Formula Feeders Faff Free Fred.

[TheDetective]

Hello!

As another lovely poster started a thread to discuss formula feeding, and it was sadly hijacked. I am starting this thread for mums who are formula feeding/mixed feeding/expressing and giving via bottle. Hell, it's for anyone who feeds their baby.

It is not for a bun fight, and it is not to discuss the benefits of either method of feeding!

Just to share tips, information and support.

Chat away!

[EggsMichelle]

Found this thread a few days ago and have been reading and absorbing every comment since. DS is 13wks old and bf until he was 11wks. Poor supply and unhappy mum and baby led to ff and although I get guilty pangs on a daily basis, DS is so much happier and content (currently giggling and squealing on his play gym).

I found this document helpful when I first started ff www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/formulaguidance.pdf although am still struggling with the idea of traveling with bottle so thank you for all the advice. We don't plan to be flying this year, but do enjoy long car journeys so storing of ff is essential.

[NappyHappy]

Hi Eggs, ds3 sucked until my nipples turned black, nothing was coming out of them. This was after him being on each side for 1.5 hours then screaming when I took him off. This was on the day he was born. Along with the family situation at home it was best for us to ff.

I am still impressed with that bottle cooler

Does anyone live in Manc?

[VisualiseAHorse]

Just wondering how many fulltime FF mums feed on demand? Now LO is on formula full time, all his bottles are made up in advance and he feeds at certain times (7am, 2.30pm and 6.30pm). He is 10 months and full established on solids.
When he was mix-fed (0-3 months and then 6-8 months) I BF and FF on demand, depending on how I was feeling :)

[Lora1982]

Just a quick question, surely the formula would become sterile if its in the bottle then warmed upto 70-80?

Anyone else mix feeding? I only have one decent boob so ff makes life easier for me... And im all for doing this job the easy way!

[sweetpea1112]

visualise DS is 14 weeks and ff fed and I feed on demand . He averages every three hours.

[Zara1984]

Visualize I FF my DS on demand, but he settled into a bit of a pattern by 8-10 weeks. He is 4.5 months now and generally takes 5 feeds a day, but may take a 6th one in the late afternoon.

Got advice from Aptamil helpline yesterday about growth spurts and amounts DS is taking (he's eating more than normal this week) - it is a fantastic service, faster than your HV!! Would really recommend, their nurses are really helpful on all sorts of feeding issues including mixed feeding and shifting from bf to ff.

[Pikz]

I too on demand. I did when expressing and now still on ff. he's in quite a pattern now though at 14 weeks.

[wigglesrock]

I fed all my 3 on demand. They were all formula fed from birth. Probably would have worked out at around every 3 hours but when they were newborns to about 6 weeks or so it probably was more like every 2.5 hours. They all also clusterfed especially in the late afternoon.

[NappyHappy]

I ff them all when they were hungry, my mum was surprised I didn't have them on a 4 hour routine from birth! I told her would she like to be starved for a few hours?!

With the first 2 they wanted feeding every 2 hours or so til they were about 4-5 months old then it spaced out more. DS3 is 6 months and goes 4-5 hours day and night and is a pain to feed, he laughs at me which is cute though. DS2&3 cluster fed a lot in the evening in the first month or so too.

It is easier just making up all the bottles in one go then chucking them in the fridge til use.

[GingerDoodle]

I batch sterilise my 4 big and 1 small bottles (electric steam steriliser) and use them as needed throughout the day.

At night i make up two bottles. One goes in a cold bag with ice packs to take up stairs for the night/ morning feed, the other in the fridge for the morning / lunch feed.

I use aptimil ready made bottles (and cartons if I am out), more expensive but I prefer just pouring it out (lazy!).

My DD will drink it cold but I usually run some hot water into a jug and warm it for a few minutes if its been chilled.

I think its awful there is not more information on ff. I really struggled with knowing how much my DD should be having when she was small.

[Zara1984]

Bump bump

How are we all doing ladies?

[TheDetective]

Ahhh, crap here!

I need your Gaviscon administering tips ladies!!!!

[OooohShiny]

Detective, I mix gaviscon in the bottle with a teeny bit of just boiled water first, you can see then that is has all dissolved and there are no lumps, Ido the same for out and about. Once that has been done I top up with my usual flask water and formula ( my theory being that the boiled water has cooled enough and is so little that it makes no significant difference to the temperature).

