Best products from r/FormulaFeeders

I too made the decision to use formula for my physical and mental wellbeing and I have had no regrets.

• Ask your pediatrician what formula they recommend and see if they have samples. We were able to get 6 cans, which lasted us the entire first month. It was nice to not have to worry about buying it and now we use Amazon and have a subscription. We use Gerber Gentle and have had no issues.
  
  
• The Dr. Brown's Pitcher is awesome. We make up the full days worth in the morning and it's so fast to fill up bottles. You really could use any pitcher but the way this one stirs, it helps reduce bubbles, which lead to gas. It makes it easy to pour out an extra half ounce or ounce when she's still hungry, instead of having to guesstimate on the powder serving.
  
  
• Which leads me to the next thing, a food scale. Not technically necessary, but it makes the measurement of powder more exact. The containers say to use "one scoop" but that can vary in amount depending on how compacted the powder is when you scoop it. We just use a food scale and tare it out to 0, then stop when we get to -9 (the amount for a 2oz serving of Gerber). It makes it easy when mixing up the pitcher, after a few calculations. We are mixing 24 ounces now so we just scoop until the scale says -116. Easy peasy!
  
  
• We empty out the pitcher at night for the nighttime bottles, and keep them in the fridge. LO takes cold bottles like a champ so we just walk down the hall and grab one. Alternatively, you could make them up with water and take the formula can to your room and mix them as needed. We use bottled nursery water but if you have a decent water supply, with clean water, you can use tap. Boiling is also an option but I find that tedious so I'd rather spend a few bucks on bottled water.
  
  
• As for bottles, we use Munchkin Latch and Philips Avent. I think I prefer the Avent but my husband prefers the Latch.
  
  
• We also have the Boon Lawn, Twig, and Oxo bottle brush. I highly recommend all of them! The twig is great for hanging pacifiers or the little blue vents on the latch bottles.
  
  I hope that helps! I nursed for 5 days, pumped for 1, and then called it quits. It was absolutely the best decision for me and my family but I did get some flak for it. Don't let anyone make you feel bad about your choice!

I don't push guidelines so I have don't have any advice for that but you're definitely not getting the most for your money. Amazon subscribe and save has enfamil ready to feed 32oz bottles for $7.50 per bottle if you buy 6. Target sells a single bottle for $9 so you're already paying $1.50 too much. Amazon subscribe and save will save you tons of money. You can also get your powdered formula through them which would save you money as well. They have similar savings for every brand. Target is very overpriced unless you get a good sale! I would suggest instead of pushing safety guidelines, find the best deals first so you don't worry as much about using every drop. Check the manufacturer website for buying in bulk also. Sometimes they have great deals.

ETA: Also sign up for rewards with the manufacturer. I joined enfamil families and they send me two $5 off retail checks monthly. You didn't state which brand you use but most brands have some kind of rewards program.

A lot of people use bottled, especially past the 2 to 4 month range, and I have never heard of any ill effects, but I think the WHO recommends boiled. Their recommendations are super stringent and I probably don't follow them all, though. They can be found here: http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/micro/PIF_Bottle_en.pdf

You can prepare a whole day's worth and keep it in the fridge even with their strict guidelines, though. For daycare, I prepare them the night before in individual bottles, but there are also some nice products to make it even easier, like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Browns-Formula-Mixing-Pitcher/dp/B001I481LM

For feeding on the go, I will often put the boiled water into a couple of bottles in advance and keep the formula powder separate, and then just mix it together when it's time for a feed. Or I use plain bottled water, but my baby likes her formula to be pretty warm. The boiled water usually stays warm for quite a while, so a feed even 3 or 6 hours after leaving the house is above room temperature.

So we travel between Boston and London quite a bit. What I've done when we've travelled to America (I'm in London) is buy something like this. I have 2 of them so that's 6 portions of formula. We bring an insulated bottle like this and a bottle or two of smart water. You can usually buy smart water past security and the insulated bottle can be filled anywhere. Smart water because it doesn't have any added sodium and most bottled water does (this is super key because babies sodium balance is pretty finicky and if you use water with added sodium, it can cause tummy troubles). I find a thermos the best way because the flight attendants can refill it for you with hot water if you need and in a pinch you can use other kinds of water, it wouldn't be THAT huge of a deal.

