Using kettle for making baby bottles?

[Erlouise]

Hi ladies
sorry me posting again!… as I near to due date I just keep getting questions pop up in my head!
my partner bought the tomee tippee prep machine but midwives have told me I shouldn’t use this and I can use a kettle as it’s safer but ultimately the best way to do it is boil water in a pan? My only question with a kettle is the prep machines tell you when to descale and I think it has to be done every month or 3 months or something like that, whereas with a kettle I just sort of do it as and when it needs it - like most people I’d look and think time for a descale…
if I’m using a kettle to make up baby’s bottles do I need look at descaling on a regular bi monthly basis or just carry on doing as I normally would?
Really don’t think i want to go down the route of boiling water in a pan everytime baby needs a feed!!

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MNHQ Update
Whether it's for baby's bottle or that perfect cup of coffee - a variable temperature kettle can help you prep drinks easily. Our guide to the best temperature control kettles is up to date with a wide range of tried and tested options. We hope it’s helpful!

we've used the prep machine since my one was born with no issues. its an incredible help especially at night. why did they say not to use it?

Carry on descaling the kettle as you usually do, you won’t need to do anything different.

Once the water is boiled and left to cool for 30 minutes. The water is hot enough to kill any bad bacteria that can be present in the formula powder which companies can't prevent during manufacture. Don’t worry about descaling anymore than you need too as chances are the kettle is clean enough to do it’s job of killing bad bacteria!

It’s up to you if you use a perfect prep - the midwife won’t actively endorse it because there’s anecdotal evidence of them going mouldy - which any appliance could if it’s neglected.
The prep machine tells you when to change the filter, clean and descale it. It’s not a hard task.
I suppose a half way would be the kettle and a tommee tippee go-prep flask.

I’ll stick to my perfect prep as after years of having one, several children and many friends with one, I’m yet to find anyone who can categorically tell me the perfect prep made their baby ill. I can’t actually think of anyone who’s even blamed the perfect prep actually.

You got told to boil water in a pan to make babies bottles up ?

What planet are they on ?

A kettle is fine. Obv then need to cool the bottle under a tap which can take a while

Or make bottles via own perfect prep method

Kettle /flask with boiled water in it

Another flask with cooled previously boiled water now cold

Rough guide is 1/3 so for a 4oz /120ml bottle

Pour in 1oz of boiling water. Add 4 scoops of powder. Swirl. Top up with 3oz from cold flask

Bottle made in less than a minute

That's how I make up bottles - I'm a maternity nurse

Bottles last for 24 hours in the fridge so you can also make 2-4 bottles in one go. Once made, place the bottles in a jug/pot of cold water to cool them down, we had two jugs and one pot. Once the milk is cold then pop it in the fridge.

Once you’re ready to feed baby then warm the milk up in a jug of boiling water, it only takes a few minutes. I’m old school😆

This took me till my third baby to finally do this! I also discovered the joy of Milton tablets in a bowl and just having bottles in there for the day.

Bottle prep machines have just been the subject of a university study that says 85% of tested machines aren't reaching the temperatures required to kill bacteria. I used a kettle. Same process as a prep machine. 1oz of boiling water to sterilise the powder then topped up to required level with cooled but warm boiled water kept in a sterilised thermos.

https://www.swansea.ac.uk/press-office/news-events/news/2023/10/study-raises-concerns-over-powdered-infant-formula-preparation-machines.php

Honestly...
Manufactures are not allowed to sell unsafe things.

Take what health visitors say with a pinch of salt, the abuse changes every bloody week

Find your own way. Your babh will fume

Better late than never! It’s such a simple process once you get the hang of it.

Milton tablets are amazing! Change the water, pop the tablets in and just go about your day. I’m only 24 but my mum and grandma taught me about these things:)

As other have said, kettle is totally fine. I descaled mine once toward end of pregnancy and never bothered again. By the time they’re four months old, they’re a bit more robust and you’re not so worried about it all.

I did used to descale the steriliser but that was easy . I had a steam one because ds would scream if I used Milton. I think it gave him tummy ache (my theory but not proven!) when he reached four months I stopped sterilising but I did have a separate bowl to wash his bottles in.

I used to boil the kettle, pour the correct ml of the boiled water (say 150ml for example) into five different bottles. Turn the lids with teats on upside down onto the bottles so that the water steam would give the teats an extra bit of sterilising. I’d leave them like that on the counter for twenty mins and then put the right number of spoonfuls of powder in each one - give them a good shake - and pop them in the fridge.

My ds was fine with it

I don’t know of any midwife or health visitor who would recommend boiling water in a pan over a kettle. What age are they in, when a baby is hungry you don’t have time for that. Kettle is perfectly safe, as is a prep machine as long as you keep it clean and use the correct filters. Just descale a kettle when it needs it. Don’t over think it, you’ll just get stressed