[NappyHappy]

What size teats are you using Detective? Whenever I've had to use Gavisvon I've found that its thickened the milk more so ended up going up a size.

I've a question for you too Ladies, ds3 is on size 4 teats and is collapsing them, do I make the holes bigger with a pin? I can't see the variflow ones for them.

[OooohShiny]

Yy Nappy, I forgot to mention that - luckily neocate is o thin it makes no great difference but experienced teat blockage many, many times before we switched to that.

Is it Avent you're using Nappy? I'd try the pin on the size 4 if so as the variflow even at their max are slower than the 4's

[TheDetective]

I think we have solved the Gaviscon problem. One dose is enough rather than the 2 he is supposed to have! He wouldn't have 8oz, so putting 8oz and 2 doses in meant he wasn't getting the right dose anyway. So he is having 6oz with one dose.

Seems to be working!

The teats aren't blocking. He's on NUK bottles, we have both the medium and large teats, and he is fine with the medium. The large was too fast, waaaaay too fast, and we got that for the staydown formula is it was blocking the medium flow. But the large is a bit ridiculous. Might ring NUK and ask for a bloody refund because we'll never be able to use them.

[NappyHappy]

Thanks Shiney I'll heat up a pin later when I find one! Its the new shaped Avent ones, he's taking waaay over an hour to have 7-8oz too. Plus its weaning time so don't know how he's gonna fut it all in! He isn't liking spoons so finger foods it is I think!

That's ace Detective, always good when you get things sorted. Is the Gaviscon doing its job?

[NappyHappy]

Thanks Shiney I'll heat up a pin later when I find one! Its the new shaped Avent ones, he's taking waaay over an hour to have 7-8oz too. Plus its weaning time so don't know how he's gonna fut it all in! He isn't liking spoons so finger foods it is I think!

That's ace Detective, always good when you get things sorted. Is the Gaviscon doing its job?

[TheDetective]

Yes, it is at the moment! I think we are on to a winner here. We are on lactose free milk, gaviscon, and ranitidine. It seems pretty good now. I don't want to count my chickens though........!

[Pikz]

I have a very possetting baby especially since broncholitis. Any advice?

[NappyHappy]

Oh no, poor lamb just sit baby upright and wind every couple of oz. That's all I can think of.

[ChasingDaisy]

Perhaps a smaller teat size for a while, whilst everything recovers?

[zigwig]

I could use a bit of advice please. My bubba is now 4 weeks old and has been really suffering from what I assume is trapped wind for the last two. We've been using infacol and it helps but for the last few days it seems to be getting worse again and today he has been throwing up some of his feeds and trumping for Britain. We also try things like massage and frequent winding etc.. which all seem to help but I'm wondering what's worth trying next. Do I try changing bottles? One of our mw recommended dr Brown's bottles but they're an expensive outlay if they don't help. Or is it worth switching formula to the aptamil comfort? Has anyone any experience using it and did it help? Or has anyone got any other suggestions? Help!

[Zara1984]

Sorry to hear about that zigwig!!

DS was very windy and farty (farting made him cry) too at that age and vomity too. For Infacol to be most effective you have to use at every feed. However you have to wind very very thoroughly or the joined up gas bubbles will go into intestines and be big painful farts.

Bicycling legs helped DS a lot. When we thought he might not blurk everywhere we would do a couple of minutes tummy time (they can do it from birth!) and that would often bring up wind!

Different winding techniques can help. DS' wind best comes up by sitting him on lap, rubbing back. Another good technique is to lay over your lap and gently pat bum.

How often during the bottle are you winding? At that age we had to wind after each 1/3 bottle.

Gripe water was pointless shite and made the bottles smell like dill, grrr!

We never changed formulas (he's always been on Aptamil). Would very much recommend the Aptamil helpline or live chat, it's staffed by nurses. If you explain the situation they could advise whether switching formula is a good idea. Obv best to check with your GP and HV but I find it's faster to get an answer out of Aptamil helpline...!

It's very common at this age and I thought it would never get better, but by 8 weeks it was noticeably better and by 12 weeks pretty much resolved. The intestines of a baby are working much better after even 6 weeks - it is all new after all and working out the kinks!

[Zara1984]

With persistent wind and colicky behaviour, I have heard lots of good things about Dr Browns bottles, too. Obv if you can get some improvement without buying new kit, that's better!

I stressed so much about this when DS was that age but it is a bit of a case of riding it out.