What's it like, formula feeding your newborn?

Franca123 · 15/12/2021 12:01

First job of the morning wash the bottles and stick them in the steriliser unless partner got to it first. Usually make up 3 or so feeds at the same time as making myself a coffee. Stick them in the fridge. Make sure the instant prep machine is topped up with water. Then we fed to a schedule, dividing it up between my partner and myself. The nights are good as by that age, we'd feed at bedtime, 7pm. Then one person would do a dream feed about 11pm whilst the other slept. Then switch so that the early sleeper did any night feeds. That way, we were both half rested. If one of us was ill or particularly struggling, they would have a good night's sleep in the spare room to recover. We never considered breast feeding. We also had a toddler so he never felt neglected or resentful thank god. Plus as they both got older, he would actually sit and hold the bottle in the babies mouth which was adorable. He would also bring me the bottle sometimes from his dad in the kitchen which really made him feel involved and important.

MikeWozniaksMohawk · 15/12/2021 12:07

I formula fed my two boys from birth. First because he wouldn’t breast feed and it was the only option. Second because I wanted to. If you can afford it I would invest in a Perfect Prep machine. They made life so much easier.

Luxembourgmama · 15/12/2021 12:07

It was wonderful. We could share the load and feeds were quite short so we just spend lots of time. Lying on the couch cuddling her in pottering with her in the sling. She had a soother too (ff newborns need them) so she rarely cried. We washed the bottles in the dishwasher and had a microwave steriliser. I really enjoyed my time with her from the first day.

Nahhh · 15/12/2021 12:08

Happy mum is best. If feeding him formula will make you happy then go for it x

Franca123 · 15/12/2021 12:09

It's also nice because visitors can feed the baby. I know that the family has loved that with our two. The only down side is washing the bottles. For some reason I was all anti putting them in the dish washer for ages. No idea why. Now they go in the dishwasher and come out sparkling. If i had my time again, dishwasher and perfect prep from the start.

CheesyFootballsAreEvil · 15/12/2021 12:09

Buy loads of bottles you will be cleaning and sterilising a lot

SockFluffInTheBath · 15/12/2021 12:11

Can’t help with the routine as it was a long time ago, but DD 14 was bottle fed. She’s healthy, strong and we have a lovely relationship. Look after yourself as well as your baby OP.

Franca123 · 15/12/2021 12:11

Good point. I probably would have bought double the number of bottles second hand.

Franca123 · 15/12/2021 12:12

Enjoy your baby. That's the most important thing.

daniellemumof2 · 15/12/2021 12:14

@stalebananabread

I'm not here for a breast v bottle debate! I breastfed my first baby for a year, exclusively for the first six months. While it was brilliant in many ways, it was also incredibly hard. She refused a bottle so I had no respite, and the sleep deprivation and pressure of being the only source of food triggered a crushing PND. I always said I wouldn't do it again.

I gave birth to our beautiful second baby four days ago. He latched immediately, so here we are - back at the beginning of our breastfeeding journey. I had forgotten just how hard it is. He has a tongue-tie (hopefully to be snipped) and is a big, hungry baby. He's feeding constantly. I'm shattered. My daughter is struggling and she needs me, but I'm glued to the sofa. I've had about nine hours sleep in total since I went into labour. I honestly don't think I can do this again and it's making me feel very tearful and low. I hated expressing, so that's off the table. I just want to give him formula and start enjoying my beautiful boy.

So please, formula parents, tell me what it's like? What does your day look like with your new baby? What are the challenges? What do you love about it? Did your midwife or HV help you?

I know that, nutritionally, breast milk is better. But nurturing a baby is about more than just food. Any advice or reassurance would be so appreciated.

I bottle fed my first baby exclusively and when we went out, I used the ready made cartons of milk which were brilliant. We bought MAM bottles which can be taken apart and sterilised in the microwave, which was an absolute godsend! I also had a tommee tippee prep machine for when we were at home which made the bottles to the perfect temperature. It was amazing for night feeds too, bottles made in about 90 seconds! My MW was pushing breastfeeding on me with my first but I stuck to my guns and FF. He's a happy and healthy 5 year old now and it was so helpful having my husband helping with night feeds too. My HV was very supportive and very much supported fed and happy is best which I was so grateful for. I'm breastfeeding my second daughter exclusively and she's now 10 weeks old and although it is a lovely experience, it hasn't been without its obstacles and hardships xx

