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Pre-making Formula

The Mighty Quinn

The midwife at the maternity hospital said never ever ever make up formula in advance, always boil fresh water and let cool for 30 mins then add powder, cool bottle under tap and serve.

Public health nurse says to put measured out boiled water in bottles in a fridge after it's been cooled under a tap. Add formula powder to bottle just before feeding.

HSE website has a different take, says you can make up bottles with powder added and store them in fridge after rapid cooling under tap first, heat in a big or bottle warmer before feeding.

I thought the boiling water was to kill anything in formula powder, which must not be the case as PHN says to add powder to cooled water and just warm in a jug.

I know people who've done all types of the above and babies are grand but just can't help but feel the advice is a bit conflicting and unclear.

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Gael23

Measure out boiled water in bottles, then cool and add formula as needed

anndub

Wesser wrote: »

Yes i totally agree.

All 3 methods as listed in the op advocate using boiled water...... no?

I feel like you're not even reading what I'm writing. One option suggested using COOLED boiled water. As in COLD water. As I've said unpteen times now, the water must be at, or above 70C when the powder is added. It must be! That is a fact and cannot be argued unless you are in the habit of argueing science.

Wesser

My understanding from the original post is that the formula is added to boiling water in all 3 cases.

fits

Wesser wrote: »

My understanding from the original post is that the formula is added to boiling water in all 3 cases.

Really. That’s your understanding?

Public health nurse says to put measured out boiled water in bottles in a fridge after it's been cooled under a tap. Add formula powder to bottle just before feeding.

Wesser

Oh sorry. Just read it again there. Yes make sure that the formula is added to boiling water
But outside of this i don't think it matters. Different parents use different systems and whatever suits your routine is fine

Milly33

The caos it all causes ... I think from all just remember use boiling water when adding formula, do whatever you fancy after that..

The Mighty Quinn

Milly33 wrote: »

The caos it all causes ... I think from all just remember use boiling water when adding formula, do whatever you fancy after that..

Except freshly boiled water is so hot that it destroys some nutrient in the formula.

noplacehere

screamer wrote: »

I cringe when I see idiots mixing with cold water only.

Nutramigen has to be made with room temperature water (cooled from boiling). The amount of people who jumped on me shouting about it needing to be 70 degrees….

For me my son was in tallaght hospital at three days old end. They made up the bottles in the morning for the day for us. So that’s what I did. Although nutramigen on the second was painful and so freaking stinky ugh. No idea how he drank it

Moonbeam

so formula is not sterile neither is non boiled water.
This is the issue and most of the time this is ok but there are the other times that could make the baby very sick.

the perfect prep machine is a goood solution for bottles fast or pre-made formula.

noplacehere

Moonbeam wrote: »

so formula is not sterile neither is non boiled water.
This is the issue and most of the time this is ok but there are the other times that could make the baby very sick.

the perfect prep machine is a goood solution for bottles fast or pre-made formula.

To be clear for anyone reading just in case nutramigen is a medical infant formula and it is sterile. Ours was on prescription. You cannot make it up with hot/warm water or you kill some of the good stuff in it. The instructions are clear it must be made with boiled water (as it’s sterile) cooled fully to room temp

Moonbeam

noplacehere wrote: »

To be clear for anyone reading just in case nutramigen is a medical infant formula and it is sterile. Ours was on prescription. You cannot make it up with hot/warm water or you kill some of the good stuff in it. The instructions are clear it must be made with boiled water (as it’s sterile) cooled fully to room temp

We had it for #2 , it was a nightmare at times!!! and the smell ugh

noplacehere

Moonbeam wrote: »

We had it for #2 , it was a nightmare at times!!! and the smell ugh

It’s absolutely gross. And wow if you accidentally didn’t wash out the bottle straight away. Disgusting!!! I mean it was necessary but yeah not pleasant

Moonbeam

Wesser wrote: »

Do whatever suits you. There is no evidence of any increased illness in the baby no matter what method you use.

That is not entirely true.

Moonbeam

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/breastfeeding-and-bottle-feeding/bottle-feeding/making-up-baby-formula/
https://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/micro/PIF_Bottle_en.pdf
https://www2.hse.ie/wellbeing/child-health/preparing-baby-formula/preparing-baby-formula.html

CheerLouth

noplacehere wrote: »

It’s absolutely gross. And wow if you accidentally didn’t wash out the bottle straight away. Disgusting!!! I mean it was necessary but yeah not pleasant

We are weaning our baby off Nutramigen onto cow's milk....I will not be sad to see the back of it. The smell of those baby burps after it - rotten

noplacehere

CheerLouth wrote: »

We are weaning our baby off Nutramigen onto cow's milk....I will not be sad to see the back of it. The smell of those baby burps after it - rotten

Oh I had definitely blocked that memory out..... yuk!!

Moonbeam

CheerLouth wrote: »

We are weaning our baby off Nutramigen onto cow's milk....I will not be sad to see the back of it. The smell of those baby burps after it - rotten

Good Luck!!

