A question about bottle feeding

loubian

When my niece was born in 2011, when I was babysitting her I remember making up bottles as we went along, I think my sister got this advice from a health professional (she wouldn't have had a clue otherwise :-P ). My niece is nearly 3 and all her bottles were made that way and she is completely healthy.

When I had my baby, the phn told me that they had found a bacteria in the formula so now all bottles needed to be premade. I do this with most of my bottles now but I've started bringing one bottle of water up to bed n some formula in a container to make up at night. Sometimes I bring a heated bottle in my little warmer thing I got with the nappy bag. I think each parent has their own way of doing things and don't not follow the rules on purpose, they just do what's best and easiest for themselves and their babies when you're dealing with a hungry baby at crazy o clock

My lo also likes cold bottles from me giving her them in desperation. I still put it in the hot water though to take the chill off but I'm waiting one minute max

holding

pwurple wrote: »

Having dealt with 3 shockingly poor PHN's who I can only describe as halfwit mouth-breathers... I can wholeheartedly agree that the ones I encountered lacked any kind of sense, common or otherwise. They contradict themselves, eachother, and even their own guides. I wouldn't trust them with a cat, let alone a baby. They are wrapped up in weights and teeth, and seem to disregard everything else to do with a child's welfare. They were less than zero help for the breastfeeding issues I was facing, and skipped most of the developmental checks including sight and hearing. I since met an excellent PHN, so I know it's not across the board, but there seem to be a good amount of bad apples there.

Yes! All of this Had very similar experience.

Rachineire

I feel really fortunate...I really like my phn. She has been super supportive, has given good advice and overall has been an invaluable help to me. Especially with dealing with my pnd and not having my mom near to help! I guess it's luck of the draw!

Digs

I had a great PHN too, really lovely girl. So supportive of breast feeding and did her very best to help however she could. From hearing others experiences I consider myself lucky! She has since had her first baby, would love to know how she's getting on, her husband reckoned she'd be a dab hand given she handles babies all day, she figured he'd learn pretty quickly

I had a really positive experience in Holles Street too, most of the nurses were fantastic but I remember one older nurse who I won't name (but have since heard similar experiences from others) asking some poor young mother who was back for the heel prick test was she breast or bottle feeding. The girl said bottle and the nurse huffed and asked her why on earth wasn't she breast feeding did she not know it was best. I nearly knocked her out on the poor girls behalf. She'd been pretty rude when I was on the ward too, have no idea why she went into healthcare.

Sligo1

Digs wrote: »

I had a really positive experience in Holles Street too, most of the nurses were fantastic but I remember one older nurse who I won't name (but have since heard similar experiences from others) asking some poor young mother who was back for the heel prick test was she breast or bottle feeding. The girl said bottle and the nurse huffed and asked her why on earth wasn't she breast feeding did she not know it was best. I nearly knocked her out on the poor girls behalf. She'd been pretty rude when I was on the ward too, have no idea why she went into healthcare.

I hear ya!!! I thought the young midwives in holles st were lovely... But thought one or 2 of the older old school staff were absolute tyrants!!!

nikpmup

Just having a look at the HSE booklet on making up bottles - it says very clearly that you can add powder to cooled boiled water, if it's not possible to make up bottles as needed (if you are travelling and have no access to a kettle etc) It does recommend that you only do this if necessary. Pg 11 & 12 of the safefood/HSE booklet.

Sligo1

nikpmup wrote: »

Just having a look at the HSE booklet on making up bottles - it says very clearly that you can add powder to cooled boiled water, if it's not possible to make up bottles as needed (if you are travelling and have no access to a kettle etc) It does recommend that you only do this if necessary. Pg 11 & 12 of the safefood/HSE booklet.

Can you post a link for that? I cant find it and the I posted finishes at around page 8. If these are the most recent guidelines would make life so much easier! Have to say I'm surprised if this is correct... But definitely welcome if proven to be safe.

Edit: I just had a look at my link there http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/Publications/services/Children/How_to_prepare_your_baby's_bottle_feed.pdf

And for journeys and travelling etc it pretty much still gives other ways of adding the powder to water that is still at the 70 degrees... Ie thermos flask etc, or just to use the premade cartons. These most recent guidelines still dont say anything about adding the powder to cold or only like warm boiled water.

A link would be great.

nikpmup

Sligo1 wrote: »

Can you post a link for that? I cant find it and the I posted finishes at around page 8. If these are the most recent guidelines would make life so much easier! Have to say I'm surprised if this is correct... But definitely welcome if proven to be safe.

Edit: I just had a look at my link there http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/Publications/services/Children/How_to_prepare_your_baby's_bottle_feed.pdf

And for journeys and travelling etc it pretty much still gives other ways of adding the powder to water that is still at the 70 degrees... Ie thermos flask etc, or just to use the premade cartons. It still does t say anything about adding the powder to cold or only like warm boiled water.

A link would be great.

I don't have a link, just the booklet. As I said, it does recommend either cartons (option a) or bringing the powder with you and using 70 degrees water, (option b) but option c says to fill your sterilised bottles with boiled water, when you are out warm the bottle to feeding temp by standing it in a bottle warmer or hot water, add the powder, shake, and use within 2 hours. It says that option c isn't as safe as options a or b, but it's safer than bringing made up bottles with you and trying to keep them cool.

I'm posting from my phone atm so I can only attach a photo of the page.

BTW-I'm not advocating any method of preparing bottles, I'm just stating what I've read.

Sligo1

Thanks nikpmup, is there a date on the booklet that those guidelines were published? Probably at the front or back? I'm just wondering are these new ones as I'd like to get my hands on a copy! Thanks . I didnt realise they had new ones out as the ones that I thought were most recent did not have this in them. Shows ive been off work too long!

