Making up formula - you cannot be serious!

antiskeptic

Hi there,

We're on our first . He's being breastfed at the moment with formula top-ups to make up the rest. We've been using Aptimil ready-made (it comes in 200ml cartons) but now that he's 6 weeks old and starting to put (the relatively expensive, if convenient, ready-made) away at some rate, I figured to get some powered formula.

Until I read the instructions.

Boil water, leave it for 30 minutes (no more, no less, no second boiling), make up a single feed (no more, no less), then cool to serving temperature and serve. Sheesh!

I checked a couple of brands: Aptimil, SMA and it was the same thing in both cases. Is this really it? In the 21st century? Is there something I'm misssing? Is there a magical brand that can be made up in batches. Say a days worth at a time for example?

Orion

Follow the instructions and make up a day's worth. When it's cooled down put it in the fridge. Basically every evening you can make all of the following day's bottles.

January

Yep, that's what I've done with all three and not one of them has been sick so far, make up 8 bottles in advance and it does us for 24 hours in the fridge, take bottle out half hour before hand and cool to room temp, or pop in pot of hot water for a few minutes to take the chill off it and feed.

vibe666

the way we do it is to boil the water and put the required amounts in the bottles right away for the next day and just put the lids on and leave them to cool.

then when it's feeding time, just put the required amount of formula into one bottle and give it a couple of shakes and it's all ready to go.

we use the aptamil formula too, but we've found that once it's mixed with water it starts to smell sour pretty quickly, so we've just avoided making it up until we need it, that way you're not cluttering up your fridge with 7 or 8 bottles and no need to take the chill off it for the baby.

the other handy thing is an adjustable scoop we got (possibly in mothercare or boots) which you can put onto the exact measurement for your required amount of formula per bottle, so it's just one scoop of that, level it off and plonk it into the bottle in one go.

Moonbeam

The most important thing is that the water is 70 degrees or over when you add the formula as formula is not sterile.
Store it in a fridge and dispose of undrunk bottles after 24 hours.
Bottles must be sealed.
Never keep a bottle once it has been unsealed and offered to the child,just dump it.
Dump any bottles once they are out of the fridge more then 90 minutes.

I always made on demand with the aptimil or used the cartons. We are on special formula now that actually says you can make a days worth together:)

LashingLady

Ok so here you've been given lots of answers and you're probably more confused as you were when you posted! There are in fact a number of safe ways to make formula but the formula companies have to put the absolute safest way on the side of their packs.

There are a couple of risks with making formula:

- Formula powder isn't sterile so hot water should be used when making it, particularly for very young babies. As far as I can gather the risk of this reduces after baby reaches about 5 weeks.

- Too hot water will kill the nutrients in the formula.

(They don't seem to take into consideration plastic vs metal kettles which have significantly different insulating properties so I think the 30 mins/70 degs no more no less argument is pretty much dead in the water)

- Hot or warm formula should be cooled rapidly to drinking or storing temp. So hot bottles should be placed in a bowl or sink of cold water before giving to baby or storing in the fridge.

- Bottles should not be stored on the door of the fridge rather the inside.

From a HSE leaflet I read there are three safe ways to make bottles. In all cases bottles should be sterilised and hands washed thoroughly before handling bottles.

1. As recommended by side of pack, make each bottle as required. Downside to this is when baby is very young you just don't know when they'll be looking for a bottle and will be screaming the house down as you wait for the water to cool!!! Bear in mind that a minute or two standing in iced water will cool bottle down to "not too hot but still hot" so you don't actually have to wait the 30 mins. Put formula in and back into cold water for another couple of mins and you're ready to go.

2. Make in batches - once you're aware of the risks I think this is a fine way to make. Make up bottles as per 1. above - as many as you will need for tomorrow. I used to cool 6-8 bottles standing in the sink filled with cold water. When they're cool, give them a wipe and pop them into the fridge. Warm them up to room temp as needed by standing in a bowl of warm water. Used all bottles within 24 hours.

3. Put freshly boiled water into sterilised bottles and seal . Add formula when needed (not before) and serve straightaway.

