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Starting to panic a little.....

......I have asked this before.... and still dont understand about the steriliseing. Thought once sterilised the bottles are only sterile for 6 hours....... if that is the case, how do you make them up ( Alfie is only on 3 hour feeds so that is only two bottles )

We are going away today to a funeral ( couple of hundred miles away ) and we are wondering how on earth we will cope with tomorrow and keeping the bottles sterile.

We will be leaving the hotel at 9am and wont be home till at least 7pm - and will be either at the funeral, the wake, or travelling in that time so wont have anywhere to make the bottles sterile.


As they only last six hours after they have been sterilsed - then we can only make two up which will only take us to 3pm which is not long enough..........

What shall we do???

Starting to worry that we wont have any sterile bottles for my boy.....

Replies

  • wouldnt you be able to use the milton sterilising tablets you just put them in cold water for a few mins????
  • Why dont you buy some Steribottles? I havent used them but they're pre-sterilised disposable bottles! You can get them from boots and supermarkets....

    Although I didnt know that about the bottles! My OH works nights and I make up my bottles for the night time (my LO wakes once for a feed and then at 8 - ish) once he leaves in the evening ....it would be a nightmare making up each feed if I didnt....and my sons been fine. Try not to panic hun. xxxx
  • I didnt know bottles were only sterile for that short of time either! What we've been doing is sterilising say 6 bottles, putting the fresh cooled-boiled water in them and putting the teats and caps on straight away. We then add the milk powder when needed. Sometimes, I may add an oz or so of freshly boiled water to bring the bottles up to the right temperature.

    I assumed once the bottles were sterilised and the caps were put straight on that they were air-tight and therefore sterile.

    Its all very confusing this bottle making ??
  • HI

    We have bought the steri bottles, but as Alf is prem, I think the teats will be too big - going to try at next feed and see if he can feed from them.....

    I am sure they are only sterile for the 6 hours...... I will double check though now.....

  • Hiya,
    I might be wrong but when they say the bottles are only sterile for 6 hours, I think that means if they are left in the steriliser without taking the lid off. Once you have made them up with water or formula and sealed them with the lid I would have thought they would stay sterile as nothing can get to them!?! xx
  • Hun he will be fine ....My mum and my oh mum used to make enough bottles up for 24 hours and put them in the fridge, this was the done thing, and we are fine! I think all the guidelines are just in place to make bottle feeding more difficult if you ask me. x
  • Hiya

    I use a cold water steriliser with the milton tablets and make up my bottles for a day. I fill the bottles up with cooled boiled water (after waiting 30 mins) and im sure they last for 24 hours. I then empty the water out and pour in the ready made formula - i buy the cartons as for some reason the powder formula upsets Joseph's tummy. (hubby just thinks he has expensive tastes!)

    Helen x
  • I think it's a load of rubbish too, my lo is nearly 9 months and i've always sterilised 6 bottles at a time, when he was little they'd last for 24hours but now he's only on 3 bottles a day, tehy last for 2 days. I just put the lids on and keep in cupboard, Shea has never been ill or had upset tummy by this so personally I wouldn't worry
  • i started off like u with the sterilising and making each bottle up from scratch but i couldnt carry on like that because summer would scream the house down waiting for a bottle to cool down so now i sterilise 4 bottles add the boiled water let them cool for 30 mins add the powder let them cool completely then put them in the fridge and when i need one just put the bottle in a mug of boiled water to warm it up only takes a min to warm up and summer is fine with it and this way she doesnt cry for half an hour waiting for her bottle
  • To be honest, i think it really comes down to personal preference. I make sure Harry's bottles are washed really well in hot water, but if i've forgotten to steralise them, its not the end of the world! I have used the Steribottles and they are good if you've forgotten a bottle to take with you, etc. but i wouldn't use them on a regular basis - too messy unless you've worked out how to use them first! Remember it takes FOUR clicks to not leak!! X
  • Hi ladies

    Wow! Great advise!

