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May 2020 Moms
m6agua
member
Next up: Toys
Product Spotlight: Formula & Food stuff
m6agua
member
Each week we'll spotlight a new category of product. Feel free to comment on threads like these throughout your time at the board, not just when they're in their week in the spotlight, if you discover something new OR are new to the board. This week it's.... Formula & food stuff!
FTMs are encouraged to ask questions & STM/+s encouraged to share their knowledge based on experience. You can use any or all the prompts relevant to you below to share info in an easy-to-read format. Pictures/screen grabs, if put in spoilers, are welcome!
For STMs:
Did you formula feed or supplement?
Any brands?
Tips for bottles or bottle accessories?
Did you use a bottle warmer?
As we get in food stuff, what do you reccommend as far as purees or did you do baby led weaning?
Favorite plates/bowls/bibs/utensils?
For FTMs:
Any questions about formula feeding?
Questions as you move into food?
Next up: Toys
_______________________________________________
TTC#1 July 2015
- BFP: 9/16/15 — MC: 11/8/15 Blighted Ovum
- BFP: 3/10/16 — Baby Girl born 11/20/16
- BFP: 9/12/19 — EDD 5/15/20
Re: Product Spotlight: Formula & Food stuff
- BFP: 3/10/16 — Baby Girl born 11/20/16
TTC#2 April 2019I’m lactose intolerant and as a baby I had a tough time until my mom switched to soy formula so I’m not going to be messing around with my baby’s feeding knowing that. I might even keep 1 soy based formula in the house just in case we have to switch over.
Any brands? with DS1 we did Enfamil Gentlease, for DS2 we did Gerber Soothe. Both of them did better on the more sensitive stomach versions (they were really gassy when we tried others). Gerber Soothe I also think has a probiotic?
Tips for bottles or bottle accessories? We used Avent bottles and had no issues going back and forth between nipple, bottle, and pacifier (MAM brand). But, I know many mamas and babies who struggle finding the right fit. My suggestion is do maybe by 1 or 2 small bottles to start with before putting 10 of a certain brand on your registry.
Did you use a bottle warmer? No. We would either use warm water from the tap (preferred), or deal with a microwave (not recommended). There's lots of warnings against a microwave, but I'll say if you are smart about it, warm it up, shake it up a lot, and test it by putting your clean finger directly into the milk to make sure it's not hot, it will be okay. I found bottle warmers to take way too long.
As we get in food stuff, what do you reccommend as far as purees or did you do baby led weaning? We did oatmeal + formula first with minimal success. much better once i added a tiny bit of apple sauce. The range of when this starts can be 4/5 months - 7 months + depending on each baby. My kiddos were big and hungry so we started on the early side with pediatrician recommendation. I didn't do baby lead weaning. Not because I don't believe in it, but because it scares me and having the kids in daycare I knew the teachers wouldn't be completely on board.
Favorite plates/bowls/bibs/utensils? the silicone bibs (that you can find really anywhere) are amazing and dishwasher friendly... but they're a big clunky until the babies are bigger. put some on your registry though!! they are awesome for keeping the baby and the highchair a little bit cleaner.
Edit: formatting
Any brands? I started out with Costco, and tried several brands (going from cheapest to more expensive) until landing on Enfamil Gentleease. DD had constipation issues bad with generic formula. We used a lot of free samples and found many over FB that people didn't need. Eventually changed to Enfamil toddler since we skipped cow's milk completely. This time around I am thinking about going with Holle, but I may end up with a goat milk formula as I think DD was sensitive to the cows milk proteins and that was part of the constipation issues. I am for sure staying away from soy since it can be very estrogenic. I think I will probably have a food sensitivity panel done on myself and baby pretty early on to know what doesn't agree with our systems.
Tips for bottles or bottle accessories? Get the Dr. Browns Formula pitcher! It was a lifesaver. I read a lot of reviews on the Baby Breeza and the main complaint was it wasn't mixing the correct ratio of formula to water. Maybe that issue has been fixed in the last 3 years? There were negative reviews about the DB pitcher causing too many bubbles, but I found if you used it correctly -- not letting the thing go above the liquid -- there were no bubbles.
Did you use a bottle warmer? No, we tried just made formula with room temp water and then cold straight from the pitcher in the fridge. She had no issues with either so I never bothered trying it warmed up.
As we get in food stuff, what do you recommend as far as purees or did you do baby led weaning? We did a combo of BLW and purees. I wanted to do BLW, but DH was nervous and DD didn't completely take to it. I made a lot of my own purees and would just mix formula in to thin items.
