A formula dispenser like this. It has 3 compartments so you can put however many scoops you need per bottle ahead of time and you don’t have to measure when you’re trying to quickly make a bottle. I had 2 dispensers so I could keep one in the diaper bag. I used bottled water to mix the formula so I could just throw an unopened bottled water in the diaper bag and a couple clean bottles and go.
- Sign up for enfamil and similac, they will send you coupons and a package of sample cans you can work through until you figure out which is best for your baby.
-Don’t be afraid to switch to store brands. Formula is EXPENSIVE even with coupons, and the store brands are held to the same nutritional and ingredient standards by the FDA as the name brands are. When she was 6 months or so we switched to Walmart and Sam’s club brands and they saved us a ton of money. The only noticeable difference was the powder was slightly less fine and required a little more vigorous mixing.
-Don’t buy a lot of one certain kind of bottle, try to have a few different styles available in case baby has a preference. Both of my kids preferred a certain bottle out of all the kinds I tried (and not the same kind as each other). Eventually you will want 8-10 of whatever kind of bottle you end up using but don’t invest until you’re sure which your baby likes.
Also, check with your hospital or pediatrician’s office if they have any programs for newborns, for example our pedi office has weekly hours where you can come in with no appointment necessary to weigh and measure your baby, and every time you come you can receive a can of formula.
((I forgot to mention this in the BF thread so I may as well add it here… For BF the weekly clinic has lactation consultants, and once a month PT/OT for developmental screening))
We used formula for a short time with DD when I had low supply and again while working through allergies. Personally we prefer ready to feed kinds because I'm lazy and don't want to boil water, mix, etc. but, they're expensive, so if you're 100% FF it might not be the most economical choice. we mostly used the small single serving bottles for supplements, so it worked for us and we didn't waste much. Also DD was immunocompromised for a short while, so powdered formula was a huge no-no during that time.
Just a heads up, because we had to go there while working through the allergies/intolerances...amino acid formulas (aka the super duper allergy friendly ones, Elecare and Neocate) are expensive AF. And smell horrific (like wet dog food). Our whole house reeked and bottles absorbed it all, and naturally, DD refused both kinds so it was a very short term experiment and I was stuck extensively modifying my diet to be able to BF/pump 100% (it sucked, 0/10 do not recommend) Hopefully no one here needs to go to it, but just in case someone wanted to immediately start there...I wouldn't, unless medically indicated😬
Agreed that the formula dispenser is great to keep in the diaper bag / for travel. I didn’t know they existed at first.
We ended up switching to Target’s brand of gentle formula after several months of her doing ok on a different gentle formula. Much cheaper and was the same as the name brand. It may take some trial and error to figure out what they can tolerate.
I also second having several types of bottles rather than committing to one. We had a couple samples from our free registry gifts and a few others on hand. DH and I also ended up not liking a couple brands in the early days so we retired them before DD could get attached 😆
I recommend the Costco brand formula. It was the most economical formula we found, and DS was very happy with it. I also recommend starting with bottles that have less parts. If your baby is going to like those, better to figure that out than start with Dr. Browns and have to wash all those parts. Luckily, we never used Dr. Browns. Our bottles all just had a bottom and top but I heard complaints from some of my friends. Lastly, I feel like that boon grass, I think it's called, is advertised a lot. However, I much preferred the OXO drying rack because it was vertical and did not take up a lot of counter space. We still use it to dry sippy cups and snack cups for DS.
Only caution I’ll make is re: store brand formula. If your baby’s tummy is extra sensitive, you may not be able to get away with the store brand - even the gentle formula. DD1 puked up everything except the extra super gentle Enfamil version. We tried the Walmart, target and Costco versions of the gentle ease but it was volcanic every time. DD2 could drink literally anything, so it’s different for everyone!
I’ll also echo the multiple bottle approach. We’ve had the best luck overall with Avent bottles (LOVE the glass ones personally), but we definitely had to shop around. I felt like I “had” to get the ones with vents/for gassy babies, and none of my kids would drink from those.
Def recommend a formula mixing pitcher. It’s a lifesaver for being ready for MOTN feeds bc you can leave the formula in the fridge, then grab, warm, n go. Also amazing for filling multiple bottles quickly when getting ready for daycare drop off!!!
