bottle feeding

[villa_fan007]

when our first son was born 3 years ago we used to steam and make up as many bottles as we needed for the day ahead, now our new born has been born the midwife has told us that we need to steam and make up bottle as we need them.
whats changed , because our first was ok ,no problems,
is it recommended to make up individual bottles .
thanks ........

[myselfness]

my midwife said that if you sterilise them, and only put boiling water in the bottle, you can leave them at room remperature and theyre fine for 12 hours... then add the formula when the baby is hungry....

thats what ive been doing and no problems as yet, but in geneneral they do advise you make them on demand but you try explaining to a baby you have to wait 30 mins for it to cool down! i would just smile and nodd and then do whats best for you- theyre very over cautious these days to cover their backs

[redcrx]

the guidelines have changed in the last 2-3 years. They recommend making them one ata a time to prevent bugs in the feeds. If you are keeping any in the fridge then cool them down asap after making and then pop in fridge.

you should really add the milk powder to water thats just off the boil as the baby milk (once tin is opened) is not sterile.

[lozzylou]

i steralised amine over night, made enough feeds up in the morning for the whole day and just put them in the fridge and heated when needed. my boys now 2 and 3 are both healthy

[feebal]

I also make mine up in advance, 6 at a time. It's just not practical to make them as and when you need them.

[elaine33]

I always made mine up in the morning and heated when they were needed. (my daughter actually preferred her bottles cold straight from the fridge) I can see that if the milk is not cooled quickly it can turn sour and in doing so can upset a baby's tummy. I would go along with myselfness and just have the cooled boiled water ready in the bottles to add the milk powder when needed, which means the bottles will not go sour. It does seem that every year there is a change in what we have been doing. It is amazing any of us ever survive to have babies of our own.

[pink-kittens]

The guidelines for making up a bottle, as redcrx says, changes years ago (5+)

Nothing to do with milk going off when made up, or going sour if left out on the side but because of germs and bacteria actually in the formula powder itself. The powder is not sterile, even before you open the tin. You cannot sterilize a powder, only liquids
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2004/nov/19/ health.medicineandhealth

To optimise maximum drinkable milk for baby, you should make up each bottle as baby wants it with water no less than 70 as the heat will kill of most of the bacteria

WHO 2007, How to prepare formula for bottle-feeding at home.
http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/mic ro/PIF_Bottle_en.pdf

WHO 2007, How to prepare formula for cup-feeding at home.
http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/mic ro/PIF_Cup_en.pdf

WHO 2007, How to prepare powdered infant formula in care settings
http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/mic ro/PIF_Care_en.pdf

These links contain excellent information on how to prepare formula in todays busy life

http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/12/36/20/041 23620.pdf

So, put simply, to ensure maximum safety for your baby, you should follow the guidelines issued by the Gov - After all, as I have always maintained, I don't like my food re-heated so why re-heat my babi

[pink-kittens]

.... babies food

Best of Luck!

[villa_fan007]

so do you have to steralize a bottle every time you need to feed your baby,,and surely if you put the water in the bottle ,then add the formula when required the water will have cooled and still be able to become unsafe and prone to bacteria once again,so when adding the formula which isnt sterile, is still not sterile....???.still confused ,but think that making bottles when required is a chore especially when out and about.
how long will a steralized bottle stay steralized for ? so we could use a carton when out and about...

[pink-kittens]

Using a carton when out and about is the 'safest' method by far, alongside one of those pre-packed disposable sterile bottles you can buy. However, thats not always practical/
A bottle remains sterile for up to 3 hours once taken from the unit
Once the powder is added to the hot water and cooled it should be used within the hour otherwise it should be thrown away - it is never completely sterile anyway, but this method is safest.