Practical tips for making up bottles

[Dinah93]

I'm starting combi feeding due to low supply and the instructions on the box are not easy to follow in real life! It says to boil water and 30 minutes later use it to make up a bottle - my baby doesn't give me a half hour warning! I also have no clue what to do if we're out and about - do you take boiled water with you? Do you pre-measure formula or take the whole tin?! Someone just tell me what to do so I don't go making a rod for my own back.

 

[Ashley1021]

I use distilled water sold especially for making bottles. I also use the dr.brown formula pitcher and keep it in the fridge. It allows me to make up to 32 oz of formula and its good in the fridge for 24 hrs. When I'm ready to feed him I grab the pitcher, pour my desired ounces and heat up in a glass of hot water. When out and about I bought a formula dispenser for cheap and I just pour desired amount of formula in each compartment. I bring along a couple bottles filled with the distilled water, when it's time to feed I just pour the formula out of the dispenser in the bottle.

 

[LoveCakes]

My LO doesn't give me 30seconds never mind 30 minutes!

At home I pour half boiling water, add the powder and swirl to dissolve then top up with pre cooled boiled water we keep in the fridge. This gives the perfect temperature. This way the powder is still being sterilised by the boiling water but you don't have to cool.

Also I've always read it as no more than 30 min after boiling but could be wrong.

Out and about if I know I'll be somewhere like a cafe I do the same having brought powder in one of the powder dispensers. I usually keep a ready made 200ml bottle in her change bag though.

 

[Dinah93]

Thanks for the tips. I've checked my tub but it definitely says 'boil freshly run water. Leave kettle to cool for 30 minutes. (Then in bold) do not add powder to boiling water'. We're using cow and gate nutriprem 2 so I guess all formulas have different instructions?

 

[MrsT&Ben]

What I do is premake all my bottles and store them in the fridge. The WHO guidelines state tthis is the best way to make bottles if making them up as required isn't ssuitable.
I then warm them up in some hot water when needed.

 

[LoveCakes]

I checked our aptimel tub and it does say no more than 30 min then cool under the tap. This takes ages though and is very wasteful which is why we changed to the half and half method. To warm from fridge cold takes a while too which is why we don't do that, my LO is very impatient!

If yours is different though if you know roughly when she will feed maybe boil the kettle then cool and put in a flask so it's still warm later.

 

[Wannabe Mommy]

I have a thermos filled with boiling water. I refill it every 6-8 hours so it's always really hot.

Half hot water, add the formula then half cooled boiled water that I keep in a flask in the fridge.

Perfect temperature and really quick.

My MW said we could premake bottles for out and about and stick then in a cool bag for up to 6 hrs. She drinks them cold or if it's a bit chilly I ask for sone hot water at a cafe and just pop the bottle in it for a minute.

 

[Maxy1]

I have a thermos filled with boiling water. I refill it every 6-8 hours so it's always really hot.

Half hot water, add the formula then half cooled boiled water that I keep in a flask in the fridge.

Perfect temperature and really quick.

This is easiest I find. Can take the flask out with you and overnight its fantastic to have it all ready to go.

 

[magicwhisper]

you can pre make formula but it has to be used within 24 hours!

we used to do that but found we had to throw out a bottle and we could never remember when we made them o threw them out just be be safe.

now though i empty the kettle then fill it up and boil at night. leave it cool over night then in the morning measure it into the bottles in the morning. fasten the lid and add formula as baby is hungry. i leave the bottles of water on the side so it is at room tempreture and dosen't tae long to heat up either . whichwas another problem with making them in advance!


i hope that made sense

 

[chicky160]

Get a perfect prep, takes all the thinking out of it lifesaver x

 

[wildflower79]

My LO doesn't give me 30seconds never mind 30 minutes!

At home I pour half boiling water, add the powder and swirl to dissolve then top up with pre cooled boiled water we keep in the fridge. This gives the perfect temperature. This way the powder is still being sterilised by the boiling water but you don't have to cool.

This is what I used to do and we never had any problems. Also used to keep boiling water in a thermos to use for night feeds. When out and about I found it far easier to use the ready made cartons/bottles, although they are expensive!

 

[katherinegrey]

I was just about to suggest the perfect prep machine but see someone has beaten me to it
I'm expecting my second, it wasn't out when I had my first, and as soon as I heard of it I bought it. The thought of waiting for a bottle to be the correct temp whilst baby is screaming at 3am because he's hungry NOW made it a justifiable cost

 

[chicky160]

I was just about to suggest the perfect prep machine but see someone has beaten me to it
I'm expecting my second, it wasn't out when I had my first, and as soon as I heard of it I bought it. The thought of waiting for a bottle to be the correct temp whilst baby is screaming at 3am because he's hungry NOW made it a justifiable cost

It's bloody amazeballs isn't it! I stupidly sold mine and a week later found out I was expecting no2. I'll wait till the new year because they are usually on offer but it's a no brainer really, made night feeds so much quicker. I tried the whole two thermos flasks things and it was great while out and about but at home, well I'm lazy the ready made stuff always made my lo ill

 

[katherinegrey]

I was just about to suggest the perfect prep machine but see someone has beaten me to it
I'm expecting my second, it wasn't out when I had my first, and as soon as I heard of it I bought it. The thought of waiting for a bottle to be the correct temp whilst baby is screaming at 3am because he's hungry NOW made it a justifiable cost

It's bloody amazeballs isn't it! I stupidly sold mine and a week later found out I was expecting no2. I'll wait till the new year because they are usually on offer but it's a no brainer really, made night feeds so much quicker. I tried the whole two thermos flasks things and it was great while out and about but at home, well I'm lazy the ready made stuff always made my lo ill

I can't wait to try it out, DH says how sad that is I did that with most of my baby things too, turns out the quickest way to a bfp is get rid of old baby things I got mine by signing up for the free trial of amazon family, it gave me £15 off which made it £60 with free delivery. I have heard of some getting it slightly cheaper even, but as I'm due in just over 3 weeks I hadn't got much time to wait for deals.
The thought of every feed being perfect temp in 2 minutes with no messing about with waiting for kettles was like a dream come true

 

[rbourre]

All I do is use the room temperature water on my water cooler and add formula. My son doesn't want to wait for even 30 seconds when he's hungry. I boiled water for a little while with my daughter but it became such a hassle so I stopped and we never had a problem. When out, I bring the bottles with water and then add formula that I've pre-measured into the formula dispenser.

 

[kaylacrouch93]

I normally just use tap water for my LO's bottle and then add the powder..

 

[Mrs_C2610]

Love this thread

Can I just ask the ladies that use half boiling water then add the formula and the top up with cooled boiling water do you measure the the cooled water first before puring into the formula mix? I'm just a little confused.

 

[AP]

No you would just top it up to your desired amount eg. If you're making a 6oz bottle, 3oz hot plus all scoops of formula required , then top up to the 6 mark.

 

[rbourre]

No you would just top it up to your desired amount eg. If you're making a 6oz bottle, 3oz hot plus all scoops of formula required , then top up to the 6 mark.

Wouldn't that be too much formula for the amount of water? That would end up being less than 6 ounces of water but the amount of formula for 6 ounces.

 

[AP]

No you would just top it up to your desired amount eg. If you're making a 6oz bottle, 3oz hot plus all scoops of formula required , then top up to the 6 mark.

Wouldn't that be too much formula for the amount of water? That would end up being less than 6 ounces of water but the amount of formula for 6 ounces.

im not gonna lie, i topped it a lil more than that but i guess you'd have to experiment and work it out