When I need to make a bottle mix 1 ounce of boiling water with formula, then another 3 ounces of smart water at room temp. It makes the temperature of the bottle absolutely perfect for baby.

Bring a couple cans of formula with you in checked luggage as formula everywhere is different. If something happens and you get stuck the airline will find your luggage for you and let you get what you need out.

We offered it cold from the fridge, or room temp. Made night feedings a bit easier.

Things that worked for us (2 kids, both formula-fed after 3 months each due to PPD):

mix a batch of formula for overnight, if you're using powdered. Protein shake mixer cups work wonderfully for that.

Don't warm bottles past room temp - makes it easier if you are out and can't warm a bottle.

Powdered and liquid ready-to-feed formula apparently do not taste the same to baby. My son will not drink RTF formula, only powdered.

for on-the-go with powdered formula, you can use small containers for formula like this one.

Coupons - most manufacturers have some sort of coupon program. Enfamil and Similac bith regularly send out $5 off coupons.

watch for deals - Babies R Us and Target often have good ones.

Dr Brown's wipes - if you are out and about, use 'em to clean a bottle instead of carrying 87 bajillion bottles or trying to do dishes.

Get the least complicated and most readily available bottles your baby will accept. Least complicated means fewer parts to wash, readily available means replaceable if one is lost/broken/whatever.


Good luck, mama!

When I travel (and we've done quite a bit recently) I bring powdered formula and the Playtex bottles with disposable liners + a little travel sized bottle of bottle soap (regular dish soap is probably fine) and a tupperware container large enough to use as a wash basin for the hotel sink. You can also get portable bottle racks off Amazon.

I like my system because with the Playtex bottles (which I love btw) you only need to really wash the nipple, collar, and cap. Nothing else. They come in a pack of 3 so you have 3 of these to work with while traveling before you need to clean them. The other critically awesome thing (compared to our normal Dr. Brown bottles) is these bottles don't leak so you can carry them with water measured out in a diaper bag. Get the slow flow nipples though. My daughter is 8 months old and takes level 3 Dr. Brown's nipples but the "medium flow" Playtex nipples are still too fast for her.

I also use this formula dispenser and love it:
Accmor Baby Milk Powder Formula Dispenser, Non-Spill Stackable Snack Storage Container, BPA Free,3 Feeds (2 Pack) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B4SGBQ1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_0rEzDbTQQVT9D
In a hotel room you will want to be able to mix that formula as fast as possible so just keep pre-measured portions ready at all times.

I highly recommend the Dr. Brown's formula mixing pitcher. I have it and it works great. I add water to whatever line (usually 32 oz - the max), and then add the formula and put the lid on and mix with the plunger. It doesn't clump and it reduces or eliminates bubbles. It's also nice to have formula mixed up for a day and not have to mess with it for each feeding. Best $14 I've spent. :)

Edit: I use room temperature water FWIW.

We went through the same thing. Our son was SUPER particular about the shape of the nipple and wouldn’t take anything that wasn’t very similar to the Doc Browns. We found that the Enfamil Disposable Nipples are similar to the Doctor Brown’s. They screw onto a standard sized bottle, and worked well with these Medela Bottles .

Eventually we got tired of buying the disposables and got these Evenflo Classic. Baby immediately took them and we’ve been using these for 3 months now. Super cheap and WAY easier to clean! Hope this helps!

So since she might be drinking it out of a cup instead of bottle, which will be more difficulty to shake, you might want to get the mixing pitcher and make enough for the day to store in the fridge. It's absolutely fine to store formula that has been mixed but not drank out of in the fridge for 24 hours! So you can mix a set amount, store it, and pour out however much you need. I do sometimes microwave our bottles, which is not recommended because it can form hot spots. I just make sure I mix it really well afterward and squeeze a little in my mouth to be sure it isn't too hot. Roo hates cold bottles and Aoife might not like them cold since she's used to body-temp milk!

