just had a new baby ,looking for a good system for feeding using only formula?

Question

liked the ready to serve 3 ounce bottels we got fom the hospital butt too expensive .we are only using formula (enphamil -lipal).we are going to use the powder .i was going to mix up a days worth approx.32 ounces put into 8 seperate bottels then into the fridge ,I guess i am just looking for some do's and dont's as far as preperation

Answer 1

What i did to make it easier for me, especially since I had a baby who woke up every hour to eat. I prepped the bottles with just the ounces of water needed and kept them on hand with the powdered formula right beside it so all I would have to do is pour the powder formula in it and just shook and it was ready to go. This kept the water at room temp, so no need to heat or keep refridgerated. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

With my daughter, who eats all the time, I make fresh bottles each time. I never quite know how much she'll eat each time around so premaking them wasn't a good idea. I just kept bottles with 4 oz of water in the fridge and nuked 'em for 15 seconds in the microwave. Test the temp and add the formula. Shake and feed. Quick, easy, and very little waste. It takes a total of half a minute to do. Also, a tip if your baby is still getting up in the middle of the night. Make one bottle right before bed (formula and water) and put it in the fridge. That way all you have to do is microwave it when your sleepwalking into the kitchen in the middle of the night. Make it a little warmer than normal but still not too hot. The slightly warmer milk always helped my girl go back to sleep faster. ^_^

Answer 3

If you want a really easy system, this is what worked for me. I took care of my newborn by myself and worked full time- so needless to say easy was my top priority.

I used the powder and made the formula fresh every time. Avent bottles are very nice and you can get the steam sterilizer to go with them. Or just put them in the dishwasher if you have one (I didn't).

Get one of those small electric kettles and put a water filter on your faucet. You can heat the water in the kettle faster than a bottle warmer- just don't leave it on until boiling.

I cycled through 9 bottles- 2 were 4 oz bottles. Sterilize them all at the end of the day.

I prepared each bottle fresh for each feeding- cold filtered water into the kettle, heat for a few seconds, test the temp, pour into the bottle, add the powder. Shake, then give to baby. Making the bottle only took a few seconds.

Refrigerated bottles take a while to heat, and you can waste a lot of formula...which is so expensive. Plus, you want to make sure baby gets fresh milk, and sterilizing is really important for newborns.

Answer 4

okay...first, you should only make a day's worth. i think you should only keep that stuff for 24 hours. i was using those 3 oz things for a little bit. i would just make a few of those and put them in the fridge. yes, it felt like i was making bottles all of the time. not to mention how many times i would run the dishwasher in a week.... also, it's not good to use the warm water from your tap, i've heard. something about sediment that can settle into the hot water tank and since the warm water comes from there....you can figure the baby will eat every 3-4 hours. so...6-8 bottles in a 24 hour period, at 3 oz each...make up 18-24 oz instead of 32. no big deal.

about the warming. i would always warm just enough to take the chill off from the fridge. the bottle would end up about room temp anyway. now, i just make bottles on a case by case basis. he's almost done with formula now. i think he may bottle break himself, he really doesn't seem to want them anymore.

Answer 5

if youre going to use powdered formula you've got this all wrong!!! don't premake it and put it in the fridge....all you're accomplishing doing that is wasting the formula that doesnt get used, dirtying more bottles that have to be washed and making it a pain because you have to heat them up all the time. i am the queen of finding the easy way and this is it: premeasure the powder into a clean and DRY (very important) bottle. then you just fill that puppy up with warm tap water, shake it (hold finger over the hole in the nipple) and plug it into baby. it is also nice because when you go out you can just throw a couple of bottles into the diaper bag and voila! instant bottle. all you need is a little tap water. if you dont like the idea of using a public sink then carry a one liter bottle filled with room temp water. you also want to invest in about 20 bottles so that you can use ten one day while the other ten are drying out really good. this also makes it to where you wash the bottles every night before you go to bed and it only takes a minute or two. it took me a couple of months to figure this out with my first kid but baby when i did it was like finding a sunken treasure. i adore powdered milk.

Answer 6

I started to sterilize the water and then put that in the refrigerator. When I make a bottle I heat the water up in the microwave to the right temperature and then add the formula for each feeding. The water heats evenly unlike formula. It tends to be faster and I don't have to throw away formula. And when I go out I make the water room temperature put it in the bottles and grab a smaller container of formula. Then I don't worry about refrigerating bottles in a cooler and its cheaper than ready mades.
As far as choosing a system, trial and error. Finding a formula that doesn't upset baby's stomach can be difficult depending on your baby. Keeping a consistent formula is the best bet. If you change do it gradually. Every baby is different. What works for my daughter may not work for yours.

Answer 7

I only made bottles on demand. I wouldn't use "hot" tap water because water sits stagnant in the water heater. The tea kettle was a good idea. I personally used the microwave (I know that your not supposed to...) I used the powder because it lasted longer and if you mix properly it's fine. Just follow the directions on the canister's and you'll be fine. There is no "best" formula just whatever you're baby is fine with. FDA regulates the formula here in the US and they're all the same (you can compare to make sure). I personally used Walmart Brand Parent's Choice because I couldn't afford the others. Both my children were fine with that choice. Congrats on the wee, little one!!!!

Answer 8

I stopped using powder all-together because my baby stopped gaining weight and it was a huge pain in the *** to mix the powder to only 60-120-180ml. So now I use concentrate where you add water, its actually cheaper I waste less because I can make bottles 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 oz and with powder I could not and if shes only sort of hungry I dont waste it, plus it is about ten times easier to prepare..exp in a hurry.

Answer 9

Through trial and error with my 1st I found the best way for us was to buy the jug water and make the bottles as needed. I warmed the water in the microwave 1st and then added the powder. When I was going out and new I'd need a bottle I'd warm some water in a bottle to hot and then by the time she need it it was just right for her. I kept those hot bottles in an insulated bag with a hot wet wash cloth next to it. This kept the water warm longer. I tired making a big batch and that didn't work as well as making bottles as needed. For daycare I sent a can of formula with her and they made it for her as needed too. With my 2nd (due in 5 weeks) since I don't have to work I'm going to try breastfeeding again. I'm hoping that I can manage better since I don't have to worry about going back to work. Good luck with your kiddo.

Answer 10

My son is on ready-to-feed. I would actually suggest waiting and not doing powder for a little while. Our baby got very gassy from the powder, and we tried it when he was older (around 2 months I think), when we had a good understanding of what was normal for him. We didn't get through the whole can of powder before we threw it away. The cost savings just wasn't enough to see him so uncomfortable.

BTW, we are using Similac ready-to-feed bottles, and the powder was Similac as well.

Hope that helps.