CheesyFootballsAreEvil · 15/12/2021 12:14

I did struggle a bit with eg. MIL being insistent that she should "get a go" feeding as it was a bottle. I was uncomfortable with the idea of anyone other than me and dad doing the bottle feeds for a fair few months. It might have just been my PND but I felt that feeding was our job and not a job for just anyone to do.

blossomkil · 15/12/2021 12:14

I tried to do what the midwife told me and bf but it didn't work and I hated it. Formula was like a miracle for me, absolutely loved it. I used powder and the perfect prep machine at home, and ready mixed bottles when out and about. We fed on demand, but generally partner would do a feed around 11pm, then I'd be up around 4am. It was summer and the sun was up so normally we'd get up and start the day, but sometimes id get another couple of hours.

If I met up with anyone they'd give the baby a feed during the day, while I drank my coffee.

It took a bit of organisation to remember to bring everything needed (although I'd not often buy bottles of formula out and about) and to keep on top of washing up. Nothing like as challenging as bfing though.

Franca123 · 15/12/2021 12:15

Oh, the other advantage was, I came home after the birth within about 24hrs. Shattered as hadn't slept well on the ward. Handed the new baby to my MIL and went upstairs to bed. Had a great night's sleep and then was ready for the challenge of caring for a newborn.

MonkeyPuddle · 15/12/2021 12:16

Hi OP. I felt similar to you with my first. I tried breast feeding but a lack of quality support meant I formula fed from about a week old.

I used a perfect prep machine and had a microwave steriliser. I had about 6 bottles, I would wash them in the sink (no dishwasher) bung then in the microwave and then put the bottles back together so they stayed sterile on the worktop til I needed them.
Once I’d figured out my routine it was grand. DS thrived and I was happy.
There’s funny rules about making up bottles when you’re out and about in order to kill any bugs in formula, so I used the small bottles of premade and just poured it into a sterile bottle if we were out and he needed a feed. Easy, but could be a bit pricey.

FTEngineerM · 15/12/2021 12:16

I switched to bottle at a month this time and not gonna lie it’s fucking fantastic.

With my first I had time to sloth about watching Netflix all day, I had no other responsibilities and it was lockdown. It was great, I mean I found it icky in the sensation sense but nothing I couldn’t get past to give him all he needed myself.

This time round it’s just not practical, same thoughts as you. Now life is like this:
In the morning who ever gets up with the toddler runs around the house collects the 7 bottles and washes them, refills them and then bungs them in the fridge ready for microwaving when he’s ready.

Then throughout the day he will have 3-5oz every 2-3 hours and at night he has 1-3oz every 3-4 hours. He sleeps like a log. He vomits quite a bit. He needs burping after every single feed, even at night 😭.

But my partner can stay in bed with the baby in the morning until he wakes up (about 7:30) and I can go downstairs and have breakfast and play with our toddler. It’s so nice getting that alone time, I just wasn’t able to before. Our toddler has calmed down too has he got really frustrated when all my attention was with this little imp😂.

For us at least, it’s been purely positive. It didn’t help my second was much bigger than my first and they’re in the same size nappies already 3m and 17m 😂🤦🏽‍♀️ So he needs a lot more food than my first too.

Partner does most of the night feeds now to be fair, he’s great.

Congratulations 🎉

WouldIBeATwat · 15/12/2021 12:20

@Franca123

It's also nice because visitors can feed the baby. I know that the family has loved that with our two. The only down side is washing the bottles. For some reason I was all anti putting them in the dish washer for ages. No idea why. Now they go in the dishwasher and come out sparkling. If i had my time again, dishwasher and perfect prep from the start.

Dishwasher tablets scratch the insides of bottles, which can then harbour bacteria. They should absolutely not be dishwashed.

Antsgomarching · 15/12/2021 12:22

I used perfect prep machine and MAM bottles - no steriliser needed for MAM. Was great DH could share night feeds. I struggled with breastfeeding and my milk supply was shit tbh. Was a relief to go over to the bottles. Bottles are a pain in the ass, but so is clusterfeeding and having to get up several times a night.

LightSpeeds · 15/12/2021 12:25

Five children here and I tried to breastfeed them all with varying degrees of success. It wasn't always possible because it is a blummin' hard thing to do (especially if baby isn't full-term or has other problems).

