Using Boiled water for formula milk??

little me

hello,

I'm just about to start weaning my baby off breast milk and onto formula!

Silly question, but does the water have to be sterile (boilrf using a kettle) or can I use the tap water. I know the bottles and teats have to be sterilesed, but just not sure about the water. (My baby is 3 months old).

Also is there any good method to making it quicker to get a bottle ready when your baby wakes up screaming for food during the night?? I was thinking of having some cooled boiled water sitting in a sterile bottle, then all i have to do is add the measured out formula to it. Is this a safe way of preparing formula?? Or am i better having it already mixed and kept in the fridge (the only thing then is a scramble to warm it up a little!)

Thanks for all your help!

x

flower tattoo

my youngest is 7 now but assuming the guideline haven't changed then the water must be boiled and cooled.
I always kept the bottles ready made in the fridge and then microwaved them :eek:
i know that is a big no no but as long as you shake the bottle well to avoid hot spots you should be grand.

Yawns

We had a mini fridge in our room with bottles prepared before we went to bed. BOiled water allowed to cool. In the mini-fridge and we had a plugin bottle warmer then to just pop it into. Found the bottle warmer to be a little slow tho

meditraitor

Yep, you should boil it and let it cool before preparing the formula,

Fill the bottles to the desired amount of water and let cool in the bottles, then put the top on. We used to prepare 4 before bed and leave them to the side with formula ready in one of those segmented containers.
When she wakes up put the formula in the bottle shake and bobs your uncle,
Most babies will take room temp formula if you start that way which saves the hassle of getting up in the middle of the night and warming the bottle, every little helps.... good luck

little me

meditraitor wrote: »

Yep, you should boil it and let it cool before preparing the formula,

Fill the bottles to the desired amount of water and let cool in the bottles, then put the top on. We used to prepare 4 before bed and leave them to the side with formula ready in one of those segmented containers.
When she wakes up put the formula in the bottle shake and bobs your uncle,
Most babies will take room temp formula if you start that way which saves the hassle of getting up in the middle of the night and warming the bottle, every little helps.... good luck

Thanks for your reply! Do you leave your cooled boiled water bottles sitting out or do you put them in the fridge? Take it once the water has been boiled, and the bottles closed, you can leave them sitting out, and for how long?

Das Kitty

I leave mine sitting out but I do close the lid immediately. Have had no problems yet!

I've also started with the microwave in the past couple of weeks (bold!) but I find if I shake it well there's no problem. 20 seconds beats 5 minutes when you're being shouted at to get a move on! I find he burps much better with warmer milk and he was refusing the room temp bottles a bit when I was trying them.

Full_TiltKeith

Das Kitty wrote: »

I leave mine sitting out but I do close the lid immediately. Have had no problems yet!

I've also started with the microwave in the past couple of weeks (bold!) but I find if I shake it well there's no problem. 20 seconds beats 5 minutes when you're being shouted at to get a move on! I find he burps much better with warmer milk and he was refusing the room temp bottles a bit when I was trying them.

+1 we usually make them with the cooled boiled water, let them cool to room temperature, then refridgerate them. They should last up to 24 hours!

January

I make up the bottles, boiled water, lid on, cool down quickly (bucket of cold water or ice) and then into the fridge. Microwave to warm up, shake well!

LashingLady

Bear in mind that since your baby was breastfed up to now he or she might refuse room temperature milk as they are used to it being at body temp! Microwaving really is fine as long as you give the bottles a really good shake as sad before.

meditraitor

little me wrote: »

Thanks for your reply! Do you leave your cooled boiled water bottles sitting out or do you put them in the fridge? Take it once the water has been boiled, and the bottles closed, you can leave them sitting out, and for how long?

We usually prepared enough for the night so 12 hours without refrigeration is perfectly fine, Im not even sure if refrigeration is nessesary, it is only water after all and the you are putting it in a sterile bottle.

When letting the water cool in the bottles we discovered that if you put the lid on before they are cooled there would be significant leaking, maybe the heat was shrinking the nipple or something like that,
No leaking if you put the lid on after the water has cooled.

This worked for us, and as you are finding out, any way to make life easier during this hard period is more than welcome.....

Good luck,

Khannie

Das Kitty wrote: »

I've also started with the microwave in the past couple of weeks (bold!)

I think that "omg don't use the microwave" thing you hear is rubbish. We've been using it for 3+ years now. Once you shake it up to distribute the heat properly and test it on your wrist there's no reason not to use the micro IMO.