Bacteria in milk powder??

[Cheesepuff]

Posted this in the weaning forum accidentally as well, but don't know how to remove... but hope you can help here.

This whole making up the bottles is so confusing ! I have been exclusively BF Alex since birth, but have started weaning him onto the bottle in the past couple of weeks. He likes his bottles finally, but I am so confused regarding the method of making them...

I read somewhere that you need to add the poder in 30 mins after boiling so that the water kills any bacteria present in the milk?? Gee, if that is true, then I have been making his bottles all wrong So, is this ok what I have been doing:
- Boil the kettle - if heading out, add to the sterlised bottle & stick to the insulating bag. When feed is needed, add milk powder & serve. (heat up if water has gone too cold)
- Boil the kettle (if at home), add to the sterlised bottles & leave on the kitchen counter. Add powder when needed and serve heated up.

Should I start storing the bottles in the fridge? How do you do the bottles when you're out & about for the day?

 

[dali]

i think it says leave for no less than 30 mins beforea dding as it will "burn" the powder....
what you have been doing sounds fine hun.

i always filled the bottles for the day with the boiling water then left them onthe side until needed then add the powder . my lo liked them at room temp anyway so no need to heat
i actually got his tip from a cow and gate leaflet i think

i think most recommend taking out a flask of boiled water and a flask of cold water ( previously boiled) to mix to the right temp and take the powder seperatly when out and about, but putting the water in the bottle with seperate milk is basicly the same thing ( in an isualted bag , if you need it warm )

 

[Cheesepuff]

Thanks dali, good to know that it's ok, as find it a convenient way to get them done

 

[jen1604]

Yep I did it the same as you honey as that was what my midwife recommended and we never had any problems xxxxx

 

[Vici]

It says on the cartons to make up with cooled boiled water that has been left to stand for no MORE than 30 mins (so the temp does not below 70degrees). This is because powder is not bacteria free (it can't be seeing as as soon as you open the packet it is open to everything!) and although it's advised to not make with boiling water as this burns the goodness away, leaving the water to cool for longer than 30 mins will not guarentee the killing of the bacteria

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Vici is right.

Loads of people just add the powder to room temp water....but the safest way is to do as Vici describes.

 

[dali]

hmm , just found the most recent guidelines ( ot sure when they started) but they do actually say it is best not to add to room temp ... i hope this is a new guideline as wheh my lo was tiny i went way out of my way to amke sure it was safe and was told it was fine, by m/w , h/v, and dr. looked it up on line and actually got the idea from a cow and gate leaflet, and the tommee tippee powder dispensers described how to use them this way... all said it was fine as the bacteria that may be present wouldnt have time to breed if the milk was used immediately..

anyway like i said i hope this is new as i was told it was ok from every angle, and never had a problem with it. my lo is well off formula now so i guess for me it dosnt matter. guess its up to you hun ., speak to the pro's and see what they say, i figured i would do the same next time as it is really easy and worked for us , but if they have decided it isnt ok then i dont know now..
im babbling, lots of people do do it this way and have no worries , ( i imagine they were told it was ok too ? )
who knows , i swear they only do these things to make bottle feeding more dificult.. ( nah im sure thats not the case )
best of luck to you anyway

 

[kirsten1985]

it's advised to not make with boiling water as this burns the goodness away

Is this true? I have never read this. I always make my bottles up about 20 mins after kettle has boiled with powder and everything and store in the fridge 'til she needs one. Occasionally I have made them up before 20 mins has passed and I kind of feel like the hotter the better (within reason) so there is less chance of bacteria.

I never realised it is bad to make them up too hot.

 

[baby.love]

I make up Sienna's the same way i did it for my 10 & 3 year olds and the way my mum did it for me! I make them all up in 1 go... It never done my older 2 any harm, they are both healthy happy kids. All this fuss regarding bacteria and that just scares mums i think.... You can never raise a child in a totally sterile environment.

 

[kirsten1985]

I am fine with making all mine up in one go, I mean, the bottles are sterile, the hot water sterilises the powder, I don't take the lid off 'til I use them, I store them in the fridge and use in 24 hours.

No probs for me.

 

[Vici]

it's advised to not make with boiling water as this burns the goodness away

Is this true? I have never read this. I always make my bottles up about 20 mins after kettle has boiled with powder and everything and store in the fridge 'til she needs one. Occasionally I have made them up before 20 mins has passed and I kind of feel like the hotter the better (within reason) so there is less chance of bacteria.

