Reddit reviews Dr. Brown's Formula Mixing Pitcher

Twins are 2 months old! Also, that is what my bottle prep looks like.

I am pumping, and supplementing my breast milk to boost the calorie content still. I use the Dr. Browns's formula mixer pitcher to prep the milk for the day, and then sterilize and fill bottles so they just have to be warmed up.

Also if you are pumping make sure to change out your valves if you notice a drop in output. You can use the duckbill with most pumps, and they are easy to clean. I just don't get why something for 2 boobs comes in a 5 pack.

Please do yourself a favor and get this ..

Dr. Brown's Formula Mixing Pitcher https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001I481LM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_hx.-yb6J461M9

It makes dealing the formula SO MUCH EASIER!! You make the whole days worth in the morning and then just pour as needed. We found out about it when our daughter was 5 months and it was great !

Ok and as for your wife .. I think you need to be blunt a " honey , she's my daughter too, I love her and would never do anything to hurt her , I may a mistake and have learned from it. trust me "

Thats what worked for me and my husband - mama doesn't always know best and isn't the only one that can take care of the baby but sometimes we need to be reminded of it.

If you have a Costco, their brand of formula is identical to Similac and it's much, much cheaper. My son has been on it since a month old and has done perfectly well with it.

As for outings, I take bottles with water in them and the diaper bag dispenser of powder formula measured out. I'm sure somebody linked it already, but it is usually a round container with three compartments and a lid that rotates so you can pour out one section at a time. Super handy, I use it often. This is what I have...the single one is nice if I know he'll only need to eat once when I'm out.

Another thing I recommend for home is the Dr. Brown's Formula Mixing Pitcher for mixing up a day's worth at a time. Around a month he should be eating anywhere between 24 and 32 oz, possibly more during a growth spurt. My son was at the top end of that, but he's leveled out to 34 oz a day at 6 months. Anyway, this really helped prevent wasting any formula because you can pour out 2 oz, and if he finishes it, give him 1 or 2 more. It takes a bit of time to figure out how much he wants at once, and sometimes it will vary a lot because he's still little, but overall he'll get pretty regular for a bit before he starts needing more at once.

Also, feel free to come join us over at /r/FormulaFeeders. It isn't the busiest sub, but we're a helpful bunch of you have any other specific questions! :) Congrats on your little one!

You can make a 25 hour supply of formula (however much your baby will eat in that time frame) and keep it in the fridge. This one is great: Dr. Brown's Formula Mixing Pitcher https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001I481LM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_l-EdBbTNZRKMW.

I live in Texas and we do not have to boil water, we just use filtered tap. If the water in your area is a concern you could use bottled water.

Also see if your baby will drink the formula cold. Ours did and it was great because we didn't have to warm it.

You can! We use the Dr. Brown's Formula Pitcher to pre mix 5 bottles that we send with our son to daycare. Just fill up your filtered water (we do 25 ounces of water, for 5 bottles at 5 ounces), dump in 12.5 scoops of formula (our ratio is 2:1 water to formula), churn it up and down a few times, pour, and refrigerate.

Premixed formula this way is good for 24 hours if refrigerated. Just pull out a bottle as needed, warm, and you're done.

Hell, I even measure out five baggies of 12.5 scoops of formula on Sundays so I don't have to do it every morning. Just water, dump baggie, pump, pour, and fridge.

We also have the Baby Brezza, which we use when we're at home. Perfect bottle in seconds.

Kind of tangential, but for any bottle feeding moms-to-be that might be reading this, you don't have to mix bottles individually!

Dr. Brown's makes a cool formula mixing pitcher that is affordable and makes night-time bottles a breeze (I swear I don't work for them!). I make one 24oz pitcher in the afternoon, which lasts almost all day. All I have to do at night is pour 3-4oz in a bottle, and use hot tap water to warm it up for a minute or two. It saves a few steps.

Like others have said, there are benefits and drawbacks to both options. ;)

If you do s registry through Amazon they have a great walk through thing that goes through different categories and sub categories of things you might need or want.