    I think you are all right and I have got it wrong about the 6 hours thing - only problem is the HV said there is no way I can make up the formula in advance ( Alf is on Nutriprem2 as he was 5 weeks prem ) and she has insisted that we can not make up in advance, but what I might start doing now is making the bottles up with water first thing in the morning, then adding the powder and reheating in a jug of warm water. Presume when I open the lid to add the powder it doesn't de sterlise the bottle......

    Just tried the Steribottle, and the teat was too big for Alf, so it went all down him - then it blocked and he couldn't get any. He is now lying fast asleep in his basket after having only half his feed, which means he'll wake up early for his next feed, just as we set off on our journey!!

    To top it off, my milk has dried up today as well ( was expressing and topping up with formula ) arrrrggghhhh!

    Thanks for the advise.

    Sam x
  • Sam - ignore the stupid HV! How unrealistic, to make up every bottle in advance. Much easier to either make them up with cooled water and add formula later (like you said you will be doing) or make them in advance and put in fridge. I make them with the cooled water for day time but do them in the fridge for nights when i cant be arsed to measure formula.

    Have you tried giving his bottle at room temp....most LOs will take it this way fine, and would just be 1 thing making it easier for you.

    I hope he is doing well, my boyfriends sister was premature at 29 weeks, and back then they did the bottles in fridge for 24 hours, so i sure Alfie will be fine xxx

  • I also make up 6 bottles at a time with cooled boiled water then add the formula as and when. I thought once you had done that they were good for 24 hours in the fridge. I'm sure thats what the midwife told me in hospital. I've been doing that for nearly 5 months now and so far it hasn't caused any harm to my LO.
  • Hi Tiger Lily

    He will take his bottle at room temp, so I guess I could make up the bottle with the cooled water, leave on the side ( do I need to out in fridge ) and then add the powder when needed.... might try that!!

    Hubby just returned with thermos flask, travel sterliser and powder dispensers...... now just need to pack!

    Alfie is doing just fine thanks. Love the little tike to bits, depite him keeping me awake half the night!!

    Sam x
  • You dont need to put it in the fridge if its just the water, just leave it on the side. I'm glad hes doing well, I cant imagine how hard it must be, my babys a month old he was full term and is generally quite a good sleeper at night & its hard enough x
  • Ignore the HV about not making up Nutriprem2. I did at the start. Now I use the dispensers. I would sterlise your bottles tonight and fill them with cooled boiled water and add the formula when you need them tomorrow. All you need to do with Nutriprem is to make sure the bottle is shook well. I have been doing this for 9 months and have had no problems.

    I wouldn't look too much into sterilising. Some HV do go overboard on it. Do what you feel is best for you and what will work for you. I bet you HV's made up feeds in advance and probably still do.

    Louise
  • Good tip for making up bottles on the go for those who have los that only like their milk slightly warm - take a small flask of boiled water with you. Then you can have your bottle (slightly under measure) with cooled boiled water in and simply top it up ever so slightly to the correct level before adding your powder. My lo would only have his warm during the winter and this was a life saver for me when we were out on trips or travelling abroad.

    Only note to make is to make sure you don't put just boiling water into plastic bottles after all the health scare thing a few weeks ago. It causes the chemical to leak into the bottle much much quicker than if you put the water in cooled apparantly. Still nothing to be panicked about but worth noting anyway from what I have read about it.

    I make up 3 bottles and put them in the fridge during the evening so I have bottles ready for early morning and any emergency night ones. Then mid morning I sterlise the bottles again, add cooled boiled water and put the right amount of powder into the tommee tippee powder dispensers so when it is feed time I simply tip the powder in. Couldn't be easier, plus it means you have bottles ready to travel if you need to go anywhere! x
  • Sorry, am gatecrashing! My dd is 14 months old and i used to sterilise all her bottles in the morning add the coolled boiled water and keep in fridge till needed. Then I just added powder and warmed through at feed time. She never had any problems of upset stomachs or anything and now (she just has a bottle before bed) I don't bother sterilising, just make sure the bottles are washed really well.
    Hope this helps!
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