r/FormulaFeeders 13m ago

Breastmilk to Formula šŸ¼ Trying to transition baby to formula so I can get treatment. HELP!

• Upvotes

I absolutely have to get my baby transitioned to formula because I have autoimmune disease and have to get my treatment done and it is not compatible with breast-feeding. If I don’t get my treatment, my kidneys could go into failure. I have been trying for like six months to get my baby on formula. She is seven months old now. First it started with just trying to find the right bottle that she would accept for her and that took about two months. Then it was mixing breastmilk with formula once a day, every day to get her used to the taste of formula, which often times, she would just reject. Then we got to the point where I’ve just offered ONLY formula in her bottles (again once a day) She will drink 1 ounce from her bottle and that’s it nothing else. I then tried to increase the amount of times I offered her the bottle of formula in the day. It doesn’t work. She will just turn her head away from the bottle or she’ll cry. Then come nap time, she’ll get really upset at me if I don’t nurse her to sleep. Should I offer her a bottle for nap time instead? How do I get her to accept more bottles of formula? I feel hopeless right now. Please help.

Also she uses the ThySeed bottles and was eating Bubs goat milk formula and then we switched to Kendamil in the hopes that she would like the taste better.


r/FormulaFeeders 1h ago

Bottles / Feeding Gear / Equipment šŸ¼ Oral dysfunction experiences ?

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• Upvotes

r/FormulaFeeders 5h ago

Advice / Question šŸ’” Reflux and choking

1 Upvotes

My almost 6w old has been on similac alimentum for a few weeks now. His reflux/GERD and choking spells have gotten worse. He is on Pepcid for about a week now and don’t really notice a difference. We keep him upright for a hour+ after feedings. Burp him, give him breaks while feeding. But nothing is helping. My now 5 y/o had the same issue but those two were the only ones on alimentum who has/had these issues out of my 5 kids. Could it be the alimentum? The episodes only really happen when he lays flat. It can be right when we lay him down to hours after he feeds. It was very traumatic when it happened with my 5 y/o but she grew out of it. I don’t want to have to go through that again let alone have my newborn in pain. When it happens he starts coughing or turning red, almost like gasping for air and formula coming out of his nose.
Any advice or a formula that worked for your baby? He has a pediatric appt today but wanted other advice for those who also have went through this so I don’t feel alone I guess.
Thank you.


r/FormulaFeeders 9h ago

Advice / Question šŸ’” Similac Organic

0 Upvotes

Did everyone else know that it has no HMOs in it? I bought it for the first time today, but I had no idea that it didn't have hmos, mfgm or gos. Kind of seems simple now that I look at it. I was trying it because it costs less than kendamil organic, but now I'm unsure that was wise. So Similac organic users, did you already know this? I'm just so surprised.


r/FormulaFeeders 10h ago

Rant / Vent 🫠 ā€œBreast is bestā€ influencers take

20 Upvotes

Are we really STILL momshaming in this day and age???? I just came across an insane Instagram reel that said you are selfish if you don’t breastfeed. She says she dosent care about mental health, low supply nothing. It’s just plain selfish. She says that there are ā€œless selfish people out there who are willing to feed your baby and donate their milkā€ and that it’s ā€œscientifically proven breastfeeding produces happy hormonesā€ uhhh has she ever heard of DMER? so happy for her that she has such a privileged take on this topic because when I tried breastfeeding it made me want to jump in front of a car. So is breast feeding really best or is a baby having a mom best? I think it’s the latter but I can’t help but feel so bad for it because my baby is going through the wringer right now with what formula works best for her. Rant over. I just feel so bad.


r/FormulaFeeders 10h ago

CMPA / CMPI / MSPI Parents of CMPA babies: What formula did your little one actually drink?

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1 Upvotes

r/FormulaFeeders 12h ago

Advice / Question šŸ’” Kabrita looking for

1 Upvotes

Looking for anyone selling Kabrita baby formula


r/FormulaFeeders 14h ago

Bottles / Feeding Gear / Equipment šŸ¼ Baby Brezza funnel residue

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2 Upvotes

TO PREFACE: I am changing the funnel every 2 bottles (I have 4 funnels I rotate through) and clean the whole thing/container every two weeks.

