Bottle feeding

[Belle]

yep def - it does work out a bit cheaper to get the litre cartons of SMA but still of course dearer than the powder. We just took the decision that if there was any element of the whole baby maelstrom we could actually make easier, we'd do it (within reason!). It's only for six months, then you're using less milk and after he was 11 months he was onto cows milk.

[Polly D]

I remember thinking 'ooh - for a treat, I'll use a carton (of formula) today'...really...they cost approx 50p/carton. When I'm out and about and amd thirsty, I think nothing of buying a bottle of water for a quid.

Whatever makes life easier, do it!

[livestoknit]

Hello Ruth,

Two friend of mine swears by Barley Malt Extract for boosting babies weight gain, it tastes pretty gross but a teaspoon stirred into a cup of hot chocolate isn't too bad!

Every drop counts!

[veryseriousgirl]

Fuschia Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> veryseriousgirl Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> A nurse from NHS direct

> > confirmed that it's perfectly OK to keep boiled

> > water in sterilised bottles for up to 24 hours

> at

> > room temp or 48 hours in the fridge. When you

> > want to use them, heat them to the temp you

> want

> > to feed them to baby at, then add the powder at

> > the last minute. You don't need to heat them

> if

> > your baby will accept formula at room temp

>

> I'm afraid that is NOT the advice that is now

> issued, after some incidents with contaminated

> formula powder and is another case of individual

> NHS staff straying away from the official

> position. Really, HOT water is needed to "scald"

> the powder... have a look at the FSA link I

> posted...

We've just started doing this after an NHS direct nurse told me to do it over the phone last week. Previously I had been making all feeds up for the day at once (with scalding hot water), rapidly cooling them and refrigerating them until I needed them. The nurse told me the cooled water was better as it didn't give bacteria the time / material in which to multiply. There is so much contradictory advice out there that it's hard to know which to take.

[Fuschia]

veryseriousgirl Wrote:

The nurse told me the cooled water was

> better as it didn't give bacteria the time /

> material in which to multiply. There is so much

> contradictory advice out there that it's hard to

> know which to take.

The Food Standards Authority and the detailed research into the bacteria that can live in formula powder is what I'd trust, I'm afraid an NHS direct nurse can't really expect to be an authority to go against the research!

[veryseriousgirl]

Fuschia Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The Food Standards Authority and the detailed

> research into the bacteria that can live in

> formula powder is what I'd trust, I'm afraid an

> NHS direct nurse can't really expect to be an

> authority to go against the research!

Fair enough. The whole reason I phoned NHS direct was that the locum at my GP had told me earlier in the day to replace all her milk feeds with dioralyte for 24 - 48 hours and to give her baby rice if she got hungry (at 15 weeks). I thought that advice was insane enough that I wanted a second opinion.

[Fuschia]

veryseriousgirl Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> Fair enough. The whole reason I phoned NHS direct

> was that the locum at my GP had told me earlier in

> the day to replace all her milk feeds with

> dioralyte for 24 - 48 hours and to give her baby

> rice if she got hungry (at 15 weeks). I thought

> that advice was insane enough that I wanted a

> second opinion.

Yes, that's nonsense too. It's scary that so many people get away with peddling incorrect and dangerous info when they are supposed to be the experts.

[pommie]

just wanted to say if you are suplimenting with aptamil and you are worried about feeding when out and about, you can buy the small ready made cartons of aptamil which is great when you are on the go.

[edanna]

Fuschia is right that the water needs to be hot when it goes in the powder because the powder isn't sterile. Officially it needs to be at least 70C, but since most people won't have a temperature probe and even if they do won't want to be using it all the time, then the advice is to boil fresh tap water in the kettle and leave it to cool for NO MORE than 30 mins. Of course how quickly the water cools depends on the type of kettle and how much water you've put in it. If you put in at least 1 litre then cooling it for no more than 30 mins means the water will probably still be hot enough to kill the bugs. I know it sounds rather prescriptive, but all of this is an attempt to interpret the available evidence into something that's reasonably practical in the real world. The FSA is doing more research into this area at the moment. Of course, it's important to make sure that the milk is not too hot for the baby before feeding it - it's meant to be about body temp. It's also important not to keep made-up formula hanging around at room temp for longer than a couple of hours.

[edanna]

And there's nothing wrong with formula! As somebody who felt desperately guilty when forced to do mixed feeding because of my son's plummeting weight, I now know that life is way too short to beat yourself up if breastfeeding doesn't work out for you. There can be loads of reasons that it doesn't. It's always worth getting help with technique etc but if you have tried everything, and I really did, then you should never feel second best for using bottles. Good luck.

[Fuschia]

edanna Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Fuschia is right that the water needs to be hot

> when it goes in the powder because the powder

> isn't sterile. Officially it needs to be at least

> 70C, but since most people won't have a

> temperature probe and even if they do won't want

> to be using it all the time, then the advice is to

> boil fresh tap water in the kettle and leave it to

> cool for NO MORE than 30 mins. Of course how

> quickly the water cools depends on the type of

> kettle and how much water you've put in it. If you

> put in at least 1 litre then cooling it for no

> more than 30 mins means the water will probably

> still be hot enough to kill the bugs. I know it

> sounds rather prescriptive, but all of this is an

> attempt to interpret the available evidence into

> something that's reasonably practical in the real

> world. The FSA is doing more research into this

> area at the moment. Of course, it's important to

> make sure that the milk is not too hot for the

> baby before feeding it - it's meant to be about

> body temp. It's also important not to keep made-up

> formula hanging around at room temp for longer

> than a couple of hours.

Yes: http://nctwatch.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/foods-standards-agency-reminds-parents-of-advice-on-making-up-infant-formula/