Bottle feeding seems so complicated!

[koe2moe]

With milk prepared with 70C water you can storage in the fridge for 24h.

That's also a good point that you could prepare it at home with hot water and bring it with you at room temperature and add a bit of hot water to it to bring to body temperature. 

I think it is great that DS is interested in helping out. 

[Buttonbobs]

Once we really got into the swing of things we used to make up a bottle with the powder, boiled water added to the powder and swirled to mix, and then cooled it with pre-cooled boiled water. I probably didn't do this until E was older and I worked out the amount of water needed with the powder already in the bottle but it really helped.

I also had a flask for carrying around boiled water for a couple of hours and used pre measured bits of powder.

I would imagine the pre mixed would be much easier for the early weeks (you could always use a flask to warm it if also isn't keen on it cold.

I remember my feeling of deep dread when I realised DD wasn't managing with BF. I remember my friend coming over and talking me through the process 3 or 4 times before I got it, but once I got used to be routine of sterilising etc it was easy really.

[michaeljacknnugg]

Thanks girls. Like you say, pre made for the early days will probably be a good idea. And maybe it will help me see if it is the right thing for us, too, before having to come down on one side or other of the fence.

[*Liz*]

I've bought a packapod one, seems pretty big. DS wants to feed the baby, that's not a bad thing, surely?

Packapod are great. I only discovered them with Thomas was about 7 months and it just doesn't seem worth it at this point. They are very tempting though!

No - I don't think it is bad to let an older child feed a little bit. Even when Thomas was teeny I would give the bottle to one of them to start his feed while I threw their breakfast on the table - little babies drink very slowly anyway . It is the winding etc that they can't manage of course. My comment was more about bottle feeding with the baby sat in the buggy or car seat - I know BFing sources frown on it - but when you are stuck somewhere with nowhere to sit it can be done !!

[michaeljacknnugg]

Sure DS had his cup of milk in the buggy at that age - it sounds ok to me! Everyone's different and the recs do throw in more mama guilt than I'm happy with - but stuff like bacteria in formula sounds high up on the 'to avoid' list, particularly if I am bottle feeding those feeds by choice (hoping this will be the case).

[Buttonbobs]

I can only imagine having more than one LO, but if we did have a second E would be slightly older, and I can imagine it would help her to be involved if she was allowed to feed the baby, even if she was supervised to begin with. Are there recs stating it is a bad thing?

[Lolly]

Are there recs stating it is a bad thing?

I don't think so! I guess it's more of a common sense thing that you wouldn't leave a child feed a baby without your close supervision and being right at hand, it's a nice bonding thing with a new sibling I think!

Laura

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

M and S were the only ones E would take a bottle from at first! Lol even DH had no luck. Masyn was 7.5 at the time and was able to burp her as long as I was right there to grab the bottle and hand over a burp cloth.

[*Liz*]

I've never seen any recs saying that a child shouldn't feed. I think propped up in the child seat is prob a bit of a choke hazard really, but obviously we were always there and could lift him for a wind etc if needed.

I always felt bad somehow - seems like it is just me though - I felt like I ought to stop and hold and feed the baby properly. But of course he is my third and life wasn't like that for us. Goodness knows I spent hours feeding him properly at home because of his reflux, so def my issue really I think  . Yet another example of the guilt of a mama who wasn't BFing  .

[michaeljacknnugg]

Hugs Liz. I found at that age my DS (who'd just started to take a cup of milk) was very ready to be more independent with his feeding. One of the older ones giving him that bit of assistance is a nice middle ground, imo.