Product Spotlight Series: Formula Feeding Items

doxiemoxie212 · January 2018

This is a place for FTMs to ask questions and S+TMs to share the wealth of knowledge they've accumulated on baby products. Each week we'll spotlight a new category of product to help streamline and make it easier to refer back. This week it's.... formula feeding items! We have a later thread more generally focused on bottles, but we can touch on that now as well as brands of formula, formula making devices, anything that's related.

Please use the prompts below to try to share as much relevant info as you can in a format that is easy for those reading to absorb/respond to. If you'd like to recommend/ask questions about more than one product, please copy/paste the prompts as needed.

For S+TMs:

Any specifics that may differentiate your preferences:
Favorite [formula feeding item]:
Link/picture:
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
What you like about it:
What you don't like about it, if anything:
Is there a [formula feeding item] you don't have but are considering? Why?:
Is there a [formula feeding item] you've tried that you absolutely hate? Why?:
Additional thoughts on [formula feeding items]?:

For FTMs

[formula feeding item] you're interested in:
Link/picture:
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
Any questions about it/them for S+TMs?:

To view past Product Spotlights or view the upcoming schedule, see here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gjNtxy2Kd2JceTYYR5wkwVcpTbU-khgazhjcZnfI1y4/edit?usp=sharing

(Also just a reminder that if anyone wants to revive old threads to ask questions as we get further along and it becomes more likely everyone is doing further research, please feel free!)

Austenista · January 2018

Any specifics that may differentiate your preferences: Not really. DS doesn’t have reflux or excess gas or any dietary issues so that may have bearing on your choices if baby is experiencing those.
Favorite [formula feeding item]: Kirkland brand formula (Costco)
Link/picture: https://m.costco.com/Kirkland-Signature-Non-GMO*-Infant-Formula-3-count--34-oz.product.100292648.html
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): ~$16-17 a package
What you like about it: Price and quality. It’s very similar to the more expensive pro Similac but cheaper. We actually did the math and got a Costco membership to buy this formula because it still saved us a ton of money to get it. One thing about this one is that is doesn’t contain Palm Olein which was something that was important to my husband. Some research says it interferes with bone development.
What you don't like about it, if anything: it’s a bit foamy when mixed. We combated that by adding a few infant gas drops to the mix and never had any tummy troubles that way. The other thing was that DS is just in general constipated by formula. Pedi encouraged me not to change though because otherwise he wasn’t refluxinf or having any other issues. What she told me to do was add just 1/2 an ounce of pure apple juice a day (so not every time) to the formula per months old he was. The fiber in the juice helped keep him regular. Once we introduced purees I didn’t need it anymore. It was so little he never noticed it was there, but it helped him be regular.
Is there a [formula feeding item] you don't have but are considering? Why?: no
Is there a [formula feeding item] you've tried that you absolutely hate? Why?: nope
Additional thoughts on [formula feeding items]?: Honestly the best kind is 100% the already mixed kind they were giving him in the NICU. But that stuff is so expensive. I wish I could have afforded it but nah. Also, I just want to say, they put a lot of pressure on mamas to breastfeed but sometimes it isn’t possible or sustainable. I couldn’t get any more than an ounce combined from pumping and my NICU baby and I never could establish a nursing relationship. Things happen, and real life isn’t a textbook of ideals. If you have to use formula or want to for your own mental health/self care that’s more than okay. I’m going to try to breast feed this time, but honestly if I can’t, I’m going to be 100% okay with that because I had a really good experience formula feeding my first.

pupsicle23 · January 2018

FTMs — ask your pediatrician for formula samples!

lisa2589 · January 2018

Favorite [formula feeding item]: Munchkin formula dispenser
Link/picture:
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): About $5
What you like about it: It just made it easier to make bottles quickly, I had 2 of theses and would measure the scoops of formula into each compartment of the dispenser in the beginning of the day and that way didn’t have to worry about measuring and pouring scoops into a bottle while baby was hungry and crying. Also since she only liked to drink from the super cheap-o evenflo classic bottles which had a smaller mouth than the actual formula scooper, it was way less messy as well.
It was easy to throw in the diaper bag when going anywhere and know you had enough formula measured out for 3 bottles if needed, just find water. Also for caregivers to not have to remember how many scoops to put in- it’s already measured, just dump it in.
Additional thoughts on [formula feeding items]: To each his own, some people thought we were cruel for doing this, but a nurse when we were still in the hospital recommended trying to give bottles at room temp rather than warming them. Apparently most babies don’t mind room temp, just get used to warm bottles right away and then gets hard to switch. *If she hadn’t liked taking them that way we obviously would have warmed the bottles instead.* So that’s all we ever gave her, just kept a jug of filtered water on the counter next to her bottles and she took it that way every time. Saved us lots of time and easy to do when running errands and I think ultimately easier when it was time to switch to whole milk out of the fridge at 1 year.

@Austenista So so with you on the non-name brand formula. We don’t have a Costco but our Sam’s Club membership paid for itself that year in what we saved on formula. The tubs are like twice the size of the Enfamil we were using at approximately half the cost. Which also makes it nice not to go running to the store for formula with your infant as often too!

Similar to what @pupsicle23 said, our hospital/ped office does once weekly Well Baby check in’s where baby gets weighed, measured, visit with a nurse/CLC, etc and every week you show up you can grab a free sample can of formula, or trade in any samples you received in the mail for the kind you actually want to use.

sunshineandwhiskey · January 2018

Any specifics that may differentiate your preferences:
DD had reflux so we had to use a reflux specific formula. I also BF first, and then would supplement with formula. We didn't fully FF until she was 6 months.