Sligo1

Found it!! http://www.safefood.eu/SafeFood/media/SafeFoodLibrary/Documents/Publications/Consumer/Baby-Bottle-Feed-2012.pdf

Really good to know... Obviously only in times of need. These guidelines were published in 2012 so will prob be around till next year or until they find something else to change

nikpmup

The date on the back is Jan 2012. TBH, I'd find it easier to buy a carton for the odd time I'm out more than 2 hours, mixing formula into cold water is a pain (I'm using Dr Brown bottles which you can't shake) If I'm going to someone's house I'd bring a made up bottle and stick it in their fridge.

Sligo1

nikpmup wrote: »

The date on the back is Jan 2012. TBH, I'd find it easier to buy a carton for the odd time I'm out more than 2 hours, mixing formula into cold water is a pain (I'm using Dr Brown bottles which you can't shake) If I'm going to someone's house I'd bring a made up bottle and stick it in their fridge.

Yep that's pretty much what I do and if I'm travelling long distances I just bring the cartons. Still good to know tho all the same.

Rose35

nikpmup wrote: »

I was doing this but the powder is a nightmare to mix into cold water. I'm using dr browns bottles which you're not supposed to shake, so I have to stir them with a long handled spoon. They mix much better when the waters hot, so I make them up hot, cool them under cold running water, put them in the fridge and heat them as I need them.

I use Dr Browns bottles and always give then a good shake, I remember reading the instructions alright when he was born about stirring the powder, had no time for that to be honest and couldn't see anything wrong with giving them a good shake.
I used to put the bottle straight from fridge into jug of boiling water for a minute or two and this was how I took the cold sting out of the bottle, he now takes bottles straight from fridge thankfully(15 months old) and has done since he was 7 months, saying bye bye to formula today fingers crossed

Sligo1

Rose35 wrote: »

I use Dr Browns bottles and always give then a good shake, I remember reading the instructions alright when he was born about stirring the powder, had no time for that to be honest and couldn't see anything wrong with giving them a good shake.
I used to put the bottle straight from fridge into jug of boiling water for a minute or two and this was how I took the cold sting out of the bottle, he now takes bottles straight from fridge thankfully(15 months old) and has done since he was 7 months, saying bye bye to formula today fingers crossed

Yea our fella is turning 1 this weekend and thinking of starting him on a bit of cows milk. How come you waited till 15 months? I'm thinking I might do the same coz I don't want to mess with his little tummy too much. He has the odd loose bowel motion so maybe I should wait a while...

Rose35

Sligo1 wrote: »

Yea our fella is turning 1 this weekend and thinking of starting him on a bit of cows milk. How come you waited till 15 months? I'm thinking I might do the same coz I don't want to mess with his little tummy too much. He has the odd loose bowel motion so maybe I should wait a while...

Waited until now because J was lactose intolerant, so spent last 3 months trialling him with cheese, ice-cream etc to see if any effect and gave him a beaker of regular cows milk which he drank but refused another after that, so thats why im hoping he will like the 'change', well we had an appt yesterday with paediatrician in hospital so he said yes go for it, so he recommended half water (straight from tap) and half cows milk, so will try him tonight and hopefully all will be well, i mentioned that J's stools can sometimes be like mushy rather than runny and he said that is normal for a toddler, J never really has formed stools, but before we realised he was lactose intolerant his nappies were extremely runny, sorry for TMI especially at lunchtime.:) sorry just to add he said it was ok to use tap water as J is 15 months and in a full time creche situation every day so immune system is well developed, your little man is only 12 months so id err on side of caution with this before using.

January

Sligo1 wrote: »

Yea our fella is turning 1 this weekend and thinking of starting him on a bit of cows milk. How come you waited till 15 months? I'm thinking I might do the same coz I don't want to mess with his little tummy too much. He has the odd loose bowel motion so maybe I should wait a while...

If you do stick with the formula just stick with the one you are using now, those toddler milks are full of sugar.

Sligo1

Yea thanks for that guys. T was having loadsa runny/mushy (4-5 per day!) nappies so I asked my friend (shes a PHN/midwife) a few weeks ago and she said try stopping giving him yoghurts. He was getting a small yoghurt most days for a snack. And I was delighted it worked. He now has just the one dirty nap now and it a lot better. But the last couple days haven't been great... Could be because his teeth tho.... So yea maybe I should hold off on the cows milk a little while longer.

Yep January, won't be changing anything inbetween. We still have him on aptimal so will keep him on that till we try the cows milk.

Thanks again.

Rose35

I give J a yoghurt every day, could explain the mushy nappies, found out yesterday that yoghurt doesn't contain lactose, its removed in the processing of the product, so giving a yogurt to a lactose intolerant baby makes no difference, and to think i was giving him soya yogurts thinking i was great!!!
I would stick with the formula for another month at least sligo. My friend told me she still gives her 19 month old one bottle of formula at bedtime still, dont think i will be going down that route though, im aiming for a 100% change here, away from lactose free!!!!! Fingers crossed for us

Sligo1

Rose35 wrote: »

I give J a yoghurt every day, could explain the mushy nappies, found out yesterday that yoghurt doesn't contain lactose, its removed in the processing of the product, so giving a yogurt to a lactose intolerant baby makes no difference, and to think i was giving him soya yogurts thinking i was great!!!
I would stick with the formula for another month at least sligo. My friend told me she still gives her 19 month old one bottle of formula at bedtime still, dont think i will be going down that route though, im aiming for a 100% change here, away from lactose free!!!!! Fingers crossed for us

Best of luck! Would be great not having to make up bottles anymore