Baby Bottle and Formula - When you are Out

I asked a question on my facebook page the other day about how mothers do the whole formula feeding, storage, transportation when they are out and about. There is very little information about how to actually do bottle feeding, because I think health professionals are so worried about breaking the code on WHO breastfeeding rules. But surely people should be told how to feed formula and how to store bottles when you go out, you wouldnt want babies to get sick from drinking formula that was stored wrong etc would you? No one would carry around a warm bottle of cow milk rather than putting it in the fridge right?!

So here is what happened on my facebook page (which you can join here)

I wrote "Hi, I am doing mum-research today. If are formula feeding and you go out, how do you take your powder and water? There are many different ways, please share how you do it? eg. powder in a container & hot water that cools by the time you need it. or Powder and water mixed and kept cool, then you warm it. ... etc "

Reply 1: I'm not a formula feeder, but those I know all seem to bring bottles of pre-boiled water and measured powder separately. Everyone seems to mix the powder into the water before or without heating.

Reply 2: I use a Thermos every day, fill it up with my morning cuppa and it will do a day of feeds, saves power time and is easy if i have to go out i just chuck it in the nappy bag with the powder in a bottle then add hot and cold as i need.

Reply 3: ziplock bag of premeasured powder, bottle of cooled boiled water. and fed to baby at room temp.

Reply 4: Phil & Ted's offers a bottle that holds the water and formula seperatey, and all you have to do is twist it a bit to mix the 2.. its prety cool. But if your baby is fussy on their botle teat, it may not work well for you.

Reply 5: That is one cool bottle! I breast and formula feed. When we go out I will take a bottle of pre mix and another bottle of then boiling water and formula seperate.

Reply 6: I had a Phil and Ted one and it was Crap!! the water and formula NEVER mixed properly. It always leaked. I should have taken it back but unfortunitely got it at a show and couldn't remember the name of the store I purchased it from. I don't recommend it!! You know there aren't many resources out there for formula feeding, considering how many there, are so good on you for posing the question!

Reply 7: I fill my bottles up with pre-boiled water and have a formula dispenser which holds 3 lots of measured powder then add to bottle when a feed is needed :)

Reply 8: Take them out mixed and frosty. He likes his milk cold!

Reply 9: I take powder and get water from cafe :)

Reply 10: I take boiled water in a bottle in a drawstring thermos pouch and then when it's at the right temp and bubs is hungry then I add the formula. I take the forumula in a tomee tippee container which has 3 separate compartments and you just turn the lid and tip it out. If it's a bit hot and bubs is really hungry then I just add some cold water from a cafe. I exclusively breastfed for 5 months and then had to top up with formula from then on. I had to switch to fully formula fed at 9 months. I thought it was going to be a huge hassle going out and about formula feeding instead of the instantly breastfeeding. But it hasn't been too bad at all. :-) You do what is best for you and baby and this is what works for us.

Reply 11: Oh boy - sounds like a lot of hassle to me!! Glad mine is all attached, mixed and just the right temperature when required :-)

So there you go. Hopefully if you find this blog post, it is because you need information, and I have hopefully answered it for yoU!!

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