Easiest Way to prepare Formula in Advance

BTDT Moms..Did you use Powder or Liquid Formula?

Did you use a pitcher to make a bunch in advance and then use a microwave or hot water cup to heat it up?

For those that used drop ins, did you make a few bottle the night before than just add water? Is powder left overnight in a drop in ok?

I KNOW i am way jumping the gun here but this is the chapter I am up to in my raising twins book and wanted to get everyones opinion.

Out of all my concerns, I *think* I am most nervous about feeding them at the same time.

Re: Easiest Way to prepare Formula in Advance

when they were born we used the same formula .. i would prepare all the bottles with the desired amount of water needed (ounces) and then when it came to feeding time i just had to scoop the powder formula in.. and done!

i would boil water and leave a pitcher on the counter and let it sit. use as room temp
much easier giving them room temp bottles than warming it up.. especially at night!!

for nights we made 8 bottles with the water and i got the container with the pre measured formula (life saver!) so when they got up for their bottles just pour the formula in the bottle and done! i didn't need to go and prepare .

but for months now my children are on 2 different formula's because one has acid reflux. and he is on the ready to feed.
i honestly think the powder was much easier for me.

at one point i mixed a pitcher of the formula ..but then it would have to be cold and again, i didn't want to warm it up.

Re: Easiest Way to prepare Formula in Advance

Re: Easiest Way to prepare Formula in Advance

I also did the same..room temp water poured to the proper oz and used a formula measure thing to pre portion the formula.

I suggest getting them on the same schedule right away..otherwise you will never sleep. If one wakes to eat, wak ethe other one to feed them. GL!

Re: Easiest Way to prepare Formula in Advance

i used Dr. Browns from the start. they did really well with them and i had no problems.
i know people hate all the parts , but we have the dishwasher baskets for them and its easy!

and yup, same feeding schedule since birth!
if i was alone i fed one then the other right after. OR the boppies were great.. i would hold the bottles for them and feed them at the same time.. then when they got a little older i would prop the bottles.

but at night sometimes they didn't wake up at the same time so i would let the other sleep and feed him when he got up.. but then it wasn't always working in my favor because of course he would get up when i had just gone back to sleep so most of the time i just woke the other up and feed both.

Re: Easiest Way to prepare Formula in Advance

I made formula in advance and kept in fridge and heated to room temp using bottle warmer. It is not the quickest way, but my DCs never did well with mixing bottles on the spot... too many air bubble and foam in the bottle.
I used Avent bottles with DC#1. The twins I am using the cheapy evenflo bottles. I have all these expensive bottles but these are the ones the babies like best.

Re: Easiest Way to prepare Formula in Advance

i used playtex drop-in for all 3 of my kids. loved them.

i used the ready to feed formula for awhile. my kids had issued with the powder in the beginning. i would just make a bunch of bottles and keep them in fridge. i put them in a cup of hot tap water to warm them (i never amde them warm....just tok the chill off and made them room temp)

at night, i used the smaller ready to feed bottles (they have 2oz and 8oz) and just pured them right into the bottle as needed. i was alone feeding them most night b/c of DH's work schedule so it does cost a bit more but for the first 2 months it was worth it for me.

Re: Easiest Way to prepare Formula in Advance

We used Doc Browns. We always used the water filtered from our fridge and powder. We didn't warm bottles and babies were fine and got used to cold bottles.

We make in advance and as they started drinking more and more, we'd make in blender, let settle in fridge and then pour out into bottles.

We did all this with my older daughter started taking 6+ oz per bottle and it really saves time and mess with the twins.

ETA: We sterilize the bottles when first bought, but then used the sanitizer setting on the dishwasher after that for every cleaning.

Message edited 3/15/2011 5:02:47 PM.

Re: Easiest Way to prepare Formula in Advance

We use liquid formula and always prepare bottles ahead of time.

I usually just pop them into a cup of hot water for a few minutes and get them to room temp.

As far as sterlizing we had the doc brown microwave sterilizer that we used for the first three months. Now we just had wash or throw in the dishwasher.

ETA: I used Doc Browns bottles which we love. Def work wonders for babies with reflux or severe gas!

Message edited 3/15/2011 7:55:35 PM.

Re: Easiest Way to prepare Formula in Advance

Re: Easiest Way to prepare Formula in Advance

I thought I would use the drop ins, but Georgie was only 4 lbs when he came home from the hospital so I needed to use bottles where I could easily see how much he was eating to make sure he was eating enough.

We used Evenflo bottles. I think they are $10 for a dozen of them. Each night, I would prepare all of the bottles for the next day. I sterilized the bottles by boiling them (and still do this now!). it was not a pain at all. We use powdered formula and bottled water.

We never heated the bottles----just gave them to the boys cold. They never had a problem with it.

Re: Easiest Way to prepare Formula in Advance

It is scary to think about, but you just have to figure out what works best for you. I used powder because it is cheaper. I have a Dr. Brown's formula mixing pitcher and I used drop-ins. I make bottles in the morning for the whole day and the next morning. I find it much easier to mix a big batch and not get clumps with the pitcher.

Re: Easiest Way to prepare Formula in Advance

i like powder, i think the babies like the consistency of it too, the premade is kind of.. thicker...

and i have a 2 and half year old and my twins are a month old and i totally make a huge pitcher! and i invested in two bottle warmers everyone swore waste of money just heat it up with hot water no screw that any little thing that can get my job done easier for me on top of what i have to do is worth it

i bought the 20 dollar munchkin ones from walmart- bought two... so as i rambled on i could have simply said ... powder- and make a pitcher, i got the dr browns one

Re: Easiest Way to prepare Formula in Advance

I use the Playtex Ventaire bottles and we sterilize them in the dishwasher. When it comes time to make bottles we have a pitcher of water on the counter that we leave at room temperature and prepare a bottle when we need it using the powder. We learned this trick from other multiple moms on LIF and it has worked out great so far!