powder question

Forget that my kids are 8 months old and pretend I'm a first time mum who doesn't understand any of this feeding business.
We are switching from liquid to powder because I want to start making my bottles one at a time as I need them. I think this will be easiest in summer when we are on the go.

Questions:
1. I want to make 8oz bottles with 8oz drop-in liners. If I fill the bottle up is there room to shake and mix?

2. How much water do I need?

3. Powder first or water first? If you do water first how to you go out - do you keep the water in another bottle? Isn't this a hassle?

4. What do you do to keep the bubbles to a minimum?


thanks, I haven't been on here in ages, but I need a little advice right now.

 

Hi,

I don't use drop-ins so I'm not sure how that all works. But in my bottles, I put the water in first at a 1:1 ratio (so 8oz bottle needs 8 oz water). Then I carry one of those powder formula carrying containers (that holds enough for 3-8oz bottles in separate compartments) and just add the powder when it is time to feed. Then I shake the bottle. I find that if you do a pendulum type shake/swirl it'll still mix well but have WAY LESS bubbles than if you do the shake up and down.

Not sure if any of the above make sense. GL.

 

Water first then powder. When I went out I would fill the bottles with the appropriate amount of water and then use a sealing/mixing cap on them. I would then carry the formula in a formula dispenser. When I had to mix I would pour the formula in the water and shake. I did use drop-ins with my older DD and you can squeeze the air out of the bag by holding it upright and pressing against the bag.

Also I used to keep some ready made canned formula in the pantry so if I was going somewhere that I didnt think I would have enough hands to make and shake, then I would just use the RTU.

 

Playtex now sells 10 oz liners that fit into the 8 oz nursers, if that's what you're using.

Though I've found that NO, there isn't enough room, unless you do it in thirds - dump in 1/3, shake, next 1/3, shake, last bit, shake. The powder mounds up and spills otherwise. I've also had trouble with the nipples clogging this way. Personally next time I'm going to try carrying the water in a separate container (pre-measured) and putting the powder in first, see if it helps.

I used to do fine though with 6 oz of water and the appropriate amount of powder, and it would come out to 7-ish oz. (The 8 oz water, 4 scoops comes out at more than 9 for us, which is what he eats now.) For that it was water first, powder in a formula dispenser, like the other people said.

 

It's been a while, but what I'm remembering is that I put the measured amount of powder into the liner bags and rolled them up wrapping them with a rubber band. I carried bottled water. When it was time to feed, I put the liner into the bottle and then poured in the water. I think I remember having a problem with clumping, so I think I put in half the water, shook it up, then added the rest of the water.

 

I started using the drop-ins and really like them. They make ones that expand up to 10oz and those are the ones I buy. There are two different fill markers on the actual bottle, one for the normal liners and one for the expandable liner. I always do 8oz (on the expandable mark) put the water in and then put 4 scoops of formula. Yes there is room to shake you just have to wait a second for the powder to sink to the bottom. The bottles should come with a cap so you can really shake them good. Good luck

 

Playtex does sell expandable liners most boxes read '8 ounces' but will say somwhere on the box if expandable. If you do use these expandable liners there is usually another set of measurements on the bottle that will say for expandable. The Playtex bottles I use have measurements on two sides - one side reads up to 6 oz and this would be for a non-expandable liner and the other side has measurements to 8 ounces for the expandable liner.

I would love to read what suggestion you get about the bubbles. I don't make bottles very often one at a time so it hasn't been an issue as of yet although we will be going on vacation soon and we will probably be doing just that. The few times I did do it I found that if I mixed the formula in one bottle and poured it into another a lot of the foam/bubbles stayed behind. I also had a friend tell me, although I haven't tried this, to go ahead and put a few gas drops into the bottle.

 

I didn't use the drop ins, but when I mixed powder bottles one at a time I added a dose of Mylicon (we used generic) to get rid of the bubbles. It's amazing how fast the bubbles disappear with that stuff! I also would suggest mixing the powder with just a bit of the water to liquify it then add the rest of the water.

