Bottle Feeding - Do you serve hot or cold?

[carron81]

Hi

I'm confused about all the new rules on bottle feeding. They say now that your to make the bottles up one at a time.

Last I new was people were making up a days worth of bottles in advance.

I'm also confused as my friends make their bottles up in advance and leave out to cool. This means the bottles are there to grab when the baby needs a feed. They dont put in the fridge.

I've also been making bottles this way.

But I was wondering if you put your bottles in the fridge or leave at room temperature?

Do you re-heat if been left at room temp or serve the way they are?

There seems to be so many different ways and each way contradicts the last

[redcrx]

never leave a bottle at room temp for long. If you are making them up (always make with boiling water as the powder is not sterile) and want to store them then you should cool them down fast and then put in fridge.

Store in fridge for up to 12 hours if you have to. Never store them on door of fridge as the temp is higher there.

My baby will drink warm or cool, never cold as it gives her tummy ache. If i have some in fridge (like for night feeds) then i reheat in microwave making sure there are no hotspots in it.

The guidelines change all the time but the main one is to make bottle with boiling water and never to leave a bottle out for long. Always dispose of a bottle thats been sat for an hour not in fridge.

[ethanryan]

i used to make all mine in the morning and put them in the fridge. i would get one out about half hour before feed was due just to take the chill of it.
if i was going out i just put the boiling water in the bottle and took a tub of powder with me and made up as i needed it

you will read lots of different things and advice but it is all trial and error and you will find out what your baby likes best

[tigwig]

I am a nursery nurse and the current advice is to make up the bottles as you need them and NOT in advance. We pour boiling water into the sterilised bottles and it is left on the side until a baby needs it. The powder is then put in the water (even if the water is cold) then heated up accordingly. We have to follow those rules but my personal opinion differs. I used to make up the bottles on an evening for throughout the night and the next day when my own daughter was a baby. I did this from her being newborn because then it was classed as ok to make up milk as long as it was kept in the fridge and thrown away after 24hrs. I would do whatever you want to do and what you find easier!

[lajohn]

Redcrx way is how I know and saw used while growing up.

[carron81]

thanks for all your comments

was just on the phone to my friend that also leaves bottles at room temp. she was saying she has done this with her 2 children and they've never had any health problems.

I've been checking out more websites and some were saying put the milk in the fridge others saying they leave the milk at room temp then others saying if you put it in the fridge not to put it in the door as thats not safe and your to put it in the main part of the fridge.

My friend makes up a whole days worth at a time and leaves out. I've just been making 2 or 3 at a time so i know that they're not left out for to long

[redcrx]

with my first child i would keep cold bopiled water in bottle then add boiling to top it up and then put powder in. it was right temp to use straight away

at the end of the day we will all do it our own way, chances are our children will b e fine but we are increasing the risks if we dont follow the guidelines.

[leewayne]

With my two.....i used to make up the bottles at night with just the cooled boiled water and added the powder when needed...I definately wouldnt recommend leaving made up feeds on the side as bacteria will grow and they will also start to taste sour...not nice!! Health visitors advise not that you should just make up the bottles with water and to be used within 24 hours.....you can also buy tubs to put the powder in if your out and about...hope this helps! : )

[leewayne]

thats meant to say advise now...sorry!!

[nat_84]

Since Mia was 7 months we have used tap water and stopped sterlising her bottles etc. She was puttin gpretty much everything and anything in her mouth so figured sterlising was pretty much pointless.

As for temperature of feeds, it's good to get your baby used to both warm and cold as you dont want your little one to reject either.

When Mia was younger we made pre made bottles of boiling water and topped up with powder when required. Also, depending on the weather if its a hot night perhaps a room temperaure bottle is better than a warm bottle and in winter a warm bottle will go down better.

But definitely dont leave made bottle out of the fridge for longer than an hour!