Advice needed for a first time mum to be!

[cherryglitter]

Hi ladies,

This is just a general question really.. any tips or advice on FF?! Im due in 5 weeks and have chosen to FF, (much to the disgust of many of my peers, but that's another story )!!

Im a complete newbie to this and babies really! I understand that the tins come with a guideline of how much you should feed your baby and when. But obviously things aren't always black and white!

Any knowledge would be much appreciated.

xxx

 

[mandylou]

i just found its best to follow your baby, they will let you know when and how much they want to eat, i started out making 3 oz bottles (i started ff at 2 weeks) and max wouldnt finish them all the time but sometimes he would have more than others. when LO starts emptying the bottle start making 1 oz more i.e go to 4 oz bottles.

this is only what worked for us - it may not be the text book thing to do!
and yes the tins do have a guideline feed amount which is handy if you are unsure

 

[Claire788]

Yeah agree with above really, Luke was 9lb 4 when born, and was drinking less than the tin said, then more, then less, it was all very sporadic, depending on whether he was having a growth spurt or not!!

I'd do the same as mandylou said, make up say 3, and if he/she drains them do another oz, till you get an idea of how much and how often!!

 

[Lauraxamy]

Agree with the other girls! I made up 3oz bottles to start with and once she started to take all of them (which was after a week!) I upped her feed to 4oz... same again with the 4oz and is now on 5oz and has been content on that for the last 2-3 weeks. Your baby will tell you if their not getting enough etc and you'll know to make up more formula etc

 

[cherryglitter]

Thanks girlies! Its really horrible because you just dont know what to expect, as you probably all know!
I forget that almost every mother has been through this!! xxx

 

[blahblahblah]

Check with your hospital to make sure they provide formula whilst you're there and which brands. Then decide which brand you'd prefer to use (unless LO has other ideas!) - I'd recommend Cow & Gate or Aptamil - most of us get on ok with these (C&G is cheaper).

Have a few ready made cartons at home as it's much easier whilst you're finding your feet. Read the various threads on here about how we all make up our bottles - compare it to the offical guidelines and see what works for you. Very few of us do exactly what it says on the tin.

 

[WW1]

My advice would be to avoid buying too many bottles early on in case LO doesn't get on with them.

I bought a load of TT closer to nature bottles as they were on special offer and LO HATED them! I ended up giving them to a friend and buying a complete new set of Dr Brown's. I hadn't even thought that LO would care which type of bottle she used. Little did I know!

Another thing to be aware of is that the cartons are expensive but useful at the beginning (and when going out). It's worth having a few in.

The other thing is to stick to your guns. There may be people who try to make you feel guilty for FF - remember, as long as you and LO are happy and healthy that really is all that matters

 

[Mynx]

I agree with the others. Demand feeding is the best way to go when babies are so small. That way your baby is getting what he wants, when he wants it

Also as already said, dont stock up on bottles as sometimes babies can be really fickle about which bottles they like and dislike. I was lucky with Evie, she's not fussed about what bottles she has, so long as she has her milk I use Avent Teats with tesco wide necked bottles.

As for formulas, I use Aptamil for Evie and have never had any constipation, or other issues, whereas with my first born, she used to get terrible constipation while on SMA, so Aptamil is what I'd recommend

Mandylou's advice about how much to feed your LO is spot on. Better to start off with too much than not enough, and when he's draining the bottles, up the ounces! It's exactly what we did (and still do) with Evie.

Good luck

 

[WW1]

I'd recommend aptimil as well. Rebecca was on SMA to start with and it made her really constipated. Since she has been on aptimil we've had no problems.

I've not tried C&G or any of the others though so can't comment on them.

 

[cherryglitter]

Thanks for all your advice
I was thinking of using aptamil anyway Ive heard only good things about it! xxxx

 

[shayandbump]

Amy gets on well with SMA but I know a lot of LO's who've had quite a bit of trouble with it, making them very windy.

I'd suggest making sure you know how to use your steriliser before you have your LO; we had to call SIL round to show us when we realised we didn't have a clue!

Amy was FF from birth, excluding 2 tiny feeds of colostrum that I'd expressed in Hospital. She took roughly 2oz each feed every 2 hours; I would make up 3oz bottle though just in case LO is slightly hungrier one feed.

Also, I'm pretty sure the current guideline is that, after a feed is made up, it can last 1 hour at room temp and 2 hours in the fridge.