Making up bottles

[AppleBlossom]

I don't make up each feed as I go along, too much hassle and I can't afford to keep boiling the kettle! I have always used water that has been boiled and cooled for half an hour. Recently though I am not so finicky about it as Grace is much older and has an iron stomach, seriously the things that go in that childs mouth! I still use boiled water as much as I can but if the water has been in the kettle a little longer I do use that and if she needs a bottle but the water in the kettle is too hot I fill it with mainly boiling water then top it up with cold from the tap. Mind you I don't really sterilise her bottles as much anymore. Used to do them every day, now they get done once a week-ish

 

[FierceAngel]

I don't make up each feed as I go along, too much hassle and I can't afford to keep boiling the kettle! I have always used water that has been boiled and cooled for half an hour. Recently though I am not so finicky about it as Grace is much older and has an iron stomach, seriously the things that go in that childs mouth! I still use boiled water as much as I can but if the water has been in the kettle a little longer I do use that and if she needs a bottle but the water in the kettle is too hot I fill it with mainly boiling water then top it up with cold from the tap. Mind you I don't really sterilise her bottles as much anymore. Used to do them every day, now they get done once a week-ish

yh agree with you there i think once they start crawling and putting things in their mouths there isnt much point!!

HV told me to pop my (clean) finger in luisas mouth wen she was screaming with colic as it stops her gulping (works) but didnt mention anything about sterilising my finger!

 

[Fossey]

Found this - explains all whats been discussed, also says why you shouldn't store the water then add the formula. Says if you must make in advance, make up with the formula and put in fridge. Just thought i'd share to help with the questions.

https://www.dwrcymru.co.uk/English/library/publications/milk guidance/english.pdf

 

[Laura1984]

I wash bottles throughout the day & leave on the draining board or put in the steriliser. When she has had her last bottle I wash that and sterilise all bottles. while these are in the microwave I boil the kettle with fresh water. I make 2 9oz and 2 5oz bottles put the caps on and leave on the side until the next day, she then has these at 7.30am 11.30am ish 3.30pm ish and 7.30pm and I add the powder as we go. She rarely drinks the 11.30 and 3.30 ones anymore tho.

Is this wrong?

x

 

[mrs shine]

I've been putting the water in the bottles and then leaving them until I need them and then adding the formula too.
According to the Department of Health report that Fossey linked to, the problem is that by adding the powder to cool water it doesn't kill the bugs in the powder.
I'm going to make the formula up now in advance with hot water and keep in the fridge x

 

[FierceAngel]

well wen the HV called yesterday i mentioned it again.. ~(she wasnt the HV tht gaveme advice first off!)

she told me to..

boil the kettle with fresh water leave for half an hour then fill bottles and store them in the fridge... then when needed heat water then add powder!

so stressfull!!! im starting to think about using ready feed at this rate!!!

 

[firstLO]

We boil the kettle, put half a bottle in fridge and the rest in a flask. Then when she wants it, we make up with the flask (half the water) mix the powder up. Then add cold water from fridge. It is then ready to go at correct temp. From rest of flask we replace water in fridge, and repeat. We use the fisher price flask which isn't enough for more than one bottle, and I'm not sure how long it keeps boiling for. So are going to get a bigger flask.
Does anyone know how long they stay above the 70 degrees?

That's exactly what I do! Think it's the best of both worlds as the water is hot enough to kill any bacteria when the powder is added and then once the cold is added it's at the right temp to drink.

 

[ChloesMummy]

boil the kettle with fresh water leave for half an hour then fill bottles and store them in the fridge... then when needed heat water then add powder!

so stressfull!!! im starting to think about using ready feed at this rate!!![/

QUOTE]


Thats what I have done with both my girls, I was told to do this by my HV and not to make up full feeds and store.

 

[BlackBerry25]

Im so confused!!!!

So I boil the water... put it in the bottles then leave the bottles on the side. Then when shes hungry I take the bottle heat it a little then add the powder. Is this wrong?

