help

I didnt actually bottle feed my daughter but when she did go on bottles i was makin them on demand until my mum told me that with us she made a load of them in the mornin and put them in the fridge n just warmed them up when she needed them. i did this from then on n it didtnt seem bother my little girl, i dont know wot the hv would say though, but it seemed to work for me! Also i just boiled tap water which also seemed fine cuz boiling kills all the germs. if your worried you might be best askin your hv if your water is really hard

hope ive been of some help xxx

Hi,

I can't be that much help as I'm breastfeeding but I think you're not supposed to use bottled water because of the amount of salt in them. We also live in a hard water area and our house has a softener built in that we use for water you drink, but you're not supposed to use softened water either but there is not a lot else we can do!

People I know who are bottle feeding make up all their bottles with the water in the morning and then put them in the fridge until needed. I've heard the current advise is to make a bottle at a time but I'm sure for years it's been that you can make them all up in one go.

Sorry I have been so vague but I'm sure someone will post soon that will be able to tell you their own experiences 

Hi

I bottle fed my little one from the start, she is now 13 months and on cows milk, but just like the others have said i made 6-8 bottles in advance and once they had cooled kept them in the fridge. As long as the bottles are used up within 24 hrs it's ok. I used to make mine up at night when she was in bed and it meant i didn't need to worry about how mad the next day would be because atleast the milk was all ready. I know that generally the advice is to make them as you need them but it's just so impractical and my little one didn't have any ill-effects from making them in advance. As with the hard water i'm not sure i used to just boil tap water, could you maybe filter it first then boil it in the kettle???

take care x

Hi, I used to make up the bottles for the night feed before i went to bed and keep them in the fridge and then just warm them up in a jug of hot water in the night or sometimes i would heat them for a few seconds in the microwave as long as you shake them they were ok.

I would use tap water boiled for the bottles and leave the water to cool before you put in the powder other wise it doesn't mix well. During the day i used to just have the bottles of cooled boiled water and just add the powder when needed it. I also had a little tub that had dividers in it to hold the correct amount of powder so i could add it when i went out.

Hope this is of some help x x x

Lawlaw, I bottle feed my little one.  I make up bottles of boiled water and keep them in the fridge and make them up and warm them one at a time as she needs them.  When she was waking at nights to feed I would take a couple of bottles up to her room on my way to bed and keep them in a cool bag with an ice pack to make sure they were fresh.  I had a bottle warmer in her room and could do everything quickly and quietly at night times.

When I had my son, I used to make up all his bottles for the day and keep them in the fridge.  It never did him any harm, he is now a strapping 12 year old, taller than me and still growing! 

Can't help you on the hard water issue, I live in an area with the softest water in the country.  Lucky me I guess.

Hope this helps

Steff 

Hiya,

You know how a few of you have said you make up bottles of cooled boiled water and then store them in fridge and add powder + heat them when baby needs one, does this affect the way the milk is made up cause ive always thought you have to add the powder 15/30 mins after boiled water has cooled down? If it doesn't affect it then I might start doing it this way as I usually store made up milk for the night & make them up fresh in day but it takes ages to wait for the kettle to cool down to make them up and then to cool the bottle down when it's made up.

Thanks

Katiexx

Hi,

My daughter is bottle-fed and like you I keep hearing and reading everywhere that bottles should be made up one at a time.  Nice idea but totally impractical when you have got a screaming baby.

I live in an area with hard water and as far as I am aware as long as you boil the water first it is fine to use, I don't think you are supposed to use filtered or bottled water so there is no other choice.  I also make up four bottles at a time and store in the fridge and as long as they are used within 24 hours they should be okay.  I don't  know about putting just the water in the fridge and adding the powder when needed as like you I was under the impression that the water must boil and then powder must be added 30 minutes later when the water is still around 70 degrees.  I read this week that this is because the milk powder is not sterile and at this temperature it is more likely to kill off anything!

When I was pregnant my midwife told me about this new recommendation to make up a feed at a time because she was required to but even she said it could be risky as in the middle of the night when sleep deprived measurements of milk could be got wrong and that is potentially dangerous to baby.

My daughter is now 12 weeks and I have been doing the bottles this way since she was born, she is perfectly healthy and happy.  I also have ten year old twins and did the same for them and there is nothing wrong with them either, so personally I will continue this way.  As I say I think if the water is boiled and bottles made up 30 minutes later and then put straight into the fridge which is at the correct temperature it is okay.  (I also heat the bottles in the microwave and shake well - how naughty am I!)  If I am going out I do put an ice-pack in the bottle cooler bag and if I have taken two bottles and have not used one within 4 hours I throw that one away  to be on the safe side).

You do what you think is right for you and your baby.  Personally I think some of this could be an attempt by the health officials to try and put people off bottle feeding and promote breast feeding but that is not always possible as I have found out.