Dear Geraldine,
I know that you work predominantly with breastfeeding issues, but am hoping that you may be able to give me some guidance with bottle feeding. My little boy Felix and I tried to breastfeed, but as he wasn’t gaining any weight and I will in a great deal of pain, we decided to bottle feed.
Firstly, I am currently using the powder SMA formula and other moms have told me that Aptimal is better?
I also don’t know how to arrange my day so that I have enough bottles ready, whether I should prepare them as I go or whether there is an easier way?
Lastly, I am confused by how much milk to give Felix. Sometimes he won’t settle after a feed and other times he throws up.
I would really appreciate any help or advice you can impart.
Warm regards,
Phillippa Want
Hi Phillippa,
I am sorry that you had a tough time with breastfeeding, but the important thing is that you are both well and enjoying each other now. I am sure it was not an easy decision to make.
I have not spent a lot of time studying the contents of different formulas but I know that most breastfeeding moms prefer to use Aptimal Easy Digest as this is less likely to cause constipation and indigestion. All babies are unique though, so if you feel that Felix is doing well on the SMA. there is no need to change to something different.
You have not mentioned how old Felix is, but I am going to assume that he is between 3-6 weeks as you have had breastfeeding problems for a little while. As Felix is not a newborn any more, provided your bottles are clean and sterile and you use once boiled water, you should be fine to make up your bottles in the morning.
So, in the morning, wash and sterilize your bottles. Whilst you are doing this, empty the kettle, rinse and refil. Now boil it, so that it is ready to be poured into freshly sterilized bottles once the sterilizer turns off. Pour in the correct amount of water – 3-40z depending on how much he weighs, and stand to cool. Use a formula dispenser (small tupperware divided into 3 compartments) to measure out the correct amount of formula to match the amount of water in bottles, and stand at room temperature.
When Felix gets hungry, simply add one compartment of formula to a bottle of cooled boiled water and feed. If you have enough bottles for each feed, you will only need to wash and sterilize once a day.
With regards to amount of formula, give him small breaks after each 40ml, and wind at this point. Use a Dr Browns or Born Free bottle to ensure that he is not going to swallowing too much air – which often leads to babies not settling and throwing up. Get a feel for how much milk he is able to take at a feed (let’s say 120ml) and then make up an additional 30ml so that you have it to hand should Felix be extra hungry and looking for a bit more (make up 150ml).
I hope this helps. If you have more questions and need some practical help with winding techniques and so on, come and see me at the practice in Twickenham.
Kind regards,
Geraldine