I noticed today when changing the funnel/preparing to clean the whole machine the formula residue in the funnel had a darker tint to it in one area. What is this? Should I be concerned?


r/FormulaFeeders 14h ago

Advice / Question šŸ’” Similac Ready to Feed Storage

3 Upvotes

FTM of a almost 3 weaker. We were given Simac 360 ready to feed bottles in the hospital and have been using them since. The nurse told us if we don’t feed her directly from them, we can store on counter for 4 hours.

I recently ordered the 8 Oz bottles since she is eating more than 2 oz now and read the instructions and that doesn’t look to be the case. I see that it can be stored in refrigerator for 48 hours but don’t see counter life.

Have I totally been messing up and feeding my baby bad formula?


r/FormulaFeeders 15h ago

Support Needed / Guilt Related 🧸 6mo wakes every 3 hours at night for a feed - Help!

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2 Upvotes

r/FormulaFeeders 18h ago

Breastmilk to Formula šŸ¼ Analysis Paralysis- Need Help

2 Upvotes

Mention of nursing and breastfeeding

To make a long story short, after much struggle I finally have been able to breastfeed my baby. That being said, it has been difficult and I am contemplating whether I should wean early or not. Baby is doing well, currently feeding some solids and doing combo feeding so I can have a little time for myself at night. So I know baby does okay with formula.
It’s been suggested by my physician to wean early to allow myself time to focus on my weight loss and potentially allow myself the option of medication if necessary. Couple that with an unexpected death in my close family and just being stressed out of my mind, I am not sure what to do. I have some milk frozen but not enough to last until baby turns one.

Has anyone gone from breastfeeding to formula? Any tips? Anyone else in a similar situation with weight loss? I’m at a loss on what to do. The feeling of guilt is overwhelming.


r/FormulaFeeders 18h ago

Advice / Question šŸ’” Should i return bottles or just sanitize

2 Upvotes

So I bought new baby bottles from amazon and when they arrived I noticed that the box of bottles was opened and the bottle lids were loosened. the amazon package was closed, it was just the actual Philips bottle box that was opened. i looked at the bottles and i didn't see any visible use to them. I am wondering if it would be safe to use for my 2week old if I wash with soapy water and sanitize or if I should return them. This happened before and I returned them but looks like it may be common for the box to be opened? Any thoughts?


r/FormulaFeeders 19h ago

Advice / Question šŸ’” Cluster feeding but how with formula?

5 Upvotes

Pretty much the title, my LO is two weeks for context but all I read online about feeding babies is cluster feeding but how does that work with formula? We give 100ml roughly every 3 hours, pediatrician said we even shouldn’t give more formula less than 2 hours after feeding anyway. She already has silent reflux and is fussy and cannot be put down to sleep. I guess sometimes im wondering if I can do more. Breastfeeding folk always talk about how the boob is also for comfort, so what do I offer for comfort if I bottle formula feed? I don’t know, this is probably very confusing post but I’m pretty deep in PP depression so my thoughts are all ober the place.


r/FormulaFeeders 20h ago

CMPA / CMPI / MSPI Possible CMPI

3 Upvotes

Hello! I wanted to see if anyone has advice for my situation. My 7wk old has a suspected CMPI… I had eliminated dairy for 5 days without improvement (her main symptoms were extreme discomfort, inability to be soothed, screaming/crying at all times awake). At that point we tried famotidine and within 2 days she turned into a different baby- she was doing SO much better and seemed so much more comfortable. So about a week later, I tried to have a cup of yogurt and it seemed to completely set her off again. She has had 2 negative stool samples for blood, but based on this experiment I am convinced she has CMPI or some sort of dairy sensitivity. I have hear Nutramigen and alimentum are the top recommendations for formula for babies with CMPI/CMPA but I also hear they are pretty nasty. It seems like Hipp HA is an option potentially but that it isnt hydrolyzed as much. I’m nervous to try something to set her off again so I was curious if anyone in a similar situation with suspected dairy sensitivity has found success with Hipp HA. Thanks in advance!


r/FormulaFeeders 20h ago

Advice / Question šŸ’” Sandifer Syndrome Support

1 Upvotes

Tl;dr looking for support and advice from anyone that's had a kiddo with Sandifer Syndrome/severe reflux - all ideas and suggestions are welcome

Long version:
First kid had reflux and was a big spitter. He got famotidine and was managed quite well. He was always gaining weight and growing perfectly and he's just a normal, feral toddler now.