Bottle feeding is easier in many ways: someone else can make up the bottles; you can prepare in advance; someone else can feed the baby; baby tends to go longer between feeds; you're not reliant on maybe a limited supply of breastmilk especially at the end of the day and the stress if you're struggling to produce enough milk; resting, eating and drinking isn't critical...

In my experience (3 girls, 2 boys), boys do want to feed much more thereby adding to any pressures. If you are stressed, your milk supply may be affected too.

I had to combination feed my twins (breast and bottle) right from birth due to their weights. I kept going with this method for over a year, so that's an option too!

I know that a stressed mummy usually makes for a crying baby, so do whatever is easiest for all of you...

Franca123 · 15/12/2021 12:26

@WouldIBeATwat is that it? Don't remember that. I thought it was something to do with salt. I'm not going worry about germs in micro scratches! I'd never sleep at night

Getyourarseofffthequattro · 15/12/2021 12:28

Easy! I had a perfect prep machine and a cold water stereliser. So bottle made in two mins, when done washed in soapy water rinsed off and chucked straight into the stereliser for the next time I needed one. I usually had 4 bottles in there at any one time. Always took the little cartons out with me and fed them room temp. And I could let someone else ie dp feed him.

Flangeosaurus · 15/12/2021 12:29

Yep FF DS2 here after trying BF for a week and finding it so hard due to a tongue tie. DS1 was also FF as he was on NICU and wouldn’t latch and when we finally got home the thought of continuing to express and bottle feed was just soul destroying so we switched to FF. Definitely get a Perfect Prep it will make your life so much easier. 6-8 bottles is ideal otherwise you’ll constantly be washing and sterilising. For getting out and about I boil the kettle, leave it for 20 mins ish then fill a flask so it’s still hot enough to kill bacteria but not so hot it takes 3 years to cool down while your baby screams it’s head off in a cafe. You can also take a separate flask with cold boiled water to help cool feeds as well - do half from the hot flask, dissolve the powder, then top up half from the cold flask. The best part for me is sharing the nights, we both get a decent chunk of sleep (around 4 hours) so nobody feels like they’re about to die.

BalloonsOnFire · 15/12/2021 12:32

I combi fed babies 5 and 6 after ebf my first 4 and honestly the freedoms just combi feeding gave me was amazing I felt so much less stressed

Florin · 15/12/2021 13:00

I loved it, it is lovely as you can share the load. We went out to lunch 3 times in the first week. Overnight dh stayed up to about midnight for they feed then I took the 3am feed and he got up early and took him downstairs when he woke up and did the early morning shift. We had Mam bottles which are easy to use and great if you get caught somewhere and need to sterilize as you can sterilize a single bottle in a microwave. He slept through the whole night every night from 10 weeks which was lovely as we got plenty of sleep. He liked to be held all the time when he was tiny so he got plenty of cuddles when he was awake. We have an extremely strong bond and now many years later he is my very cuddly boy and it meant both husband and I were completely equal parents from day one and still are which has been wonderful for all of us. We had such a wonderful start with him as we could share and tag in and out if one of us was having a hard time. If we had another I would 100% bottle feed from the start.

Letsallscreamatthesistene · 15/12/2021 13:10

I had a formula fed baby here!

I had -

perfect prep machine (made FF VERY easy and quick, bottles were ready in maybe 1min?)
avent steam steriliser (great because you can load it up and turn it on. Has a fairly big capacity)
avent anti colic bottles

My tips would be -

make sure all bottles are sterilised at the start of the day. Sterilise them all again just before you go to bed.
have about 4 or so bottles in total. Means you can go for a fair few feeds and not have to sterilise.
make sure you have one extra tub of formula in the house, means you never run out.

Thats about it really. I think it gets hammed up to be a massive hassle but I really dont think it is.

m0jit0 · 15/12/2021 13:11

I bottle fed my second after breastfeeding my first. There is a bit more washing up to do and preparation involved. "Luckily" it was during lockdown so didn't have to worry to much about going out and about and having enough bottles with me. One thing I missed was having my hands free when feeding, much more difficult to keep myself entertained with a book or my phone during the night feeds when bottle feeding. But on the plus side because I was bottle feeding I could share the night feeds with my OH and get more sleep.
Do what's right for you Op.

What's it like, formula feeding your newborn?

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