 

QUOTE(pgmummy @ Jun 15 2008, 09:18 AM) [snapback]827582[/snapback]
Forget that my kids are 8 months old and pretend I'm a first time mum who doesn't understand any of this feeding business.
We are switching from liquid to powder because I want to start making my bottles one at a time as I need them. I think this will be easiest in summer when we are on the go.

Questions:
1. I want to make 8oz bottles with 8oz drop-in liners. If I fill the bottle up is there room to shake and mix?

2. How much water do I need?

3. Powder first or water first? If you do water first how to you go out - do you keep the water in another bottle? Isn't this a hassle?

4. What do you do to keep the bubbles to a minimum?
thanks, I haven't been on here in ages, but I need a little advice right now.


I don't like mixing in the drop ins, so we always have another bottle with the water. If you want 8 oz of formula, you use 8 ounces of water, then add 4 scoops of formula, then shake. I don't really have trouble with bubbles - they don't really pour into the drop in but stay in the mixing bottle.

 

QUOTE(Mom to Jack and Anna @ Jun 16 2008, 11:59 AM) [snapback]829301[/snapback]
I don't like mixing in the drop ins, so we always have another bottle with the water. If you want 8 oz of formula, you use 8 ounces of water, then add 4 scoops of formula, then shake. I don't really have trouble with bubbles - they don't really pour into the drop in but stay in the mixing bottle.


This sounds like a good idea to me. I've been interested in this thread because I will be weaning from the pump soon and transitioning to formula. I have some 9 oz. Gerber bottles I've been using to pump into and I think I'll keep them for mixing bottles and just pour into our drop-ins.

 

We just had the last bottle of liquid concentrate so I'm jumping into the powder at the next feeding. I tried a practice bottle and got lumps and bubbles. I figure I won't be uptight about the bubbles with an 8 month old and I'll keep working on the lumps.
Next time I might try half the water and then the powder. Having to buy the expandables is a bit of a pain since they are more expensive.

 

QUOTE(pgmummy @ Jun 15 2008, 01:18 PM) [snapback]827582[/snapback]
Forget that my kids are 8 months old and pretend I'm a first time mum who doesn't understand any of this feeding business.
We are switching from liquid to powder because I want to start making my bottles one at a time as I need them. I think this will be easiest in summer when we are on the go.

Questions:
1. I want to make 8oz bottles with 8oz drop-in liners. If I fill the bottle up is there room to shake and mix?
I don't use drop-ins, but yes there is room to shake.
2. How much water do I need?
If you are making an 8oz bottle, then 8ozs of water
3. Powder first or water first? If you do water first how to you go out - do you keep the water in another bottle? Isn't this a hassle?
I put in the water first, then powder. Sometimes we just make the bottle to go depending on when and where we are going...other times just water, sometimes nothing.
4. What do you do to keep the bubbles to a minimum?
I have Dr. Browns, and the bubble pretty much disapate on their own.
thanks, I haven't been on here in ages, but I need a little advice right now.

 

Questions:
1. I want to make 8oz bottles with 8oz drop-in liners. If I fill the bottle up is there room to shake and mix? Yes! There is generally still enough room in the nipple to allow you to mix it.

2. How much water do I need? About 8oz.

3. Powder first or water first? If you do water first how to you go out - do you keep the water in another bottle? Isn't this a hassle? I always measured out the powder into the liners/or bottle, and brought along a bottle of water.

4. What do you do to keep the bubbles to a minimum? A couple of drops of Mylicon works great for the bubbles!

 

The nutrients are in the powder, not the water, so you're fine if you end up using a little less water than is called for. I always mixed bottles one at a time and my method was to carry a small can of formula and 1-2 bottles of water in my bag. I would put the formula in the baby bottle first and then add water from one of my bottles of water. Shaking caused bubbles but that didn't matter after the babies were about 6 months old. Before that, I could add a couple of drops of Mylicon if it really bothered me and that made the bubbles go away.

If we were only going to be out during one feeding, I prefilled the bottles with water and took the little formula container that holds 3 servings of formula.