Bottle prepping with formula

[mrsmummy2]

So I'm due baby #3 in 8 weeks and it's suddenly dawned on me that I've "forgotten" how to prep bottles

With DD I pre-made bottles and refridgerated them (with sterilized bottles, boiled water and added the formula)
With DS I sterilized the bottles, boiled water and left it to cool on the counter in each bottle and added formula as needed with each feed.

... fast forward to now and I'm like ok, are either of these ways "safe" in terms of bacteria etc.

I've toyed with the idea of a tommy tippee prep machine, but the price tag makes me wonder if it's just another gimmick for parents to buy into.

What do you/did you do?

Thanks!!

 

[OnErth&InHvn]

DS- put tap water in a bottle and added scoops of formula, then heated on stove or microwave.

Dd1- made liquid formula ahead of time in the fridge. Then heated on stove or microwave.

Dd2- breastfed

This baby- will be breastfed

 

[Teri7489]

I make all my bottles and keep them in the fridge. Really should be made by freshly boiling the water, allowing it to cool slightly and then adding the formula each time but who has the energy for that lol. I do allow them to come to room temperature though as a cold bottle csnt be nice for a wee tiny newborn that's just woken from a cosy sleep

 

[Babybump87]

DD1 we used ready made cartons, made fresh when she was older then we pre made and stored in the fridge , heated up .
DD2 - perfect prep
DS - perfect prep

I would buy a perfect prep anyday it’s one of my baby essentials now wouldn’t be without it ! Takes all the stress and faffing around out of bottle feeding .

 

[HLx]

Dd 1 she's 7 years old- made feeds up there and then, very time consuming and exhausting during night feeds

Ds 1 he's 5 years old- had a TT prep machine from day one, absolute GODSEND, no gimmick for me, spent the money on it and used it for the duration

Ds 2 currently pregnant with - bought a prep machine straight away as one of my 1st buys, absolute life saver for me

 

[mrsmummy2]

Ive gone bought a prep machine too. Just seemed like the easiest thing to do! Plus i got it half price in the mothercare baby sale.. win!

 

[blueblue]

Mixed feeding with baby one - had a perfect prep, it was amazing esp as I was bf too and that took forever.

Mixed feeding with baby two - making up bottles from stratch, very time consuming or using a flask for a "hot shot" and cooled boiled water stored in sterilised bottles in fridge for the cold - again requires a lot of planning. I'm going to get a perfect prep again as I'm spending my whole life bf and then bottle prepping.

 

[MissMarpleFan]

I use the Brita pitcher to fill my sterilized bottles, then add formula and shake. I always have two ready in the refrigerator. Take one out for a feed, make a new one. This method prevents gas problems from air bubbles because they have time to settle before the bottle is used.

I used to warm them up in a thermal cup of hot water, but my pediatrician said it was totally unnecessary and I quickly found that my daughter enjoys the milk cold.

Special pitchers and machines are just one more gimmick to spend money on and clean, IMO.

 

[blueblue]

I think the guidelines between North America/Australia and the UK are different? The perfect prep machine is very popular here as we are told to make a fresh bottle every time, always using hot water by boiling the kettle, leaving it to cool for 20 minutes so as not to scald the formula then to make the bottle and cool it down, it's a massive pain!

 

[MissMarpleFan]

I think the guidelines between North America/Australia and the UK are different? The perfect prep machine is very popular here as we are told to make a fresh bottle every time, always using hot water by boiling the kettle, leaving it to cool for 20 minutes so as not to scald the formula then to make the bottle and cool it down, it's a massive pain!

My goodness! I’m so glad that’s one less thing for me to worry about. “They” sure are hard on us moms.

 

[noon_child]

The prep machines haven't all been investigated as a safe method of preparation either unfortunately. This is due to the 'hot shot method' using such a small amount of hot water that as soon as you add the powder it lowers the temperature to a level that doesn't kill the bacteria.

 

[blueblue]

Thanks for the info, I've changed the way I prep the bottle using the Tommy Tippee machine to get a bigger hot shot and cooling the bottle down afterwards. I do the same to get smaller bottles than the machine makes too.

I'm using a higher bottle setting (for example, for a 4oz using the 7oz setting to get nearly double the hot shot), stopping the cool water at the right amount and cooling the bottle down in a bowl of cold water (put the bottle in the cold water bowl whilst I'm putting the lid on, waiting until the water warms up and changing it twice). It took less than five minutes whilst I was doing other things like finding a muslin/nappy change etc.

