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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

SUPPORT thread for Formula Feeders

177 replies

riab · 13/11/2006 10:34

Hi everyone, I'd like to start a thread for people who are forumla feeding or who plan to Formula feed.
Whatever your reasons are for choosing to formula feed they won't be questioned here. This isn't a thread for long drawn out debates it is a place where you can ask advice from other parents on topics like;
whats the best sterilisation method
different brands of formula
weaning of bottles
etc

riab
x

OP posts:
pudding77 · 14/11/2006 21:49

good luck

krimbokrackerskayzed · 14/11/2006 21:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MKG · 14/11/2006 21:57

Hi,

I ff and I'm in the US I think it's interesting that you have guidlines over there, because I have never heard of them. We just follow directions on the container, which I don't ever do. I made mine from bottled water, put them in the fridge and microwaved them.

chipmonkey · 14/11/2006 22:28

Koshka, do you know you can use MAM teats with Avent bottles? Far less leaky!

louismummy · 14/11/2006 22:54

have any of you swapped bottles. we did use haberman to get ds off breast but the bottles leak and are a faf and expensive, so i want to change bottles have you any experience of this?

WriggleJiggle · 15/11/2006 00:31

Firstly, great to see a ff thread. About time one happened without it turning into a fight.

I b/f so doon't know much, and its probably a silly question, but I've always wondered why bottles need sterilizing and why milk can't be left all day? Can't help but suspect the guidelines say you have to just so you get through more formula, and so they don't get sued. Are there any biologists out there who know?

chipmonkey · 15/11/2006 00:54

If sterilising were unnecessary, how would Avent manage to sell all those sterilisers? Apparently sterilisation isn't recommended at all the the US anymore.

chipmonkey · 15/11/2006 00:55

Louismummy, how old is your ds? Could you try him with a cup or is he too young?

MKG · 15/11/2006 01:08

Sterilizing is recommended here in the US in certain circumstances. Here we have public water which has been treated with chlorine and well water which is untreated. If you have public water washing bottles in the dishwasher is fine. If you have well water they recommend to sterilize as the bacteria in the water isn't as controlled.
I can't tell you how many people don't know this and still sterilize. I think it is more of "mother knows best" situation where my mom did it so I should do it too.

xmasstocking · 15/11/2006 08:05

Fantastic to see some other people joining this thread!

Kosh - re the amount - I think the general consensus on here is that as long as your DS is happy, contented and putting on weight on the amount he is having, then it is enough - I think we are all worried that our lo's aren't having enough but I think I am starting to realise that who decides what is enough? Your DS will let you know if he is hungry I guess.

My bottles leak - I use Avent bottles and teats - not all the time but occasionally no matter how many times I screw it and unscrew it to try and seal it. I still use it though and the 'leaky' ones never seem to do DS any harm!

Moocow - agree that it is hard to do 4 hour feeds when the weather is crap - yesterday seemed VERY long and I was struggling to keep DS entertained until his next feed time.

pudding77 · 15/11/2006 09:40

Wrigglejiggle, I think they suggest sterilising just so no bacteria starts to develop in the milk bottles & you can't leave it out for the same reason! Having said that, they say to sterilise for the first year & then you can stop so it is probably more to make money & not be sued!!

xmasstocking · 15/11/2006 09:46

Have just been reading the Annabel Karmel book about weaning and she says that between 4-6 months, babies only need between 21-28 oz of formula a day - which is far lower than my HV says but is about what Ds is taking - made me feel a bit better anyway.

lazycow · 15/11/2006 10:35

I didn't formula feed before 6 months but I just wanted to save you mums some time - -Why not read this
thread

It has loads of good stuff about why there is no need to sterilise bottles.

In particular see the one by RTKangamummy a couple of pages down with a reply from a microbiology expert

fortyplus · 15/11/2006 11:12

Going back to dummies... mine both had one and I reckon we avoided numerous car crashes - nothing more distracting than hungry baby in the car seat next to you whinging for a feed - shove the dummy in and they shut up for half an hour or so. This was particularly great when I was bfing as if baby started to whinge my boobs used to squirt milk like anything. So you can imagine pulling up at the lights & someone comes to wash your windscreen and you've got a great wet patch spreading across your chest...YUK

