A few things i'm confused about - conflicting advice

[staycutee]

1. Heating bottles in microwave, is it okay?
One book says it's very dangerous due to uneven heat and could burn LO, another says as long as you shake well its fine. How long do you heat for, do you microwave the water then add powder or add powder then heat?

2. Making up feeds in advance
So far I have been sterilising bottles, adding cooled boiled water and putting them in fridge. Then, when he wants one, i take it out, heat in saucepan then add the formula. However, this takes atleast 5 mins and at night, I don't like to keep him waitign that long as everyone gets woken up every time. On the tin of milk it says make them up as you need them but I have read on here that some of you make them in advance.. What do you do, add the formula at the same time as the cooled water then put in fridge? How long do they last for?

Hope someone can shed some light on this xx

 

[jackiea85]

Microwaving isn't recommended as it can cause hot spots which can scald your baby's mouth (I admit I did start microwaving them as Joseph got older as he got more impatient but it's really not recommended)
I left the water to cool in the kettle for about half an hour, put it in the bottles, then put the powder in, cooled them down in cold water in the sink, then put them in the fridge. They can be used up to 24 hours. This isn't 'recommended' either, they recommend making them up as you need them, but I read a department of health leaflet that said you could do it this way if you needed to take bottles to childcare etc, so I don't see what the difference is! It's all very confusing. I originally added the powder to room temp water as my HV said this was ok, but I realised later on that the powder isn't sterile, which is why it's meant to be added to hot water. I hope this helps and I haven't rambled too much x

 

[Scally]

1. I have never used the microwave as its not recommended now because of hot spots. Saying that my mum always used to use the microwave for my sister and she never got burnt. Not sure if anyone on here does. I use a bottle warmer or jug of hot water.

2. I make mine up in advance - i usually have 4 or 5 bottles in the fridge. I boil the kettle, let cool for 20-30 mins, then add the powder, cool a bit then put in the fridge.

Hope that helps a bit x

 

[mumtosam]

1. I have never used the microwave as its not recommended now because of hot spots. Saying that my mum always used to use the microwave for my sister and she never got burnt. Not sure if anyone on here does. I use a bottle warmer or jug of hot water.

2. I make mine up in advance - i usually have 4 or 5 bottles in the fridge. I boil the kettle, let cool for 20-30 mins, then add the powder, cool a bit then put in the fridge.

Hope that helps a bit x

I do exactly the same. I heat my bottles in a jug of boiling water and have made them in advance since I started bottle feeding when Sam was 4 and a half months old. I just always make sure I never leave the boiled water to cool for longer than 30 mins (usually 20-30mins) as it won't kill any bacteria in the powder if left for longer. Sam is very happy and healthy!

 

[staycutee]

thanks how long does the bottle go in the jug of boiled water for??xx

 

[babybaillie]

I always used the microwave. but just used common sense and was very careful about how long i put the bottle in for.

with my 1st child i used to make bottles in advance, but when i had my 2nd there was no need for that, u can get so many tubs etc that u can put correct amount of formula in, so if needs be ill pop water in d bottle n just add formula as n when needed.

 

[Lisa1302]

The hot spots thing can easily be avoided by shaking the bottle well afterwards - thousands of people do use a microwave and scolding is very rare because people are sensible enough to shake the bottle properly.

I use it for any bottles she has other than morning and night (which she has in her nursery where the warmer is) - I do it 30 seconds for 7oz - thats in a 800 power microwave.

I have never made them up in advance, even when we did night feeds I would put it to warm in the bottle warmer and then change her bum, by the time it beeped I was done with her bum and ready to feed!

 

[suzib76]

making them up in advance was completely normal when i had n=my first 2, all i did was put them in a pot in the ink with cold tap running to cool them quickly

never used the microwave

and for night feeds i took a bottle and carton upstairs so i didnt need to faff about in the middle of the night lol

 

[Katieeeee]

I just sterilise the bottles, boil fresh water in the kettle and I don't let the water cool or anything, I just put it straight into the bottles (I do 4 at a time) and then they sit there on the side till I go to use one....and when I do, I just boil the kettle and put hot water in a jug, pop the bottle of water into the jug and when it's heated I put the formula in and shake it up.....easy

 

[jojo2605]

I microwave to heat, when Sam is screaming for a feed in the night I don't have time to do anythin else!

Can I also just add that when my LO had an operation last week, the hospital took my formula down to their sterile kitchen and sent up the formula ready made up to keep in the ward fridge with a sticker on it to use within 24 hrs... Now if doing this was bad I would sincerely hope the hospital wouldnt do it!!! So i say this is fine!!!!!