What to do with LO while preparing night feeds

[Sarah Lou 80]

Hi, I'm in the process of trying to switch from breastfeeding to formula. At the moment LO wakes 1-2 times in the night. Basically, the process of me feeding him is very straightforward: he strirs/grizzles, I go into his room and feed him. He goes straight back down and I go back to bed! Simple!

How does it work when you give baby a bottle? I know there are various ways of preparing the feeds for nighttime but each of the methods means that LO has to wait a bit for a feed. What do you do with your LO during this time? I hate the thought of my boy getting stressed and upset while waiting to be fed!

 

[Bonnie11]

Lots of different ways people do things. Some pre make the bottles. Some bring boiled water up to the room and pre measured formula so you just chuck it together and feed, you can use premixed formula the ready to drink stuff. You will find what works best for you. The only thing that will take a long time is if you don't pre-do anything. Ie baby wakes, you go downstairs and put on kettle boil water make up bottle wait for cooking etc. that does take a long time. If you have everything organised and ready to go it won't take long. Personally I'm going to get a tommee tippee perfect feed machine thing that some of the ladies on here have been saying is amazing! It makes a bottle in around a minute. Some people say its a waste of money but personally anything that makes my life easier at 1am is a winner in my book! X

 

[Bonnie11]

This is the thread for tommee tippee machine,

https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/f...get-weve-all-been-waiting-5.html#post27640187

Have a look and you can make your own mind up x

 

[SillyMoo1983]

When LO was really little and on formula I used to pre make the bottles and leave them in the fridge. As pp said there are other ways but this is what worked for us. My OH would go down and warm the bottle while I changed DD's nappy and cuddled her. Then I'd cuddle DD in bed whilst giving her the bottle. As she got older I didn't change her nappy in the night and she was ok to wait a few minutes without getting too upset.

 

[cupcaker]

I swapped from breastfeeding to Aptamil formula at approx seven weeks old. I am confused with pre making bottles and admittedly a bit dubious of doing them as reccomendations are to always make bottles up fresh these days ( although everyone has their own methods and I respect that fully, whatever works and things can get regulation/rule mad!)

in the night i simply use the small cartons by aptamil. Snip, pour and go! I just take a few cartons up to bed, put them by the bed with my sterilised bottles and a pair of scissors. They may be a bit costly at 69p, but for the ease in the night, for me, well worth it even if its just for now. It can be served immediately if your baby is happy with that temp, or could be quickly warmed up if you have a warmer to plug in or stand in hot water or whatever.

I also got the perfect prep macine for the day feeds, absolutely adore it. It could be used at night too of course making for a quick hassle free bottle.i may do this eventually to save money, my only problem with the machine is the beeps are very loud for a bedroom if you have a partner in their or close by x

Edited to add- My baby is a 'good' baby, but has zero patience when he wants feeding and becomes easily distressed if having to wait, crying almost immediately once he has decided. Instructions for aptamil powder advise boiling a kettle, leave to cool for half an hour (!!), mix up your bottle with the water, then cool entire bottle by running under cold water or whatever. Not something i am willing to do with a screaming baby who is waiting. My method above means he never, ever cries in the night. He has his food and usually goes right back to bed, it's very lovely!!!! As soon as i hear stirring i can grab and feed before any distress. If you are only popping in to him 1-2 times the cartons could well be worth it for no distress.

 

[Lou1234]

I either use the pre made cartons at night or use my flask of boiled water.

In the evening I boil the kettle and once it has been left the right amount of time I fill the flask. Then at night I just need to make the bottle up and cool it down. I change her nappy while it cools down.

The premade stuff is more useful but obviously more expensive.

 

[Bonnie11]

Hey cupcaker, how are you getting on with the perfect prep, any problems so far? You may have written on the other post so will check there!

Yes the advice varies on pre making bottles. I was told (though this was a few years ago) that the issues lay with the milk powder and the possibility of it not being sterile, especially once it had been opened and used for a while. The advice I was given back then was to either make the whole bottle with hot water to kill the bacteria and then wait for it to cool or to make part of it with hot and mix the formula in and then to top it up with cool boiled. Having said that I know plenty of people that, as a PP said, make it up from a flask in the night or make it with pre boiled cooked water and it doesn't do any harm. This is also why the perfect prep appealed to me, with the shot of hot water. If we followed all the 'correct' ways to do things I'd have been up half the night feeding! This time around I will be using ready to drink or prep machine depending how I get on with it. At the end of the day you need to find what works for you guys. X

 

[Jendra]

I would kettle boil the water in the evening and let it cool, then pre-fill some bottles before bed. Then when LO would wake, it'd be a matter of adding the measured formula, shake and serve. Very quick.

Also, to keep the powder as clean as possible, I hand sanitize before dipping in.

 

[kettle28]

I premake, cool, back of fridge and microwave for a minute to slightly warm, lo either just stirring in cot or bring him with me, he still goes straight off after feeding either way x