't think there is a right or wrong. I gave ds formula at room temperature because my neighbour said if they got used to heated milk, it could be a real hassle when you were out and about.

I breastfed, but I think if you're formula feeding, they need cooled boiled water as well from the word go. If you're breast feeding, it's only when they start weaning.

Hi, I gave my last 2 formula at room temp as they didn't like warm/hot milk. I only gave water when they got constipated from the formula or when it was hot weather as both where born in July.

Took me ages to realise that ds preferred the milk at room temperature rather than hot.

I gave ds water every day - only tiny amounts - from when I stopped bf (12 weeks), partly because it coincided with that long, hot summer we had last year and I was worriedabout him dehydrating.

(sitting here in a fleece, watching the pouring rain, that feels like a very long time ago)

i would always warm it a little - esp in the winter months

As I used the ready made cartons of milk, if it was a large carton and had been opened and was in fridge, I heated the milk up to only just warm. If it was a little carton or I'd just opened the large carton, then she took it happily at that temperature. For her last feed of the day I used to heat this to warm for her bedtime drink and it also helped her settle off to sleep.

I only gave her water when she was constipated and then after weaning started offering her juice and water + progress milk.

These days (she is 15 months) she has juice during the day, and progress milk before bed (room temp)

i give room temp or out the fridge depending on whether i have made it up before hand or just before the feed is given.

formula fed babies do not need water, as a rule, unless the weather is incredibly hot...the formula, when made up according to the instructions , is their food and drink, as it were.. a new borns belly is tiny, so no point or need to fill it with anything other than milk

formula, if stored in the fridge, should be heated to take the chill off, and shaken well

shinyshoes - i always heated my sons milk when he was younger because i made up a days worth and stored it in the firdge, so it was a bit cold for him. But now he's (13 months) he has formula at room temp, and when he has cows milk he'll only drink it straight from the fridge, very odd.

Bottle fed babies need water straight away, but breast fed babies get most of theirs from breast milk so unless they're constipated or dehydrated they shouldn't need much extra if any.

I've always heated DS2 and DS3's milk to quite warm - DS2 prefered the "chill taken off", DS3 won't touch it unless it's verging on "too hot".

Never given either of my FF DS's water - DS2 November baby, DS3 May.

My DD will only drink warm forumla and doesn't have any water - if she wants a drink, she gets formula!

DS never got the chance to get warm formula and had it at room temperature ie I would add the powder to room temperature cooled boiled water.

Neither of them got extra water unless they were constipated.

I always warmed DS's - dont know why really i had just always seen it done that way. I would have no problem with giving room temp milk tho if they took it.

Didnt really give water unless very hot muchlike everyone else on here.

The milk you get in hospital is room temp.

I always fill the bottles with boiled water at start of the day and use those power dispensers - just grab a bottle and add the pre counted powder. (particularly good for nights as no need to get out of bed or even turn the lights on!)