Why have the rules changed in 3 years?

[cbear]

Hi ladies,

I'm steadily switching Naomi from breast to bottle, she is 5 months

When i fed my son with bottles i used to make them all up in a morning let the water cool add the formula and keep them all in the fridge until they were needed. Now the health visitor tells me i need to make up a feed as and when required. My son never had a tummy bug, i just wondered why the change? Does it really harbour that much more bacteria?

 

[Nats21]

I think its the governments way of making it as hard as possible for you! We just make them up for the next 12 hours and haven't had a problem yet, its ridiculous, I think in Ireland they say you can make them up beforehand so surely it should be the same here?! xx

 

[mrsthomas623]

That is crazy. Here in that States we are so much more relaxed on prepping formula bottles. We just wash bottles (only sterilize them once out of the box) with normal soap or dishwasher, and we use tap water. I prepare them as i go, just because I can estimate how much LO will take (he is reflux-y, so it really just depends.) But I worked at a daycare before having LO and we made parents prepare the whole days worth of bottle and we put them in the fridge.

 

[Eve]

When I had my son (8 years ago) I would make up 2 days worth and store in the fridge. I wouldn't ever reheat them, and I always used cooled boiled water until 6 months old and boiled the bottles, nipples, etc... until then too. My son did get the stomach flu at 2 months old, but it was the flu as we all got it!! He wasn't much of a sickly baby, on antibiotics a few times though, but not from his bottles, lol.

 

[bubbles123]

There was research and then guidelines from the World Health Organisation saying formula milk is not sterile and must be made with water over 70+ (which means left to cool in the kettle for no more than 30 mins) to kill any bugs in the formula and the UK adopted it. Many other countries (USA etc) didn't.
So yeah, in the UK you are supposed to make bottles up one at a time, with water over 70 degrees and not store feeds at all. Storing feeds is not encouraged but if you want to then the best way to do it is to use water over 70 to make your bottles, cool them quickly (in iced water say) then put them at the back of the fridge when they're cold and use within 24 hours. Either way, formula must always be added to water over 70+.
Whether or not you choose to do this is entirely up to you. Many people feel the UK guidelines are overzealous and are just trying to make like more difficult, especially in light of the big push towards Bf'ing; others feel that they are sensible giving that bugs can get into the formula and harm babies. Is up to you!

 

[Kim T]

US and Canada dont have as many bugs etc in the water as the UK. Or so i have been told.
But i still sterilized all bottles and always used cooled boiled water to make up all bottles.
You can keep formula that is already made up in the fridge for 24 hours and you can keep cooled boiled water at room temperature for 48 hours.
So i used to make up enough 'water' bottles for 2 days and just leave them on the side and then add the powder as i needed a bottle. This worked great if we were going for a day out too as we werent panicking about making a bottle from scratch or attempting to keep lots of bottles cold for a whole day.

BTW: My son has always been big and in the 97th percentile! And he has only been sick once since he was born (which is now.. with a cold) and he is almost 13 months old.

 

[bubbles123]

Not sure about who has the cleanest water but in the UK using hot boiled water for formula is to do with the formula powder not being sterile, not the water having bugs. It's so the hot water kills any bugs in the formula. This is why it is recommended you continue using hot, boiled water for as long as you use powdered formula but can give normal tap water to your baby to drink after 6 months.

 

[kate.m.]

I think its because they are trying to "encourage" as many ppl as possible to breastfeed in the uk & making formula feeding seem more difficult is a good way to put ppl of formula & convince em to breastfeed!

Having said that, they must have done some research to back it up too!

 

[trumpetbum]

Ita with bubbles. It was identified that only something like 13% of parents made up bottles to optimum levels of safety, which can lead to increased risk of gastroenteritis etc but most importantly in very rare occasions because formula isn't sterile it can harbour bacteria which can cause rare but very serious infection.
Not necessarily at the OP but the guidelines have been changed to reflect the current information available, so that parents can make decisions based on this. There was also the problem of some parents making up bottles too early, storing too long etc. Some guidelines are in place to cover all bases, I know I take the info they give me and then look into it myself and have on several occasions did things contrary to the guidelines as a consequence.
It's nothing to do with making bottlefeeding harder but with ensuring that parents are given the right information on the healthiest way to go about feeding their babies. Obviously parents will use this info along with their own experience and their own needs, so go with what works for you but it's important imo that parents are at least given these guidelines with which to make their own mind up. If parent's of formula fed babies are given substandard information to work with, isn't this cause for concern??
The wee formula storage pots from Tommee tippee are a great idea, imo.

ETA: I recently worked with a HV who gave me some leaflets and asked me when my last LO was born. When I replied that she was now 8 she sucked in her breath and said " Oh it's ALL changed since then." I had to laugh. I know guidelines have changed and do change as new information becomes available but the way she said it you'd think babies were now born with extra bits or something

 

[emmad339]

I make the twins bottles at night ready for the following day and keep them in the fridge. I've done it since day 1 and it's never done them any harm xx

 

[ProudDad]

You have to question the scientists or whoever dreams up these fantastic new rules. They clearly haven’t had a baby to feed ! If they think that once your baby wakes in the middle of the night, and starts crying for food, you are expected to boil the kettle, then let it cool for 20 mins, then make up the fresh feed, then cool it under the tap until a sensible temperature for baby - baby is beside themselves by then and the entire street knows about it !
I have a 9 and 6 year old and we always used to make up the bottles with cooled boiled water (still at 70 degs + to kill the bacteria) and then store in the fridge for upto 24 hours. They never had any problems, and now suddenly you have to make up fresh.

