Making up bottles - new to FF

[Samemka]

Hi ladies

I've decided to switch to FF & I have a question. I know I need to boil water to use for bottles - I understand I need to leave this for 30 mins to cool? Can I then transfer this water to steralised bottles then add powder when needed? Is there a time limit for how long I should keep the water in the bottle for or does it remain sterile?

Also - if we were going out, could I take a bottle with cool boiled water in then some powder & just mix it when needed? I've read people take a thermos but I don't understand why if you can trsansfer the boiled water direct to bottle once cooled?

Thanks!

 

[Dizzy321]

I dont add the cooled water straight away to the bottles i just put it in a small thermos that i keep next to my kettle so i can add it to my sterilized bottle when she needs a feed (i sterilize 3 bottles on morning and 3 on afternoon & leave in sterilizer) and i take my thermos & powder dispenser when out and about so i can make bottles up so they are warm for her, but you can just add the water to the bottles and take them so when you make bottles up it will be at room temp (hope i made sense lol) x

 

[Samemka]

Thanks!! Where did you get your powder dispenser from???

 

[princess_bump]

i believe the boiled water stay's sterile, in the bottles, for up to 24hours. what we do is to
sterilise 6 bottles of an evening, and add the boiling water straight away, which gave us enough bottles for the next day.

we would then add the powder as required.

we brought the dispensers from mothercare, and sterilise them and add formula for when we go out.

and the thermos , we have the fisherprice one, which, when i'm out, i will add the powder to the bottle with the cooled boiled water, and then put the boiling water in the pot the flask comes with and pop the bottle in the boiling water to heat x

 

[Dizzy321]

tescos, its an avent one that has 3 portions of milk, we had avent bottles at the start but now we have tomee tippee bottles, you can get the tommee tippee dispensers too single portions that fit inside the bottles under the lid,never used those ones x

 

[Samemka]

Great - I'll get one of those dispensers, they sound v.handy!

 

[whiby]

Powder is not sterile so you may want to add the powder to the boiled water when its still above 70degrees (usually within half an hour) as this kills any bacteria in the powder. If you add powder to cooled water apparently it doesn't kill them. Loads of people do it loads of ways but just something to consider?

x

 

[Fossey]

Yeah I make mine up fresh or use a flask, although this doesnt appeal to most due to time issues which I get. Trial and error gave me a good routine though and saves the crying

 

[Samemka]

Powder is not sterile so you may want to add the powder to the boiled water when its still above 70degrees (usually within half an hour) as this kills any bacteria in the powder. If you add powder to cooled water apparently it doesn't kill them. Loads of people do it loads of ways but just something to consider?

x

I thought you weren't meant to make up feeds in advance though? This is confusing stuff, lol!

 

[Pink_Witch]

i make 3 up at a time as i put colief in them which has to be used within 12 hours so i use cool boiled water and add my powder and the colief and put them in the fridge. When we go out i take my fisher price flask filled with boiled water so that i can warm the bottles when he wants one.

 

[brownhairedmom]

A lot of people on here do this, but I'm going to tell you that my nurse told me to absolutely not use powdered formula until 2 months old, because as someone said before it isn't sterile and it can contain bacteria which their digestive system cannot digest. You should use concentrate, it really isn't any difference in price when you work it out, plus it lasts longer.

You can make your feeds up in advance as long as they are used within 24 hours.

 

[whiby]

Powder is not sterile so you may want to add the powder to the boiled water when its still above 70degrees (usually within half an hour) as this kills any bacteria in the powder. If you add powder to cooled water apparently it doesn't kill them. Loads of people do it loads of ways but just something to consider?

x

I thought you weren't meant to make up feeds in advance though? This is confusing stuff, lol!

What I do (rightly or wrongly!) is to use boiling water to make up 4 bottles, add the powder to all 4 when the water is boiling, cool them down quickly in cold water then put them straight in the fridge. Someone posted a link to a department of health notice which said something along the lines of "you should make up bottles as you need them, but when this isn't practical you can store them in the fridge premade as long as its not longer than 24 hours". My argument is it's never practical to do it as you go along lol! DS won't wait long enough for boiling water to cool before he has it! He'd be purple with rage!

 

[Samemka]

Powder is not sterile so you may want to add the powder to the boiled water when its still above 70degrees (usually within half an hour) as this kills any bacteria in the powder. If you add powder to cooled water apparently it doesn't kill them. Loads of people do it loads of ways but just something to consider?

x

I thought you weren't meant to make up feeds in advance though? This is confusing stuff, lol!

What I do (rightly or wrongly!) is to use boiling water to make up 4 bottles, add the powder to all 4 when the water is boiling, cool them down quickly in cold water then put them straight in the fridge. Someone posted a link to a department of health notice which said something along the lines of "you should make up bottles as you need them, but when this isn't practical you can store them in the fridge premade as long as its not longer than 24 hours". My argument is it's never practical to do it as you go along lol! DS won't wait long enough for boiling water to cool before he has it! He'd be purple with rage!

That's very handy to know - thank you. Seems like there's conflicting advice everywhere!!!

 

[whiby]

No probs!. Have a look at this, hopefully it explains things better than me! There is loads of conflicting advice - but it is just that, advice. It's your child, you do what you feel most comfortable with. xx

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

 

[Samemka]

Thank you for that link - VERY useful! I'll now be making up feeds in advance and storing in the fridge - it's not v.practical to boil water, wait for it to cool, then make up the feed with a screaming hungry baby IMO - I didn't realise that powder had to be added when the water is above 70degrees, I'd been adding it to cooled boiled water in the bottles, but by the time I made them up it was cold!!

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

I don't see how anyone can follow the government advice, the baby would be screaming for ages unless you're VERY organised with a feeding routine.
I just thought, forget it! and used ready made cartons. It's a bit more expensive and annoying to store and carry home from the shops but better than the alternative.

 

[Shireena__x]

i think its easier if u make say three in the morning and then leave them in the fridge till needed. warm up in a bowl of hot water, shaking evry few minutes so theres no burn spots. that way theres no fuss about degreess and suchjust chek it on your wrist after its been in the hot water and shaked. this worked brill for me but its different for everybody. i also use the ready made cartons but thats for when were out and about. as its really easy, i just pour it in to the bottle and give it to her as its normally at room tmp by the ime were ready to use it, if not out comes the flask pop pour some in to a cup and put the botle in the water and warm the same. works fantastic

 

[angelae36]

When I had my first 2 children 17 and 12 years ago we made up enough formula - as in putting the powdered milk into the cooled boiled water - for a 24 hour period and stored in the fridge. Then warmed up in a jug of boiling water when needed.
Both have grown up fit and healthy and never had any tummy upsets from "unsterile" milk.

It seems so much has changed since then and I'm amazed that all of a sudden powdered milk can be unsterile and bottles should be made as and when needed.

At the end of the day the guidelines are just that. Guidelines. If they aren't followed then thats a mums choice and she won't spontaneously combust!

I shall do the same when this baby is born as with my 2 others!