Favorite [formula feeding item]:
Enfamil A.R. L ink

Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
Well, if you do subscribe and save on Amazon it wasn't too bad. You just really gotta shop around and look for deals. I eventually switched to the Walmart version of it, and did half Enfamil and half Walmart.

What you like about it:
It helped DD's reflux.

What you don't like about it, if anything:
It was foamy so it was difficult to get to go through a nipple. I spent days upon weeks upon months frustrated with this. Eventually we found a formula pitcher that helped so much. I could make a big batch, sit it in the fridge, and the foam would disperse. T his is the pitcher.  (I didn't have this problem with we were just supplementing. Something about it being mixed with BM i guess)

Additional thoughts on [formula feeding items]?:
Figure out a system that works for you. I would make a pitcher right before bed so it was ready to get her bottles ready in the morning. Don't get discouraged if one type doesn't work at first either. And don't be afraid to try Costco/BJs brand! It really is all the same stuff. I got hung up on using the "fancy" name brand, but when I actually compared the two, there wasn't much difference.

I'll save my bottle talk for the next spotlight

marcus7676 · January 2018

I was so resistant to formula but it ended up being necessary. I encourage all FTMs to have a little on hand just in case.

Plus, using formula doesn’t mean the end of BFing or that you won’t be able to EBF in the future. I combo fed for 10 months.

We used Baby’s Only before switching to Honest. After a ton of research + availability these were the ones I was most comfortable with.

I second the formula dispenser that @lisa2589 suggested. Necessary for daycare and when you are out of the house.

Also, DS never had warm bottles and ultimately disliked them when daycare tried. He had BM and formula from the fridge.

We never bought the special water for formula, just microwaved it for the first six months.

catlady1215 · January 2018

I was going to recommend the same thing @lisa2589 posted about. Those things are beyond handy. I'd fill it up and put it on my night stand with a few baby bottles with water already measured out, made night time bottle making soooo much easier. And once they're out of formula, I used it was a snack holder for the diaper bag.

also agree with room temp water if baby allows it. We never warmed a bottle. I'm sure that helped when we were out and about and couldn't warm one.

we did off brand formula also. Think we used Walgreens brand most often cause it was closest, besides the brand name ones at the grocery store.

lisa2589 · January 2018

Oh! Thanks @marcus7676 for reminding me to add- the only reason I used bottled water is because we have well water that I personally don’t like the taste of for drinking. Otherwise tap water would have been fine! Now that she’s older she doesn’t mind the taste of the well water so I may try it for this LO if I end up FF again.

sunshineandwhiskey · January 2018

Piggybacking off of everyone:

we had to warm DDs formula. It was the only way she took it. To the point where it was almost too hot. This took forever to break. Try not having to warm it lol. We were warming her whole milk for awhile at first too because of this. Ugh.

We used our normal tap water. When we visited my dads, we would use bottled water only because he has well water. I had no idea you were supposed to use “special” water. Oh well.

doxiemoxie212 · January 2018

I have a question - if you're FF and need to switch brands (or want to) for some reason, do you have to do it in phases (sort of like how you're supposed to with dog food)? Or can you just switch immediately?

lisa2589 · January 2018

@doxiemoxie212 my ped told me it was fine to just straight up switch but I felt better mixing it together for a while to let her get used to it. And honestly dumped a sample can of the Enfamil equivalent in every couple weeks when I got a free one from the clinic anyways and it never bothered her either way

sunshineandwhiskey · January 2018

@doxiemoxie212 I think it has to do with your LO too. If it’s a legit issue with the formula I would just switch cold turkey. Otherwise I would gradually switch. I tried switching to normal formula instead of reflux and even gradually doing it I noticed issues with DD.

marcus7676 · January 2018

@doxiemoxie212 when we switched we just switched. But Baby’s Only was causing issues and we wanted him to switch ASAP. DS also went back and forth between formula and BM without issue. I never mixed bottles. He didn’t care.

MoonOverGoldsboro · January 2018

Less of a product recommendation and more of a general thought: I found type of formula to be a really individual issue—my son was a delicate flower who needed expensive formula (Similac Total Comfort) to not be miserable—so don’t buy a ton of one kind at once. You may have to experiment a little! The samples from the ped were wonderful for this reason.

I also combo fed my son for the first seven months. He switched between BM and formula bottles without issue. If you also elect to combo feed, it is generally recommended to NOT mix formula and BM in the same bottle. BM has a much longer shelf life, so you can save a bottle for up to a couple days if your baby doesn’t finish it (my kid was a snacker sometimes). Unfinished formula has to be tossed after an hour.

mytinc · January 2018

I don't recall where/how I signed up, but there is a way to get on a list for "checks" for both Enfamil and Similac. Maybe by going to their websites? I ended up exclusively nursing DS1 - so I gave the checks to formula feeding moms. With DS2 we had to supplement to up his calorie intake (and we did mix in some formula with the breast milk in accordance with his doctor's instructions) and we used those checks whenever possible. DS2 had a sensitivity to diary (that he later outgrew) so he had to have Alimentum, which doesn't come in bigger cans and really racked up the cost. It sucked that while medically necessary for him to be on it it wasn't anything that insurance would/could cover.

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