There's been lots of internet arguments about these methods but I did read a HSE leaflet which described all of the above. You jsut have to be aware of the risks.

I also worked out that the ready made cartons costs around twice the powder. I thought that cost was worth it for the night feeds for not having to go downstairs to make or warm bottles.:D

Moonbeam

http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/Publications/services/Children/How_to_prepare_your_baby's_bottle_feed.pdf

Moonbeam

LashingLady wrote: »

Ok so here you've been given lots of answers and you're probably more confused as you were when you posted! There are in fact a number of safe ways to make formula but the formula companies have to put the absolute safest way on the side of their packs.

There are a couple of risks with making formula:

- Formula powder isn't sterile so hot water should be used when making it, particularly for very young babies. As far as I can gather the risk of this reduces after baby reaches about 5 weeks.

- Too hot water will kill the nutrients in the formula.

(They don't seem to take into consideration plastic vs metal kettles which have significantly different insulating properties so I think the 30 mins/70 degs no more no less argument is pretty much dead in the water)

- Hot or warm formula should be cooled rapidly to drinking or storing temp. So hot bottles should be placed in a bowl or sink of cold water before giving to baby or storing in the fridge.

- Bottles should not be stored on the door of the fridge rather the inside.

From a HSE leaflet I read there are three safe ways to make bottles. In all cases bottles should be sterilised and hands washed thoroughly before handling bottles.

1. As recommended by side of pack, make each bottle as required. Downside to this is when baby is very young you just don't know when they'll be looking for a bottle and will be screaming the house down as you wait for the water to cool!!! Bear in mind that a minute or two standing in iced water will cool bottle down to "not too hot but still hot" so you don't actually have to wait the 30 mins. Put formula in and back into cold water for another couple of mins and you're ready to go.

2. Make in batches - once you're aware of the risks I think this is a fine way to make. Make up bottles as per 1. above - as many as you will need for tomorrow. I used to cool 6-8 bottles standing in the sink filled with cold water. When they're cool, give them a wipe and pop them into the fridge. Warm them up to room temp as needed by standing in a bowl of warm water. Used all bottles within 24 hours.

3. Put freshly boiled water into sterilised bottles and seal . Add formula when needed (not before) and serve straightaway.

There's been lots of internet arguments about these methods but I did read a HSE leaflet which described all of the above. You jsut have to be aware of the risks.

I also worked out that the ready made cartons costs around twice the powder. I thought that cost was worth it for the night feeds for not having to go downstairs to make or warm bottles.:D

Please actually read the leaflet before you give advice based on it.

lynski

antiskeptic wrote: »

Hi there,

We're on our first . He's being breastfed at the moment with formula top-ups to make up the rest. We've been using Aptimil ready-made (it comes in 200ml cartons) but now that he's 6 weeks old and starting to put (the relatively expensive, if convenient, ready-made) away at some rate, I figured to get some powered formula.

Until I read the instructions.

Boil water, leave it for 30 minutes (no more, no less, no second boiling), make up a single feed (no more, no less), then cool to serving temperature and serve. Sheesh!

I checked a couple of brands: Aptimil, SMA and it was the same thing in both cases. Is this really it? In the 21st century? Is there something I'm misssing? Is there a magical brand that can be made up in batches. Say a days worth at a time for example?

It is the same with all brands and the reasons as basically it is not sterile and you expose your child to potential problems from that fact alone.
Is there a reason why you are moving to more formula? would you not be better off trying to up your supply and keep breastfeeding, it is pretty much downhill from 6wks, as in it just gets easier from there.
There are some great website for support.

LashingLady

Moonbeam wrote: »

Please actually read the leaflet before you give advice based on it.

http://www.healthpromotion.ie/hp-files/docs/HPM00481.pdf

I did - see page 7 Option 2. I can't keep up with the amount of times they change this advice.

Moonbeam

LashingLady wrote: »

From a HSE leaflet I read there are three safe ways to make bottles. In all cases bottles should be sterilised and hands washed thoroughly before handling bottles.