Our schedule is like this:
7, wake up
Between 7-8, bottle (6-7 oz)
8, breakfast (eggs, oatmeal, whatever)
10, snack (Cheerios, fruit)
11-1, nap
1, bottle (6-7 oz)
2, lunch
4-6, nap
6, bottle (4 oz)
7, dinner
9, bedtime bottle (6-9 oz)

Sometimes he'll have another 4-6 oz bottle in there too, and sometimes he'll have a midnight bottle. You might want to start her at just 4 oz or so since she isn't used to it, so that you're not wasting too much. If she finishes it, give more! She should probably have between 24-32 oz at this point, depending on how much solids she gets down in a day.

You're supposed to dump formula after they've drank out of the bottle/cup. Sometimes we will put it straight back in the fridge, and add it to the next feeding. I hate wasting, and so far he hasn't gotten sick.

I sterilized everything once, when we first bought it, but now we just wash things by hand. I use tap water to make his bottles since we have very safe water.

If you're going out and about, they make cool little containers that you can bring along a premeasured bit of formula. Like this. And I'll pack some bottles filled with water, so I can just dump the powder in when he gets hungry.

I think that's all for now! If I think of anything else I'll pop back in :) Good luck! It might be a rough week or two, but it's never been super easy for you anyway. You got this!!!

The Wabi Baby electric steam sterilizer/dryer works great for those bottles (which I love as well). I have tried some of the other ones without drying and it was always a wet mess. Luckily, Amazon Prime has a great return plan!

https://www.amazon.com/Wabi-Baby-Electric-Steam-Sterilizer/dp/B07CTK7X15

I am a total Dr. Brown's fangirl. Lol. H had gassiness issues, and they massively helped with the problem. Also, she couldn't latch properly on any other bottle - the Dr. Brown's nipples have a very small base that was and is perfect for her.

I started with this newborn set, and later on bought more of the 8 oz bottles as well as level 2 nipples when H was ready to move up. The level 1 nipples that the set comes with are perfect for 0-3 months. I don't anticipate needing to buy anything else for the rest of H's babyhood except for more bottle brushes as I'm pretty rough on them and level 3 nipples when the time comes.

Some people find all the parts annoying to clean - there's a dishwasher basket available if that suits you. Personally, I don't find them any more annoying to clean than any other bottle :).

This pitcher is super awesome! If your baby doesn't mind cold formula it's so easy to mix up a days worth and pour bottles as you need them. I just buy those large water jugs and make 24oz at time with that pitcher. This is what my set up looks like (pitcher is in the fridge)


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001I481LM/ref=sxts1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1472843090&sr=1 http://i.imgur.com/Tm8AhUa.jpg

I've purchased and used some of the strategies in Rowena Bennett's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Your-Babys-Bottle-feeding-Aversion-Solutions/dp/1976164419

I also found this article helpful: https://www.reflux.org.au/articles/feeding_tips/feed-refusers-strategies-and-options/

FWIW our pediatrician gave us the go ahead to do more solids and just give bottles when baby gets really thirsty, aiming for at least 16 oz. a day and making sure he has 4 wet diapers. She is very happy with his continued weight gain and is not currently worried which is why she was ok with doing more solids as we see fit (he was below 10th percentile at some point and is now steadily in the upper 20s). Our son will cycle through periods of doing great then doing terribly and I have an inkling it has to do with the efficacy of our meds (we are on Omeprazole) as we reach the end of the bottle and the start of a new one.

Does your feeding therapist have any recommendations on what to do? It feels brutal to cycle through a few great weeks and then go right back to how he was before his allergies and reflux were addressed, so I feel your pain.

The best part about formula feeding (we are doing a 50/50ish split due to low supply) is that if you aren't sure how hungry your baby is you just toss some formula in there. Then if he drinks half of it it's "only money" going down the drain. No ice packs, no worrying about forgetting milk in his bag, etc. We pack up 3 measured bottles with water in them, a formula dispenser, and off we go!