Also, for any of you mamas who will be going back to work after maternity leave and will need things labeled for daycare purposes - check out inchbug for your bottle labels!! Dishwasher safe. Reusable. Microwave safe. Waterproof. No adhesive mess. No names fading off.
ETA: they are like a personalized bracelet for your bottles
@MrsLaLaBug this reminded me...our daycare gives us sticker labels for bottles, but I used these for my pumped milk fridge storage so I could always grab the oldest one! I used a dry erase marker to label date & time and it wipes off easily with soap and water. Not so helpful for formula users since a name sticker would be more appropriate, but if you plan to pump and need time stamps they are great!
We used similac sensitive (or whatever it’s called) for our girls in the early days. Enfamil was a NO GO for us; the girls refused it. The ready-made stuff, then concentrate, then powder. Following the age recommendations for potential bacteria exposure. Then we smartened up and switched to Kirkland brand. For our youngest we had to stick with the sensitive / lactose free one. We breastfed but did an evening formula bottle “dream feed” and then did formula from whenever I finished breastfeeding (9-10 months) to a year old. We had selected avent natural bottles for our eldest. No issues. She’d drink from anything. Our youngest hated the bottle (at least that one), but I’m as stubborn as a goat and refused to invest in new bottles and eventually she took it…
We never bothered with any other gadgets - like a bottle warmer or bottle parts thing for the dishwasher or any special drying rack. We also just used the microwave instead of a bottle warmer. Seemed easier and faster and as long as you don’t overheat and shake it well to remove hot spots, there are no issues with it. We’d boil/sanitize on the stove in the early days, then just use the dishwasher (and still boil water in the kettle for the milk, but make up a couple of bottles at a time). But we didn’t exclusively formula feed, so we didn’t have much at a time to wash up and had like 8 bottles on hand.
Also, one thing we noticed with our second (sensitive tummy) was that if we were visiting somewhere for a while (my parents, a cottage, etc.) she’d be fine for the first couple days, then get wild indigestion, bum rashes and diarrhea for the last few days. It was the change in water. So we used bottled water and the issue went away.
Re: Newborn Feeding Series: Formula
- Munchkin Formula Dispenser, Blue https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LXN2PCP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_Z374PTJ860MPMVEB3A0X
((I forgot to mention this in the BF thread so I may as well add it here… For BF the weekly clinic has lactation consultants, and once a month PT/OT for developmental screening))
Just a heads up, because we had to go there while working through the allergies/intolerances...amino acid formulas (aka the super duper allergy friendly ones, Elecare and Neocate) are expensive AF. And smell horrific (like wet dog food). Our whole house reeked and bottles absorbed it all, and naturally, DD refused both kinds so it was a very short term experiment and I was stuck extensively modifying my diet to be able to BF/pump 100% (it sucked, 0/10 do not recommend) Hopefully no one here needs to go to it, but just in case someone wanted to immediately start there...I wouldn't, unless medically indicated😬
brand. It may take some trial and error to figure out what they can tolerate.
@runninginva haha I loved the boom grass! I had two of them for all my parts. Definitely don't forget to periodically clean whatever you get though!
If we're talking bottles, my favorite for daycare was the comotomo, since it was silicone, and I preferred that and glass over plastic.
The Original Write & Reuse Baby... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074NNX5KJ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
We never bothered with any other gadgets - like a bottle warmer or bottle parts thing for the dishwasher or any special drying rack. We also just used the microwave instead of a bottle warmer. Seemed easier and faster and as long as you don’t overheat and shake it well to remove hot spots, there are no issues with it. We’d boil/sanitize on the stove in the early days, then just use the dishwasher (and still boil water in the kettle for the milk, but make up a couple of bottles at a time). But we didn’t exclusively formula feed, so we didn’t have much at a time to wash up and had like 8 bottles on hand.
Also, one thing we noticed with our second (sensitive tummy) was that if we were visiting somewhere for a while (my parents, a cottage, etc.) she’d be fine for the first couple days, then get wild indigestion, bum rashes and diarrhea for the last few days. It was the change in water. So we used bottled water and the issue went away.