Feeding newborn nephew, questions (also posted in FF)

[wish4baby]

Hello again everyone!!! I haven’t been on in awhile, but at times like these, i am so grateful for a community like this
Anyway, we unexpectedly ended up with custody of our newborn nephew. We have 6 kids, our youngest is just over a year old, so it’s been ROUGH! But he’s a little angel - almost a month old now. He’s been with us almost 2 weeks.
He’s drinking powdered formula, which I have never used. I have found it easiest to make a pitcher and keep it refrigerated for 24 hrs, pouring bottles from there & just running it under warm water to take the chill off (he’s fine with that).
My question is: Can I reuse a bottle for a few hours, rinsing in between? I know to throw out unused formula after an hour... but for example: Can I pour 2.5 oz, he finishes, i rinse out, then he naps for an hour and wants another oz, so i use that same bottle? I’d never let it go for hours and hours, though. Also, just to note: i keep a bowl of hot soapy water + vinegar next to the sink and soak the bottles & parts in there until the evening. Then they all go in the dishwasher on a sanitizer cycle - every night.
Due to what the darling has been through in his short life, I’m not going to try to stretch the time or anything, just yet (well nothing more than a diaper change/burp/lay him down to see if he’ll wake for more). He’s 100% on demand for the next couple months... he likes to munch and nap all day/night, which makes it difficult

Second question...I’m too embarrassed to even ask anyone in real life so if this is way too taboo, please be gentle LOL
I’m still nursing my youngest...would anyone consider pumping milk into a bottle for their nephew? I have thought about it but it seems strange.
Full disclosure: we don’t have any idea how long he’ll be here. His “Mom” is fine with giving him up completely, the dad isn’t, but he’s in prison now and has major health problems and addictions. We are not in communication with either of them at all, CPS is, and they may force them to terminate rights but we don’t know and likely won’t for months.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Ziggy2]

Sounds like a tricky situation, I would think you need to use a newly sterilised bottle each time - but I believe you can use a bottle with the same milk in it for up to two hours then it needs to be chucked. I think the advice about making up bottles has changed recently i think you are supposed to make up each bottle fresh as in don't make up in advance and refrigerate. I don't quite follow these rules, I boil the kettle and fill the bottles with water for the day and then at feed time add the powder and warm up, don't think this is what they recommend now though...

In terms of giving the baby expressed milk I don't think there is anything wrong with giving him your milk, he's your nephew after all and babies in NICU have breastmilk from strangers.

 

[jessmke]

I have no experience with formula feeding/using bottles, but I would 100% give him pumped milk if you are up for pumping! What a great gift you would be able to provide for him. When my youngest was born I pumped and gave my toddler the pumped milk, but then I ended up with huge oversupply problems and had to stop pumping.

 

[_Meep_]

I know nothing about formula, but I'd definitely pump milk for him. In fact, I'm so lazy, I'd probably just feed him straight from the boob lol.

 

[wish4baby]

Thanks ladies!
Haven’t decided 100% but I think if I find time to pump today, I’ll give him a bottle and see how it goes...if I tried to actually nurse him my youngest would go crazy!!! LOL he’s very jealous - if his 3 y/o sister even lays across me in breastfeeding position, he’ll attack her! Not funny, i know, but he loves his “milky” and can’t share (yet). Also, not sure baby could latch! He has trouble if i use different bottle nipples. He couldn’t get more than a drop or two out of our Avent bottles...

 

[cupcake.]

My daughter was Formula Fed and I did use freshly sterilized bottles every time.

But yes absolutely if you are up for it, definitely go ahead and give him your breastmilk! What an amazing thing you‘d be able to do.

I know pumping regularly can be a hassle though, I had to stop because my baby started being so colicky and I didn‘t get the chance to put her down long enough to pump.
But still, if you‘re up to try it, definitely do I don‘t think it‘s weird at all.

 

[Teri7489]

I'd definitely express for him if you can, be so good for him.

Instead of a basin of hot soapy water have a basin of cold sterilising solution. No need for the fancy Milton locking basins, a standard basin does the job. Just need to buy the tablets and add 1 to cold water each day which is cheap. So once you have washed the bottle just leave them in the solution until they are needed again and then they can be filled, no need to rinse (if you buy certain sterilising liquid they need rinsed)

 

[MindUtopia]

I think pumping for him is fine. Loads of people use donor milk. Obviously you know it can be such a hassle though and it probably wouldn't be my first priority right now when you have your hands full.

For bottles, you really need to wash and sterilise bottles between use. And I wouldn't be leaving formula in a pitcher. It isn't a sterile closed environment and will attract bacteria in your fridge. Just make up a set of bottles (I used to do the daytime ones first thing in the morning and then another set for evening and overnight), cool and refrigerate them and then re-heat as you need them. Make a bit extra in case he wants more. It will keep it in a closed environment and limit bacterial growth and it's just as easy as what you're doing now in terms of cleaning and sterilising.

 

[wish4baby]

Thank you so much for the tips! I didn’t even know about the cold sterilizing solution, I’m going to google that ASAP!
Also, great idea about making the set of bottles, I’ll start that tomorrow

 

[SonnyH]

You 100% need to add the formula powder to boiling hot water & not cooled boiled water.. I think 70degrees Celsius (sorry, I’m British!) is the lowest heat you can use.. the boiling hot water is what kills the bacteria that could be in the formula.. that’s the dangerous bit to babies!

The advice is to make a fresh bottle with fresh boiling water each time .. we have a machine that does it all for us but prior to that, we did store pre-made milk in the fridge for 12 hours! We’d make bottles for the day at 8am & use them all by 8pm. Any left we’re thrown & we’d make a batch for overnight.

You can keep milk for up to two hours once drunk from but we’ve gone on the side of caution & only do an hour..

Always wash & sterilise bottles after use. No question. You could use Milton tablets or we just use a steam steriliser.

Good luck with your nephew, he sounds like he’s lucky to have you! I’d def pump if you feel like you want too.. it’d be very kind & gracious of you!

 

[luz]

I’d definitey nurse him, or give ebm. Not weird at all! Each time I’ve weaned my kids I’ve given all my leftover pumped milk to family or friends to give to their babies.

 

[misspriss]

I know nothing about formula, but I'd definitely pump milk for him. In fact, I'm so lazy, I'd probably just feed him straight from the boob lol.

I’d definitey nurse him, or give ebm. Not weird at all! Each time I’ve weaned my kids I’ve given all my leftover pumped milk to family or friends to give to their babies.

I'd absolutely BF, I'd even do it straight from the breast. I'm lazy, why create more work for yourself?

I'm tandem nursing BTW, my 4 month and 2.5 year old kids.

 

[_Meep_]

Agreed, though he possibly wouldn't have the right tongue action for breastfeeding direct from the breast after being formula fed for a time. They do forget it. That being said, I am tandem nursing too and my older daughter stopped breastfeeding when I lost my milk at about 18-20 weeks pregnant with her sister. I thought she had weaned, but towards the end of my pregnancy, she wanted to try again, and found I had milk again! She's now 3.5 and still nurses - her latch and technique haven't been quite the same since, but it's still fine and she can still get milk, so I'm not sure exactly how long it would take for a child to lose that ability ...