1. As recommended by side of pack, make each bottle as required. Downside to this is when baby is very young you just don't know when they'll be looking for a bottle and will be screaming the house down as you wait for the water to cool!!! Bear in mind that a minute or two standing in iced water will cool bottle down to "not too hot but still hot" so you don't actually have to wait the 30 mins. Put formula in and back into cold water for another couple of mins and you're ready to go.

2. Make in batches - once you're aware of the risks I think this is a fine way to make. Make up bottles as per 1. above - as many as you will need for tomorrow. I used to cool 6-8 bottles standing in the sink filled with cold water. When they're cool, give them a wipe and pop them into the fridge. Warm them up to room temp as needed by standing in a bowl of warm water. Used all bottles within 24 hours.

3. Put freshly boiled water into sterilised bottles and seal . Add formula when needed (not before) and serve straightaway.

There's been lots of internet arguments about these methods but I did read a HSE leaflet which described all of the above. You jsut have to be aware of the risks.

I also worked out that the ready made cartons costs around twice the powder. I thought that cost was worth it for the night feeds for not having to go downstairs to make or warm bottles.:D

"If you
need to prepare feeds in advance to use later, make up individual
bottles, cool them quickly and place in the back of the fridge (5°C or
below). Throw away any feed in the fridge that you have not used
within 24 hours"
"

Also having the water 70 degrees or above still applies.


Another good link is -
http://www.indi.ie/docs/1620_Guide_to_Bottle_Feeding_(1).pdf

newmammy2011

Orion wrote: »

Follow the instructions and make up a day's worth. When it's cooled down put it in the fridge. Basically every evening you can make all of the following day's bottles.

vibe666 wrote: »

the way we do it is to boil the water and put the required amounts in the bottles right away for the next day and just put the lids on and leave them to cool.

then when it's feeding time, just put the required amount of formula into one bottle and give it a couple of shakes and it's all ready to go.

I used both of these methods.
I also breastfed my twins and suppplmented with aptimal.
The hospital advised the first method and my PHN advised the second.
For the first few months I made up bottles in batches adding the formula, cooling and putting in the fridge. Generally only made them up for 12 hours.
From about 4/5 months I used the second method and counted out the scoops into one of these
http://www.toys.ie/Philips-Avent-Milk-Powder-Dispenser-!100810-prd.aspx
and then just added when feeding.

sillysocks

I think if you ask 100 people about making bottles you could get 100 different answers!
I used to fill the bottles with water, leave them to room temp and add formula as needed-worked great for us esp during night or when we were out as the baby was used to room temp bottles.
I started doing that based on a leaflet our phn gave me, only realised afterwards it seemed to be 'wrong' advice but it was working fine for us so I stuck with it.

Noopti

Boil Water
Add to bottles
Refrigerate
Take out when needed, add formula, feed.


Never had any issues with the above.

Gurgle

Noopti wrote: »

Boil Water
Add to bottles
Refrigerate
Take out when needed, add formula, feed.


Never had any issues with the above.

No need to refrigerate, once you've sealed boiled water into sterilized (in the dishwasher) bottles then it can safely stay at room temperature for 24 hours.

Also helps to get your child used to room temperature bottles, which makes life a lot more convenient when you're out

Genghis

sillysocks wrote: »

I think if you ask 100 people about making bottles you could get 100 different answers!
I used to fill the bottles with water, leave them to room temp and add formula as needed-worked great for us esp during night or when we were out as the baby was used to room temp bottles.
I started doing that based on a leaflet our phn gave me, only realised afterwards it seemed to be 'wrong' advice but it was working fine for us so I stuck with it.

We do exactly this now. Our little one has no trouble with 'unheated' bottles (we never heated his bottle) which makes it very handy when out and about, etc - just add the formula to the bottles. There seems to be a risk with mixing formula with boiled water that is cooled to under 70 degrees plus, but we do not have any problems.

That said, someone said this risk is mainly in the first 5 weeks, and certainly during the first few months we did mix up bottles while the water was hot and allowed it to cool.

