Katy left the following comment on another post and since I thought it would probably get lost there, I’m putting up my answer in a new post. (And don’t ever apologize for asking questions around here!)
I’m sorry Sallie, but I have yet another question. My husband and I have decided to bottle feed; and then I had to read these articles! (Note in 2022: Links no longer active)
https://www.ada.org/prof/resources/pubs/adanews/adanewsarticle.asp?articleid=2212
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/110/4/833
I had decided to go with the playtex nursers with the drop in liners because I’m concerned about the chemicals that can come from plastic bottles that have been boiled. How do you prepare your bottles? What type of water and formula do you use? Do you boil the water? I’m a nervous wreck!
Well, for what it’s worth, here’s what I do. It took us a little experimenting to figure this out and we did do things differently at a couple of different phases.
Our Bottle Liners, Water, and Baby Formula
I use the Playtex Nursers with the preformed drop-in liners that you mentioned. I have been very happy with them other than the cost – they aren’t cheap. We started with the little ones (4 ounce) and now use the big ones (8 ounce).
I don’t boil my water. I use tap water that has either gone through our Brita pitcher we keep in the refrigerator or else the PUR filter we have on the kitchen faucet. When we go out of town, I use bottled water.
We started out using Enfamil LIPIL with Iron upon the recommendation of the pediatrician. We used that for about four months. It is pricey although you can sign up for their mailing list and they will send you coupons which will help. (Be sure you do this for whichever formula you decide to use if you use a brand name like Enfamil, Similac, etc.) When Caroline started to get old enough to switch, I started researching store brands. I also talked with my pediatrician about this. From what I read, there is no substantial reason not to use the store brands. My pedidatrician said we could easily switch and we didn’t even have to do a transition time. Why in the world he didn’t tell me to use store brands in the beginning, I don’t know. But we switched and have had no problems.
Apparently the same company makes all the store brands so we’ve used Target (briefly) and now we use Meijer. I also have a bunch from Costco, but haven’t opened those yet. If you are a Costco member, that is about the cheapest place to get formula. However, I prefer to pick mine up at Meijer when they are on sale since I would prefer to support a local company (where my husband has a pension as well!).
If I had it to do over again, I would have started with the store brand from the beginning. It actually smells better and mixes better (I think). I cannot stand the smell of the premixed formula that you get in the hospital and can buy in the stores. (It is also outrageously expensive.)
Preparing The Baby Bottles
The method I use for making bottles has changed. When Caroline was just a few months old, I mixed the formula up for the day or so in all the little bottles and put them in the refrigerator. Then I would warm them up under hot running water. This was also during the late fall and winter so I wanted her to have warmer formula.
A few months ago I tried giving it to her at room temperature and she didn’t bat an eyelash. I’ve also given it to her ice cold now that it has been warmer and she didn’t mind that either. So I no longer warm them up! I now fill up six bottles at a time with filtered water and they sit on the kitchen counter until I need one. When it is time to eat, I put the powdered formula in, shake, and feed. It works great.
I would add that I really don’t think formula feeding is that much work. Some people tried to warn me that it is so much work to wash the bottles, etc. Well, it is a little more work. There were a few times I thought, “I don’t want to wash these tonight!” Then I reminded myself that the tradeoff was that I would have had to do every single feeding for the past x number of months. At that point, washing a few bottles seemed like no big deal. The biggest drawback, in my opinion, is the cost. It isn’t cheap.
We’ve never regretted our choice to formula feed from the start. We know we did the right thing for our family, especially given all that transpired with my c-section complications. David really enjoys feeding Caroline and I don’t know how I would have made it through those first few months if I had been the one to feed her every time. I know billions of women do it, but I’m glad I had a choice.
So that’s what I do. I have no idea if this would fly with the AMA or the American Association of Pediatrics (or whatever they are), but Caroline is healthy as a horse so it doesn’t seem to have caused any problems.
I wouldn’t worry about those articles. Let’s face it. We live in a day and age where people are constantly looking for something to research, make an easy buck, scare the general population spitless, etc. I would just go with what you were going to do unless you really feel God has put a check in your spirit that you are doing the wrong thing for some reason. However, please bear in mind that I’m also a woman who ate albacore tuna while pregnant and continued to drink coffee so I might not be the one to listen to if you want to be extra cautious.
Take care of yourself and that baby and please send me a picture so I can meet the little one!