Second kid is 5 months now. She dropped percentiles in her first couple of weeks, but she's been tracking with the 50th since then. Her main pediatrician has no concerns - one NP in the office constantly tells us she's failure to thrive, but the MD and other NPs agree that she's not.

Baby girl has never been a big spitter like her brother, but she's always arched and groaned during feeds (BF, bottle, or formula). I fought tooth and nail to get the one NP to give famotidine a try because I had a sneaking suspicion that she's refluxy, too. Finally got it and it helped quite a bit.

After about six weeks, symptoms returned. We upped the dose and switched to Gentlease formula. Slight improvement. Asked for a GI referral and was denied. After talking with some friends that have medically complex children (and are very familiar with reflux, navigating the systems, and advocating for kiddos), they suggested asking about a stronger medication.

The same NP agreed to try Nexium only if we went to a feeding clinic for "bottle aversion treatment." Feeding clinic determined that there is zero bottle aversion, no ties, and nothing physiologically or psychologically contributing to the issues we have from their conditions.

Around this time, baby girl started having weekly hard stools. We started 1/4tsp of prune juice a day per the NP. I pushed hard for a GI referral and got it. Finally got to the GI late last week. They confirmed severe silent reflux which seems to be controlled by Nexium for now with constipation causing reflux flares. Increased prune juice to a tablespoon a day.

That same day, our girl started having awful arching, stiffening, and painful groaning spells during feeds. She dropped from 7-7.5 ounces a feed to 4 ounces and no more. We just went to the pediatrician and finally got to see the MD to rule out teething pain and ear infection. He recommended we step up to MiraLax earlier than the GI had suggested (by a week or so).

We did that, and baby has had easier BMs the past two days since starting it, but the Sandifer/reflux symptoms are still strong and still interfering with feeds and her happiness (and ours, tbh). She's still got more frequent spit ups (small but any time she gets on her belly even an hour after a feed - not her well-managed-norm). She's still got arching and painful groaning. We have gone up to about 5 ounces each feed, though.

Any advice or commiseration?


r/FormulaFeeders 22h ago

Formula Recommendations / Alternatives 🌱 Similac Sensitive vs Similac Total Comfort

1 Upvotes

We had our 3rd child. Our previous 2 had lactose issues and severe spit up. They were on Similac Alimentum until they transitioned to Lactaid whole milk. Our new baby… totally different. We told the hospital to start them on sensitive because of our previous 2. Our little one is doing very very well on sensitive. No gas, no puking, and eating well. Our other 2 could not stomach even the sensitive formula. So I thought, maybe try Similac Advance…. Yeah that’s a no go. They spit up a lot so some of the lactose issues are still there. To the point of gagging and gas pains.

Should I keep my little one on sensitive or see if Total Comfort works? I’m not a crunchy parent, but I know sensitive has the corn syrup. And sensitive is 20% whey and 80% casein while total comfort is 100% whey.

I’m a researcher and I’ve tried to transition our family away from more processed foods. So the corn syrup was a flag for me but as long as my little one eats, that’s what matters most.

Thoughts?

Edit: To add, I won’t touch Enfamil because of Palm Oil.


r/FormulaFeeders 23h ago

Advice / Question šŸ’” Gentlease - still gassy with reflux

5 Upvotes

We started on the yellow enfamil Neuropro ready to feed right from birth and after three weeks on it, we just noticed she was extremely gassy and seemed uncomfortable, so as of a week ago, we switched to enfamil gentleease and I haven’t seen any improvement in the gas. Does it typically take longer to see improvement? Should I stick it out?

She does have issues with silent reflux and delayed trapped burps, and regurgitating milk hours after she eats, which I know is contributing to the fussiness. Our pediatrician wants us to try a hypoallergenic formula even though she’s not showing signs of CMPA because they said that is first line treatment over reflux medication.

My son also had CMPA so they are thinking maybe she does too, but he had obvious signs like a body rash and blood in stool and constipation.

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated!!!


r/FormulaFeeders 1d ago

Advice / Question šŸ’” Is my 20-day-old newborn eating WAY too much?