One problem we did have during this time was with 'Rapid' cooling. I would sterilise the bottles, boil water, allow cool for 30 mins, then add formula. I would put the bottles straight into the fridge, or leave at the window to cool. When our little man got sick, we found that the milk had curdled in this process, and when we called Aptimal they were clear you should allow cool to room temperature before refrigeration as rapid cooling causes the milk to go bad.

Hannibal Smith

Orion wrote: »

Follow the instructions and make up a day's worth. When it's cooled down put it in the fridge. Basically every evening you can make all of the following day's bottles.

^^^ we do this too, but its a day's worth of hot water, and we put the feed in as we go

chavezychavez

Gurgle wrote: »

No need to refrigerate, once you've sealed boiled water into sterilized (in the dishwasher) bottles then it can safely stay at room temperature for 24 hours.

Also helps to get your child used to room temperature bottles, which makes life a lot more convenient when you're out

We do the same with our little girl in relation to room temperature bottles. We started the same as the OP (freaking out about making a single bottle at a time) but after talking to friends, we copped on and ended up making them in a batch.
We always keep to the 24 hour rule though, once made for 24 hours, dump and re-make if not drank.

Initially, we would put them in the fridge, but our baba was a bit hit-and-miss with the bottles when we tried to reheat them to room temperature at feeding time (hot water in a bowl).
So, after talking to the sister in law at one stage, she informed us that she never refrigerated the bottles for her young fella when he was on bottles, so we tried that, and our little girl gobbles her bottles now.

What I'm trying to say really is talk to other people (what you are doing here), try different scenarios with bottles (within safe guidelines obviously), and listen to what your baba is saying to you in relation to all of them. They'll let you know what suits them or not.

People on here may not agree with me on this, but they are my 2 cents on the matter.

Gurgle

chavezychavez wrote: »

We do the same with our little girl in relation to room temperature bottles. We started the same as the OP (freaking out about making a single bottle at a time) but after talking to friends, we copped on and ended up making them in a batch.

Took me 3 kids and 8 years to figure it out.

Noopti

Gurgle wrote: »

No need to refrigerate, once you've sealed boiled water into sterilized (in the dishwasher) bottles then it can safely stay at room temperature for 24 hours.

Also helps to get your child used to room temperature bottles, which makes life a lot more convenient when you're out

Excellent, makes it even easier so!

We have never warmed/cooled milk for our little fella, never saw the point other then to create extra unnecessary hassle! He would drink it warm, room temperature or cold to be honest!

vibe666

same here with the room temp bottles, saves a lot of grief. as with sterilised single serving formula containers for night feeds so you're not having to go to the kitchen all bleary eyed to measure out formula to make up a bottle at 3am, you just dump it into a pre-boiled and cooled bottle of water as required by the side of the bed.

our 4 month old gets fed and changed during the night on the bed as needed, just by the light of the baby monitor and a lot of the time you can do it without even waking up your other half.

Happyzebra

Have no advice to give just want to say I feel your pain.
I was almost demented by the time my little one turned one.
I can remember the count down to the last round of formula
bottles ... bliss!!! I thought that day will never come.... But it
did ... Your day will come too... unless you decide to go again!

antiskeptic

Thanks to all for the advice and encouragement.

Maximising time on the breast is the aim with as few bottle supplements as possible - indeed, the doctor at the 6 week check said it wouldn't do any harm to let him hunger a bit for a day or two without top up if the breast wasn't supplying enough - so that the extra time on the breast would stimulate more production.

As for making up batches - it would seem a goer thankfully.

Working in the food industry as I do, I wouldn't advise making up formula on previously boiled, now cooled water. The water and bottle might be sterilised but the formula most certainly isn't. The manufacturer will take precautions to ensure the manufacturing process is kept bacteria-to-a-minimum but you're relying on humans to ensure machines are cleaned perfectly every time (which doesn't happen) and that nobody lets a dodgy batch through - to cover their arse (which does happen).

It's not without reason that you'll read "serve piping hot" in the serving instructions of many foods - the manufacturer is relying on temperature to do what he knows his process might well fail to do. And with babies the risk, although small (because the manufacturer will take extra precautions with babies) is real and present.

