Formula Feeding Moms Please Advise

I did not exclusivly formula feed, but the one life saver that I remember is the "single serve" formula bottles. THey re premixed and fantastic when going out becuase there was nothing to mix, no worries about carting "good" water etc.

With our second, we did our research on formulas because we wanted to see if we could spend less. Standing side by side, Enfamil and the Sams Club brand formula is the exact same stuff...and it's so much cheaper! We even asked our pedia. and he said there is nothing wrong with the store brands. And she's also very healthy!!!

One thing I did was after I made sure the formula was ok with my babies (no upset tummies) was to make up most of the bottles for the day. That way I didn't have to mix and try to fix them when they were hungry. I had some friends that used a new pitcher / tupperware container and mixed a batch of formula for the day. It made life a little easier when there was a hungry baby.

I liked to mix a lot of formula at once. I would mix it in a large pitcher (that I could shake) and just poor it into bottles. Each night before bed I would make sure I had enough bottles already made in the fridge.

I never heated his bottles! I will probably get lots of angry responses to that, but I didn't. Temperature does not matter, but don't burn your baby :-) I asked my ped about this, and she said temperature doesn't matter. I would take a bottle out of the fridge and feed him with it. This was a huge help, because it is so much easier to make cold bottles on the go than warm bottles, since most drinking fountains have cold water.

In the baby/toddler section they sell these small tupperware type containers for formula. The are sectioned off (3 or 4 sections), and the idea is that you measure your formula ahead of time and place it into the sections. The top swivles, and you just add one section to the water in the bottle. So much cheaper than the premade bottles of formula.

You've gotten great advise already, and I'm sure the nurses at the hospital will have more.

Good luck, and congrats!

Whatever you do... do not buy HUGE bulk sized canisters right away, nor huge quantities, right away.... until you use it and see which you or baby prefers. First. Because otherwise, it will not get used all up, or it will be wasted. Buy, in rational smaller sizes first. Or single serving sizes. Then once you settle on one you like... or that baby likes, then buy more at a time.

Ask your Pediatrician.

Also, decide what bottles you will use.
Per my son, who would take a bottle, I used the "MAM" brand baby bottles. It is BPA free, is cute and not expensive, has various nipples, and the nipple is natural not some huge "bulb" shape, and my son liked it. It also does not accumulate air bubbles in the bottle as the baby drinks.
You can find it on Amazon. Stores here do not commonly carry it. But it is widely used in Europe.

DO NOT, feed on a "schedule." A baby does not grow that way nor can you predict, their daily appetites, which WILL vary each day and throughout the day. A baby is best fed... on-demand. That is the healthiest for them.
You will need to feed an infant/baby...on-demand. Day and night... 24/7.

Don't spend a fortune on buying just one bottle/nipple. I got a huge lot of Avery's at my baby shower, cuz everyone and everything I read said it was the best. First week, my son hated the nipples...they were too big for his mouth and it would just leak. So my beautiful Avery set sat unused. It took 2 other bottles/nipples before we found the right fit.

I had a line of bottles with the exact amount of water each day on my baby's dresser. That way, when it was time for a bottle, I'd just add whatever scoops was needed. Huge timesaver and less messy during those witching hour feedings.

Collectively I had 18-20 bottles, so I didn't use them every day. So I boiled all my bottles each night and put them aside to dry. Then I'd fill yesterday's load with water and leave them in the nursery next to the can of formula.

tbh, I gave my baby whatever formula my ped told me to give him - I think my baby started out on the high calorie fattening formula and they told me not to buy the store brand. There are so many out there, so researching might stress you out but let it empower you to make the best choice for your baby.

The only helpful advice I have is to keep a small crockpot with several inches of water in it on low during the night to warm up your bottles if your baby won't drink them room temp. Just set the bottle in the water for a couple of minutes and you're good to go! I always made enough bottles the night before to last the next 24 hrs and stored them in the fridge. Some moms prefer to make as you go, though. As far as saving money, you can register on the formula's websites and they will send you coupons in the mail. It takes awhile for them to start sending them, so I'd register ASAP! Good luck

As a childcare provider I've seen lots of babies and formula. Start with whatever your doctor advises you to use, if your little one seems to hold down the formula well you could probably try the Costco brand. I've had several babies take that brand very well and it is MUCH cheaper. I believe that if you have a problem with the formula Costco would return your money. I do agree with another post that you should find a formula fairly early and stick with it.

Kiddos can be picky about the bottle they like. I like the Avent bottles and Playtex Nursers. Dr. Browns are OK but some models don't have the ounce numbers painted on the side of the bottle, they are just formed into the bottle itself, really hard to read if you ask me (especially in the middle of the night!!).

For my own boys I would make night time "dry bottles" (just the dry formula powder in the bottle), I'd put the bottle in our guest bathroom near the bedrooms. All I had to do was add warm water and we were good to go, I barely had to wake up!! If you do this the bottle must be bone dry, I used the Playtex Nursers so it wasn't a problem.

Congratulations!

