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Confused - making up bottles in advance???

Hi girls,
My baby is due in 5 weeks & I wondered if you could clear up some confusion for me? I know the current guidelines are to make up feeds as you go & allow to cool but this sounds like it would be very hard to do in the middle of the night when baby wakes up & wants feeding there & then?

As this is my first I've no experience with this. Any advice would be gratefully received!

Thanks
DM
35+1

Replies

  • Well, apparently you are. however this is what i do. When I go to bed I boil the kmettle, fill the bottle to the desired amount of oz's, then put the formula in a little storage container. when baby wakes I mix and then warm up!

    Years ago you could just mix it and keep it in the fridge, and I know there are people that do and baby is fine!

    Good luck
  • There are various ways to do it, and many ladies do it various ways with lo's being fine.

    You could put some boiled water in a flask, and add the powder then cool.

    You could put boiled water in the bottle, leave, add powder and heat when needed.

    You could put cooled boiled water in the bottle up to a couple of oz less than you need, then when bottle needed add a couple of oz of boiled water and the powder.

    You could put water and formula in bottle, put in fridge, and heat when needed.

    Some put the cooled boiled water in the bottles, in the fridge and use within 24 hours. Some make the milk up (myself included) put in the fridge and use within 24 hours.

    Guidelines are guidelines, not rules. I make all bottles up in advance because it's easier for me and lo. I make sure the water is cooled to 70 degrees to kill the milk bugs. But then some think they breed in the fridge when I leave them there. We've had no problems though.

    Choose they way you feel happy with. xx
  • i also make up bottles in advance, enough to do 24 hours, i know people put the water in the bottle and let it cool and add the powder later and heat it up when needed but the whole idea of adding the powder after 30 minutes is because the powder is not sterile so if you add the powder to the cool water its not killing the bugs etc in it. Anyway everyone does it differantly but i think if your doing anything making them all up in advance is the way to go, the powder is sterilised in the hot water as guidlelines say and then the fridge keeps them cool to kill all bacteria for 24 hours as ordinary milk would be kept but each to their own way i suppose. x
  • I make mine up in advance and put them in the fridge. just put a note on white board of what time they were made up and make sure they are used well within 24 hours. we are only on 2 bottles a day now so i make them up at teatime,one for bedtime that night and one for the next morning.
    ive never had any problems and have always done my bottles this way x
  • i make all mine up in advance dd is 7 weeks and have done from birth i didn't tell the health visitor this to keep life simple. i make up 6 in the evening and they are all gone by tea time the next evening
  • i also make bottles in advance my hv who is really nice said that this is what she would do, but her job was to inform new mummy's of the guidlines.
    i have 3 children & all were fine with this method.
    hope this helps

    J x
  • Thanks for all your replies, its a relief to know that lots of people make bottles up in advance with no problems for their babies.

    To be honest, I'm hoping to be able to breast feed but I'm well aware that it doesn't always work out as planned. So thought it best to be prepared & I do have some formula & a steriliser just in case!

    Thanks again!
    DM
  • I used to fill all the bottles for the next day the night before with half the amount of water needed, then put them in the fridge.

    When I needed one I would then fill the other half with boiling water and add the formula and hey presto its the right temp!

    The bugs start forming when the formula is added so this is a good way to avoid it without all hassle.

    HTH
    Claire x

    [Modified by: claireclaired on July 31, 2010 09:06 PM]

  • we just pre-mix 3 bottles and take them to the bedroom with us. never been a problem. we don't even have to leave the bed.
  • The department of health guidelines state that feeds can be prepared in advance 'when it is not practical to make feeds just before feeding'

    www.dwrcymru.com/English/libra
    ry/publications/milk%20guidance/english.pdf

    The powder should be added to the water within 30mins of boiling the kettle so that the water is above 70degrees to kill the bacteria in the formula, it should then be cooled and stored in the fridge for a maximum of 24hours.

    If lo was feeding at night still, I'd make them in advance. I do make his feeds as and when, but every evening I put bottles of cooled boiled water in the fridge then when I need a bottle I boil the kettle fresh, add power to the boiling water (just under half the total quantity 80mls boiling for 180mls, 100mls boiling for 210mls) then top up with the water from the fridge x
  • The nursery my friend uses will only take them made up in advance and they store them in the fridge and all babies seem fine. That said as by DD is only having 2 bottles, rest is breast I make up as I go xx
  • hi, I've been 'researching' this on the net over the weekend, my boy is 18 days old and we tried the 'proper' method for the first day - within hours we had boiled the kettle tens of times - just incase he needed feeding and we were both nervous wrecks, with a screaming hungry baby - waiting for the kettle to cool..... the day after we came home the MW visited and I asked her about this and if we could make bottle up the way my sister had done 3 yrs before (with cooled boiiled water in fridge and heat it up), she said that was fine as they were just recommendations and we were so stressed and tired...

    I've read a fair bit claiming that these new guidelines are impractical for new parents with crying hungry lo's in middle of night and that the real importance/safety factor is to make sure you properly sterilise feeding equipment and wash your hands before making up feed - the actual risk of bugs in milk powder causing problems is minimal.

    My lo seems fine with this way and we are certainly more relaxed and therefore much better at looking after him, in my opinion, hope that helps.

    Suz
  • we've always made the bottles up with boiling water, then left at room temp and added the powder as and when needed...when he was younger used to do that twice a day so bottles were only done for 12hours, but since he turned 12months we jsut do it once a day so they're out for max of 24hours, we only ever left them on the side as he takes it room temp anyway so didn't need to reheat them at all that way. for going out used to fill the bottle(s) with required amount of water and had the tommee tippee milk powder containers with the right amount of milk in, was fab as they siot in the bottle (if u use tt bhottles) so didn't atke up any extra room in the change bag

    http://www.tommeetippee.co.uk/product/closer_to_nature_milk_powder_dispensers_pack_of_6_/

    the problem with amking them up in advance (from my understanding anyway) is that once the powder milk comes into contact with the water it begins to breed bacteria, so by keeping the milk and water separate until needed u avoid this as they're not in contact with each other so therefore no bacteria breeding, which is also why they say once a feed has been mixed, to discard within 2 hours xx
  • I make up ours in advance every morning and no problems so far. We put them in the fridge as soon as they are done and then get them out 10 minutes before she is due a bottle - we dont even have to heat up as she'll drink at room temp.
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