I'm not a first timer so here are a few things you may want to register for aside from what you already have :

• crib, crib sheets. You may want to get a mobile although you probably won't use it at first.we use this one and love it. You can use it even after baby sits up or begins to stand
  
  
• you may want a bassinet or something similar since Most parents want their baby close to them for a while. We had a bassinet but hated it. In our old house it only fit at the end of our bed so I'd have to get up and by the time I did my husband would be awake too. This time around we're getting an arms reach co sleeper. You can use it as a bassinet or attached as a consleeper. It's more compact than the bassinet we had and the sides fold down which is awesome as a co sleeper. If you decide to get either you need a couple sheets for that
  
  
• stroller
  
  
• swing or bouncer. My kids always hated bouncers but loved the swing. It's seriously a life saver. We still have our swing but are also getting a rock n play this time around. It folds almost flat so we can easily bring it with us when we go see family and I'll easily be able to bring it around the house.
  
  
• bathtub. You'll most likely want a tub for the baby
  
  
• baby monitor. We have a summer infant camera one we love
  
  
  
• crib mattress. We use Serta. We had a safety 1st one for our second and it was a piece of garbage. It lost its shape and started to get stained and have an odor from being spit up on and things like that.
  
  
• mattress pads- id recommend 2-3
  
  
• swaddle wraps if you plan to use them
  
  
• a thermometer, nail clipper, maybe gas drops
  
  
• shopping cart cover- won't be used right away but my daughter loved to put her mouth on the cart 😑
  
  
• Bottle brushes and drying rack
  
  
  
• high chair- won't be used right away. Mine was able to lean back (I have a graco one)
  
  
• changing pad. I use the keekaroo peanut. It's pricey but so worth it in my opinion. I don't have to deal with covers or changing them in the middle of the night if they get soiled. I just wipe it down and done.
  
  
• baby carrier- I've tried the babybjorn and moby. The babybjorn was really uncomfortable to wear. The moby was super hot to wear. I ended up buying an ergo and love it.
  
  
• bottle warmer: some people say this isn't necessary. We got one when my daughter had to be on special formula. The thing is the formula when mixed was extremely bubbly. It would solve her one digestive issue while giving her extreme gas making her uncomfortable. I read online that people had the same issue so they'd pre mix the formula and put it in the fridge. The thing was my daughter would throw up cold formula. So we got the boom bottle warmer. I realized how convenient that was for nighttime feedings. So now I plan on doing the same thing. Pre mixing bottles for st night then heating as necessary. It's not fun or easy mixing bottles at 2am.
  
  
• pack n play. We have one that has a changing area and bassinet. Honestly we probably used it once like that. We didn't really use it again until our kids were a couple months older. I'd put the playmat in it and let them play on it while I'd vacuum the room or tidy up.
  
  
  Things you shouldn't register for:
  
  
• clothes- if you register in a store like babies r us i wouldn't register for clothes. Most people like to pick out their own outfit. It's also very difficult to find the exact thing someone wants
  
  
• more than one car seat. You probably will only end up using one car seat. I'd only say get a 2nd base if you and someone else will be switching off doing daycare drop offs and pickups
  
  
• formula maker- I mentioned pre making bottles earlie. You can just shake them or use something like this. You don't need a crazy expensive keurig type formula maker. Everyone I know who has had one ends up saying it was a waste of $ and doesn't work right.
  
  Hope this starter list helps!

If your kiddo doesn't yet care about bottle temp. Dr. Brown's pitchers are worth their weight in gold.

https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Browns-Formula-Mixing-Pitcher/dp/B001I481LM/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1504903356&sr=8-1&keywords=dr%2Bbrowns%2Bformula%2Bmixer&th=1

We make 2-3 pitchers once per day for my twins and then throw them in the fridge. We just pour and go when it's time for a bottle.

My son is 3 months old and formula fed. Just hand wash and dry the bottles between uses, and you'll be fine. We've never sterilized them or boiled water. And look into a Dr. Brown's Formula Mixing Pitcher. It is an absolute lifesaver!

Similac is perfectly fine. All formula manufacturers in the US are subject to stringent quality checks and all formulas must have nutritional makeups within a very small range. I've fed 2/3 of my babies Similac formula and they did very well on it (one took sensitive, the other took advantage).

