How do you do night feeds?

[Mummy of Ange]

I use to buy the ready made cartons of formula and pour into the bottles on demand and warm in the bottle warmer whilst changing her.

However, I realised buying formula AND cartons was more expensive so I have been taking a flask of boiled (cooled) water to bed with the bottles and formula, when she wakes I have scooped the formula into the bottle added the water from flask, shaking and feeding her but it is a nightmare when she is screaming.

Can I not make 3 bottles up before bed and warm them in the bottle warmer when needed?

 

[aimee-lou]

Get yourself one of these - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lindam-Night-And-Feeding-System/dp/B000UPISOU

Or at least a similar set up.

Basically you have a cool box with ice pack, and a warmer. I have one, and while we don't use the warmer, the cool-box bit comes in very handy.

 

[Mummy of Ange]

Wow never seen that. So do I make the feeds in advance then put them in the warmer when needed?

 

[baby_mama87]

I've been doing mine same as day feeds half boiled cool water and half hot from flask add formula and it's ready. I'm same as you though it's becoming a pain on a night and I always end up feeding and falling asleep downstairs! That Feeding system looks great might get one of them.

Xxx

 

[amyleigh89]

I put 4oz of water in each of the bottles and whilst I am changing her I whack it in the bottle warmer. By the time I am done the water is warm enough to mix in the milk. I use a avent powder pot thingy where I can put 4scoops in each compartment and that gives me enough for the 3 night feeds. x

 

[Bernie16]

I make 6 bottles up at a time and store them in the fridge. At night I take 2 or 3 up to bed with me (depending on what time it is) and warm them in a bottle warmer when needed. I know some people do not agree with this method but it works well for us and my little man is perfectly fine. I only bought the warmer a week ago as the milk was too cold to feed him some nights and he wouldnt take his bottle. I bought a Nuby Deluxe Electric Bottle Warmer from boots, it was £30 but in my opinion worth evrery penny, I did a lot of research before buying one and am glad I chose this one - it arms his bottles in just a few minutes xx

 

[Mummy of Ange]

I make 6 bottles up at a time and store them in the fridge. At night I take 2 or 3 up to bed with me (depending on what time it is) and warm them in a bottle warmer when needed. I know some people do not agree with this method but it works well for us and my little man is perfectly fine. I only bought the warmer a week ago as the milk was too cold to feed him some nights and he wouldnt take his bottle. I bought a Nuby Deluxe Electric Bottle Warmer from boots, it was £30 but in my opinion worth evrery penny, I did a lot of research before buying one and am glad I chose this one - it arms his bottles in just a few minutes xx

This would be perfect for me as we have a bottle warmer, but all the formulas say use within 2 hours so I make them when needed.

My mum said make them up in advance, she did with us 3 and we are fine z

 

[holliepop]

I make 3 bottles in advance and pop them in the fridge once I've fasted cooled them. When bubs is hungry I pop them in the micro for 20 secs. Never had any problems from making bottles in advance.

 

[Bernie16]

I make 6 bottles up at a time and store them in the fridge. At night I take 2 or 3 up to bed with me (depending on what time it is) and warm them in a bottle warmer when needed. I know some people do not agree with this method but it works well for us and my little man is perfectly fine. I only bought the warmer a week ago as the milk was too cold to feed him some nights and he wouldnt take his bottle. I bought a Nuby Deluxe Electric Bottle Warmer from boots, it was £30 but in my opinion worth evrery penny, I did a lot of research before buying one and am glad I chose this one - it arms his bottles in just a few minutes xx

This would be perfect for me as we have a bottle warmer, but all the formulas say use within 2 hours so I make them when needed.

My mum said make them up in advance, she did with us 3 and we are fine z

I wouldn't worry too much about what it says on the tin! My young mn spent his first 3 weeks in special care and they used to make 24 hours worth of milk every morning and store it in the fridge - they did this with every baby that wasn't breast fed. Also when we did bring him home the midwife that came to visit us said it was far safer to pre make bottles than mess around with hot water in the middle of the night whilst trying to calm a hungry baby! Also, the formula we are now using states 2 hours on the tin but on their website it states keep no longer than 4 hours at room temp or 24 hours in the fridge, in any case we were all fed with pre made bottles and it did none of us any harm. Even my nhs provided book says if you pre make store in fridge for up to 24 hours so I dont see anything wrong with it especially for night time feeds and making up bottles once or twice a day is far easier than at every feed! x

 

[aimee-lou]

The 'guidelines' now seem to say that pre-making is ok but not the recommended way of doing it, but I pre-made with my first and never had any problems, and pre-make with this one too now.

In answer to you question - yes you pre-make then store in the cool box as if you would in the fridge, then use as needed.

Personally I've never been able to see the logic in handling hot water, with a screaming newborn, then wasting half a baths worth of water in cooling it down, when you could easily make up a few bottles, leave them to cool while you're all calm, and then heat up as and when needed. I tend to get bottles out before I think I'll need them, then they're there and ready when LO wakes. At night, LO seems to like the milk at room temp, so a few seconds in a warm jug (or down my top lol) is enough while I deal with his nappy.

 

[nikki79]

I pre-make 3 bottles just before i go to bed, rapid cool them in a sink of cold water then put in fridge.In the night while I change Sam, DH goes and put them in the microwave for 30 seconds gives them a good stir with a spoon, he has dr brown bottles and not supposed to be shaken, and bottle is ready by the time i've finished changing him.

We've done this now for weeks as making the fed when he woke took to long and the screams were far to loud and waiting any longer distressed him and made his wind worse!

Nik

 

[Katy Bug]

In all honesty, we used the microwave with my nephew..We just put the right amount of water in the bottle, warmed it in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds, just enough that it wasn't completely warm but not chilled either. Then put a top on and shook the water up real good. Then we scooped the formula in, shook the bottle, and everything was ready to go in like less than 2 minutes.

We never had any problem with this method and my nephew is the smartest two year old I know now, and that isn't a biased opinion either!

 

[Mummy Bean]

I pre make before bed...keep in back of fridge. Then pop one in bottle warmer whilst i change him.