I think mine was 3 before she could tolerate cows milk, it can take a while if ever.

CheerLouth

Moonbeam wrote: »

Good Luck!!

I think mine was 3 before she could tolerate cows milk, it can take a while if ever.

Thanks, we've started with the lactose free stuff...not sure if it was the right thing to do but her brother is on it and it suits him so hoping for the same with her!

catrionanic

CheerLouth wrote: »

Thanks, we've started with the lactose free stuff...not sure if it was the right thing to do but her brother is on it and it suits him so hoping for the same with her!

Have you spoken to a dietitian about this? Lactose is the sugar in milk which some people have an intolerance to. CMPA is an allergy rather than an intolerance, and has nothing to do with lactose - it is an allergy to the protein in cows milk. If she has CMPA and has been on nutrimagen, you should be doing the milk ladder. Lactose free stuff still contains cows milk protein (it only has the lactose sugar removed) and could make her very sick.

I am lactose intolerant and my son has CMPA. They are two completely different things.

CheerLouth

catrionanic wrote: »

Have you spoken to a dietitian about this? Lactose is the sugar in milk which some people have an intolerance to. CMPA is an allergy rather than an intolerance, and has nothing to do with lactose - it is an allergy to the protein in cows milk. If she has CMPA and has been on nutrimagen, you should be doing the milk ladder. Lactose free stuff still contains cows milk protein (it only has the lactose sugar removed) and could make her very sick.

I am lactose intolerant and my son has CMPA. They are two completely different things.

Thanks for this - we are liaising with our GP on it.

noplacehere

CheerLouth wrote: »

Thanks for this - we are liaising with our GP on it.

Just be mindful our GP didn’t really know anything about it. It was the dietician (and google prior to that) who actually gave me all the information about the ladder. We made it up the ladder by maybe 18 months? But had two stalls along the way

catrionanic

noplacehere wrote: »

Just be mindful our GP didn’t really know anything about it. It was the dietician (and google prior to that) who actually gave me all the information about the ladder. We made it up the ladder by maybe 18 months? But had two stalls along the way

Yes my GP also didn't have a clue. Told me he has CMPA himself so everything has to be lactose-free.... so he clearly didn't know the difference between CMPA and lactose intolerance either.

CheerLouth

noplacehere wrote: »

Just be mindful our GP didn’t really know anything about it. It was the dietician (and google prior to that) who actually gave me all the information about the ladder. We made it up the ladder by maybe 18 months? But had two stalls along the way

Thanks for that, I'll bear it in mind! Our GP is normally quite good to recognise her limits though and refer where needed.
We have done the milk ladder with our son & discovered that he is fine with yogurts, cheese etc, it's just the actual milk that upsets his system.

Moonbeam

CheerLouth wrote: »

Thanks, we've started with the lactose free stuff...not sure if it was the right thing to do but her brother is on it and it suits him so hoping for the same with her!

I had a child on lactose free milk too , I completely forget the name of it but I think it it was called enfamil. It makes such a difference!

Good Luck with it , I hope it works

cooperguy

The key is to use boiled water (so its sterile) cooled to 70C (so it kills anything in the formula without killing the nutrition).Thats why the recommendation is to boil 1 litre of water and cool for 30 mins (thats how long it takes for 1 litre to cool to 70).

We pour boiled water directly into the bottles and cool in a sink of water with a kitchen thermometer so it drops to 70 in a few mins. Pop the formula in, shake, leave to cool in the sink, then into the fridge. Pretty quick process. We use within 24 hours.

The Mighty Quinn

I gave up on this.

Tommee Tippee perfect prep now.
Please don't tell me it's poisonous or lethal or highly dangerous to be using this

MightyMunster

Is the 30mins to cool to 70 not very subjective? Tried this on holidays before and was definitely cold in 30mins more like 50C. Surely the kettle used, amount of water in the kettle etc.. all impact the cooling rate.

Used perfect prep and readymades if out and about when was at that stage.

The Mighty Quinn

MightyMunster wrote: »

Is the 30mins to cool to 70 not very subjective? Tried this on holidays before and was definitely cold in 30mins more like 50C. Surely the kettle used, amount of water in the kettle etc.. all impact the cooling rate.

Used perfect prep and readymades if out and about when was at that stage.

Supposed to boil a litre of water, let cool for no more than 30 mins.

MightyMunster

The Mighty Quinn wrote: »

Supposed to boil a litre of water, let cool for no more than 30 mins.

Yes but the shape, colour etc of the kettle will impact the final temperature. I'm sure there's a significant variation in temperature. Have tried it on holidays using a pot (no kettle available) and it didn't work. But the waiting for 30mins with a bawling baby doesn't sound like fun

cooperguy

MightyMunster wrote: »

Yes but the shape, colour etc of the kettle will impact the final temperature. I'm sure there's a significant variation in temperature. Have tried it on holidays using a pot (no kettle available) and it didn't work. But the waiting for 30mins with a bawling baby doesn't sound like fun

By far the biggest factor would be the volume of water. But ya, a 30 min wait with a bawling child would be a disaster!