If still deciding on making formula on cooled water, avoid heating it up prior to serving - the temperatures you're dealing with (20-30C) are the temperatures that are ideal for the rapid multiplication of any bacteria that happen to be present. And if you do heat it , don't reuse it if not taken up immediately - the bacteria will be in full reproduction from the time you've heated it and more time standing is even more time for multiplication.

foxinsocks

Just out of curiosity, why are you topping up with formula? I'm not in any way criticising I promise, just purely wondering. I wound up topping up with formula for my first babe, but my boobs managed to catch up around the 6 week mark. Thankfully my second one has been 100% boob fed so far. Formula is such a pain in the butt.

antiskeptic

foxinsocks wrote: »

Just out of curiosity, why are you topping up with formula? I'm not in any way criticising I promise, just purely wondering. I wound up topping up with formula for my first babe, but my boobs managed to catch up around the 6 week mark.

The boobs haven't managed to catch up yet. It's a difficult balance to find - since the boobs don't come with a meter on them telling you precisely how much is issuing forward.

Thankfully my second one has been 100% boob fed so far. Formula is such a pain in the butt.

Truly. And when you have to make it up from powder rather than tip it in from a carton.

implausible

antiskeptic wrote: »

The boobs haven't managed to catch up yet. It's a difficult balance to find - since the boobs don't come with a meter on them telling you precisely how much is issuing forward.

That can be the downside, especially when other people are talking in ounces and bottles. Try not to worry too much about the amount, but there's probably no point in telling a science head that:D

lynski

like i said getting to 6wks is great, and it is easier from there (mostly). there is fantastic support on Rollercoaster, kellys mom, Dr. Jack Newmans site to help build supply and get off the formula if you want.
So so so glad on No 3 that i stuck with it, remember hating making bottles for the other 2 when they weaned at 6 mths.

vibe666

we were planning on going with the breast for as long as my wife could manage it, but with an 11lb baby, she just couldn't keep up with the demand and it got to the point where he'd dropped enough birth weight (over 10%) that the doctors said we had to start giving him formula as well or they would keep them both in the hospital, so with no real choice, we gave him the bottle as well but then we had trouble getting him on the breast at all after he'd had a taste of the bottle.

we went to every feeding specialist we could find, both public & private, but nobody could get him to take the breast, so then my wife was having to express to get any breast milk into him at all and she ended up spending as much time expressing every day as she was spending feeding him.

eventually her supply started to dry up after about 8 weeks and we had to switch purely to formula from then on. hopefully we've given him enough of a start though and he's flying it now at almost 5 months, so fingers crossed he got enough of it at the start.

How Strange

antiskeptic the breast will nearly always produce enough milk despite what our healthcare professionals tell you if the baby feeds often enough to stimulate the supply. There are of course exceptions but they are just that; exceptions. If you're hesitant about formula then put the baby on the breast every 2 hours (yes 2hrs!) or 8-10 times a day for a couple of weeks and your wife's supply will increase to cope with the demand. Formula feeding will have the exact opposite effect. Once you get past 6 weeks it gets so much easier and there's only one big growth spurt left at 3 months which wasn't anything like the 6 week one.

As lynski said, jack Newman and kellymom are fantastic online resources for breastfeeding. Good luck and congratulations!

vibe666

i should probably say that ours wasn't a regular baby.

he was 11lb when he was born, and although i don't know what weight he is now, at 4 months old he has already wearing (and filling) 9-12 months clothes, so he was always a bit of a whopper and it's no surprise my wife couldn't keep up with the demand!

nesf

antiskeptic wrote: »

The boobs haven't managed to catch up yet. It's a difficult balance to find - since the boobs don't come with a meter on them telling you precisely how much is issuing forward.

The amount of breastmilk available is directly related to how much feeding is going on. Make absolutely sure you're feeding as much as possible every day to encourage milk growth and only using formula as a top up as a last resort.

The good news is that the first couple of months of breastfeeding are the hard part (or were at least for my wife) and it gets much easier after this for both you and the baby.