 

[LoneWanderer]

Baby has been mixed feeding since birth - now at one month we're on 100% formula.

I was using those ready-made cartons when mixed feeding. Obviously they are pretty pricey, but they were great for us as he just had a few formula feeds a day. Handy when going out, too. And obviously, no prep!

Now we're on formula only, I've switched to the powered stuff. And at first I was making each bottle fresh, exactly as the packet said - boil water, cool for no more than 30 mins, mix in the formula, cool with cold water, feed. BUT that quickly got tiresome, especially with night feeds etc.

SO. I am going against the advice on the packet, and from the health visitor, and NHS website, and seemingly everywhere else. Instead I am doing what countless friends and family members have always done before me, and prepping multiple bottles. I make three bottles at a time up exactly as directed, chuck a lid on them, and stick them in the back of the fridge when cooled. Then warm up in a jug when it is feeding time.

 

[MissMarpleFan]

Baby has been mixed feeding since birth - now at one month we're on 100% formula.

I was using those ready-made cartons when mixed feeding. Obviously they are pretty pricey, but they were great for us as he just had a few formula feeds a day. Handy when going out, too. And obviously, no prep!

Now we're on formula only, I've switched to the powered stuff. And at first I was making each bottle fresh, exactly as the packet said - boil water, cool for no more than 30 mins, mix in the formula, cool with cold water, feed. BUT that quickly got tiresome, especially with night feeds etc.

SO. I am going against the advice on the packet, and from the health visitor, and NHS website, and seemingly everywhere else. Instead I am doing what countless friends and family members have always done before me, and prepping multiple bottles. I make three bottles at a time up exactly as directed, chuck a lid on them, and stick them in the back of the fridge when cooled. Then warm up in a jug when it is feeding time.

My baby is still alive and thriving, and I never once boiled water for formula. Our pediatrician never even mentioned it. Strange the different advice in different countries.

 

[smileyfaces]

God i forgot about all this with my first 2 babies. My 3rd was breastfed for 3yrs and this one will hopefully be breastfed too! No worrying about bottles! I honestly would struggle to make a bottle up I reckon

 

[noon_child]

My baby is still alive and thriving, and I never once boiled water for formula. Our pediatrician never even mentioned it. Strange the different advice in different countries.

The recommendations are there because formula powder isn't a sterile product. So, a lot of batches wont have harmful amounts of bacteria in them, but some could, and because they cannot guarantee there wont be harmful amounts of bacteria it is recommended you sterilise the powder with hot water. Some babies are going to be less resilient too. For example the Belfast Health and Safety Executive found "Enterobacter sakazakii, a type of bacteria which can cause meningitis, has been found in between 4% and 14% of samples of powdered formula milk tested."

 

[MissMarpleFan]

The recommendations are there because formula powder isn't a sterile product. So, a lot of batches wont have harmful amounts of bacteria in them, but some could, and because they cannot guarantee there wont be harmful amounts of bacteria it is recommended you sterilise the powder with hot water. Some babies are going to be less resilient too. For example the Belfast Health and Safety Executive found "Enterobacter sakazakii, a type of bacteria which can cause meningitis, has been found in between 4% and 14% of samples of powdered formula milk tested."

The formula containers here say to ask your baby’s doctor if you should boil the water first.

 

[blueblue]

That's interesting, ours (in the UK) always say to using boiled water cooled for 20 minutes because of the formula not being sterile. Somewhere said that countries where kettles aren't as popular (ie France) say to use room temp water but use the bottle straight away (our guidelines say use within two hours), not sure if that's the case?

 

[MissMarpleFan]

That's interesting, ours (in the UK) always say to using boiled water cooled for 20 minutes because of the formula not being sterile. Somewhere said that countries where kettles aren't as popular (ie France) say to use room temp water but use the bottle straight away (our guidelines say use within two hours), not sure if that's the case?

Our package says to refrigerate or use within 2 hours, and then to use those bottles within 24 hours.
I’m going to try to remember to mention all this to my doctor at the 12 month appointment even though we should be free of using formula at that point onward!

 

[fidgets mammy]

With my son and twins i sterilised bottles, boiled kettle, filled bottles with required water and left to cool on side to room temp and add milk as required. I didnt reheat. I found this the easiest way and my health visitor who i worked with told me to do it this way. I will use this method again. It works for being out n about too as u arent panicking finding somewhere who will agree to heat up a bottle or have to worry about using a premade one in time or being back for next feed.