Anyone premaking bottles?

[Babyfeet78]

Hi, does anyone still premake bottles ie boil the water add formula and store in the fridge until ready to use? Midwives suggest making all bottles on demand but this is quite time consuming with a screaming baby needing a feed!!
Many thanks in advance!! ??

[pingulingo]

Yes I did. But then I read someone's advice on here that recommended making a feed up - eg 8 oz feed: mix 3oz boiling water + 8 scoops formula. Mix. Top up with 5oz cold water - ta da, at the right temp without having to reheat premade bottles.

[Babyfeet78]

Thanks for your response! Is the cold water you used to top up just water from the tap or cooled boiled water?

[MyMILisfromHELL]

My mother did what you describe OP, with both my dsis & they never suffered for it. I would second what PP has advised.

[NaiceAm]

I thought if you mix with boiling water some of the protein in the milk is damaged hence why the advice is to mix the formula at 70 deg c - hot enough to kill most of the bacteria but not too hot that it impairs the formula.

[Christelle2207]

I keep boiled cooled water in some bottles handy for this very purpose. Not sure the temp makes that much difference tbh but always use boiled.

[purplemurple1]

I pre make and store them I'm the fridge, warm as needed.

[PedlarsSpanner]

the danger is in the powdered milk, hence the guidelines advise using 70% water to kill the bacteria, and then flash cooling and into the fridge (not fridge door but the shelves); OP your method is fine as it is

[PurpleDana]

I premake bottles, 2 or 3 at a time, flash cool and store in the fridge. Then heat up in a jug of boiling water. With a reflux baby that needed as much attention / soothing between feeds as she did during & immediately after feeds which were 2 - 2.5 hourly it was the only way! She's now a bit more settled and goes 3 hourly but I still do the same. But I also did it with my firstborn 19yrs ago when it was the recommended way, actually used to do 6 at a time then!
Not ideal but sometimes necessary. It's just about minimising bacteria growth.

[OnionRing]

I do what pingu does and at night take a flask of hot water, a bottle of cooled boiled water and pre measured containers of powder to bed with me. Takes me less than a minute to make up a bottle in the night and I don't even get out of bed (as the baby sleeps with me.)

[MrsMuskett]

Nem mum. I thought pre making bottles was a big no no as u can only leave a bottle for 2hrs. We buy the pre made litre bottles n use a breville kettle as these boil in 30secs to heat it up,a god send at 4am feeds lol x

[ilovepowerhoop]

you can only use a drunk from bottle for 2 hours or if the bottle is left out at room temperature. If you put them in the fridge after making up with hot water then they are ok for a maximum of 24 hours.

[ilovepowerhoop]

from nhs website:

*If made-up formula is stored in a fridge, use within 24 hours.
*If made-up formula is stored in a cool bag with an ice pack, use within four hours.
*If made-up formula is stored at room temperature, use within two hours.

[MyNameIsKenAdams]

I always pre made. Then Id just feed from the fridge. Dd has never had a warm bottle. Made it much easier being out and about too.

[MrsMuskett]

Right sorry,like I said new mum to all this. Might buy some powder form n make them up for 24 hrs as its cheaper,I'm just lazy n the pre made stuff is easy lol

[AntoinetteCosway]

The water mixed with the formula has to be hot enough to kill bacteria so it's not sensible to put formula into cooled boiled water.

Technically you should make up each bottle as you need it. In practice I made up the right number for the day with the right temperature water (70), flash cooled them and stored them in the fridge. If I was going out I used cartons.

[jane1995]

most of the websites eg Nhs, babycenter.. haven't bem updated to the latest guidelines, ive made up bottles on demand from the start, it is a hassle but id rather that then make him ill. My HV has known babies that have died because they cant cope with how ill the stored bottles have made them

[ilovepowerhoop]

All the websites do have the new guidelines but there are also workarounds for when on demand feeding cannot be adhered to. These workarounds do state that if you make a bottle up with 70°C water it can be cooled quickly and put in the fridge for up to 24 hours. It is not the ideal situation but is still ok to do.

[ilovepowerhoop]

nhs bottle making guidance

FAQ's giving workarounds

[ilovepowerhoop]

www.nhs.uk/start4life/documents/pdfs/start4life_guide_to_bottle_feeding.pdf - full leaflet with up to date guidance but also gives the same advice about storing feeds that I have already stated