• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Women Deserve Better

Women Deserve Better: For us, that means better information, better support, and better choices. Life brings challenges. We bring empowerment, because we’ll never underestimate women.

  • Work
    • Find a Job
    • Build a Career
    • Take Maternity Leave
    • Thrive As a Working Parent
    • Know Your Rights at Work
  • Learn
    • Earn Your Degree As a Parent
    • Know Your Rights on Campus
    • Finance Your Education
    • Medical Care for Student Moms
    • Housing for Student Parents
    • Child Care While You’re In Class
  • Live
    • Child Care
    • Feeding Your Family
    • Elder Care
    • Housing
    • Clothes
    • Medical Care
    • Getting Around
    • Money Matters
    • Gardening
    • Special Needs
    • Fun
    • Self-Help
  • Love
    • Adoption
    • Bonding
    • Fathers
    • Your Parents
    • Support Networks
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Contributors
  • Shop
    • Shop
    • View Cart/Checkout
  • Support Us
  • Donate
  • Home

The Do’s and Don’ts of Formula Feeding

June 18, 2019 by Bethanie Ryan

Baby lounging drinking a bottle

I had every intention of breastfeeding my first child, so I was completely unprepared when I realized I would have to formula feed. Whether you plan on formula feeding or suddenly find it necessary, here is a crash course in do’s and don’ts.

Do: Stock up. Newborns can eat up to 32 ounces (131.2 grams) of formula a day. A standard container of formula contains 964 grams, meaning you’ll need a new package every week. Baby formula has a shelf life of a couple of years, so if you find a good deal, take advantage of it. Buy a one-, two-, or three-month supply, if you can.

Don’t: Stress about buying name brand. Baby formula is a highly regulated industry, so the difference between name-brand and store-brand varieties is negligible. There is no need to spend $30 on a fancy label when Costco has the same size product for $15. Don’t worry; you won’t be short-changing your baby in nutrition or safety.

Do: Try different varieties. Most babies do great with a standard milk-based formula, but for some babies, these formulas can lead to gassiness, indigestion, and an increase in spit-up. For milk-sensitive babies, there are alternatives, such as soy and protein hydrolysate. There are also formulas with nutrients previously only found in breastmilk, such as MFGM (milk fat globule membrane) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).

Don’t: Leave formula out or prepare too much ahead of time. Once mixed with water, baby formula is only good for 24 hours, if refrigerated, and it’s only good for one hour at room temperature. So if you like making bottles ahead of time, instead of on demand, make slightly less than the typical amount your baby drinks in a day. And if he or she doesn’t finish an entire bottle at once, make sure to refrigerate it immediately.

Do: Invest in good bottles. A messy bottle is a completely unnecessary hassle. Look for bottles with internal vents to prevent ingestion of gas bubbles. Try out different brands to find the ones your baby latches onto best to prevent leakage.

Don’t: Stress about getting formula to the perfect temperature. Some babies enjoy their formula heated to room temperature, but this isn’t always a requirement. Many babies will happily drink their formula straight out of the refrigerator. Some say lukewarm formula is easier to digest, but this is true for adults as well, and you don’t see anybody drinking lukewarm tap water.

Do: Invest in time-saving gadgets. Gone are the days of having to boil your glass bottles after every use. Most plastic bottles are dishwasher safe, and if they aren’t, you can always invest in a microwaveable sterilizer. And if you find you’re struggling just to keep up with making all of the bottles your baby requires, the Baby Brezza (basically a Keurig for formula) will whip up a perfectly measured out, evenly heated bottle in a matter of seconds.

Finally, remember: Regardless of whether you formula feed, breastfeed, or both, what is right for you and your baby is your decision, nobody else’s. Mom knows best, especially for something as important as keeping her baby’s belly full!

