https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:34:31 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1834373 Mon, 25 Aug 2014 09:59:35 +0000 Modern Daisy 1834373@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We wasted a lot of formula too! I think you are alewady doing what you can. I just switched DS to whole milk and i feel like i won the lottery, lol! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1834296 Mon, 25 Aug 2014 09:32:07 +0000 Applesandbananas 1834296@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mae: another thing I was thinking about, maybe you could sign up on enfamil's website for coupons, it might make it psychologically a little less painful to have to dump some!</p> <p>Hang in there! This too shall pass, I promise! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1834123 Mon, 25 Aug 2014 07:56:16 +0000 looch 1834123@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mae: I tend to agree, I mean, I do more or less the same thing with food with my son...I make more than I think he'll eat because the few times I've made less, he's asked for more and there's no time to make him more when he decides he wants it. I try not to think about it too much...cash in the trash, you know? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1834109 Mon, 25 Aug 2014 07:45:57 +0000 Mae 1834109@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: I used to do that, making as little at a time on demand. But really the 30 seconds it takes to dump powder and shake is enough for lo to change her mind about eating. We are just coming off a reflux and allergy induced hunger strike that left us having to dream feed her every meal to get her to eat. Since we switched to nutramigen and I got on an elimination diet 2 weeks ago she has been improving and has actually eaten entirely willingly for the past week, but she is still super fussy about it. I think maybe considering the circumstances I'm going to just have to suck it up and wash a lot if bottles and waste a bit if formula until she gets back to eating more normally/happily. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1834097 Mon, 25 Aug 2014 07:37:56 +0000 Tanjowen 1834097@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went through this stage around 3 months with our LO, and it did suck washing a ton of bottles! And wasting formula, especially when it's so dang expensive :/</p> <p>Our method was this:<br /> - Make up a 4 oz bottle in the morning, then pour 2 oz into the bottle we offered him. Kept the 4 oz bottle in front of us and poured in 1 oz if he wanted more. Stored anything left in the fridge. (usually 2 oz)</p> <p>- Next bottle, would make up a 4 oz bottle, warm up the 2 oz in the fridge, and offer him that, then add in oz from the 4 oz bottle again.</p> <p>Repeat throughout the day. It was a weird rotating system, but it worked! And thankfully, it seemed like a short phase he went through of doing this and then it passed. Hope you find something that works! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1834067 Mon, 25 Aug 2014 07:10:38 +0000 erwoo 1834067@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not sure how old your LO is but when my oldest had to go to formula, I stuck to a 3-4 hour schedule. It all kind of worked out that he always had one before his naps and sometimes after if he has a good 3 hour stretch. He sometimes gave me 4 hours. You can always get a formula pitcher. I think Dr. Brown sells one and you can mix enough for a day and pour as much as you think she'll eat. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1834057 Mon, 25 Aug 2014 06:58:28 +0000 looch 1834057@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Did you find a solution that works??? My son drank his formula at body temperature, never cold. We never made a full day's worth of formula, I just did it on demand, as below.</p> <p>This might be more work than help, but what we did was to prep bottles of water and then measure out formula in a dispenser. We'd heat the water, and then add the powder. If you did 2 ounces at a time, you could be feeding one bottle while warming the water only for the second. If she stops after one serving, all you've done is heated the water. If she needs a second, all you have to do is add the powder. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1833478 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 14:36:56 +0000 mlm2934 1833478@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mae: ah gotcha, I'm lucky that F will drink cold formula </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1833471 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 14:32:27 +0000 Ginabean3 1833471@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We used a pitcher as @runnerd: suggested and it worked really well for us! Minimal waste. But my LO would drink it cold so it was pretty easy..... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1833459 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 14:16:52 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1833459@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lion: that's basically what I did. I had the pre-mixed in a large bottle and poured an ounce or two at a time. But my LO was fine with cold milk which was great. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1833452 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 14:11:37 +0000 Applesandbananas 1833452@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lion: lol I'm not sure! Hopefully it works out for F and Mae! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1833441 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 14:02:54 +0000 Mrs. Lion 1833441@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Applesandbananas: hmm...</p> <p>Can formula be heated more than once? If there was one ounce left after a feeding and it was put in the fridge, and then 5 ounces of room temp water/powder were added to it for the next feeding, i would think that would be ok. i can't see any reason it wouldn't be as long as it wasn't out of the fridge for long and was kept from contamination...? Or am I missing another rule haha :) why is feeding g babies so hard! Sheesh! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1833436 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 13:57:23 +0000 Applesandbananas 1833436@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lion: that sounds brilliant! I've forgotten a lot of this stuff too... I remember mixing bm of different temps was a no-no, but what about diff temps of formula? I wonder if the "pitcher" bottle would be warm enough for F if a few of the oz are fridge temp and a few are room temp? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1833428 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 13:48:25 +0000 Mrs. Lion 1833428@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What if you mix 6 oz for the feeding in one bottle and then pour 2 into the bottle she will drink out of. Then add 2 more if she finishes that, and so on. Then refrigerate whatever is left (in the bottle that hasn't been contaminated) until the next feeding. Then you could just add water and powder to that bottle to get to 6 oz for the next feeding, and dump whatever is left at the end of the day. You probably wont waste more than an ounce or two per day that way, and you are only washing one bottle per feeding, plus the bottle that serves more like a pitcher just once per day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1833423 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 13:43:01 +0000 Mrs. Lion 1833423@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mae: @Applesandbananas: oh ok that makes sense. We did both. Oh man I am going to need to read up...Lo is only 17 months. How did I forget this stuff already?? </p> <p>No suggestions other than what has already been said. I hope these help! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1833420 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 13:42:13 +0000 Applesandbananas 1833420@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mae: yeah, I was thinking it'd be easier than the 1oz, 3oz, and 2oz bottles. What if you did the playtex drop ins? I've never used them but it sounds like it could reduce the washing? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1833417 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 13:40:53 +0000 Applesandbananas 1833417@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lion: I think once they drink, it can't, but I think if you were to mix a bottle fresh and baby never drinks out of it and it gets into the fridge in less than an hour from the time it's mixed, it's okay for 24 hours. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1833416 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 13:40:31 +0000 Mae 1833416@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Applesandbananas: Thats sort of what I do now with the making 3 bottles at a time. But I guess sometimes I get cocky and think "oh she'll take 4 oz" and that isn't the case. Also washing 3 bottles per feeding is annoying lol. But is prob my best option.</p> <p>@Mrs. Lion: That's breastmilk. My understanding is that for formula, once a baby drinks from it they have to finish the bottle within the hour or toss it. No refrigerating it and trying again later. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1833412 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 13:38:33 +0000 Mrs. Lion 1833412@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Once a baby drinks out of a bottle, can it not be refrigerated and then given at the next feeding within 24 hours? Or am I mixing up my feeding rules? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1833401 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 13:28:27 +0000 Applesandbananas 1833401@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What if you mixed 3 2oz bottles at her next feeding, they'd be room temp, you could offer the first, if she still seems hungry, offer the second, if she still seems hungry, give her the third. But if she seems done after 2oz, refrigerate the two bottles and at her next feed, heat up one of the bottles from the fridge and make 1-2 fresh, offer the heated one, if she wants more, offer the freshly made 1, then the next, or if she only takes 1 or 2 of the 3, refrigerate the bottles you didn't attempt to feed her and kind of get a rotation going. I'm not sure how long it takes her to finish a bottle, but I think having that rotation going could work out if they aren't sitting for too long. </p> <p>Or, you could get the RTF for the third bottle in the rotation, if you think you might be leaving those extra bottles out too long to be able to pop them in the fridge for the next feeding. It sounds like it's maybe once a day that she goes for 6oz, so in that case, one RTF bottle/day might be cheaper than the wasted formula. </p> <p>Hope that makes sense! Glad things are going better!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1833400 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 13:26:16 +0000 Mae 1833400@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. bird: I actually just emailed my insurance company yesterday to try to figure out the process for this. I'm not sure whether they cover it or not-- but I could def get an rx from my doc so I'm hoping that is a long term solution. Just today I was annoyed at just pouring 3oz down the drain bc I really thought LO would eat 4 and she only ate 1 haha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1833398 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 13:23:21 +0000 Mrs. Jump Rope 1833398@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mae: it pained me to waste Similac, so I can only imagine how you feel! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1833392 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 13:20:41 +0000 mrs. bird 1833392@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mae: this won't help you waste less, but might make it less painful to waste- have you tried having the doctor write a script for the formula? specialty formula is often covered by ins, occasionally with a fight, but everyone i know that's used it has been able to have their ins cover it. a former nanny LO of mine was on it &amp; we used to go pick up cases of the ready made every month at the pharmacy &amp; it just cost a regular prescription copay. formula is $$, but the specialty formulas are $$$$$, i hope they will cover it for you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1833391 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 13:18:47 +0000 Mae 1833391@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jump Rope: good point! Maybe I should keep track of how much I make v. how much she eats. I'm sure it is variant day to day but maybe there is an average. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1833386 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 13:16:48 +0000 Mrs. Jump Rope 1833386@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mae: well, is it possible to calculate how much you're wasting? I'm curious if the (expensive) ready-to-pour would offset the cost of the wasted formula, and fulfil your need for something quick &amp; easy! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1833382 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 13:14:14 +0000 Mae 1833382@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@runnerd: When we give her cold formula she throws up, so we have to warm it to room temp which takes a bit! It would def be easier if she'd take it cold so we could just keep pouring 1 more oz, 1 more oz. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1833376 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 13:12:02 +0000 Mrs. Jump Rope 1833376@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mae: ohhh. I'm sorry! I knew that but forgot :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1833368 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 13:09:08 +0000 mlm2934 1833368@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Dr. Brown's Formula Mixing Pitcher <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001I481LM/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_WOI-tb11XBQGG" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001I481LM/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_WOI-tb11XBQGG</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1833367 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 13:08:17 +0000 mlm2934 1833367@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know some people prepare a day's worth of formula and store in a pitcher - could you do that and quickly pour another 2oz in the bottle as needed? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-on-wasting-less-formula#post-1833356 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 13:03:55 +0000 Mae 1833356@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jump Rope: we have to feed nutramigen, which is already expensive (and why i'm annoyed now at wasting formula!) and the ready to feed is even more expensive </p>