Favorite plates/bowls/bibs/utensils? I really like the Munchkin 360 cups, I prefer the metal ones. As someone mentioned the silicone bibs with the big area for catching food/liquid. I've tried to stay away from plastics so I got some bamboo plates and bowls. This brand, if you search they offer more than what I have linked. They are not microwavable though.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0757GLR1F?colid=1O8A9298KKK5C&coliid=I2XQLPDMOE4T5D&ref=br_ADD_TO_CART_title_link
For utensils we used a progression, but ended up with the Gerber.
https://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-White-Hot-Safety-Spoons/dp/B0013NB70A/ref=lp_166803011_1_4_s_it?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1577980901&sr=1-4
https://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-Piece-Fork-Spoon-Set/dp/B006SFUCSG/ref=lp_166803011_1_5_s_it?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1577980901&sr=1-5
https://www.amazon.com/Gerber-Graduates-Kiddy-Neutral-Colors/dp/B008X6RGZK/ref=lp_166803011_1_9_s_it?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1577980901&sr=1-9
- BFP: 3/10/16 — Baby Girl born 11/20/16
TTC#2 April 2019Any brands? I EBF DD for about 4-5 months and then started supplementing with formula. I went back to work when she was 3 months old and my supply couldn’t keep up once I started pumping, which is why we added the formula. Absolutely no regrets decision wise, although I wish my pump hadn’t been crappy. We used the Target brand “sensitive” formula and it worked well for us and wasn’t crazy expensive.
Tips for bottles or bottle accessories? My favorites were the Munchkin bottles. We used the Philips Avent ones when she was younger, but eventually her latch was strong enough to break the seal between the nipple and the ring and it would leak. The Munchkin ones have a much longer nipple and didn’t do that.
Did you use a bottle warmer? Nope. DD drank pumped milk and formula cold or room temp and it was never an issue.
As we get in food stuff, what do you reccommend as far as purees or did you do baby led weaning? We did purées and I started just by getting a variety with the right age range designation on the cups. I didn’t stress too much about following a specific plan or anything and it worked out fine.
Favorite plates/bowls/bibs/utensils? +1 to silicone bibs since they can go in the dishwasher, plus the catchers at the bottom are amazing. We still use the Munchkin 360 cups for water and Nuk sippy cups for milk.
Any brands? We liked Similac Pro Advance. We got samples from the pediatrician and elsewhere and then started buying it on Walmart.com (they have some deals). It’s also readily available so it makes it easy if you are somewhere and need more. We tried Target up and up and DD didn’t seem to mind it, but it had these weird burned bits that would make black flecks in the formula and it freaked me out. But I hear Kirkland is good and similar/the same to Similac.
Tips for bottles or bottle accessories? Try a bunch to see what the baby likes. We had Dr Brown’s and she hated them - plus there are lots of parts to wash. We tried a few others and she liked Evenflo Feeding Balance wide neck, so we went with those. We got a lot so we would only have to wash bottles once a day. Also, pre-make your bottles for the next day the night before and put them in the fridge. And get the Tommy Tippee individual formula containers for holding powdered formula when you’re out and about, so you can just combine with water and make bottles on the go.
Did you use a bottle warmer? Yes, the Kiinde. It kind of sucks and is warped from use, but DD liked it warm and I found it easier than warming up a bowl of water in the microwave and heating that way (which other friends have done).
As we get in food stuff, what do you reccommend as far as purees or did you do baby led weaning? We did a combustion. Some organic pouches (largely for daycare) and baby led weaning - basically foods that we ate - at home. DD hated baby oatmeal, which we started with per the pediatrician. Give them something with flavor! We also did Bamba peanut snacks for early intro of peanut and she loved those.
Favorite plates/bowls/bibs/utensils? Silicon bibs are great per all the comments above. We got a few munchkin bowls and spoons initially. Then got a few plates and forks at Target once she graduated to more food. Like @soprano19 we use Nuk learner cups for milk now. DD doesn’t like the 360 cups, so we use a Munchkin weighted straw cup for water.
We used avent naturals, which I liked and are cheap (and usually come in new mom free sample packs). I'd try cheap bottles before investing in the more expensive ones. If your baby likes the cheap ones, great! I do want to use the glass version this time around.
We did baby led weaning starting shortly after 6 months. My daughter would eat most things until a little after a year. Now she's pretty picky (so the myth that BLW makes babies eat anything is just that). But I'll do BLW again because it's so much easier. No having to feed your baby instead of yourself, no having to buy or make separate baby food.
My daughter (2.5) has been using real plates since about 1.5-2. We have Corelle, so they're light and hard to break. No worries about dish washing them or microwaving them. Silicon bibs are good, esp the ones with the pockets for BLW.
Also an FYI for those who don't know, babies under 1 cannot have honey. It's not an allergy thing (current research on allergies suggests early exposure can prevent allergies from developing). Babies develop a certain bacteria (or something) in their gut sometime by 1 that allows them to process whatever would otherwise cause botulism. So they could get botulism if they have honey (in any form) before 1.
DD #2: May 2020
Baby #3: EDD May 2023; MC October 2022
Any brands? We received samples of Similac Pro Advance at the hospital and pediatrician so that was what was tried out first. DD had no issues with it, and I didn't feel it was worth it to try others that might upset her so we just stuck with that the whole time. I do wish we would've tried a different kind that had a generic, but also there were usually good deals on Amazon or if you sign up for the coupons from the manufacturer so it wasn't too bad.
