Can I do this?? Advice please!

[suzanne108]

I'm planning on FFing when LO arrives and just trying to work a few things out.

I'm gonna be living with my parents for the first few months so I'm quite worried about baby waking them up in the night. Obviously they know what they are letting themselves in for but I don't want to wake them up EVERY night! So basically I need my bottle to be ready super quick to stop baby crying too long.....

So can I do it like this??

Before bed put my boiled water in the babys bottle then when baby wakes up for its feed I'll just put in the powder and its ready....I presume if I get baby used to room temp bottles this will be OK. Or can I only leave the water for a certain length of time?

I have absolutely no idea!!

 

[Twiglet]

We do our water for the whole 24 hours. Boil the kettle. Leave for 30 minutes then put in the bottles.

Caitlyn will only take them at room temperature. Never hot.

My HV advised me to put water in a thermos flask. Make my bottles up to 4 oz and then put 2oz of boiled water in as this will kill the bacteria in the powder. You can change this dependent on how much your LO takes? But defo worth it and so much easier at night!

I did this for the first 4 weeks but now make my water up for the 24 hours

 

[lexy604]

I do all mine up and put them in the fridge but than i have to reheat them in the microwave which in your case would probably wake people more. My oh sleeps like a log so i dont worry lol

 

[purple_socks]

I've always pre filled all my bottles for the next 24 hours with water and i leave them at room temp. I've never bothered adding a top up of boiled water or heating them etc.

at night i used to take a couple of bottles of water upstairs with me and at first i took the tub of formula and a scoop upstairs but eventually i got some formula portion pots (i use the tommee tippee ones coz they fit inside the TT bottles but i think there r other brands). Its loads easier to have pre measured pots of formula ready to tip straight into the water...tis less to think abt when ur half asleep!

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

You should be aware that adding powder to room temp water carries a small risk. The powder is not sterile and may contain bacteria that can in very rare cases cause meningitis or salmonella. Lots of people take this risk...but it's as well to be aware.

Another option could be to use ready made for night feeds. Yes more expensive but way more convenient.

 

[purple_socks]

You should be aware that adding powder to room temp water carries a small risk. The powder is not sterile and may contain bacteria that can in very rare cases cause meningitis or salmonella. Lots of people take this risk...but it's as well to be aware.

Another option could be to use ready made for night feeds. Yes more expensive but way more convenient.

that is true...i have read ur meant to add powder at a certain temp to kill bacteria.

this might b a taboo thing to say but i really don't like being toooo sterile. Obviously do what ur somfortable with. i plan to stop sterilsing bottles when LO is weaning, i hardly seralise his dummies (i wash them and other toys he puts in his mouth but i'm not really manic with it) and i'm not too bothered about making a feed and if he doesn't drink any i still use it later (well i judge it each time...when the weather was boiling i didn't use feeds unless i'd put them in the fridge and if its been more than a few hours i make a new one etc). I believe a bit of exposure to bacteria is good for the immune system and from all the research i've ever done luke warm water (the temp ur advised to add formula to) wont kill anything major so i just don't see the point

pre made formula is a good idea...although surely once its opened u need to store it in the fridge? when Kian first went onto formula he didn't finish even the little cartons so it would have been quite a waste at night.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

I'm not comortable with over-sterility either but for a newborn baby I think it's important to be meticulous as their immune systems are developing. I'd rather sterilise dummies and water bottles even though Ruby is over 6m, than worry my washing up is not up to scratch! Unfortunately a baby in my family (before I was born mind) died of meningitis so I am probably over cautious due to this.
We've thrown away a fair amount of pre made formula over the last 6m but it's par for the course. Ruby was taking about 60ml at first but she did finish a little carton within 24 hours which is the max you can leave them opened in the fridge.

 

[purple_socks]

I'm not comortable with over-sterility either but for a newborn baby I think it's important to be meticulous as their immune systems are developing.