Are they saying that once the milk is made up the fridge wont keep them fresh? or are they encouraging people to mix fresh each time with water cooled to below 70 degs? (boil the kettle after last feed and leave for next) because the new guidelines are impractical in my view.

 

[TattiesMum]

The WORLD Health Organisation has to cover the whole world It has long been a problem in 3rd world countries that bottlefeeding causes a huge amount of infant deaths due to unhygienic conditions, poor water supplies, lack of effective refrigeration etc

For that reason the new guidelines were suggested by WHO .... our Nanny State Govt no doubt decided to introduce them as guidelines here because they feared being sued by someone for not giving current advice if they didn't

I BF mine so it was never an issue for me, but my FF friends used to make up enough bottles for 24 hours and refrigerate and I never knew any of them to have a problem ... Tattie compromises and makes up enough for 12 hours at a time - as do all her FF friends .... Kaylum is demand fed and making bottles up as required just isn't practical He's always been OK and tbh I've never known a baby over here who wasn't

 

[trumpetbum]

Imho I'd expect the health service to give the right health information tbh , less the nanny state and more the fact that we have universal health care and part of protecting it's resources involves giving accurate health information to prevent ill health. Then the mummies and daddies who are doing the practical part can use common sense and work the best they can with it. It's the medical researchers job to give the facts, not to put them into practice. I know my sils made theirs up in advance at night, but that was a choice they made after getting all the information and weighing it up with the practicality of having an infant.
It's not just babies in the third world who get sick from improperly made up formula. I don't think the NHS can win with this one, if they give the right information on making up formula they're accused of making ff difficult and going ott with advice. If they don't give the right information then they are failing in their duty to formula feeding mums.

 

[bubbles123]

The thing to take away from the new advice is that you should always make your feeds with hot (over 70) water. The reason storing is discouraged is that if a bottle is made up incorrectly or with colder water then bacteria will multiple over time if a bottle is stored, even if it's in the fridge. However, if you make your bottle with hot (70+) water then cool quickly and store the risks are very low. I think a lot of people have taken from the advice that you shouldn't store made up feeds - when in reality the most important thing is don't make them with cold water. I see many people out and about adding powder from those storage containers to cold water in bottles which is not ideal. It is safest to take a flask of hot water to make feeds, use a carton or take a pre made bottle (made with hot water) in a cooler bag.
If cartons are affordable to you then they are the best option for over night/when out and about. The next is to make a fresh feed, If you can't do that then the next best option is to pre make, with hot water, cool and store in the fridge. The next safest is to make with cold water and use straight away (as bacteria has little time to multiply) and the least safe is to make with cold water and store. Hope all that makes sense. It's the temperature of the water on making that is important.

 

[trumpetbum]

Bubbles. What we need is lots of health visitors that give out the advice just like you did in your post.

 

[Eala]

Of course, that advice only works if you don't use a formula like SMA Staydown, which *has* to be made up with very cold (ie fridge-chilled) water...

 

[Luke's_mummy]

i do it! lukes never had a probleem from it

 

[Lea21]

I make up bottles of boiled water to 90ml...and then top up with hot water to 120ml & add formula when bottle is needed....just saves time.
I also keep a few ready made cartons around if im especially tired at night it saves time with night feeds

 

[rainbowchild]

I make up bottles of boiled water to 90ml...and then top up with hot water to 120ml & add formula when bottle is needed....just saves time.
I also keep a few ready made cartons around if im especially tired at night it saves time with night feeds

Hey Lea,

Do you cool the boiled water first, store in fridge and then add the remaining boiled water when your bubba is ready for a feed and then add the formula? I've heard of people doing this before - I am guessing it limits the time for bubba when they are super hungry and need feeding straightaway!

Also for all those who say they cool the bottles, or rapidly cool, do you stick them straight in the fridge then, or do you leave them on the side to cool slightly with teat and top on the bottle then place in the fridge?

I did a live chat today from one of the midwives on the Aptamil live chat and she said that its the department of health that have these new rules. And to make up only 2 hours in advance.

She was very helpful. I am super scared of doing everything wrong and messing up. I think that for my night feeds I will be using ready made cartons too as it will save getting up in the winter cold as bubba is due mid January.

My friend was telling me that she did whatever she wanted with hers - and as she said its her baby and she just knew to put her bubba on solids at four months even though not advised and not to combine breast and bottle too soon either - both of which she did.

Any advice for me ladies as i will be bottlefeeding only?

thanks
x

 

[Lea21]

I just leave the bottles on the counter hun then grab it, top up the water & add the formula...My sister in law & OHs neice have both had babies in the past year and they do the same thing, none of our kids have been any more ill than normal babies, my mil also used to do same thing, I know its not for everyone, the 1st midwife who came to my home after birth also said its what she would do!