help with bottles needed!

ashcon

Anyone using tommee tippee anti colic bottles? the ones with the vent down the middle of the bottle?

Ive been at 7 oz up till now, but lo is now draining them so tried 8oz last nite. My problem is when I was making them up, I fill the bottles with the coiled boiled water, leave them on the side and when I need them I then pour in the formula. However, when I scooped in 8oz last nite the bottle was so full and when I tried putting on the lid it squirted out everywhere - messy job! Anyone experience this with their bottles? I really don't want to go changing bottle and teats at this stage as he is flying with his feeds, nor do I want to change the method I use to make up the bottles....any suggestions???

January

You do know that formula isn't sterile and needs to be added to 70 degree water to sterilise it?

nikpmup

I have the ordinary tommy tippee bottles and they barely hold 8oz - and he's draining them! I really don't want to go changing bottles!

I used to use the Dr Browns bottles, and I had a similar problem - they have a vent too, and would spray everywhere if I tried to shake them. What I used to do is use a sterilised long-handled spoon to stir the formula rather than shake it.
Another option would be to make up the whole days formula in a Dr Browns jug, and pour into bottles as needed - you could pour in 6oz, and then add another couple of ozs if you needed to.
And as January said, you need to add the formula to 70 degrees water - cool kettle for 30mins, then add water & formula, stir/shake, then cool quickly and refrigerate. If you add formula to cold water you don't sterilise it - it needs to be 70degrees to do this.

ashcon

January wrote: »

You do know that formula isn't sterile and needs to be added to 70 degree water to sterilise it?

Yes January, I have been using this method and its never been a problem. I also worked previously in a baby room in a creche and we made up all the bottles this way, so it's what I know and am used to!

sari

ashcon wrote: »

Yes January, I have been using this method and its never been a problem. I also worked previously in a baby room in a creche and we made up all the bottles this way, so it's what I know and am used to!

What? Are you serious? That is a disgrace if I knew my child's bottles were being made up like
that in crèche I would seriously flip out. Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? It also goes against HSE guidelines.

My father smoked 20 fags a day he never got lung cancer but that doesn't mean smoking isn't dangerous and it's the exact same with making bottles up like that, just because your child hasn't gotten seriously I'll doesn't mean what your doing is safe

Moonbeam

Creches are not allowed to make bottles like that . They either need to be brought in pre made or some creches have a sterile environment to make them .
If the water is warm then the powder will go in to it if it is cold it sits on top .
I also bought some of the bigger bottles but used the anti colic + accessories .

lolademmers

I make my bottles the same way. I was breastfeeding and when I stopped I asked my sister and that's what her health nurse told her to do !

ashcon

Guys I didn't mean for this post to turn into one about making up formula, I appreciate what ye are saying, but I was asking about the size of the bottles and whether anyone found 8ozs too much for the bottles.

Sligo1

lolademmers wrote: »

I make my bottles the same way. I was breastfeeding and when I stopped I asked my sister and that's what her health nurse told her to do !

Her health nurse needs to update her competence base.

Chattastrophe!

It even says on the tin that the formula is not sterile! I can't see why anyone would go to the bother of sterilising bottles, only to fill them with unsterilised formula.

lolademmers

Would you consider making two bottles with the total coming to 8 oz. I know it's more washing though!

ashcon

lolademmers wrote: »

Would you consider making two bottles with the total coming to 8 oz. I know it's more washing though!

I think that might be my only solution! Just did another 8oz bottle there and it's just messy, especially when lo is screaming at me to hurry up!!

bean14

im a bit confused am i doing this right with the bottles. i boil the kettle, then wash and sterilise the bottles. then after half an hour i fill up the bottles with water and put the teeth and top on. then i leave them out at room temp to cool down and when shes due a bottle i scoop in the level formula to the room temp water. ive been doing this for five weeks since she got out of hospital as advised at antenatal classes.

Sligo1

bean14 wrote: »

im a bit confused am i doing this right with the bottles. i boil the kettle, then wash and sterilise the bottles. then after half an hour i fill up the bottles with water and put the teeth and top on. then i leave them out at room temp to cool down and when shes due a bottle i scoop in the level formula to the room temp water. ive been doing this for five weeks since she got out of hospital as advised at antenatal classes.

No, after the 30min the water will have cooled to around 70 degrees. You then add the formula powder to the water. After you have given them a good shake you can put them in the fridge to be used within 24hours.

Adding the powder to the water after 30min sterilses the milk powder. if you add the powder formula to cold water the powder remains unsterile and does not kill the bacteria in the powder which can be harmful to baby.

As said before, people add powder to cold water many many times and have no problems. HOWEVER, do you really want to take this risk for the one time baby could get an infection? I know I wouldn't want to take that risk.

It's hard when starting out and your baby is only 5 weeks... There's so much to learn and take in.

Roesy

We use Aptamil anti reflux and make it up as per instructions on the box. That particular formula is made with water that has been cooled for 45 minutes. Wonder does that mean the powder isn't sterilised or is it somehow pre sterilised? Just wondering, obviously will stick with the instructions on the box. Always struck me as funny as it was drilled in about the 30 minutes when using the ordinary formula.

Sligo1

Roesy wrote: »

We use Aptamil anti reflux and make it up as per instructions on the box. That particular formula is made with water that has been cooled for 45 minutes. Wonder does that mean the powder isn't sterilised or is it somehow pre sterilised? Just wondering, obviously will stick with the instructions on the box. Always struck me as funny as it was drilled in about the 30 minutes when using the ordinary formula.

