Making bottles up in advance

[Jennifurball]

MW said to me I can fill them with boiled water after sterilising and just add powder when needed to make it easier, especially for night time feeds, great I thought, but I forgot to ask just how many/how far in advance I can do them so the water is still 'safe' and the bottles are still classed as sterile?

Also, do I store them in the fridge once they have cooled?

 

[Mindy_mini]

IMHO your me has given you bad advice.

The reason you should hot water is to kill bacteria in the powder. Obviously this won't happen if you're adding it to cooled water.

If you want to make them in advance the "safer" way is to make them with boiled water left to cool for 30 mins then cool them quickly in a bowl of cold water and put straight in the fridge. You should
Never store for more than 24hrs

The recommendations are to make fresh every time

Edited to add a link to this doh/food standards agency about it. On the last page it days the worst way to do it is the way your mw has recommended

https://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/formulaguidance.pdf

 

[SnuggleMum]

This leaflet is very helpful:
https://www.unicef.org.uk/Documents/Baby_Friendly/Leaflets/4/guide_to_bottle_feeding.pdf

Powder formula is not sterile so the water needs to be above 70 degrees to kill any bacteria. This is especially important for newborn babies.

An alternative is to use ready to use formula for night feeds.

 

[Jennifurball]

Really?

Would it make a difference that I will be using a bottle warmer?

Am I safe to at least take the bottles from the steriliser and dry them off or do they need to stay in to stay sterile?

 

[Mindy_mini]

Really?

Would it make a difference that I will be using a bottle warmer?

Am I safe to at least take the bottles from the steriliser and dry them off or do they need to stay in to stay sterile?

A bottle warmer won't make it hot enough to kill any bacteria.

Bottles should stay in the steriliser until you're going to make up the bottle. Don't wipe them or rinse them as you will unsterilise them.

Edited to add this is how we used to do it.

When one of us was putting lo to bed the other would put kettle on and boil it. We'd set a timer for 30 mins then wash the bottles and put through the steriliser. When the timer went off, we'd make up bottles for the next 24hours, adding the water then the powder (a good tip is find a little pot and measure the powder into that rather than putting it straight into the bottle as if you miscounted you dont waste it and the scoop doesn't get all clogged up with steam.) we'd hen cool them in cold running water or a bowl and put at the back of the fridge.

We'd then take as we needed and warmed either in the bottle warmer or hot water.

That's how we did it. It's not ultimately the "safest" recommended way but it's what worked for us. Lo never had a bad tummy that way.

 

[Jennifurball]

Thank you. Have just spotted the links too, very helpful.

I always wiped the steam off with kitchen paper but won't do that now. Argh I feel like a bad mum now!

Can't believe MW would tell me that, possibly making baby ill to help my own laziness.

 

[Mindy_mini]

If I'm honest the chances of making them poorly aren't massive and many women do do it the way your mw suggested without problem but to me it neverade sense - you might as well just make with cold water out of the tap as our water quality is good.

Just leave the steam on the bottles after all it's only boiled water!

 

[Tam2810]

I have made my bottles in advance from the very start - there just isn't the time to make a bottle up fresh and get to LO with it cool enough for him to drink without him screaming the house down lol. I make the next days bottles up each evening so I'm ready to go. I put the boiling water into the sterilised bottles as soon as the kettle finishes, leave to cool for about 5-10 mins and then make them up, leave them to cool again for about 30 mins and then into the fridge.

Touch wood there has never been a problem although my HV was very against this. I spoke to various friends and many of them did their bottles this way although current guidelines say not to x

 

[ifoundmysoul]

I think its quicker to make as you need, a bottle of cooled boiled water in the fridge, hot water in a flask, 1 1/2 ounces of boiled water, add powder for 3 ounces, shake well then add 1 1/2 ounces of cooled boiled water from fridge an bottles made in minutes! Much quicker than wilting for a bottle to heat up or cool down!

 

[dizz]

Way I do it to try to err on the side of safety while minimising the night-time faff.

Thermos flask - keep it full with boiled water (I replace it when I go to make a cuppa with the remainder of the kettle) and do again when you head up to bed on a night. Also a jug with cooled boiled water. Take both and the bottles and powder up to bed on a night.

When you need to make a feed - flask water (which will still be hot enough to kill bacteria in the powder) into bottle to about half-level (bit of trial and error to end up at the temperature you want), followed by powder in - bacteria then zapped... add in the cooled boiled water to bring the temperature down to where you want it without having to sit there cooling a bottle under the tap with a screaming baby on hand.

 

[GracieGoo]

I always make my bottles up in advance (I always make 3 at a time). I boil kettle, leave for 30 minutes and then make up the bottles. Fast chill and then put in the back of the fridge. When lo wants a feed I heat up using the bottle warmer. This works for us, and we have never had a problem. Found it worked particularly well for night time feeds.

xx

 

[starstarstar]

It's so confusing! I know the way I do it isn't the ideal way but now I really don't know what's best. Like others have said there is no way I would have time to make when needed so I always make them up in advance ad use within 24 hours. I sterilise, add boiled water and leave on the side at room temp. Then I add the formula when needed and use within 2 hours. My LO prefers her bottle at room temp so I don't warm it up.

 

[babykitty]

It's so confusing! I know the way I do it isn't the ideal way but now I really don't know what's best. Like others have said there is no way I would have time to make when needed so I always make them up in advance ad use within 24 hours. I sterilise, add boiled water and leave on the side at room temp. Then I add the formula when needed and use within 2 hours. My LO prefers her bottle at room temp so I don't warm it up.

I do mine like this as well. I have tried making the bottles up as needed but it takes too long. I discussed this with my health visitor and she said they are meant to tell you to make each bottle fresh but they way I do it is ok as long as you make sure you sterilise properly and keep preparation area clean. I have spoken to all my friends who have formula fed and only one of them has made up fresh. I just dont think its practical. I tried prepering six bottles with formula in them and keeping in the fridge. This is just as easy but can lead to lots of formula being wasted. My daughter only needs a top up feed sometimes and so its easier just to tip out some of the water and add less formula. Also health visitor said for going out its better to keep water and powder separate due to temperature changes during transport. Or you can use the ready made cartons and take a sterilised bottlewith you. I think you just need to find a way that suits you.

 

[ifoundmysoul]

I thought you needed to add the powder to water over 70 degrees to kill the bacteria not add to cooled water?