By Dalana Quintana

Filed Under: Feeding Your Family, Live Tagged With: bottle, bottle feeding, formula, formula feeding

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. What Baby Really Needs says:
    May 21, 2020 at 7:08 pm

    […] Bottles: You don’t need many right away, as every baby has a preference of bottle/nipple-type. Even if you plan on breastfeeding, a few bottles are useful to have on hand, especially if someone else is occasionally feeding the baby milk or formula. […]

  2. Postpartum Options: Breastfeeding, Formula, and Weaning says:
    June 16, 2020 at 11:42 pm

    […] If, for health and/or personal reasons, breastfeeding is not the best choice for you or your baby, that is OK! Luckily, formula exists to help your baby grow and can easily be distributed by other caretakers. Do your research, and don’t be afraid to ask for help regarding what type of formula is best, how much you should feed Baby, and best practices for keeping the bottles clean and formula safe! Besides the help available through your OB-GYN, pediatrician, and nurses, visit HealthyChildren.org to read up on formula feeding. You can read more in our article, “The Do’s and Don’ts of Formula Feeding.” […]

Primary Sidebar

Suggested Articles

8 Tips for Formula-Feeding Your Baby

Your Cheat Sheet to the Formula Aisle

When You Can’t Breastfeed

fb-share-icon

Footer

Women Deserve Better

23 hours ago

Women Deserve Better
At least they're curious?😂 ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Women Deserve Better

2 days ago

Women Deserve Better
Who is cutting the onion? 🥲I’m sharing this on the grid, because we all need a laugh.So this is not a poem.It’s about poo.And not even my child's poo.This is a story about the glamorous life of me right now.I'll keep it short, much shorter than my trip to the toilet.Both the kids were having screen time because quite frankly I had had enough and was at my limit, the move has been a lot and we were all a bit overwhelmed.Heidi had decided she wouldn't do her nap in the bassinet & so I strapped her in the carrier, seems to be the norm these days.Only, her nap lasted much longer than I had anticipated. An hour went by & the urge to pee was too great, yet so was the urge to not wake her.After careful consideration I thought I would attempt going to the toilet with her strapped in, surely I could manoeuvre all I needed to, and with a slight sway while weeing she may even stay asleep.Mother's can do anything right....But no, my body had other plans.Code brown alert.Not too far along post birth it was safe to say there would be no holding back. My mind was saying no... everything all postpartum down there was saying hell YES.So here I was, sitting on the toilet at my nanas house, kids out in the lounge while I was stuck on the toilet with my baby strapped to me taking a twosie.Other than the fact this was not my plan at all (and pretty unsanitary), she started to wake, of course she did.Now, unloading a baby from a carrier at the same time you're unloading timber is quite the awkward art. But here we were, my gorgeous little baby in my arms, carrier and pants at my feet with her apologetic mum just trying to finish what she unintentionally started.Luckily it was all smiles from her.I cooed & talked to her like it was totally normal for her to wake up in this little echoey room with her mum feeding the fish, and then it happened...her first official laugh.What a moment to behold.This is the way I live. This is what I do.Baby milestone book: place and date of first laugh 🚽✔️When Drew got home from work I needed a moment, just one moment alone to regain some dignity.I went to hand her over & he said,"yep just give me a moment to pee first" 🫠Art: @this_mama_doodles ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

womendeservebetter

Getting ready in the morning. #mommeme #mommemes Getting ready in the morning.

#mommeme #mommemes #parenting #parentingishard #parentingmeme #parentingmemes #dadmeme #dadmemes
Nothing quite as frustrating as your kid refusing Nothing quite as frustrating as your kid refusing to clean up. 

#mommeme #mommemes #parentingmeme #parentingmemes #dadmeme #dadmemes
True story. Me: Time for bed! Toddler: I'm going True story.

Me: Time for bed!

Toddler: I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.

#mommeme #mommemes #parentingmeme #parentmemes #dadmeme #dadmemes #bedtime #bedtimeishard #bedtimewithtoddlers #bedtimewithtoddler
Load More... Follow on Instagram
Thanks for signing up!

GET OUR LATEST NEWS

ABOUT

  • Our Mission
  • Contributors

SUPPORT US

  • Donate
  • Become a Partner
  • Share Your Story or Your Expertise
  • Promote Women Deserve Better

Women Deserve Better: For us, that means better information, better support, and better choices. Life brings challenges. We bring empowerment, because we’ll never underestimate women.

Copyright © 2023 — Feminists for Life of America • All rights reserved.