baby milk question

[jellybean cc]

I have a lady coming at 6 this evening with a 3 month old she would like to start on Monday.

At the moment she is breast feeding and would like to express her milk and leave it with me.
Can anyone tell me if this is ok as i know the rules on milk for babies can change.

If she decides to use formula what is the best way for her to do this i.e bring powder already weighted out or just bring a tin and leave it to me to sort out.

thank you for any help,

[Daisy1956]

My daughter used to express her milk and put it in the fridge, also had some frozen for emergencies. It is all about storage and preparation. On formula I get the parents to prepare it ( you can get special containers to measure it into) then I just mix it when needed.

[smurfette]

Hia

Can't help with the breast milk question but with regard to formula I have two baby mindees - both bring bottles with the water in and one leaves me a tin of formula and I measure each feed the other one brings it pre measured in one of those formula dispensers. I bought a formula dispenser for the first baby for outings and intending to measure it out before he comes but never got around to it! Anyway its quick enough to do it as and when - bottles once made up I think are good for two hours

[QualityCare]

I've had expressed breast milk left with me for the day, stored in the fridge, also some frozen for stand by if extra needed or mum can't express enough one day, this we used to defrost and use after a week and freeze another lot. Formula some parents pre measure into special individual containers some leave a tin with me, l keep a set of bottles and sterilize them myself. I prefer to have a tin of formula as l can make up a bottle as and when needed if baby doesn't drink it all it has to be thrown away as you can't reheat it and he may need another one an hour or so later.

[Flisspaps]

Hia

Can't help with the breast milk question but with regard to formula I have two baby mindees - both bring bottles with the water in and one leaves me a tin of formula and I measure each feed the other one brings it pre measured in one of those formula dispensers.

Just to say - if the water isn't approximately 70 degrees Celsius when you make up the bottle (that's a full kettle boiled and left for 30 minutes, or a bottle of boiling water left for 3 minutes) then you shouldn't use the water. Water boiled at home by parents in the morning isn't safe to then use to make a bottle in the afternoon (for example)

The water must be hot enough to kill any bacteria in the milk powder (it's not sterile) but cool enough not to destroy the nutrients in the milk. 70 degrees is the optimum temperature to do this. If the water is cooler it doesn't kill off any bacteria which can make babies very ill.

Guidance now states that bottles should be made up from fresh at each feed, although it is also acceptable to make them up in the morning (using hot water as described above) provided that they are cooled quickly and kept refrigerated until needed.

[Flisspaps]

Also there should be no problem with using expressed breast milk (in fact it would probably be recommended over formula by pretty much all health professionals) again provided that it is kept refrigerated.

[stardust]

Just to say - if the water isn't approximately 70 degrees Celsius when you make up the bottle (that's a full kettle boiled and left for 30 minutes, or a bottle of boiling water left for 3 minutes) then you shouldn't use the water. Water boiled at home by parents in the morning isn't safe to then use to make a bottle in the afternoon (for example)

The water must be hot enough to kill any bacteria in the milk powder (it's not sterile) but cool enough not to destroy the nutrients in the milk. 70 degrees is the optimum temperature to do this. If the water is cooler it doesn't kill off any bacteria which can make babies very ill.

Guidance now states that bottles should be made up from fresh at each feed, although it is also acceptable to make them up in the morning (using hot water as described above) provided that they are cooled quickly and kept refrigerated until needed.

This is the first i've heard of it my son is 12 weeks and on formula since birth (i mix fed) i've made up the water in the morning and added powder later on i've not had any problems yet?? and i don't reheat either because he wont take it warm. My health visitor was fully aware of how i was making up bottles and she hasn't said anything either! they keep changing it bout 2 years ago it was you cant make up bottles before a feed whether refrigerated or not and advised the way i do it and when i was little mum used to make the bottles up and put them in the fridge.

I think ill carry on my way. xx
(not attacking just commenting)

[khlwomitchell]

[QUOTE=tara_louise1990;978558]This is the first i've heard of it my son is 12 weeks and on formula since birth (i mix fed) i've made up the water in the morning and added powder later on i've not had any problems yet?? and i don't reheat either because he wont take it warm. My health visitor was fully aware of how i was making up bottles and she hasn't said anything either! they keep changing it bout 2 years ago it was you cant make up bottles before a feed whether refrigerated or not and advised the way i do it and when i was little mum used to make the bottles up and put them in the fridge.

I think ill carry on my way. xx
(not attacking just commenting)[/QUOTE]

i love a honest opinion, and i'm the same three kids three different sets of info each time from HV. i have picked the info i like and left the rest, so far since my son (who is 20mths) was born there is now the baby led weaning school of thought and the cereals only once a day. What next???

I have expressed for my smallest mindee and i keep all but 2 frozen, They are only 2-3oz amounts that i can defrost really quick in boiling water.
My other one comes with four 4oz bottles of formula made that morning so one cools for morning feed and the rest go in the fridge and reheated.
There may be other rules but this seems to work best for mums and me.