If you don't have a hospital pump and the correct sized flange they make all the difference according to my wife. We rented a Medela Symphony for $50/month and she never uses the way more convenient to lug around pump in style insurance provided us.

To transition try supplementing. Do around half the feeding however you like (boob or pumped) and then switch to the formula. You might find a really happy medium. Plus you can pump while baby eats with dad.

I got nothing on mom guilt other than to say my wife had it at the beginning but seeing the baby grow and be healthy helped with it. Plus extra naps for you and shorter feedings are nice.

Dunno if this is what you were looking for, but I make large batches in the Dr. Browns pitcher and it's way easier than trying to get a scoop into a bottle. It makes mixing really easy and it has a little spout for pouring out your bottles.

You can make a 25 hour supply of formula (however much your baby will eat in that time frame) and keep it in the fridge. This one is great: Dr. Brown's Formula Mixing Pitcher https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001I481LM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_l-EdBbTNZRKMW.

I live in Texas and we do not have to boil water, we just use filtered tap. If the water in your area is a concern you could use bottled water.

Also see if your baby will drink the formula cold. Ours did and it was great because we didn't have to warm it.

We get the Target Up & Up Advantage (generic for Similac Advance). It’s $21.99 for the 35oz tub and often buy them 3 at a time to get the $10 gift card. Also, in case you don’t have one already, a formula dispenser is a lifesaver for on-the-go.

I have one of these and love it. It'll be easier for them to pour and you could also label it.

https://www.amazon.com/Philips-AVENT-Powder-Formula-Dispenser/dp/B00PF84ATO/ref=sr_1_6_s_it?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1480291545&sr=1-6&keywords=formula%2Bdispenser&th=1

We switched my daughter from the Dr. Brown's to normal bottles around that time with no issues. I got sick of all the washing.

Once formula is prepared it's good for 24 hours in the fridge. I would check with the daycare to make sure they have a fridge you can use and double check how they heat them up.

Formula Pitcher! It allows you to mix enough for a whole day at a time and keep it in the fridge.

I was just thinking about the breastmilk thing this morning... I leaked for 9 weeks and I really wish I had asked a doctor for help because I couldn't even stand holding Baby Boy to my chest for 6ish weeks. Whatever you do, don't pump! Tight sports bras with cabbage in them will help, but there's a medication that the doctor can prescribe to dry you up. (I suspect it has terrible side effects, but next time I'm going to ask for it.)

I don't know your circumstances, but I'd encourage you to post logistics questions on the main page. Everyone here is really helpful.

Yep, this pretty much covers it! I just want to add that this pitcher has been one of the best purchases we've made since starting formula. Before our baby was at least 7 months old, we were boiling and cooling our tap water before mixing a day's worth of formula. Boiling probably wasn't necessary, but I was a paranoid ftm. I used bottled water here and there, both boiled and unboiled (I never really knew if boiling was necessary with bottled either), but we ended up just using cold tap water after a while. I've always heard that using warm/hot water from the tap can increase the chances of lead and other mineral contamination.

Similac Advance and Similac Sensitive too! I just bought three big cans of Similac Advance for like $50!!

This was the link, but it looks like they took away the 35% off coupon. It was probably a Black Friday thing.

https://www.amazon.com/Similac-Sensitive-Infant-Formula-Powder/dp/B017RMG8UE/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1480444883&sr=8-1&keywords=similac%2Bsensitive&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011&th=1

I got these very inexpensive formula dispensers on Amazon - Tommee Tippee Formula Dispensers -https://www.amazon.com/Tommee-Tippee-Formula-Dispensers-6-Count/dp/B004IM8PDU

I think they are made to fit in the same branded bottle for easy transport, but I just fill them up with two scoops and transport them in a bag with my bottles and a bottle of water.

We've tried a few and this is our favorite.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LWZZ08/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_j1qIxbV42N202

oops forgot the link for the dispenser: https://www.amazon.com/Philips-AVENT-Powder-Formula-Dispenser/dp/B00PF84ATO/ref=sr_1_5_s_it?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1466168604&sr=1-5&keywords=formula+dispenser