I never realised it is bad to make them up too hot.

I think its only if you put the powder in as soon as the kettle has boiled. Just within 1/2 hour so yours is fine.

I also make mine up for the day, quick chill and then refridgerate

 

[dali]

I make up Sienna's the same way i did it for my 10 & 3 year olds and the way my mum did it for me! I make them all up in 1 go... It never done my older 2 any harm, they are both healthy happy kids. All this fuss regarding bacteria and that just scares mums i think.... You can never raise a child in a totally sterile environment.

i agree and if you could it surly wouldnt be good for them..

 

[Mary Jo]

it's advised to not make with boiling water as this burns the goodness away

Is this true? I have never read this. I always make my bottles up about 20 mins after kettle has boiled with powder and everything and store in the fridge 'til she needs one. Occasionally I have made them up before 20 mins has passed and I kind of feel like the hotter the better (within reason) so there is less chance of bacteria.

I never realised it is bad to make them up too hot.

this is exactly how I was making up Adam's bottles. then last week I got paranoid and decided to do it so I don't have to store the made-up bottles but it's still quick, and actually my new method is quicker than before.

for a 210ml bottle, what I do is: pour 120ml boiling water into a bottle, seal and leave to cool, store in fridge. also in advance, measure 7 scoops of powder into an individual Tommee Tippee powder storage thing. at feed time, boil a fresh kettle of water and add 90ml boiling water to another clean, sterile bottle. then cool slightly with 10ml or so of the cold water from the 120ml in the fridge. add the powder and mix. and finally add the rest of the cold water.

I figure whatever's bad in the powder is killed by the hot water, but it's not too hot to kill the good stuff. and the feed is cooled to the right temp for giving immediately, so the longest he waits is the time for the kettle to boil. it's quicker than when I had the made-up, chilled bottles that needed to then warm in a jug of hot water.

it does of course involve advance prep of the cold water bottles and the powder, and I get through bottles twice as quick (but it's a way of making use of the small bottles he doesn't usually need now). and my paranoid self feels better (even though he had no probs in the 10 or so weeks we did it the other way).

oh, and my bottles are BPA free, so I feel ok about adding boiling water to them (not supposed to with the other type, though glass would be ok).

 

[Cheesepuff]

Thanks for all the replies I have tried few different methods and have now decided to prepare the bottles in advance (max 3 at the time) and store them in the fridge.

Who knew that making bottles could be this complicated, and some people say it's ab effort to breastfeed... I think I might stick to BF during the night and bottles during the day.

 

[sobersadie]

I dont understand why they changed how to make up bottles. with my 8 and 4 year old we were told to make them all up in advance (with powder in them) and make sure they were used wihtin 24 hours. Now were supposed to make them as we need them with water exactly between 70 and 90 degrees (boiled 30 mins in advance). Who has time for that?? especially at night. As for pouring water in the bottles and leaving it on the side this means the bottles keep being opened - not sterile anymore!! My HV an dmidwife offered me conflicting advice on feeding my LO this time (demand feed, no stertch to the 4 hours, make up bottles as required, no dont store them etc) its ridiculous! I make 3 feeds up at a time and store them in the fridge and did so with my last 2 and they were very healthy babies who were good eaters and slept well so dont see why i am doing anything wrong this time. its a minefield lol!

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

I agree it's a nightmare all this conflicting advice, and very complicated. It drove OH and I to use ready made. The NHS leaflet my MW gave me about FF says to sterilise a bottle freshly for each feed! I mean, who does that!

 

[jojo2605]

I am fine with making all mine up in one go, I mean, the bottles are sterile, the hot water sterilises the powder, I don't take the lid off 'til I use them, I store them in the fridge and use in 24 hours.

No probs for me.

I do this too, hope its ok?!!!

 

[bailey4eva]

Im not yet on powder, using ready made and thinkin of goin to powder for money saving, but all this is so confusing, just wondering if the powder packs/tins etc have instructions on them? xxx

 

[Vici]

Yes they do hun, but they will tell you to make each feed as you need it. If you followed instructions to the letter, you'd boil fresh water in the kettle, wait till it had cooled a bit but not more than halalf hour, add powder and the cool in a jug of cold water!! When you've got a screaming baby I find this not at all possib;le hence why everyone finds their own merthod of making up bottles

 

[TTC LADY]

I think I've been doing it all wrong - as I add powder to boiling water and then allow the bottle to cool down.

Never read anything about the powder burning thing.