Question about formula feeding

Apr 191 min read

First time dad here. Our pediatrician cleared us to start formula supplementing and I'm doing it wrong constantly. How much are you guys warming the bottles? We're using room temperature water sometimes and cold water other times and I can never remember which one he prefers. Also is it bad that I'm mixing bottles from different brands? We got samples from the hospital and my mom sent her own stuff. Just want to make sure I'm not messing up my kid already lol.

11 comments258 views

Comments(11)

MMason T.New DadApr 21

What specifically are you doing wrong? I had trouble with temperature consistency at first - kept making it too warm or too cool. And definitely start with small amounts to see how their stomach handles it before ramping up the volume.

MMikeRegularApr 20

Both my kids did formula and honestly there's not much you can mess up that badly. As long as you're following the ratios on the container and using clean bottles you're golden. What's the specific issue?

DDaniel R.RegularApr 20

Hey congrats on the new baby and welcome to the chaos. What's going wrong with the formula feeding? Like is it the mixing, the amounts, or something else?

LLucas M.RegularApr 20

We had the same issue with our first. The trick is to make sure you're burping him/her between sides or every ounce or so. Gas bubbles were making our kid spit up formula everywhere until we figured that out. Also, paced bottle feeding helped tons - let them control the flow more.

MMike R.New DadApr 19

You're doing fine, formula feeding is an adjustment for sure. I'd say aim for around 98-100 degrees and honestly most babies are pretty forgiving if you're close. The pediatrician cleared you so you've got this.

TTony V.RegularApr 19

I warm ours to about body temperature before feeding. Bath time is already chaos enough without adding formula issues to the mix, so getting that part right takes one thing off the stress list.

AAlexRegularApr 19

Four kids and I can tell you formula feeding is a whole different beast than breast. Don't stress if it takes a week or two to dial in. Every kid takes bottles differently too. What's your biggest struggle - prep, amount per feeding, or something else?

LLucas M.RegularApr 19

Congrats on the formula feeding start! What specifically are you having trouble with? The amounts, the temperature, mixing it right? Happy to help if you want to walk through your process.

MMitchell R.RegularApr 20

First time with formula can feel overwhelming but you're already doing better than you think just by asking questions. The pediatrician cleared you so you're on the right track.

AAlexRegularApr 19

YouTube was my best friend when we started supplementing. There are tons of good videos from actual pediatricians showing the proper technique. Don't stress too much about it, babies are more forgiving than we think.

DDerekRegularApr 20

First time dad too, literally no idea what I'm doing. What specifically is giving you trouble? The temperature? How much to make at once?