MSE Newborn to 1 year (& beyond!) baby club 2

*Nutella*

Hello all! Hope everyone is well.

Sunshine, been meaning to ask about the wooden activity station in one of your Aiden pictures. Where's it from and would you recommend it? I like the look of it!

Although having said that, my LO's current favourite toy is an old plastic milk bottle, a pint one, with a handful of dry chickpeas in it. She won't stop shaking it - it's very noisy which presumably is why she loves it

Candlewax

Hello again, I have a question about bottle feeding. How closely do you all follow the guidance on making bottle up as and when needed? LO is still feeding on demand at 7 weeks, and I hate the thought of him screaming whilst waiting for the boiled water to cool down. Is it really not ok to make the bottles in advance, keep in fridge then reheat when needed? I am currently using the premade milk but am going to start powder tomorrow.

mozzyc

Hi Candlewax

This is taken from the food standards website:

Preparing powdered feeds for later use
It is the length of time for which the reconstituted formula is stored that increases the
risk of bacterial growth. Reducing the storage time will therefore reduce the risk. For
example, when taking an infant to the nursery it is best to make up the feed(s) on the
same morning before leaving home rather than on the night before
.

The steps below outline the safest way to prepare and store feed for later use:
•
Prepare feeds in separate bottles, not in one large container (e.g. a jug)
•
Follows steps 1 to 9 of the section above ‘Preparing a feed using powdered
infant formula’

Cool down quickly using cold water
•
Store the feed in the fridge at
below 5º C
. Prepared bottles are best kept in
the back of the fridge and not in the door.
•
The temperature of the fridge should be checked regularly. A fridge that is
opened frequently may need to be set at a lower temperature to ensure that
it does not rise above 5 ºC during times of frequent access. The thermostat
in older fridges without temperature settings may need to be adjusted to
ensure that the temperature is
below 5º C
.
•
The risk of infection to a baby will be lower if the feed is only stored for a
short time. Feeds should never be stored for longer than 24 hours and this
length of time is no longer considered ideal especially for young babies.
Alternatively, you may:
•
Put boiling water in a sealed vacuum flask and use this to make up fresh
formula milk when needed.
•
Care should be taken to avoid scalding when making up the feed
Re-warming stored feeds
•
Only remove stored feed from the fridge just before it is needed.
•
Re-warm using a bottle warmer, or by placing in a container of warm water.
•
Microwaves should never be used for re-warming a feed.
•
Never leave a feed warming for more than 15 minutes.
•
Shake the bottle to ensure the feed has heated evenly.

mozzyc

I used the ready made cartons until he was about 6 months old, but when we did start using powder, we always made a few at a time. Its just whatever your preference is

mozzyc

*Nutella* wrote: »

Hello all! Hope everyone is well.

Sunshine, been meaning to ask about the wooden activity station in one of your Aiden pictures. Where's it from and would you recommend it? I like the look of it!

Although having said that, my LO's current favourite toy is an old plastic milk bottle, a pint one, with a handful of dry chickpeas in it. She won't stop shaking it - it's very noisy which presumably is why she loves it

I think its this one hun, from ELC

http://www.elc.co.uk/Wooden-Activity-Cube/135656,default,pd.html

mozzyc

Sunshine - Fab pictures!!! Aiden is such a cutie, looks like he's having a blast x

martafdz

I know the official guidelines are different but my midwife told me twice to do the following: put cooled boiled water in the bottles and close them completely, store at room temperature and add the powder when needed. Warning up later the bottle is optional. I am doing this and she's ok, but I believe that any bacteria in powder cannot be that harmful or the tubs would have big red fonts. My mw ensured me it was ok and that she never knew a baby who had had any problems that way, any risk might be very small if any. My MIL had three kids and prepared all the bottles in the morning, then stored them in the fridge and warmed them up when needed. All her kids were healthy. I know some people take the NHS advice rigorously, tjough

Elelyn

Candlewax, to begin with I did make a fresh bottle each time, however it was ridiculous expecting him to wait for it. I tried the flask method but found that the water didn't stay hot enough (it needs to be 70 degrees) for long enough so I now make them up in advance, cool them down as quick as possible and store them in the fridge. When needed I put a bottle in a jug of hot water for just long enough to take the chill off it (Theo doesn't mind cool milk but I know some babies like it warm). When we go out I use the ready made cartons. It works for me and we haven't had a problem. To be honest, I think all the hoo-ha about making them up only when needed is another part of the propaganda designed to promote breastfeeding and put you off bottle feeding. If you do decide to make them up in advance and store them do not tell your health visitor this is what you are doing though!

dizziblonde

Tescos have Fisher Price activity tables in for £15 (priced at £19 but going through at £15) instead of £30 today.

Still threatening pre-term labour - nothing productive but bouts of contractions which stop and start and get quite painful - they wanted to keep me in but I've self-discharged after days of being kept in with nothing whatsoever happening and none of the staff being able to enlighten me about it all.

sunshine_1988

mozzyc wrote: »

I think its this one hun, from ELC

http://www.elc.co.uk/Wooden-Activity-Cube/135656,default,pd.html

Yea its that one nutella. Its great, my mum got it him and he loves it! X