Need some help regarding breast/formula feeding

Some of my questions are going to sound very silly but I'm new at this! Ok so I have been nursing but would like to wean off of this...I decided to give baby formula for the first time last night. Enfamil Premium Newborn as per my doc. She happily took 2 oz and slept for about 4 hours. At 1 am feeding, I opened up formula (ready to pour), poured it into Born Free bottle and heated it. (they are enfamil sample 2 oz bottles). She left .5 oz remaining. I capped the born free bottle and placed in fridge. She stirred/was hungry at 4:30 so I opened up a NEW 2 oz bottle and poured it into the born free bottle with the remaining .5 oz from the earlier feed and heated. SO--was this ok since that was in fridge or should i avoid reheating? At that feed, she also left .5 oz and I just dumped it. DH thinks you should avoid reheat, but I thought the formula was good in fridge for at least 48 hours. Package says any formula that is OUT must be used within 2 hours, but then it says "once feeding begins use within hour or discard." Confused. Does that mean if your feeding lasts over an hour? Sorry, I'm sure this sounds dumb. Meanwhile--breasts REALLY engorged and hurting since I didn't nurse. Should I pump to relieve? Contemplating pumping (but when? when i would normally feed her again?) and giving her the breastmilk and combine for a bit. Last question: washed and took apart bottles and let dry on my rack. Bottles/nipples/parts need to be completely dry of any water before using again, right? I ask b/c I only had a small starter set and I really need to get more so I'm not washing and rushing for each feed. Do formula mommies prep bottles ahead of time for night feeds? Sorry...I feel so dumb asking! EDIT: Oh crap. Enfamile site says "do not refrige for later feedings." Did I hurt her?

Message edited 1/12/2011 6:09:50 AM.

Re: Need some help regarding breast/formula feeding

I weaned slowly so I can't give you much help with the engorgement except to say pumping the pain but also cause you to produce more milk. You pump a little to relieve the pain & then go longer & longer between pumping.

As for the formula, once the baby has drank from the bottle, saliva is breaking down the formula - hence the reason why they want you to discard it within the hour - well that & they want you to use more

For the reheating, think of it this way, would you drink a milk based drink that was sitting out for two hours?

All that being said, most moms (including myself) have put a bottle back in the fridge & used it again on the next feeding. After the next feeding, I wouldn't use it.

HTH

Also with a newborn, no questions are silly.

Re: Need some help regarding breast/formula feeding

Posted by nrthshgrl

I weaned slowly so I can't give you much help with the engorgement except to say pumping the pain but also cause you to produce more milk. You pump a little to relieve the pain & then go longer & longer between pumping.

As for the formula, once the baby has drank from the bottle, saliva is breaking down the formula - hence the reason why they want you to discard it within the hour - well that & they want you to use more

For the reheating, think of it this way, would you drink a milk based drink that was sitting out for two hours?

All that being said, most moms (including myself) have put a bottle back in the fridge & used it again on the next feeding. After the next feeding, I wouldn't use it.

HTH

Also with a newborn, no questions are silly.

Re: Need some help regarding breast/formula feeding

I would just dump the .5 oz, it really isn't that much.

You can definitely prep bottles for the night feedings. I used to mix formula for the day and portion it into bottles at the start of each day so I could just grab from the fridge. Luckily DS took a cold bottle, so I didn't have to prepare anything before a feeding.

I'm not sure if the parts have to be completely dry or not. I had 6 bottles and I washed them throughout the day.

Re: Need some help regarding breast/formula feeding

Posted by nrthshgrl

I weaned slowly so I can't give you much help with the engorgement except to say pumping the pain but also cause you to produce more milk. You pump a little to relieve the pain & then go longer & longer between pumping.

As for the formula, once the baby has drank from the bottle, saliva is breaking down the formula - hence the reason why they want you to discard it within the hour - well that & they want you to use more

For the reheating, think of it this way, would you drink a milk based drink that was sitting out for two hours?

All that being said, most moms (including myself) have put a bottle back in the fridge & used it again on the next feeding. After the next feeding, I wouldn't use it.

HTH

Also with a newborn, no questions are silly.

Re: Need some help regarding breast/formula feeding

thanks, guys. i just called my mom crying saying that i know i did something wrong to her. :(

Re: Need some help regarding breast/formula feeding

I'm even newer at this than you, but I happened to have asked about the label on the formula the other day at our appointment. It has to do with bacteria. If you pour the fprmula into something else, you can store and pour from the package again. But if you attach a nipple right to it, you shouldn't reuse it because she backflows into the bottle. Does that make sense? You didn't harm her the one time, don't worry. But you should either be pouring formula from the formula bottle into something else then feeding her (you can always add more if you do) or discarding unused where she could potentially backflowed into it.

Oh, and you don't have to heat it. Babies can get used to having cold liquids.

DH wants me to keep trying to BF even though I have no milk, so we're supplementing formula through an s+s tube to the boob for now. That's why I know this. I want to EBF so I'm a little sad.

Re: Need some help regarding breast/formula feeding

Message edited 1/12/2011 7:53:53 AM.

Re: Need some help regarding breast/formula feeding

If you never want to pump/BF (I never did), the pain goes away soon. Avoid hot showers and put cold cabbage leaves in a tight sports bra!

I've reheated formula, and now reheat milk (I never gave cold...found DS's tummy was more upset w/ ice cold). But for .5 oz. I'd just throw it away--it was more if he left 4 or 5 oz.

I always premade night bottles (I usually made a days' worth of bottles the night before). GL!! And congrats!

Re: Need some help regarding breast/formula feeding

you are doing great

i never BF so i cant help there. my milk did come in and i just waited it out. took maybe a week. tight sports bra, do not let water hit your chest.

as for the formula - once you start a feeding with a bottle, dump whatever is left. if you think she might take the bottle again within the hour, i would just leave it out. i have reused the same bottle within a two hour period but I leave it out so its room temp, dont put it in the fridge and then reheat.

you didnt harm her

Re: Need some help regarding breast/formula feeding

Message edited 1/12/2011 9:09:54 AM.