Tips for bottles or bottle accessories? We used Dr. Brown wide mouth bottles with no issues. We tried a few others that we had received as samples I believe the Avent and maybe Nuk, but DD always seemed to struggle and get a lot of air in them so we stuck with Dr Brown.
Did you use a bottle warmer? No, we mostly did room temperature bottled water or luke warm bottled water. Even with breast milk bottles she was happy to take them with a chill so we figured no need to make it harder on ourselves. I do believe they warmed them at daycare in a crockpot of hot water, but DD was fine taking them either way.
As we get in food stuff, what do you reccommend as far as purees or did you do baby led weaning? We started with cereal or rice around 4-5 months per pediatrician recommendation then just moved on to the gerber stage 1 foods. We didn't really offer "real food" until maybe 8 months when she tried rice at a Mexican restaurant for the first time lol
Favorite plates/bowls/bibs/utensils? Another vote for silicone bibs with the food catcher. For eating out we also loved the ezpz mini mats because they stuck to the table and also had a little bag to put the dirty dishes in when done. For utensils we used the oxo tot metal utensils with no issues. For sippy cups DD started with the nuk learner and then moved on to 360 cups.
Any brands? He was a really sensitive baby and we had to use Similac Alimentum which is hypoallergenic and smells horrible as well as costing an arm and a leg.
Tips for bottles or bottle accessories? We used Dr. Brown bottles with no issues. We tried a few others like Advent, Tommee Tippee and some Playtex ones that were all supposed to be for reflux and Dr. Brown worked best.
Did you use a bottle warmer? No, we would sometimes warm it up but usually went with room temp and he was fine, also around 7 months he started liking it a little cool (it was summer and we didnt have AC in the apartment we were dying).
As we get in food stuff, what do you reccommend as far as purees or did you do baby led weaning? Talk to your pedi. We started him around 4 months on purees with cereal mixed pretty liquidy. I am a big Beech Nut fan, he always ate those best and I felt the smell was not as offensive haha. I didn't think he was quite ready but his pedi did and she was right, it cut down on bottles a lot and he even napped for a short period of his life when he had a fully belly of food. I also started using the the food nets around 5 months so he could suck the juice out of things.
Favorite plates/bowls/bibs/utensils? I like any of the utensils with a little extra weigh on the end, it helped him figure out how to balance it. Also another vote for silicone bibs, so much easier to clean. And I like the suction bowls so they dont fly around my dining room. For cups we used Tomee Tippee, I felt they didn't spill as much as others and no lie he still will use them to this day because they are bigger than other cups so they are sports water bottles, my only thing with them is watch for anything that is in the stopper, I know there was a recall for mold growing because they cant air out very well but I think the new ones are clear so it is easier to see.
I figured I would add a bit more detail about feeding solids. We started around 6-7 months. Typically with BLW I think you start a little later. We skipped rice cereal and oatmeal completely and went straight to more nutrient dense foods. I think we did avocado first. Also “food before 1 is just for fun” is a good phrase to remember. It’s more about just exposing them to different tastes and textures, and getting their hand coordination working.
- BFP: 3/10/16 — Baby Girl born 11/20/16
TTC#2 April 2019- BFP: 3/10/16 — Baby Girl born 11/20/16
TTC#2 April 2019I loved the Avent Naturals wide. When they would take bottles. And the Boon Grass drying rack and could brush (but a cheap nipple brush)
Did you use a bottle warmer?
Nah. Early on warm water in a big mug, then worked on room temp or cold.
As we get in food stuff, what do you reccommend as far as purees or did you do baby led weaning?
BLW for life! I'm super lazy and not at all into trying to replace liquid calories with solid calories until baby is older, and I hate the mess and the time with purees. We used a few pouches here or there once kids were eating more and we were on the go or somewhere they didn't love the food options, but I enjoy just making a meal, giving them some food, and getting a bottle or nursing later to actually fill them up.
Favorite plates/bowls/bibs/utensils?
Silicone bibs, silicone EZPZ plates, Gerber rubber tipped spoons for when they're super little, then munchkin metal with plastic handles for when they're ready to try it themselves.
Also, I love the mesh feeders (only the ones that come all the way apart to clean) for fruits and stuff that is a little too pulpy to give to they straight.
And Tommy Tippe straw cups, munchkin 360 cups (definitely water only!), and munchkin soft spout sippy cups. We keep a variety. By 18 months we're down to just 360, but before then kids might get milk or juice (so rarely!), in a straw or spout cup for more spill protection. I like the 360 though for ease in taking apart to clean, and more like an open cup for learning.
DH: 32
Married 7/18/15
1st born at 35+4 on 6/6/16
Team green turned BLUE!
2nd born at 38+6 on 8/30/18
Team green turned PINK!
Due with #3 on 6/6/20 Team Green