Cooled boiled water and adding formula vs storing made up bottles in the fridge?

[yellowpetal]

As a soon to be full time formula feeder, I'm so confused! I know your meant to make bottles fresh, but for when that isn't possible what do you do?

Ive read so many boil kettle, wait 30 mins, add the water to bottles and leave on the side and add formula when needed.. then heat up if babies like warm or serve at room temp.

Ive also read that some mums pre-make all bottles, boil kettle, wait 30 mins, pour water, add formula, cool, then fridge and use within 24 hours.

I no neither are in guidelines, but which one is the safest option? As bacteria can grow in pre-made milk, but formula is sterilised with water of 70 degrees, so surely adding to cool boiled water isn't sterilising the formula?

I'm considering filling a flask with freshly boiled water (not waiting 30 minutes) and just using that and adding formula when i need to bottles? anyone do it this way?

At night, im going to use cartons, as ive bought a mini fridge for bedside table (lol) and im going to take boiling water in a flask, and a bowl, and heat milk up with this throughout the night.

Also whats the rules with the cool bag or thermo bag things? Ive read you can use milk for upto 4 hours if stored in one of these? I no if its just at room temp its got to be used within 2 hours.

If i make 4oz feed, and little one has an Oz, do i still have the 2 hour gap, or do i have to dispose of any unfinished milk?

Sorry so many questions, i swear these guidelines exist to just make mums breastfeed! xx

 

[MrsButterfly]

At night I use cartons. In the day I pre-make the formula, rapid cool and store in the fridge. I only make 3 or 4 at a time though so I generally use them within 24 hours.

As I understand it, the most important thing is to sterilise the formula powder and room temp water wouldn't do this. Saying that, I know plenty of mums who do make up formula as needed with pre-cooled boiled water.

From the point lo starts a bottle I think you're dispose any leftover milk an hour later as bacteria can grow. If its untouched in the bottle I think it can last up to two hours at room temp.

 

[erikab922]

I've been meaning to write this exact same post for like a week now - I am exclusively expressing breastmilk but it's really getting me down, I can't pump as often as I need to these days so we've been doing 1-2 formula feeds a day with ready-made cartons.

I absolutely cannot understand how people can use powdered formula safely by doing cooled boiled water - I've been told (and my formula box says) the water has to be 70C in order to sterilise the milk but if it's cooled then it's not doing this. But how do I know when the water is 70C, and I won't always know when LO will be hungry so it's not like I can whip it up at a moment's notice.

Thanks for this post, I will be stalking it!

 

[moonitee]

I keep a jug of previously boiled and cooled water in the fridge. My LO has 8 ounce bottles so when she gets hungry i boil the kettle and add 4 ounces of hot water then put the powder in. Give it a good shake and then i add 4ounces of the cold water out of the fridge and give it a shake and it is ready to drink. Takes 2 mins.

 

[yellowpetal]

That sounds like a good technique.. although ive read that the nutrients spoil if water is over 70 degrees? I dont know if theres much truth in that though x

 

[Irish Eyes]

There's good and bad to every technique and you just have to pick yours! If you mix formula with boiling waters then it destroys some of the nutrients. If you mix formula with cooled, boiled water then it doesn't sterilise the formula and there have been illnesses caused by this (very, very rare!)

we have decided to make it with cooled, boiled water and it's really easy to make when I'm out which I am a lot of the day. For the last feed before bedtime I replace 2 oz with boiling water as I think it's nice to have a warm bottle before bed.

 

[skunkpixie]

Hey.

According to the World Health Organisation the advised way of preparing bottles, ranked according to saftey is:

1. Preparing each feed fresh, as needed using 70c+ water and consuming within 2 hours.
2. Preparing feeds adding powder to 70c+ water, rapid cooling, storing in the fridge and using within 24 hours.
3. Preparing feeds with room temperature water and feeding immeadiatly.

A couple of things to note though is that the UK is one of the only countries to follow the World Health Organisations 70c+ rule. Australia, US, and most of Europe all use cooled, boiled water at room temp to mke up feeds.
Also Hipp Organic formula now has to be made with cooler water (40-50c, but Hipp say room temp water is also fine) as they have added live prebiotic cultures that are destroyed at hot temperatures.
Bacteria in formula is potential serious but very, very rare. xxx

 

[yellowpetal]

Think im just going to pre make and store in the fridge. I'll only do 4 bottles at a time so i'm always using within 10-12 hours so atleast im only taking 'half' the risk lol. At night time ill just take a carton to bed with me, use half during the night, store in mini fridge and use for the morning. xx

 

[brokenbits]

I boil the kettle in the morning, fill up the days bottles (three) and when I want to use them I heat the water in the microwave then add formula - at night I take a bottle of boiled water, when he wants his feed I heat the water in the bottle warmer (on the bedside table) and by the time I've changed LO's nappy the water is warm and I add formula and feed.

 

[dgirllamius]

I boil my kettle, leave it a little while (about 40 minutes to an hour) and test with a thermometer. My milk says 50 degrees c so I get it down to there either by waiting a little longer or adding the water to the bottles and then putting the bottles into cold water. Once at 50, I then add the formula, shake, cool again and put them in the back of the fridge. My midwife said this is fine as long as I store them at the back and use them within 24 hours. She also said adding the formula to water over 60 degrees c will kill the nutrients and adding the milk to room temp won't kill the bacteria so around 50-60 degrees c. Of course that's my milk and that's what the instructions say. Just follow those on the box and you're good to go.

 

[erikab922]

Hey.

According to the World Health Organisation the advised way of preparing bottles, ranked according to saftey is:

1. Preparing each feed fresh, as needed using 70c+ water and consuming within 2 hours.
2. Preparing feeds adding powder to 70c+ water, rapid cooling, storing in the fridge and using within 24 hours.
3. Preparing feeds with room temperature water and feeding immeadiatly.

A couple of things to note though is that the UK is one of the only countries to follow the World Health Organisations 70c+ rule. Australia, US, and most of Europe all use cooled, boiled water at room temp to mke up feeds.
Also Hipp Organic formula now has to be made with cooler water (40-50c, but Hipp say room temp water is also fine) as they have added live prebiotic cultures that are destroyed at hot temperatures.
Bacteria in formula is potential serious but very, very rare. xxx

Thanks for this (and to everyone else who has replied), we would be using the new Hipp Organic formula (well, new to the UK) so that is interesting about the temperature difference.

 

[tmr1234]

I have allways boiled the wayer add to the bottels and put them in the frige untill i need them then warm the water and add the powder none of my kids have been ill by it. At night i use fresh boiled water and put in a thermo bag and by the time he wants a bottel it is cooled and i just add the powder.

 

[bigbetty]

To make as fresh without waiting for the kettle each time boil and leave to cool 30 mins then fill a flask. This will maintain its temperature for a few hours then all you need to do is add formula and cool.

I, personally, pre made and stored in the fridge as stated in the WHO guidelines. That way the powder is added to water hot enough to kill the bacteria in the powder and storing in the fridge prevents bacteria growth. Then I just had to heat and go - much quicker!

 

[baby_mama87]

Ive made them both ways at first. Now I add 2.5oz boiled water to bottles store in fridge and fill a flask of boiling water, add flask water and powder when he needs a bottle. It works for us!

Xxx