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making up bottles in advance ...is it ok???

just a quickie,everone i know who has kids and bottle fed has always made a few bottles up for night feeds and days out,but the advice seems to say now that you shouldnt?
is this JUST advice ,what do you do as dont want to make my baby ill,but just seems such alot of hassle to steralise etc in middle of the night when could just get bottle from fridge and warm up!
any advice would be great
becky and daisy xx:roll:
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Replies

  • Hi there

    my lo is coming up for 7mnths and I always used to make his bottles up 24 hours in advance but the advice has now changed, i've been told its okay to put hte water in teh bottles but not the milk. So now they say warm the water up first then add the formula!!!

    hope this helps

  • we use to make the bottles in advance but then Summer had a really bad stomach bug and the NHS Direct advised us to do them as we go. So what i do now is make 4 x 8 oz bottles of cooled boiled water and when Summer is due her feed i add the formula to it. Hope that makes sense.
  • I always make up Ellie bottles in advance, 7 at a time1 I only keep them for 24 hours so if it goes over i throw them out. People done this for years and it never done any harm, they have to keep someone in a job changing stuff all the time, it was like when i was pregnant they said you shouldnt eat nuts and i swear i hadnt given birth 2 weeks till they said it was fine to eat nuts while pregnant! LOL
  • diane is right, people did it for years and years, i know my mum did and my MIL. the current advice is not to though, and i don't.. i find it just as easy to put the boiling water in the bottle and just leave them on the bench until i need them. then chuck the powder in. however i know a lot of people who still make them up in advance and havnt had poorly babies.... x
  • i must admit i make up in advance.

    i did try making up on demand but soon switched and make them all up last thing at night

    We've been doing it this way for about a month now and havent made him ill yet!

    each night after LO's last feed at 10pm i then make up 5 bottles, but if i know i'm going to be out for a feed then i'll leave one with just water on the side and pot of powder to take.

  • I have just had my 3rd child, and I make up the bottles with formula, and cool then put in fridge.
    I know that the new guidelines say not to, But I did it with my other 2, and they were fine!!
    When I 1st came home with my son..(3 weeks old).. I actually tried doing it the new way and making as need it.. and all 3 of the bottles i did this way he threw up all over!!! So I tried going back to my old way and he has been fine since.

    The boxes used to say to store up to 24 hours, but I only ever store for max of about 16, just to be sure. I mean they are only a guide, they arnt laws... so I think we should do what we are happy with, and as long as we are careful with the cooling and the storage methods, im sure our babies will be fine.

    I do have another point to make about the milk, there is something else changed that I havnt heard anyone mention.
    On the old boxes, and old guidlines were not to use the bottle, after it had been warmed and used for an hour. ( I only use a 45min guide anyway)... but now, on the sides of the boxes it says, use within 2 hours????? Im sorry but feeding them warm milk after 2 hours usage will give a baby more of an upset tummy that a bottle warmed up from fridge.... or am I wrong?

    Feel free to comment girlies.

    caz x
  • monocojo. if you sterilise the bottles and seal them all up then they do stay sterilised. but im not entirely sure how long for. perhaps just 24hours? and yeah, you need to sterilise the water first by boiling it in the kettle. you should empty out the kettle and re-fill it with fresh water each time. xx
  • thanks everyone for the great advice,just seen mw aswell and she said the same (but has to tell people the new advice but doesnt believe it herself!!)
    love becky and daisy(6 days old)
  • I always made mine in advance for both of ours but now that Zaras not taking as many bottles & her feed times are predictable I do them as I go most times but its more out of laziness that I dont do them altogether now.

    Apparently, according to a hv I know, the advice is that you shouldnt pour the water in in advance & leave the bottles sitting, whether it be in the fridge or at room temperature. The advice now is make each bottle as you go along. Boil your kettle & let it sit for no more than 30 minutes before putting the powder in to make the bottle up as the milk isnt a sterile product!!! I actually looked on the side of the milk carton after hearing this & this is how they say to make it up. Even the hv said it was ludicrous & it was more a case of the milk companies covering their backs. I think I'll just carry on as I have been anyway
  • hi chick i took advice from girls on here and i add boiled water that has cooled for 30 mins to my bottles but make it 1 or 2 oz short eg if i am making 6 oz with 6 scoops i i put 4 1/2 0z water in each bottle and leave them on side for up to 24 hours so you can do 6 bottles, then as you do each feed boil your water and add remaining 11/2 oz of freshlyboiled water add your 6 scoops of powder and you have a nice warm bottle of formula no hassle qyuicker than heating a cold bottle of milk up in fridge. also if you are going out for day you havnt got to worry about how long your milk has been in a cool bag or anything.
  • Not sure why but the advise on the sides of Nutramigen formula still says you can make up 24 hours in advance and store in fridge and I have always done this with no ill effects.
    Making them up as i go does not work as it says the water needs to be room temp before adding powder (personally I think this takes more than 30 mins), my lo will not wait for a bottle so it never worked, I tried adding the powder when the bottle was needed but I just get on better making them up in advance and my friend did so with her 2 girls and they were fine.
  • I make up 2-3 bottles in advance and keep them in the fridge until I need them and just heat them in a jug of hot water. When I was pregnant I got a baby book from the doc which said "you can make up bottles 24 hours in advance and keep them in the fridge" it was published in 2004, out of date I know, but thats what it recommended then. Kenny has never been ill and I always thoroughly clean and sterilise his bottles. Everyone has a different way of doing things so you soon find out which is best for you. I use a cold water steriliser so bottles are always ready to go.
  • Jo Frost's baby book also suggests when you know how many bottles your baby needs in a day, make them up in advance (to prevent you and baby getting stressed making up on demand)

    Mandy
  • Well I did that, but I always ensured they never went over 24 hours, after all you can buy the ready made forumla if you are really worried. store it in the fridge and pour and heat as and when you need it? Maybe use this type for night time feed only? x

  • My son is 7months old and if always put the boiled water in the bottles the added te milk when needed! He's never been ill from it!
  • I didn't with my eldest, now 3 but do now with my youngest 7 months. I used to boil the kettle and use the water from it all day, maybe re-boiling halfway through the day but making the bottles up as i needed them. Then I went to my parents in the US and ALL the formulas over there say to make up as many bottles as you need in 24 hours and store in the fridge. So I did towards the end for my eldest and have been with my youngest. Neither have had tummy problems afterwards, other than the usual windy sick. If its not fixed.......

  • meant if its not broke...... *rolls eyes*

  • I did with both mine x
  • Just a little tip ,i used to make 6 at a time ,just with boiling water and leave them on the side then when baby is hungry pop bottle in micro for 20 secs ,shake well ,add powder and voila a bottle ready quick and no chance of bacteria ...baby always used bottles in 12 hours x 

  • Sorry to gc, I was told you should always add the powder to boiling water rather than boiling water that has cooled because the powder is not sterile and the boiling water makes it safe, I personally always made them up in advance kept in fridge and used within 24 hours but at some point I did do it the other way aswell both my babies were fine 9 and 3 now

    Andrea xx
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