Preparing Bottles in Advance - Lesson Needed!

[brewup]

Hi all, call us dasft but we've only just cottoned on to the fact that you can make up bottles in advance and store them in the fridge.

We've been following the manufacturer's (Aptamil) instructions down to the letter (i.e. use up a bottle within two hours) but thought there had to be an easier wasy - especially for night feeds.

So, please could someone give us a lesson in exactly how to make up a bottle for storing just so we get it right. We'd be very grateful! Thanks.

 

[Hevz]

You're not supposed to make them up in advance anymore hun as babies were getting sick. You can however put cooled boiled water in the sterilised bottles and seal closed....that way all you need to do it heat water and add powder
The sterilised bottles don't need to be kept in the fridge with just water in either

 

[brewup]

Hi Hevz, thanks for that. That's kind of what I meant by preparing in advance. So how much cooled bolied water should I put into the bottles in advance and how much should I leave till baby wants the bottle?

 

[blahblahblah]

You can make it up exactly as you do now, but then put the made up bottle in cold water - I use a jug (or the washing up bowl), to cool it down. Then put at the back of the fridge ASAP. When you need the bottle, take it out and warm it - either in a jug of hot water (or bottle warmer), or if you're feeling confident, the microwave.

If you decide to try the microwave, make sure you give it a really thorough shake and test the temperature carefully before use!

There are pros and cons to both warming methods - I'd say that a jug of water is easier for smaller bottles, but the microwave is a lot quicker for larger bottles.

 

[OmarsMum]

When we used to night feed we were using a flask with warm water & despenser. It takes less than a min to prepare a feed. We used to keep them with sterile bottles in our room.

 

[Try Rocking]

When I do them I use water from the cooler (warm), mix it up in the bottles and then store it in the fridge until I need it, and then I take one out and stick it in a cup of hot water to warm it up.

 

[MumOfPlenty]

Well I've got 4 happy healthy children and I've always made their bottles up in advance.

With the exception of my daughter, (who had severe reflux, and not due to her bottles ) none of them have ever been sick from their bottles not being made up properly.

I would say that you make them up as usual, cooled boiled water, add your milk and shake and then pop them in the fridge once they're cooled down. If there are any problems, I would think it comes from giving baby either reheated milk (which we all know is a big no-no) or from not cooling it down before refrigerating.

I have just read a thread about people giving their babies cold or room temp milk - Call me old fashioned, but with all of my babies I couldn't do it - I would think that it's inviting trouble in!

I don't think I'd be able to cope with a newborn and having to make 1 bottle up every time he/she wanted a feed.. Especially during the night! Just sounds like more trouble!

 

[dovehouse]

my midwife told me to make up 2 or 3 bottles with boiled water, leave them out at room temp. then when the baba wants a feed i just add the powder, which are already measured out in those small pots that came with my bottles, and then i put the milk in a jug of hot water whilst i change him. by the time hes been changed, the milk is ready!

 

[Xanthe]

Hello ladies.

Hoping you will help me out as I'm really confused about making up bottles.

You would think that this is my first time. Nope! My daughter was on formula from 4 months and I used SMA. I used to boil kettle, pour STRAIGHT
into bottles, add formula, cool down and then store in fridge.

Now I understand its all changed!

Apparently you have to let the water cool down for 1/2 hour. What gets me is that I thought the boiling water was supposed to kill the bacteria in the formula???????? How on earth can this be achieved by adding COOLED boiled water.

Please help

Thanks
XXXX

 

[dovehouse]

i dont use cooled boile water, i pour hot boiled water straight into the bottle but i dont add the formula till lo is ready to feed

 

[MumOfPlenty]

I use either freshly boiled water or water that has been been freshly boiled within the last hour or so to put into bottles..
You need to let it cool down a bit in the bottle for when you add the milk powder as otherwise it doesn't measure properly due to the steam making it stick to the scoop. HTH

 

[dacosta]

i use boiled water from the kettle, no older than 30 mins. i make up the bottles plus formula whilst the water is hot to kill any bugs in the formula. i then fast cool the lot in bowls of cold water and pop them in the fridge once they're cool. i then use them the same day.

 

[LunaRose]

I poor the boiled water in sterilised bottles, put the lid back on and leave to cool, then put the formula in when LO wants a feed. Simple & hygienic! xx

 

[Xanthe]

Thanks for all your replies but i still can't understand why the guidelines have changed..........water that has cooled down for 30 mins is still not hot enough to kill the bacteria in the formula...........

 

[babybliss]

Thanks for all your replies but i still can't understand why the guidelines have changed..........water that has cooled down for 30 mins is still not hot enough to kill the bacteria in the formula...........

I think that the reason for letting water cool is that you are not supposed to use boiling water but boiled hot water. Bacteria that is in milk can be killed with temp above 70 degrees (I read it somewhere) and water that has been cooled for 30 min will be about 70 or above degrees and hot enough to kill any bacteria. I would imagine that boiling water would actually decrease nutrients that are in milk. This preping bottles can be very confusing I would do it the way you have done as it looks like it is working for you

 

[Xanthe]

Thanks for all your replies but i still can't understand why the guidelines have changed..........water that has cooled down for 30 mins is still not hot enough to kill the bacteria in the formula...........

I think that the reason for letting water cool is that you are not supposed to use boiling water but boiled hot water. Bacteria that is in milk can be killed with temp above 70 degrees (I read it somewhere) and water that has been cooled for 30 min will be about 70 or above degrees and hot enough to kill any bacteria. I would imagine that boiling water would actually decrease nutrients that are in milk. This preping bottles can be very confusing I would do it the way you have done as it looks like it is working for you

Thanks. Its enough to drive you insane!!!!!

 

[mommy2baby2]

This is what worked for us.

We use the powdered formula. I was very obsessed with giving them warm milk, mostly because it tastes better warm and breast milk is warm...plus adults sometimes drink warm milk before bed to calm the nerves so I wanted to do the same for my girls.

So for our nighttime feeds, I got a bottle warmer and can of formula and put it in the bathroom, put a WATER BOTTLE in the warmer. When she needed a bottle, I'd make a warm, fresh bottle, took about 30 seconds (timed myself making them). It was much quicker than walking down to the kitchen and grabbing a cold bottle out of the fridge, warming it up, then taking it back up to her. Even if I gave her a cold one (what a shock for her though, tired, sleepy and getting cold milk instead of warm) it was still more of a hastle to walk down stairs, get it and take it back up.

The bottled water has already been cleaned & sterilized and with the warmer you can set it to the perfect temperature.

So a bathroom bottle station worked very well for us. You could put the warmer anywhere, the bathroom was easiest for us since she slept in the same room.