new to FF!

[*happy*]

Hey all,
Something tells me I'll be posting here alot in the coming months,so I just said I'd introduce myself! i'm a first-time mommy of the most beautiful little girl in the world (slightly biased!!! ) I achieved my goal of BFing for 6 months (didn't think I'd last 6 days initially so am a little surprised that it's bittersweet for me!) and have spent the past few weeks using BM in a bottle, swapping one feed at a time.

She is turning 7 months on Thursday & I am taking the big leap from her having exclusively BM to having some formula! (cue Jaws theme music with my nerves about figuring this whole thing out!!!) She had 2 teeny feeds of Aptimal in the hospital when she was born so I have decided to go with that brand. It was suggested to me that I use the newborn version instead of the stage3 one.

I guess I'm wondering how other people have done a switch like this?How do i know how much to give? I'm assuming that it'll take a couple of weeks for her to have only formula, right?

Currently, she's feeding @ 7.30, 12, 4.30 with a bottle of BM & being BF @ BT 6.30/7ish and a DF at 10.30pm.

Should i swap the first morning feed for FF first?Do i just give her 1oz formula & then finish the feed with BM?

Any tips of handy ways of prepping bottles?!what are the tricks of the trade?!

Sorry for all the questions!I'm such a novice with bottles!!!!feel like i'm a "newborn" mother again!!!
TIA!!!xxx

[~Karen~]

I did similar with my DD.  EBF for 6 months then weaned her onto a bottle.  From what I remember I did it one feed at a time over a few weeks.  So first replaced mid morning feed with a bottle then the afternoon feed.  I went straight to a bottle at the feeds and didn't offer the breast.  I'm not sure if I was still doing a df or not but know my ds1's first bottles of formula were the dream feed ones.

[*happy*]

thanks karen!i'm hoping i wont have to bother with swapping the DF & that I'll be able to phase that out while still BFing. would i be better to try the FF at the 2nd feed of the day rather than the first so?

[~Karen~]

That's up to you!  I kept the morning one till last I think as it was my favourite.  All snuggled up together in bed  . 

[Lolly]

Have a look at these links - lots of information you should find useful!

Hopefully the links will be fixed soon so you can see the individual titles!

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=177535.0

Laura

[*happy*]

thanks a mill!!!some bedtime reading for me!!!!(or should i say pumping reading!!!)

[*happy*]

thanks so much...i've gotten through a few of those links already....just a little confused....
i was chatting to my friend who has FF from the start & she says she puts the boiling water into the bottles the night before so that all she has to do the following day is pop in the powder...
from what i've read,it seems that you should have the water min. 70 degrees when you put in the powder...so is what she's advising a little dodgy?!

[Lolly]

Technically yes! The manufacturers and health organisations have been saying for a while now that formula feeds should always be made fresh with water at 70degrees as there is a bacteria found in formula powder that can cause gastro type illness - the water is then hot enough to kill the bacteria.

In real life there are ways that formula is made and people have no problems with it. The UK recs are to sterilise bottles for as long as you are using them for formula but many people don't and there are some who don't sterilise at all.

I personally think that sterilising your bottles, adding freshly once boiled water and keeping in the fridge until you need to make the formula is a good option - we had to do that as it was they way our reflux formula had to be made and we had no problems. A sterilised bottle with water added and then sealed up will stay sterile for 24 hours.

Really it's up to you how you do it and the comfort level you have. I don't think the risk from the formula powder is that big a risk, but obviously the makers have to cover themselves and do their best to make all babies safe so this is the way they have to promote.

So your options are
1. Follow the directions, make it with hot water then cool and use straight away
2. Fill your freshly sterilised bottles, seal and store at room temp or the fridge, add powder when needed and warm
3. Make up your bottles in advance and store in the fridge - if you do this cool them rapidly, store in the back of the fridge not the door where it is colder and use with in 12 hours.

Which ever way you do it a formula bottle is good at room temp for 2 hours from being made up BUT once the baby has started drinking from it it needs to be discarded by 1 hour as becteria washes back into the bottle from their mouths and warm milk is a great breeding ground!

Hope that all makes sense!

Laura

[*happy*]

great!!!thanks a mill!!it just seems impossible (to a BFing mother who is used to just having it on tap&for feeds to be ready as fast as it takes me to unclip the nursing bra!!!) to judge when to boil the kettle so that it will be cool enough to add formula but not too warm for her to drink so that she can have it once she wakes up from her naps!!!i'm not able for all this maths!!!!


this might seem like a really silly question,but does the milk have to be warm?!

[Lolly]

No the milk doesn't have to be warm - if you leave the bottles of water at room temp you can just add the powder and feed. Really handy for night feeds! Not all babies will take formula at that temp though, especially if your LO is used to nice sweet breast milk so you may need to try different temps to see what she likes.

Once a kettle has boiled it gets to the right temp by 30 mins and the easiest way to cool a bottle is to hold it under running cold water swirling it around whilst the water runs over it. So, boil the kettle about 40 mins before she wakes and there you go! Or you can boil the kettle and fill up a thermos flask then you have water ready, put in sterile bottle, add powder and cool. Refil the thermos when you make a bottle and the water is ready for the next feed! Remember too that the water can only be boiled once, if you re-boil then the minerals in the water start becoming concentrated which isn't a good thing for your baby.

Laura

[*happy*]

thanks laura!you must think im a complete dope!!!honest im not!!!!it's been so long since i had to use my brain though!!!that's SUCH a huge help!!!thank you thank you thank you!

[Lolly]

That's ok - I was like you when I started formula feeding nearly 6 years ago - I've learnt a lot since then - just glad I can share the knowledge!

Laura

[*happy*]

oh good...glad to know it's not just me!!! thanks again!x

[~Karen~]

I used to make the bottles up for the day and leave them out and add powder when I was about to use and warm up.  Otherwise if you make it when they're hungry it takes a long time to cool down!

[*happy*]

ya....there's def a timing issue alright!!!