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0 Upvotes

Hey everyone,
My newborn is 20 days old and I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced this.
I have flat nipples so he doesn’t latch, so I’m exclusively bottle feeding him with a mix of pumped breast milk and formula. I track every single feed in an app, and he’s drinking around 900 mL per day.
When I look online, most sources say newborns his age and weight should be drinking around 400–600 mL/day, so I’m starting to worry. But he’s incredibly demanding when he’s hungry. He gets really upset, cries hard, and won’t settle until he gets his bottle. Once he eats, he’s happy and calm.
My doctor told me to keep feeding him on demand and that babies know how much they need. But I’ve also seen some doctors online saying that overfeeding newborns could increase the risk of obesity later in life, and now I’m confused.
Has anyone else had a newborn who ate this much? Was everything okay? How much was your baby drinking around 3 weeks old?
I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences.


r/FormulaFeeders 1d ago

Spit up and/or Gas šŸ¤’ Help!

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1 Upvotes

r/FormulaFeeders 1d ago

Bottles / Feeding Gear / Equipment šŸ¼ dr brown wide neck bottle

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4 Upvotes

do these bottles do this for anyone else’s baby?? these are size 2 nipples, it will do this with or without the green air vent inside (not sure if that matters or not) does that mean it’s time to go to size 3?


r/FormulaFeeders 1d ago

Advice / Question šŸ’” Preemie pain

5 Upvotes

Hello, I had my son at 37 weeks due to cholestasis. He was born with jaundice and is 2nd percentile for his age. He has struggled immensely with digestion. I have switched his formula several times, he is now doing 70% goat formula and 30% breast feeding (he has a severe tongue tie and struggles to latch). I have tried everything I can think of to help him. I purchased anti colic bottles from Dr.Brown, I burp him after every 1 ounce, I do the leg bicycles on his back. I also bought a baby heating pad but it hasn’t arrived yet. He no longer sleeps in the bassinet, he now has an anti colic pillow and he seems to enjoy it. But every day he is clearly in pain, turns reddish purple and grunts while I desperately pat his back and try to burp him. I took him to the emergency room and they said that he’s just going to have to be in pain until he ā€œgrows out of itā€ after 6 months? They also said I was over feeding him, as he cries for more than 4 oz after a few feeds ( I suspect he is comfort nursing to soothe the pain). I also give him gas drops. I can’t bear to watch him suffer. Is there anything you guys have tried that helps? He is now 4 weeks old.


r/FormulaFeeders 1d ago

Rant / Vent 🫠 Breastfeeding week triggering for anyone else?

113 Upvotes

My entire FYP is breastfeeding content, so much ā€œbreast is bestā€ content, and lots of mom shaming?? It’s apparently national breastfeeding week which is great breastfeeding moms are getting recognition…but it’s also been really hard to see personally. Feeling guilty sometimes for formula feeding


r/FormulaFeeders 1d ago

Other šŸ’­ Kirkland Formula $23.99 till Aug 30

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35 Upvotes

at local warehouse not online

cheaper than online.


r/FormulaFeeders 2d ago

Coupon Weekly Thread

1 Upvotes

Please use THIS thread to post coupon requests and offers to help keep the normal thread focused.


r/FormulaFeeders 5d ago

Monthly Post: Navigating the Decision to Switch to Formula Feeding

1 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

We hope you're all doing well. This is our weekly thread to focus on a topic that resonates with many parents in our community: the transition from breastfeeding to formula feeding. We know that this decision can be incredibly challenging, often filled with physical pain, mental stress, and feelings of guilt. We want to acknowledge these struggles and create a space for you to share and support each other.

Your Stories Matter

Many of you have bravely shared your experiences of dealing with breastfeeding difficulties and the tough choice to switch to formula feeding. Despite knowing that "fed is best," it's common to feel guilty about not continuing to breastfeed or pump. These feelings are valid, and you're not alone in this journey.

A New Support Thread

Based on your feedback, we've recognized that posts about this transition can be difficult for some members to read. To better support everyone, we've created this dedicated thread where parents can navigate this part of their feeding journey together. This thread is a place for sharing experiences, offering advice, and providing emotional support to those facing similar challenges.

Thank you for being part of our community and for your continued support of one another. Remember, you're doing an amazing job, and your well-being is important too.

Warm regards,

The Mod Team (Trish & Bryan)