making up feeds in advance

[Tasha360]

I was and sterelise bottles, add cooled bolied water and put them in the fridge. When needed i take one out heat in the bottle warmer and then add powder when its at body temp. I know this isnt how they tell you to do it as the powder isnt sterile but it never hurt my son. If im at home i sometimes do them fresh if i have time. xx

 

[Lara310809]

Some people have said it takes the same amount of time to make them fresh each time than to make them in advance and heat them up, and I don't think that's right.

If you're making bottles in advance you obviously have the preparation time, but when your baby actually wants a feed, you just have to heat up a bottle from the fridge. If I am doing this, I just use hot water from the tap, and the whole process takes 2 or 3 mins. It's even quicker if you whack it in the microwave for 30 seconds.

If you're making fresh you have to boil the kettle and then cool it down, and it can take up to 10 minutes. If I did that every feed, my LO would be going crazy at me.

I normally fill a thermos and dispense from there as and when I need it. I have also been known to use cold boiled water from the kettle for feeds without heating again, and she's never had a problem with it.

 

[leoniebabey]

The HV told me the way i do it is wrong too but i dont see anything wrong with it, as long as your keeping everything clean, hands ect then i cant see what can go wrong and i know plenty of people who do and there children are fine.

On a morning i make up a few bottles full of boiled water and leave it then when i want a feed i just add the powder, simple. Then on a night i make up more, as long as the waters not left too long i dont see a problem with it.

x

 

[Lara310809]

If you make up the bottles with boiled water and store in the fridge, neglecting to add the formula until you need the feed, they should be okay for way more than a day, because they're sterile and sealed. My husband is a chef, so he tells me all this stuff. But even if you add the formula andf refrigerate it, it's fine for 24 hours. The HVs may not like it, but so many people do it, and nothing seems to happen to the babies.

And it's one thing to give advice, and another to have to do it day in, day out. So many MWs have said to me "this is what I'm required to say, but I personally would do it this way...."

 

[LoobyLou75]

I think I'm one of the rare ones that actually make them up when needed! I was really confused when I started FF so just thought I'd stick to the guidelines and then I wouldn't have to worry.
I can usually tell when she's ready for a feed and she roughly feeds every 4 hours. She currently sleeps through the night so at the mo we don't have to make one up in the early hours but when she did, we used ready made milk.