How long does a tin of formula last?

[Dogsmom]

I know it's like asking how long is a piece of string but I'm trying to budget and work out approximately how much DD will cost per week when she arrives in 9 weeks.

I've decided to FF and have been looking at the formula but none say how many 'servings' there are in each tin and wondered of anyone could give me a rough estimate?

Also will I need to take bottles and formula in my hospital bag or do they provide them?

[duende]

If I remember correctly 5-7 days. I breasted at first so not sure, but I believe our local hospital provided formula and disposable bottles.

[cupcake78]

About 5 days if on full feeds ie 3mths +

[cupcake78]

As for your hospital every one is different so I would phone the maternity ward or ask your midwife what usually happens.

[Rockchick1984]

I worked it out when I switched to bottle feeding around 4 months (wanted to know how often to order it with online shopping) I can't remember now but on waitrose online shopping it said how big one scoop was, can calculate how many scoops were in the tub from there. Obviously some babies are hungrier than others, but I then looked at the side of the tub to see how many oz per day were average for a baby DS's weight and age, one scoop makes one oz of formula so I had a fairly good idea how long it would last.

Different hospitals have different policies on taking bottles in, check with your midwife or labour ward what they do there :)

[therewearethen]

It does say on the tins the age of the baby then xoz, x many feeds in 24hrs so if your baby does what it says on the tin then it should be fairly easy to work out assuming they say how many scoops are in the tin.

DD is almost 5 so it's getting hard to remember, I also expressed what I could and she fed every hour! But a large tin wouldn't last a week so maybe 5 days and the smaller tins prob 3 at the most.

[ThedementedPenguin]

I use aptamil, I get about 5/6 days per tin. My ds is on 6oz bottles now.

I do have to say that on the side of the tin it does tell you how many bottles a baby should take in 24 hours. But it's a guide. If your baby does this then great for you but my ds has never followed this.

He's meant to take 5x6oz bottles a day. Some days he only takes the 30oz but others he takes more. Way more. When you find the right one for your baby I'd buy another tin when you've got the cash so you have a few spare. I recommend this.

[ThedementedPenguin]

Oh btw my ds is 16 weeks today.

[therewearethen]

Oh and I've been to scared to ask the midwife about formula whilst in hospital as I don't want to have the breast feeding lecture (I am planning to express when I get home as I did the first time) I've bought some ready to use bottles and put them in my bag just in case they don't provide them.

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[ThedementedPenguin]

Don't be scared. I felt the same but once I decided I was Ff I refused to listen to anyone. My community me tried to talk me into it but I just told her not to waste her time as she wasn't changing my mind.

When in hospital after ds was born I felt no pressure from anyone. The mw asked I said Ff that was end of discussion.

[ukbecky0774]

my 19week old baby is on 6 oz bottles and hes hungry every 2 hour plus hes on hungrier baby milk! i use cow and gat and 1 tub lasts me 4-5 days, not everybody follows what it says on tub theres only you that knows your iwn baby :)

[therewearethen]

Did they bring you botlles or did you have to keep asking for them? I was in for 3days with DD as she wouldn't latch on to feed so I asked for a bottle in the end which was met with a lecture but I just wanted to get home, but by the time my DM came to pick us up it was about 4hrs later but there was no sign of another bottle

[ThedementedPenguin]

I had to go and get them. Every time he needed fed I had to wander up to the nursery and get a bottle. Oh and I was only allowed one bottle at a time but others had 4-5 at their beds.

[Twattybollocks]

I seem to remember it being about a tin a week for ds.

[Dogsmom]

Thanks everyone, not as bad as I thought, I was thinking 2-3 tins a week!

penguin I've been a bit worried too about the pressure to bf when I really don't want to but will channel my stubborn side! I'm already getting pestered each time at my mw appointments about attending the bf classes.

[carrielou2007]

Hospitals do differ but most you will need to bring bottles and Milk and they will sterilise them for you. They only otherwise provide them if you find you are not getting on with bf though they won't let any baby starve! Don't know about tins is if about one a week? From advice of friends who ff don't bulk but tins as though they have a shelf life you don't know what you'd baby will get along best with.

I expressed with my dd when I went back to work but went back later with ds and he would normally have z feed mid afternoon. I didn't have a clue and asked my lively childminder what I needed and which brand of milk to go for but was shocked at thd price of it! I did try giving him a bottle before bed sometimes then too to try to help him sleep through the night but nothing worked. The first time he ever slept through was the day I stopped bf him at 2

[peanutMD]

I decided from the get go that I didn't want to BF my DS and made it clear that I didn't want support to try. I never felt pressured and in fact the only person I ever came across who was bothered was my HV who when asked if it was okay to make feeds up in advance, replied with "you know that babies are built to BF and in Africa feeds are always available as they just wear them on their fronts"

I am 31 Weeks with DC2 and have decided to give BF a go this time and have requested a different HV :o

A tin of formula lasted us a week for the first 12 Weeks (based on maximum of 4 scoops, 6x p/day) then around 5 days afterwards as you need to use more scoops but everyone will be different.

Contact your maternity unit about provision of formula, ours gave little glass bottles of ready made stuff

[ThedementedPenguin]

Dogsmom just be assertive. Your best to just say I'm ff my baby, and don't listen to anyone. Just calmly decline all offers about bf classes and stand your ground.

[curiousgeorgie]

What hospital are you going to?

I formula fed and they had the small glass ready made bottles, I'd also taken the same ones in and they specifically told me not to use them and just to use the ones provided.

They gave me a few when I left too!

I think between 4 and 6 days per tin with my DD.

[Dogsmom]

I'm going to the Queens Hospital in Burton.