That's what I do, and my baby is still around.

 

[BlackBerry25]

Now I just use water from the tap sometimes too. Oh well.

 

[Laura--x]

I wash and sterilise 8 bottles a day, boil the kettle and add the boiling water to the bottles, leave them on the side then just add the powder as needed.

The midwife told me this was ok, but the hv had a right go at me for it. I don't have time to make bottles up as needed. This way has been fine for us since day one.

 

[AppleBlossom]

Now I just use water from the tap sometimes too. Oh well.

Me too and Grace is still here I think a lot of it is to cover their backs incase a baby DID get ill. However I think the way we make up bottles is different depending on ages. When Grace was little her bottles were washed and sterilised twice a day. For the first couple of weeks I did make up feeds as I went along but when your baby wakes up up to 7 times a night the last thing I wanted to do was stand around the kitchen boiling the kettle then having to amuse her for half an hour while the water cooled. I am not as fussy now, her bottles get washed but not sterilised as often. Sometimes she gets water out of the tap. Sometimes she has water from the kettle thats been in there for a few hours. She's never been ill with it *thankfully*

 

[Always&4ever]

I make them as she needs them

 

[aimee-lou]

God I'm confused!

I've done a bit of reading and I was going to have a jug of boiled cold water in the fridge, a thermos of hot water and make up as we go along. Is this ok? I've just read through the whole thread and I can't tell! (btw I was also going to cold water sterilise as I don't like microwaves!!)

 

[BlackBerry25]

Now I just use water from the tap sometimes too. Oh well.

Me too and Grace is still here I think a lot of it is to cover their backs incase a baby DID get ill. However I think the way we make up bottles is different depending on ages. When Grace was little her bottles were washed and sterilised twice a day. For the first couple of weeks I did make up feeds as I went along but when your baby wakes up up to 7 times a night the last thing I wanted to do was stand around the kitchen boiling the kettle then having to amuse her for half an hour while the water cooled. I am not as fussy now, her bottles get washed but not sterilised as often. Sometimes she gets water out of the tap. Sometimes she has water from the kettle thats been in there for a few hours. She's never been ill with it *thankfully*

Yup, thats how I have been. And now that she is almost 8 months old I have stopped sterilizing after the sterilizer electrocuted me I refuse to touch it again.

 

[sparkswillfly]

Ive changed what I do... I now sterlise all the bottles and leave them empty and put together. Ill boil the kettle and make up one bottle complete with powder then put it in the fridge. Then heat it up when she wants it. After shes had it I make another one up straight from the kettle and put it in the fridge so theres always one in the fridge. I do two bottle when I go to bed. When we go out I take a carton.

 

[FierceAngel]

Ive changed what I do... I now sterlise all the bottles and leave them empty and put together. Ill boil the kettle and make up one bottle complete with powder then put it in the fridge. Then heat it up when she wants it. After shes had it I make another one up straight from the kettle and put it in the fridge so theres always one in the fridge. I do two bottle when I go to bed. When we go out I take a carton.

oo i like tht idea!!!

 

[claire-lou]

I add the water and leave them on the side just adding powder as i need it then give at room temp. Run out of bottles the other day so made one fresh which was warm and the monkey wouldn't take it

 

[Lulu]

Jeez this whole thing is confusing! No wonder my head hurts and I'm anxious all the time about making up a bottle from scratch. I didn't have the easiest of labour/births and was kept in hospital for a week after I'd had my wee man so the easiest thing for us so far has been using pre-made cartons but it's so expensive that I really need to start using formula but it scares me just what I'm suppose to do.

Seriously I'm terrified that I'll do something wrong. I seriously can't get my head round only making up feeds as and when it's needed. But then there is so much conflicting advice about how to make up a feed - with formula, without formula, keep in the fridge, don't, etc, etc!!

Life with a newborn is difficult enough at times that all these conflicts just makes one area just that little bit more difficult.

Sorry, just needed a bit rant to get things off my chest! I'll go off and sit on my hands now!