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does anyone make their formula up and put it in the fridge??

Hi! My baby boy is two weeks old tomorrow. He is waking approx every two hours during the night!! I have been keeping the bottles with water in at room temp and adding the formula when hes ready for his feed. However as hes feeding so often the later bottles are too cold for him and he is refusing them! The other alternative is to make it up and put it in the fridge then heat it when hes ready for it. Is this okay? Any other suggestions welcome!! Also how do i get him to go longer between feeds? He is taking 3oz and each time and to be honest doesnt always finish the last bit of it so putting him up to 4oz seems pointless at moment! Thanks and hope this long message makes sense!! Lisa xx

Replies

  • Hi lisa,my ds is 6 weeks now and i make up my bottles and put them in the fridge and he has had no adverse reaction to this.My other son who is now 3 was born at 29 weeks and after he came home from special care i did exactly the same and again no problems! I would do whatever is easier for you.xx
  • How about leaving the bottles on the side with the water at room temperature. Taking a thermosflask with hot water and a jug, warming up the bottle of water when lo needs a feed and than add the powder to make up the formula feed.

    This is the way we do it, means less warming time because the water is not as cold as the milk would be in the fridge. It also means that we do not have to leave the room, but can feed him very quickly and getting to bed again.

    It is a suggestion. We have been thinking about making up the bottles in advance and keeping them in the fridge, but found this actually worked quicker for us and easier.
  • I was always told not to make up the bottle in advanced and that all bottles of milk should be thrown away after 2 hours due to the risk of poisoning your lo with the bacteria that grows in the milk. I make up the bottle with water to, 2ozs less than what my ds will take. I then add the 2ozs of hot water to amke it the perfect temperature x
  • Hello my son is 5 weeks old and I prepare and store his bottles of milk in the fridge. Its the way I was told to do it with my other 2 children 12 and 9 years ago. I never have had any problems arise from this. x
  • Hi there,yep I always do this and also did it with my first child and it has been fine,but ,I don't do more than two or three at a time.I wouldn't do a whole days worth at once.
    hope this helps a bit.x
  • i was asking the HV about this the other day and she said its okay to put the water in the bottles but dont add the formula until you need it..something to do with when you shake the bottle to mix it the formula particals gather in the teat and thats then the germs grow there...then of course the longer you leave it the more gather. She also said that the advice they used to give was that it was fine to make the feeds up before hand-but they found that once they changed the adivce, less children ended up with problems like gastorentotitis-i bet that is spelt very wrong lol. Its up to you really, thats the advice that i was given.
  • I do the same as you currently do now - but I agree with breighlin, it would be quicker to warm up the room temp water and then add the formula than to heat up ones from the fridge!

    Re going longer - it is very hard! You can try giving cooled boiled water water in between to delay it a bit and see if that helps as sometimes they are thirsty rather than hungry! However, your lo is very young at the moment so I would not worry about making him go longer too much as he only has a tiny stomach and cannot hold that much! Hence the 2 hourly feeds!
  • Thanks for the replies ladies. Ive been heating the water up then adding formula which seems to work! Might have to invest in a flask! Lisa x
  • Hi,

    We make up a couple at a time and then warm them up in a bottle warmer. Lo is 11 weeks old and not had any probs. We also bought a Fisher Price bottle warming flask from Boots (think it was about ??10) which is a flask and a container to pop the bottle in for warming in one. It's very handy for when you're out and about - or the water in the flask can also be used to make up a feed fresh if you put pre-measured power in a sterile container.

    Clare x
  • I know they tell you not to but everyone i know makes u bottles in advance! I always made up the night time and 1st morning feed before i went to bed and kept it in the fridge then we kept a bottle warmer by the bed and stuk it in there to warm - didnt take long. When she started taking more we used to boil the kettle to warm milk as it was quicker. My friend made up the bottles and left them by side of bed - thats something ive never done tho as ive always stuck to the 2hr rule if its out of the fridge, Cartons are great for the night as they are at room temp so you can either get baby used to drinking them like this or if he likes them warm atleast they heat up quickly!
  • Hi Vicky
    Can I ask how you prepare feeds when you are out and about?

    Mel
  • Sorry I'm new to this obviously don't know how to work it very well! I only breastfed for the first week but it really didn't work for me so when I had to move over to bottles I was clueless! There is so many do's and dont's I was so confused by mixed messages. I tried to make up fresh feeds each time but as a single mum tending to a screaming baby and boiling kettle ect just was not practical and the ready made cartons were costing me a fortune! I now make my next 2 feeds in advance by adding the powder to freshly sterilised and freshly boiled water good shake and pop straight in the fridge then warm them up when needed. People say the keep for 24 hours but as I only make up2 they are only kept for 12. When I go bout for the day I have the avent feeding back which I love! Says keeps warm or cool for 4 hrs I agree keeps warm for 4 but stays cool much longer I left a bottle in there for 8 once and was still cold! Then I just ask at a cafe or resturaunt for hot water- no one minds when it's for a baby! My boy kept throwing up his feeds when they were made fresh, he is alot better now since they are made up. I think as long as you are safe and hygienic do what works for you. Hope this helpsimage
  • LisaD said:
    Hi! My baby boy is two weeks old tomorrow. He is waking approx every two hours during the night!! I have been keeping the bottles with water in at room temp and adding the formula when hes ready for his feed. However as hes feeding so often the later bottles are too cold for him and he is refusing them! The other alternative is to make it up and put it in the fridge then heat it when hes ready for it. Is this okay? Any other suggestions welcome!! Also how do i get him to go longer between feeds? He is taking 3oz and each time and to be honest doesnt always finish the last bit of it so putting him up to 4oz seems pointless at moment! Thanks and hope this long message makes sense!! Lisa xx
    Yes. Just don't heat it more than once. Try to avoid the temperature danger zone for extended periods of time. This is when bacteria multiply very rapidly. When we reheat food for ourselves, you're reminded to ensure it's "piping hot" because this kills the bacteria. But baby formula is a steralised form of milk so has less bacteria to begin with. But there's a limit to everything. The danger zone is considered to be between 6°c and 80°c but 37° is the bacterial sweet spot. Restaurants use blast coolers and rapid heaters to reduce risk.
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