Good point... i did steralise alot more when Kian was really tiny, i kept Kians dummy in a sterile pot and i never put it in my mouth (i know its terrible but it do that all the time now!!) and i washed everything that came into contact with him when he was first born...i washed my hands an insane amount of times! lol but not so much anymore.

you can get thermal bottle holders/bag thingies...i got a couple of tommee tippee ones quite cheaply off ebay! (i use mine more as additional storage for bottles then to keep them at a set temp coz they attach to my buggy) they would keep the water warmer if u dont wanna add formula at room temp.

 

[Vici]

We went on holiday when Imi was 6 weeks with a large section of Shauns family and the kitchen was downstairs at the other end of the house and I had just stopped giving her EBM so was a bit worried about the whole formula thing!

I made up my bottles about 2 hours before bed, quick cooled and the popped in the fridge. I then used a cool bag and put in 4 ice blocks with the bottles in the middle. I got a thermos bottle warming flask and as soon as imi started to stir I would warm one up (only to room temp) using the boiling water and special lid you get with it Meant it was quicker, she wasn't getting stressed out and i didn't have to trapse around the house

 

[suzanne108]

Thanks for the replies

I did consider maybe using three quarters room temp water and topping up with boiling water. I suppose it depends on what my LO prefers.

Its just good to know that the bottles can be ready to give to LO as soon as he/she needs them. I'm hoping to be able to stay in the bedroom, leave lights off etc so as not to completely wake up LO...hopefully then it'll be easier to get them back to sleep....maybe I'm being naive!!

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

I'm not comortable with over-sterility either but for a newborn baby I think it's important to be meticulous as their immune systems are developing.

i washed everything that came into contact with him when he was first born...i washed my hands an insane amount of times! lol but not so much anymore.

Me too! I even ended up with dermatitis from too much hand washing and use of hand sanitiser. According to my Dr, plain water is all you need.

But yeah, I'm meticulous with Ruby's milk bottles still but not her dummies, if one fell on the floor tbh I'd just rinse it under the tap. Now she's having solids, she's getting plenty of non-sterile things in her mouth anyway...

 

[suzib76]

i used a steri bottle/a sterilised bottle and just put the lid on and took it up to bed at night with a carton to save having to faff about in the midle of the night lol

 

[Lucy_lu_84]

I take bottles of cooled boiled water to bed and add the powder. I BF for 4 months so was used to not going downstairs so didn't want to start!

Maybe more so when baby is tiny be more sterile but as they get older and everything goes in their mouth anyway! I am a buggar for sticking the dummy in my mouth! LOL if drops on floor outside tho he doesn't get it back

 

[faille]

When she was first born, we made the whole bottles up and kept them in the fridge.

I only ever warmed them up enough so that they weren't cold anymore as I knew she'd take room temp. Really doesn't take that long to warm up to room temp.

 

[CatStorey]

I also live with my parents so have to be as qiuet as I can at night which isn't easy!!

I boil the water in the kettle, leave for 30 mins and pour into my bottles. Add the powder and then store in the fridge. When LO wakes up (and screams!!) I nip to the kitchen, grab a bottle, stick it in my bottle warmer (I got a plug in one from Mothercare) which I have in my bedroom by my bed and takes around 5 mins to warm up while I walk Chloe back and forwards to try and stop her crying. Then when its ready back in bed to feed

 

[dali]

I've always pre filled all my bottles for the next 24 hours with water and i leave them at room temp. I've never bothered adding a top up of boiled water or heating them etc.

at night i used to take a couple of bottles of water upstairs with me and at first i took the tub of formula and a scoop upstairs but eventually i got some formula portion pots (i use the tommee tippee ones coz they fit inside the TT bottles but i think there r other brands). Its loads easier to have pre measured pots of formula ready to tip straight into the water...tis less to think abt when ur half asleep!

i did this too, but recently ahve discovered the newest guidelines say not to, because the milk powder isnt sterile.
i never had any problems ( obviously if you use it imediatly after adding the milk powder then the bacteria dont have time to breed )
im not sure if i would use this method again after reading that it isnt recommended but it worked great for my lo

 

[angelstardust]

I add powder to bottles of room temp cooled boiled water and have done for all my babies.