I think there are a couple of different formulas which are required to be made up slightly differently to the general requirements. I'd stick with the instructions on the box for these.

ashcon

Bean14 if that method is working for you and you are happy with it then stick with it.

The guidelines have changed in recent years regarding sterile formulas and so on, but I think a little common sense in all of this goes a long way.
Mammies have been using this method for years, as have other mammies who make up the bottles in a batch, as have other mammies who make up bottles just before a feed. At some stage each of these methods have been recommended by health officials, midwives etc, so as I was saying, if what you have been doing is working, and most importantly your baby is thriving, then stick with!! Everyone has different ways and methods, and in my opinion there is nothing wrong with what you are doing. (That's just my opinion - I'm not a medical professional - just another first time mom trying to do her best!)

Chattastrophe!

ashcon wrote: »

Bean14 if that method is working for you and you are happy with it then stick with it.

The guidelines have changed in recent years regarding sterile formulas and so on, but I think a little common sense in all of this goes a long way.
Mammies have been using this method for years, as have other mammies who make up the bottles in a batch, as have other mammies who make up bottles just before a feed. At some stage each of these methods have been recommended by health officials, midwives etc, so as I was saying, if what you have been doing is working, and most importantly your baby is thriving, then stick with!! Everyone has different ways and methods, and in my opinion there is nothing wrong with what you are doing. (That's just my opinion - I'm not a medical professional - just another first time mom trying to do her best!)

If it's working?

We could all make up unwashed unsterilised bottles of formula with cold water every day of the week, and our babies might never get sick.

That doesn't make our method OK the one time they do get sick. If my baby ever got sick, I'd hate to be wondering if it was because I didn't follow best practice when preparing his bottles.

Your advice is wrong and downright irresponsible.

Bean14, please at least give your PHN a call tomorrow and ask her advice.

Sligo1

ashcon wrote: »

Bean14 if that method is working for you and you are happy with it then stick with it.

The guidelines have changed in recent years regarding sterile formulas and so on, but I think a little common sense in all of this goes a long way.
Mammies have been using this method for years, as have other mammies who make up the bottles in a batch, as have other mammies who make up bottles just before a feed. At some stage each of these methods have been recommended by health officials, midwives etc, so as I was saying, if what you have been doing is working, and most importantly your baby is thriving, then stick with!! Everyone has different ways and methods, and in my opinion there is nothing wrong with what you are doing. (That's just my opinion - I'm not a medical professional - just another first time mom trying to do her best!)

OMG are you serious!? I am a healthcare professional and I can tell you this is the reason guidelines are always changing! Because new evidence comes to light and best practice is ALWAYS recommended. Why do think there are now for example health warnings on boxes of cigarettes? Why do you think policies are put in place in hospitals after serious incidents happens?? Does Savita Halappnarva ring a bell?? Do the thalidomide parents and babies ring a bell???

Jesus, whatever you want to do yourself... but I wish posters who know NOTHING of the implications of not following research based evidence and best practice would not give other posters WRONG advice especially ESPECIALLY when it can have serious health implications.

P.S. sorry mods... If I am OTT, but this really gets my goat...

ashcon

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

If it's working?

We could all make up unwashed unsterilised bottles of formula with cold water every day of the week, and our babies might never get sick.

That doesn't make our method OK the one time they do get sick. If my baby ever got sick, I'd hate to be wondering if it was because I didn't follow best practice when preparing his bottles.

Your advice is wrong and downright irresponsible.

Bean14, please at least give your PHN a call tomorrow and ask her advice.

This method was advised to myself and the other 14 mothers to be by a midwife with over 20 years experience, during the anti natal classes which we attended. I have also been visited by 2 different PHN's during the first month, both were fine with what I was doing, no looks of horror at all, and also my GP is happy with this.
Are you in any better situation than those 4 qualified medical professionals to say my advice is wrong and downright irresponsible?

galah

On that topic - just how much water do I boil in the kettle for it to cool down for 30 minutes? Don't think it says on the box. but while a liter might cool down to 70 degs after 30 mins, 200 ml would cool down much faster, correct? Always baffled me...

Sligo1

ashcon wrote: »

This method was advised to myself and the other 14 mothers to be by a midwife with over 20 years experience, during the anti natal classes which we attended. I have also been visited by 2 different PHN's during the first month, both were fine with what I was doing, no looks of horror at all, and also my GP is happy with this.
Are you in any better situation than those 4 qualified medical professionals to say my advice is wrong and downright irresponsible?

Yes your advice is wrong and irresponsible. All you have to do is read the HSE Guidelines on bottle making to know this. I for one am not going to spout off my qualifications and number of years experience here on the Internet unless a mod asks me privately... But I can tell you the advice you have received is outdated and should not be followed. Current guidelines recommend otherwise.

Chattastrophe!

galah wrote: »

On that topic - just how much water do I boil in the kettle for it to cool down for 30 minutes? Don't think it says on the box. but while a liter might cool down to 70 degs after 30 mins, 200 ml would cool down much faster, correct? Always baffled me...

One litre is what it says in the HSE leaflet I got.

And it should be fresh, not reboiled.

Moonbeam

I think we have established that the guidelines change a lot,that not all health care professionals give the same advice and that 240ml of water + powder is very hard to fit in to an anti colic + bottle.

op - I went back to making 210ml bottles after a few months when he was having regular food as well,you could also buy some of the bigger bottles but use the anti colic + accessories.

I am now closing this thread as the question has been answered.