pelvicflawed · 15/11/2006 12:45

This is a really interesting thread picked up some really useful advice from it. Thought I'd make you smile with my switch from breast to formula. DS was born 5lb 9oz and after going out of hospital two days after the birth we were back in again as he'd lost nearly 1lb in 5 days. To cut a long story short a month later he had gained some weight but still was around his birth weight and the health visitor was getting concerned (I was still bf and both dh and myself were exhausted and stressed) in the end the word 'top up' was mentioned. Orginally I had planned to breast feed to six months (first time mum - full of perfect plans!) but by now I didn't care and was getting very stressed by a baby who would bf for hours at a time and then still howl the rest of the day and night. Anyway bought a carton of formula gave him a few ounces and he went out like a light (never happened before!) for a good two hours by this time I was starting to panic had I damaged my baby????....was he ill??? had the formula somehow drugged him???- nope just for the first time in 5 weeks he had a full tummy and was content. From being some having strong ideals about bf I've now realised what ever makes your baby (and you!) happy is what matters!

Koshka1984 · 15/11/2006 18:10

chipmonkey - i had avent bottles, but they are all scratched/cracked at the bottom and i didnt like to use them!

I suppose i should just leave him to it, its just when it gets to six hours since his last bottle and he isnt hungry that bothers me! He is getting hungrier though.

Original poster
riab · 17/11/2006 13:25

lazycow, thanks for that link!

OP posts:
TwinkleInSantasEye · 29/11/2006 08:53

Hi folks. I'm still partially bf but just wanted to say how great it is to find some sensible discussion about ff. I have found it very difficult to find useful information on the subject anywhere as everything is so pro bf. Will read the rest of the thread with interest.

kizzib · 02/02/2008 20:16

I hope it's okay to restart this thread? The board seems too much BF discussion and hardly any FF discussion.

I am due in 2 weeks and plan to FF. My questions are:

1, how did you respond to negativity such as "at least TRY it" etc

2, the wee glass jars of formula in hospitals - do you put a teat over it or do you pour it into a bottle? Sorry to sound dim

3, do you ask MW for the formula or should you just go and get it yourself?

Sorry to sound like an eejit. First baby

LadyVictorianSqualor · 02/02/2008 20:21

Kizzi, you may be better starting a new thread with the same sort of title if thats what you want the thread to be about, a lot of peopel will see this one had so many posts and was started so long ago and maybe not post.

If someone says at least try and you really dont want to, tell them you've thought about it and made your decision and hopefully they'll respect that.

I'm not sure if hospitals are still allowed to give out formula, so you may have to take your own with you. I'd call the maternity ward and ask tbh.

AitchTwoOh · 02/02/2008 20:27

how do you respond at the moment? perhaps they're asking because they don't know that you have very valid and heartfelt reasons and think it might just be because you're scared or creeped out and they might be able to help you?

i think the best thing to do re the hosp is give them a ring, because like LVS says, each hospital is different.

Divastrop · 02/02/2008 20:27

kizzi-IME hospitals still provide formula for the first few feeds,the bottles come with a disposable teat as well.you usually have to ask for the milk when your baby is hungry.you should have been given a booklet by your MW explaining things like this?i have had babies in 3 differsnt parts of the country and was always given a guide to the local maternity unit/ward,with their policies,visting hours etc in.

as for no.1,i just said 'i dont want to'.but i deeply regret it now

hercules1 · 02/02/2008 20:39

I would ensure you make sure you have someone with you like your dp to make sure you aren't pressured. Be clear and concise and don't give them a chance to think you are not so sure.

LadyVictorianSqualor · 02/02/2008 21:21

Aitxh is right, they may think that by advising you to try it that you wont miss out on something you may have otherwise enjoyed, or think that you might regret it later on.
Can I ask what your reasons for not wanting to BF are? (I'm not going to try and persuade you otherwise, it just might make it clearer as to why people are still trying to persuade you once you have made a decision).

AitchTwoOh · 02/02/2008 21:33

like for example, there was a really interesting discussion on here where a woman Just Didn't Want To and the more she talked about it the more she realised she had a very real phobia of bfing, something that had probably been triggered early in her life.
she said she found it very helpful to realise that there were bigger forces at work and it put things into perspective for her. as far as i know, she ff but she said it had helped her personally to deal with the potential 'not best for baby' thing and more confident about handling HPs.
that said, i've also seen people on here say they didn't want to and it's turned out that they've been fed a lot of nonsense by 'helpful' friends and mothers, so were frightened. it's always worth exploring your motivations i think.

btw i wanted to bf but didn't manage, so have no axe to grind.

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