M

I tried breastfeeding, but it didn't work for me and my son, so he was exclusively bottle/formula fed starting at 2 weeks old. We used Dr. Brown's bottles, which I highly recommend. There are a lot of pieces to them, which can make cleaning them annoying, but well worth it. We bought our formula mainly at Wal-Mart. We started with Similac, which then had a recall, so we switched to Gerber Good Start. It was the best switch for us. My son did much better on Gerber. As far as brand, it will depend on your baby. Start with one, if it works; great, if not talk to your doctor about trying a different one. As far as feeding away from home. I would always put hot water in the bottles...by the time it was time to feed, the temperature would be good (warm). I had a formula dispenser with the formula already measured out for the amount of water that was in the bottle. Just add the formula, shake and you are ready to feed. Good luck!

My first used similac(15 years ago). My second was on enfamil (14 years ago). This time I started with BF and had a hard time so we got the tommy tippee bottles. They are very true to the real thing and they have little canisters you can buy to put inside the bottles. So that when you are out all you have to do is unscrew the nipple and open the canister and dump it into the already premeasured bottle. VERY convenient! They are available @ Target and Babies r us. Similac has a similar type bottle but since they are new they are still pretty expensive. I did not warm up bottles. My daughter did wonderful. Even Breastmilk when i pumped would come straight out of the fridge. It saved a lot of hassle later since we are gone / travel A LOT. I also got on the websites for enfamil and similac so they send coupons every once in a while and they also sent sample canisters in the mail of the blue can and the orange can. The main reason we did not go with Enfamil is because there was a recall shortly after baby was born which scared hubby. I always try to go to Sam's for the formula because it is cheaper. $30 for a 2.12 lb plastic tub. when you have the $5 off coupons it is a real steal!! You may have to try a few different brands but you will figure it out.

Good Luck!!!

Honestly, I think its just trial and error. My kids are older now, but my son was allergic to the formula I used for my daughter and my daughter got a rash from some diapers and not others. So I had to just find the right ones that worked for each baby. I will say that both my babies slept straight thru the night from the time they came home from the hospital so I didn't have any night feedings...lucky me! Maybe some newer moms with little ones can help you with the details but I think you will just have to find what works best for you and your baby. Good luck!

I formula fed both my girls from the beginning. My first was on a mild Enfimel and my second was on a lactose free formula. After a few weeks you and your pediatrician will know what is best. Best of luck

My first was stictly on Similac but my second we had a hard time with. We started him on Similac, then similac sensitive, then Nestle Good Start sensitive, ended up using Bj's Brand and that is what we stayed with ever since. He was spitting up so bad it looked like the exorcist. It was bad. The Dr even recommended putting rice cereal in his formula and he wouldn't drink it. So when we finally broke down and bought the store brand he was alot better with it. We even tried the Sam's club brand but that wasn't as good as the Bj's brand. Plus its $9.00 cheaper then the name brands. And the container is bigger.
I would sign up for all the formula brands and get the coupons. This way whatever brand you end up using you have covered all angles. But stick to what the dr starts the baby out with and then switch accordingly. But don't be afraid while in the hospital to ask to switch to something else. Go with your instincts. If you feel the baby isn't eating enough or spitting up too much ask to try something else. They will work with you. The hospital that I was at used Similac and the dr started him on Similac Advanced but he was spitting up way too much. So the nurse gave me Similac sensitive.
Like others have posted babies are picky about bottles. My daughter was not. She took whatever I gave her. But my son was. He refused to use the Playtex drop in bottles. Just didn't like them. So I have 8 brand new bottles never used to try to get rid of. But he loves the other Playtex bottles with the curve to them. They have 5 pieces to them and are a pain but worth it. I read up on these bottles and they say that they help prevent ear infections. I also have the formula dispensers that are awesome. At night they are great, you just put the amount you are using (there are 3-4 dividers in them), pop the top and pour into the bottles. When my daughter was done with the formula I used them for snacks. Great for travel and easy to dispense.
I was never comfortable waking a sleeping baby to feed and I spoke to my pedi and he said as long as it doesn't go more then 4 hours not to wake them and they wake on their own when they are hungry. My daughter would go the 4 hours but my son was every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. You will know how to set the ounces. Start with 2 ounces and watch your baby and see if they are still hungry and adjust accordingly. Also do not let it sit for more then 1 hour. Throw out any unused portions after that. My son is 10 months old is still on only 6 ounces. He eats everything that I give him. Except yesterday I have him peas and greenbeans and he spit it out. He is weaning away from baby food and wants more people food. He is quad teething right now so he is not eating as much. My poor baby gets 2 or more teeth at a time so he is just miserable. At 10 months he has 8 teeth and working on 4 more.
Best of luck and Congrats on the new baby! :)

One thing you want to think about is the need for consistency. So when you pick a formula, don't decide to just change it up on baby. We used Similac Advance for our dd, and my cousin used the Target brand. Both babies were happy and healthy. A friend of mine started her baby out on Similac and the baby was doing great, then she asked her ob if it was ok to give the baby enfamil since she had the free samples, and her ob said it would be fine, just like changing brands of milk. BIG MISTAKE. Baby started having lots of tummy issues. I had a friend use Similac as well, and she said the cheapest place to get it was Costco. We didn't, but because we don't have a Costco membership.

And whichever you use, if you use a name brand like similac or enfamil, you can sign up on their website and they'll send you coupons and sometimes samples.