"I tried the machine that preps the perfect bottle for my baby when I'm too tired to function."

Feeding your baby can be an emotional rollercoaster. Most mums worry if their baby is feeding correctly, getting the nutrients they need to grow or making sure they have a sufficient supply of milk.

There are so many feeding choices to make too, such as, do you give your baby a bottle with expressed milk? Do you supplement a breastfeed with a bottle of formula or substitute a breastfeed with a formula feed?

Every mum and baby pair is different. When it comes down to it, every mum wants the best for her baby. So if you choose to feed your baby with formula, Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep Day & Night takes a lot of the hassle out of preparing a bottle of milk with clean, boiled water served at the optimal temperature. The Perfect Prep machine is a best seller and has a bit of cult following among parents, and the new Day and Night version features a glow light and volume control. Let’s give it a whirl.

When I gave birth to baby Edward nine months ago, I decided to mix feed. This means alternating feeds between breast milk and formula. The mix feed (also known as combination or supplemented feed) enables me to continue to nurse him giving me the comfort of knowing that my baby is receiving the benefits of breast milk while the top-up of formula gives him the extra calories he needs to gain weight for his age.

I’ve chosen to go back to work before my 12 months of maternity leave is up, and Tommee Tippee's machine has made the transition smoother. Supplementing Edward’s feeds with formula a couple of times a day means that my husband Thomas (who calls himself the “second banana” since Edward was born) can get involved in feeding the baby. It also allows a family member or carer to feed him when we’re both working giving me the peace of mind knowing that every feed will be made up correctly.

How does Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep Day and Night work?

So, the machine uses water from the tap and passes it through an anti-bacterial filter so the water is clean and safe to make a bottle feed. There’s no need to boil the water and wait for it to cool to room temperature before making up a bottle.

Yes. You can make a bottle of milk in about two minutes without needing to use a bottle warmer, a microwave or your kettle. For me, it's shaved off almost 10 minutes in preparation time...which at 3AM is valuable. For a sleep-deprived parent, 10 minutes' extra sleep is golden.

About those night-time feeds...

It’s completely natural for newborns to wake multiple times throughout the night sleep. Besides adjusting to life outside the womb and establishing a circadian rhythm or body clock, their tummies are tiny so they’ll wake to be fed when they’re hungry. Baby sleep patterns will continue to change as they grow. Every week and every month will be different. So when it comes to sleep, new or experienced parent alike, it’s normal to feel exhausted and somewhat like a zombie.

I’ve found the Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep to be very handy in the middle of the night. At nine months, Edward is occasionally waking up at weird times. We introduced solids into his diet four months ago but since he’s learnt to crawl, he’s been distracted from his day feeds because he’s persistently practising his new skills. We suspect this is causing him to wake up hungry!

When you activate the machine, the digital display is lit softly and with a couple of taps the machine quietly prepares the water at the right temperature and to the correct measurement. Easy.

Five fast steps to make a fresh feed.

Perfect Prep Day and Night will guide you through the bottle making process leaving little room for error.

Firstly, select the size of the feed using the forward and back buttons and add the amount of formula in line with the feed size (always use a sterilised bottle and refer to the feeding chart on the tin of formula).

Now proceed to the hot shot. And no, this doesn’t involve your partner! The shot of hot water is dispensed at 70°C which helps dissolve the formula powder and kill bacteria which may be present in the formula itself.

Then remove the bottle, add the lid and shake. It’s important to have formula mixed properly without lumps.

Finally place the bottle back on the stand and let Perfect Prep fill the bottle to the chosen size. Voila!

It’s recommended that water from the tap be replaced every one to two days.

The benefits of Perfect Prep Day and Night.

• Anyone can make a bottle of milk. The amount of water poured into the bottle will be accurately measured and at the right temperature.
• The ‘hotshot’ kills any bacteria that may be present in the formula.
• You can use any brand of bottle and powdered formula.
• It's an ideal product if you’re transitioning baby to take the bottle.
• It's great to use in the dark. You can even keep this machine in your room if your baby is sleeping in a bassinet next to you, or co-sleeping.

Things to consider.

• When you first buy Perfect Prep Day and Night, don’t expect to make a bottle as soon as you plug the machine in. For safety reasons, you will need to go through a cleaning cycle. This ensures the cleanliness of the pipes and filter and it can take up to 10 minutes.
• The filter will need to be replaced. Depending on your daily usage you may need a new filter every three to six months (filters retail for approx $30).

Good luck, fellow parents!

Have you tried Tommee Tippee's Perfect Prep Day and Night? Do you have tips for those 3AM feeds? Share below.

This content is brought to you with thanks by our brand partner, Tommee Tippee.