[Flisspaps]

The guidance I speak of comes from here:

Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency

My daughter is 18mo and this was the information that I was given when she was born, and it's also the advice available now. It might be that your HV hasn't updated her knowledge on this particular aspect of care for some time - we can't expect them to have the information at their fingertips about absolutely every aspect of child-rearing! It does say though that HV (and others) should be advising parents and carers that this is the advised way to do it.

Obviously, every parent has to do what they think is best for them and their child and if it works for you then that's great, but as childcare professionals, we should endeavour to ensure that where possible we follow guidance and best practice

[QualityCare]

Many moons ago when l did my training, 6 bottles were made up in the morning for each baby for that days feeds (24hrs), boiling water was poured in the bottles, milk powder added, shaken and left to cool once cold they were stored in the fridge until used, babies were fed every 4hrs, no sooner, no later (Sister in charge would have a fit if we did) if asleep they were woken . None of them were ever ill/sick and all thrived.

PS l'm not that old!!

[stardust]

The guidance I speak of comes from here:

Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency

My daughter is 18mo and this was the information that I was given when she was born, and it's also the advice available now. It might be that your HV hasn't updated her knowledge on this particular aspect of care for some time - we can't expect them to have the information at their fingertips about absolutely every aspect of child-rearing! It does say though that HV (and others) should be advising parents and carers that this is the advised way to do it.

Obviously, every parent has to do what they think is best for them and their child and if it works for you then that's great, but as childcare professionals, we should endeavour to ensure that where possible we follow guidance and best practice

Personally i will ask the parent how she does it and follow that because everyone does this differently.

My cousin it ott and sterilizes everything and her daughter is a year old. Her little girl catches everything. I on the other hand sterilize all his bottles but his dummy gets starilized on the night (i have 2 i alternate so he has one to sleep with) if it falls on the floor i pour boiling water over it, if he spits it out in his cot, pushchair, car seat or bouncy chair i just give it back to him. my cousin sterilizer it every time, she had 8-10 dummy's all in separate pots that she swaps for the dirty one. you are right everyone has their ways. I just ment that they are always changing it, like all this with weaning wait till 6 months because it can cause digestive problems, people have been weaning from 3/4 months for century's and 95% of us are fine. A doctor even commented that there is no proven research to prove it causes digestive problems. We are 'advised'.

I do my bottles the way i was taught when i worked at a nursery when i was 16 and i've continued to do it that way. TBH i had 5 different midwives and 2 health visitors (so much for fimilararity and consistency lol) and none of them said a thing. Ill ask how they recommend i do it when i take him to be weighed next week and see what they say xx

[smurfette]

Many moons ago when l did my training, 6 bottles were made up in the morning for each baby for that days feeds (24hrs), boiling water was poured in the bottles, milk powder added, shaken and left to cool once cold they were stored in the fridge until used, babies were fed every 4hrs, no sooner, no later (Sister in charge would have a fit if we did) if asleep they were woken . None of them were ever ill/sick and all thrived.

PS l'm not that old!!

This was the advise even 5 years ago when my youngest was born and the way I always did it. And yes the bottles brought by the mums are refrigerated and formula added as needed - one mum is very strict and says only useable for two hours the other says she finishes one before starting the next!!

Op I wouldn't worry too much the mum will
Have the latest advice and her own ideas and will tell you how she wants the feed prepared.

[stardust]

[QUOTE=khlwomitchell;978567]

This is the first i've heard of it my son is 12 weeks and on formula since birth (i mix fed) i've made up the water in the morning and added powder later on i've not had any problems yet?? and i don't reheat either because he wont take it warm. My health visitor was fully aware of how i was making up bottles and she hasn't said anything either! they keep changing it bout 2 years ago it was you cant make up bottles before a feed whether refrigerated or not and advised the way i do it and when i was little mum used to make the bottles up and put them in the fridge.

I think ill carry on my way. xx
(not attacking just commenting)[/QUOTE]

i love a honest opinion, and i'm the same three kids three different sets of info each time from HV. i have picked the info i like and left the rest, so far since my son (who is 20mths) was born there is now the baby led weaning school of thought and the cereals only once a day. What next???

I have expressed for my smallest mindee and i keep all but 2 frozen, They are only 2-3oz amounts that i can defrost really quick in boiling water.
My other one comes with four 4oz bottles of formula made that morning so one cools for morning feed and the rest go in the fridge and reheated.
There may be other rules but this seems to work best for mums and me.

Sorry I'm just very oppinionated. I can listen to other peoples views and do try to see both points but I'm blunt sometimes lol

Qualitycare- Tha'ts how my mum did it she 40 this year lol
I was told to wake my son after 4 hours if he hadnt woken already but i just leave him. He'll wake me when hes ready, but he eats loads now has 8oz of hungry baby milk every 4/5 hour daily and an 8ox bottle after his bath at night and then hes in his cot asleep till 6-8ish happy days i get a full nights sleep and Ryan gets a happy mummy in the morning lol. Johnsons bedtime bath probibly deserves some credit aswell though.