Anyone bend the formula rules?

maddiemoon43

I have been EPing, and started adding one bottle of formula about a month ago to keep freezing more, and now that I am continuing to cut down pumps (my goal was 6 months pumping), I am not making as much and am upping the formula. 

I feel like formula is the most wasteful thing ever!  I hate dumping a bottle if DS doesn't finish it.  I don't mind if I make 4 oz and he leaves 1 unfinished, but there have been a few times it is really just a sip or two before I realize it's not hunger that is the problem, or he falls asleep at night after maybe an oz. 

Those with more formula experience - is the world going to end if he takes a sip or two and I were to immediately put into the fridge...and even changed the nipple maybe?  What about 2 hours at room temperature instead of 1?  I haven't wanted to push it since we're new at this, but compared to BM's flexibilty, it seems so silly to waste it, and it isn't practical or fair to make an oz or two at a time and then make him wait while I get more. 

How do you push the boundaries yet stay safe?

just kita

I'm in the same boat, just started to supplement on a regular basis and yeah it seems really wasteful! I accidentally gave LO a formula bottle that had been out for over 4 hours the other night, and he seemed fine though I wouldn't try that again.

What I started doing was mixing an 8 oz bottle of formula with a travel cap and just pouring smaller amounts from that into his bottle.  

M&M227

Yes it sucks and makes me a little insane at times.  We FF and I really wanted to BF so at first the expense scared the crap out of me.  Never knowing if she truely was hungry or how much to make or whatever.  Turns out DD has milk intolerance and we're on Similac Alimentum which made me even more nuts because it's expensive.  Now insurance is paying for our supply so I've relaxed a little.

I have bent the rules.  She's started a bottle, taken a few sips then fell asleep for two hours and I've given her the bottle.  Once or twice we warmed it, she took barely one sip then decided to sleep for 5 hours (at night) so I put it in the cooker and rewarmed it when she woke up.  Nothing bad happened.

The warnings are there because yes your baby could get sick if you are careless.   But if I choose to give DD a bottle after it's been partly eaten from, it's my choice.  If she eats an ounce or two I won't reuse, but if she takes like two sips, I will wait an hour and if she's still sleeping I'll put it away.  

sunset+skies

The nurses at the hospital gave us totally different rules than are on the formula containers.

We do in the fridge for 24-48 hours, 4-5 hours sitting at room temp, 2-3 hours untouched after warming, and 1-2 hours, sometimes a little more, after eating some. 

Honestly, if you get used to what the formula smells like, you can open a bottle that he's drank from, and know pretty much instantly if it's gone bad. 

ishka338

We strictly FF and I always put an unused bottle in the fridge...and by unused, I mean one with more than 2 oz. left.  I can never tell how much he'll eat.  I usually mix up 6 oz. and if he flls asleep after just a few, the rest goes into the fridge and it gets warmed as soon as he's ready for the rest.  (knock-on-wood) We've never had a problem with it so far.  I don't usually give him one that has sat out for more than an hour though.  If it's close, I may, but with room temp, I tend to be a little more cautious.  I think rules are meant to be broken.   I'm sure you'll be fine.

BES21

I absolutely bend the rules.  My daughter is on Alimentum Ready to Feed, and unfortunately it is not covered by my insurance.  Plus, my husband is out of work!  One of those bottles cost $9 and she easily drinks the 32 ounces (and usually more) a day.  I am not throwing that down the drain!  She almost always finishes her bottles, but if not--we just put it in the fridge until the next feeding.  We have been doing that since she started on the Alimentum RTF at 2 months and have had no problems.

J9melissa

ishka338:

We strictly FF and I always put an unused bottle in the fridge...and by unused, I mean one with more than 2 oz. left.  I can never tell how much he'll eat.  I usually mix up 6 oz. and if he flls asleep after just a few, the rest goes into the fridge and it gets warmed as soon as he's ready for the rest.  (knock-on-wood) We've never had a problem with it so far.  I don't usually give him one that has sat out for more than an hour though.  If it's close, I may, but with room temp, I tend to be a little more cautious.  I think rules are meant to be broken.   I'm sure you'll be fine.

This. Though we do let it sit out longer but no more than 3the hours. He's fine.

hepcats

sunset+skies:

The nurses at the hospital gave us totally different rules than are on the formula containers.

We do in the fridge for 24-48 hours, 4-5 hours sitting at room temp, 2-3 hours untouched after warming, and 1-2 hours, sometimes a little more, after eating some. 

Honestly, if you get used to what the formula smells like, you can open a bottle that he's drank from, and know pretty much instantly if it's gone bad. 

All this fo sho.

maddiemoon43

Thanks!  I feel better about trying this now.  I think there are times I will immediately put it in the fridgem and I feel like I could try mixing some of my frozen BM with formula down the road without worrying about having to dumo out the BM too (though I know thawed BM spoils faster than fresh BM...but still better than the formula "rules.")