Find Baby Feeding Success with Formula Feeding

Updated June, 2021

Feeding baby in the first year of life comes with a lot of pressure and opinions about the ‘correct’ way to feed your child. I wanted to write this blog because I know I can come off as pretty heavy handed in my support of breastfeeding. I don’t apologize for that. I truly do believe that breastfeeding is wonderful and very important. But it isn’t for everyone, and I’m not sure there is enough helpful information out there for formula feeding moms.

Why Formula Feed

Families have a lot of reasons for formula feeding. Maybe milk didn’t come in, supply is low (see my blog about increasing your milk supply if that’s a concern), work doesn’t give you time to pump, it makes you uncomfortable, it hurts. I can list hundreds of reasons that families formula feed. The point is that in the first year of life, your baby’s primary source of food is milk. That can be either breast milk or formula, and if nursing isn’t your jam, then formula it is.

Here is the thing, you don’t need a reason to formula feed. Freedom Inside is all about finding what is right for you and your family. So maybe you simply want to formula feed because that is what is right for your family. There is nothing wrong with that. You don’t owe anyone an explanation. There is no right or wrong reason. If you want to formula feed, do it.

Mom Guilt

Of course, saying ‘just do it’ is easy on the surface. The mom guilt is real though. Of course it isn’t just about feeding our children, but formula feeding is one of the many ways I see it show up. Parents think they failed and the guilt gets to us.

I know you will hear it from a lot of people, but take it from someone who is a huge advocate of breastfeeding: fed is best. Breast, formula, it really doesn’t matter which one you do. Hell, most of our parents were raised on formula and at least some of them turned out just fine.

If you wanted to breastfeed and ended up having to formula feed for any reason, take a moment to forgive yourself. Maybe even take time to grieve how your envisioned your parenting journey to look. Be angry and outraged even, but forgive yourself.

The decision to use formula is not a sign of parenting failure. In fact, I think it is a parenting win. You are setting aside your ego in order to do what is right for you and your baby, regardless of what society, family, or anyone else might be telling you (if they weren’t constantly telling us this was wrong somehow, we wouldn’t have mom guilt to begin with).

Fed is Best. Full stop.

Supplies

Bottles

Selecting a bottle might be incredibly easy or unexpectedly difficult. Some babies form preferences for bottles or nipples. Dr. Brown’s bottles, despite being a really common brand, leak terribly. I definitely do not recommend those. Personally, I used the EvenFlo bottles and loved them. They are my number one bottle recommendation.

Sanitizing

If you use a lot of bottles, you are going to want to make a functional system for cleaning and sanitizing them. I know when I started out I would wash bottles then fill a pot of water and boil them. Then I would take them out and set them to dry. Most of the time I didn’t even forget I was boiling them. My partner did find the Phillips Avent Microwave Steam Sanitizer, a convenient sanitizer that you add a little water to, pop it in the microwave for a few minutes, and that’s it. Sometimes when very busy, fast is a must. The pot method does work too though, so it’s all about what works best for you.

You need to decide what formula to give your child. Reach out to your child’s doctor for some suggestions if you don’t already know what you want to use. Take time to really research ingredients and nutritional facts. Your child may have a negative reaction to some formulas such as spitting up, stomach pains, and allergic reactions. You may need to take some time finding what works for them. Don’t give up though. Short of a significant allergic reaction, you can use a formula that they are spitting up until you find one that their tummy handles well. Some food is better than no food.

Formula

Tips and Tricks

Be Prepared

Formula has to be prepared, so make sure you are always ready to provide on the go. This may mean purchasing the already mixed formula (though there is a significant price tag to go with that). Or maybe you always carry a bottle of water with you. Experiment with different approaches and find what works well for you. Either way, never assume you will have access to clean water when out and about.

Avoid Overfeeding

We have been socialized to ‘clean our plates’ and ‘not waste’. When we can see how much we are feeding out babies, we often subconsciously pass this practice onto our children. This means many bottle fed babies are pushed to finish their bottles even if they show that they are done eating. That is why breastfed babies often only ever eat up to 4 ounces even through their first year of life whereas bottle fed babies are often eating twice that. Pay attention to your child’s cues and let them push the bottle away. A little waste may be necessary, and it is better than having them overeat.

Do Not Prop

Propping a bottle is the act of setting your child on their own (often in a swing or chair) with blankets or other items beneath their bottle in order to angle it so that they can eat independently.

Eating and nutrition are about more than just getting food into your child’s stomach. It’s a special time to bond and grow with them. Save the chores for another time, or at least be sure someone else is snuggling and feeding. Building attachment now is incredibly important for your future meal time is a natural, easy way to build that bond.

Bottle propping or putting your baby to bed at night with a bottle is also a solid no. Doing so can cause them to get bottle mouth and ruin their teeth, even if they aren’t even in yet!