Personally I've never used nursery water or bottled water to mix formula, but I trust my local tap water and I understand not everyone has that luxury. I believe it should be fine, but hopefully someone else will chime in with that experience. Some people even boil their tap water to make formula with.

As for room temperature, if you can get your baby to take it that's great. Some babies refuse bottles unless they're a little warmer than that and some even like it cold but none of that really matters as long as your baby will take it. Personally, I hate mixing individual bottles because of all the bubbles so I used a pitcher (actually, this one, but you could use anything) to mix a day's worth at a time and warmed up the premade formula from there. You can keep mixed formula refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

I bought the Dr. Brown’s formula mixer pitcher and it’s been a life saver! I’ve never heated up bottles for my LO and he doesn’t seem to mind at all.

I too made the decision to use formula for my physical and mental wellbeing and I have had no regrets.

• Ask your pediatrician what formula they recommend and see if they have samples. We were able to get 6 cans, which lasted us the entire first month. It was nice to not have to worry about buying it and now we use Amazon and have a subscription. We use Gerber Gentle and have had no issues.
  
  
• The Dr. Brown's Pitcher is awesome. We make up the full days worth in the morning and it's so fast to fill up bottles. You really could use any pitcher but the way this one stirs, it helps reduce bubbles, which lead to gas. It makes it easy to pour out an extra half ounce or ounce when she's still hungry, instead of having to guesstimate on the powder serving.
  
  
• Which leads me to the next thing, a food scale. Not technically necessary, but it makes the measurement of powder more exact. The containers say to use "one scoop" but that can vary in amount depending on how compacted the powder is when you scoop it. We just use a food scale and tare it out to 0, then stop when we get to -9 (the amount for a 2oz serving of Gerber). It makes it easy when mixing up the pitcher, after a few calculations. We are mixing 24 ounces now so we just scoop until the scale says -116. Easy peasy!
  
  
• We empty out the pitcher at night for the nighttime bottles, and keep them in the fridge. LO takes cold bottles like a champ so we just walk down the hall and grab one. Alternatively, you could make them up with water and take the formula can to your room and mix them as needed. We use bottled nursery water but if you have a decent water supply, with clean water, you can use tap. Boiling is also an option but I find that tedious so I'd rather spend a few bucks on bottled water.
  
  
• As for bottles, we use Munchkin Latch and Philips Avent. I think I prefer the Avent but my husband prefers the Latch.
  
  
• We also have the Boon Lawn, Twig, and Oxo bottle brush. I highly recommend all of them! The twig is great for hanging pacifiers or the little blue vents on the latch bottles.
  
  I hope that helps! I nursed for 5 days, pumped for 1, and then called it quits. It was absolutely the best decision for me and my family but I did get some flak for it. Don't let anyone make you feel bad about your choice!

Yeah, just follow the instructions. My experience with formula is that you can pre-mix if you use within 24 hours. You can also get premixed liquid that keeps longer, but it costs more.

If you are mixing your own, I highly recommend picking up a formula mixing pitcher, it makes things way easier, especially as baby grows and needs to eat more. We had this one from Dr. Brown and liked it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001I481LM/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1526319420&sr=8-1&keywords=dr.+brown+mixing+pitcher&dpPl=1&dpID=41HPK4-uyBL&ref=plSrch

But the other responder is right. The thing she needs most is time. Time to sleep, or do errands or anything other than take care of twins.

I "gave up" on breastfeeding day 2 and stopped pumping after a less than a week. We've been EFF ever since. I have so much to say, this will be long.

Day and Night Feeding

Formula needs to be used within 1 hour if it's touched baby's lips regardless of temp, 2 hours if untouched at room temp and 24 hours untouched in the fridge. If you can get your kid to drink cold/room temp then that will help a lot with wasting.

• During the Day at Home I just bought the Dr. Brown's Formula Pitcher which has been really awesome because I mix a couple bottles worth and pour. My son goes from 0-100 real quick so mixing bottles at the moment he needs them was stressful for me.
  
  
• During the Day at Work I bring one bottle to work and just wash it with hot water in between. Use soap if you feel the need. I use formula dispensers to pre-measure formula and it takes up a lot less room than a canister of formula in the diaper bag. Saves on time too. This also helps for when you're out and about, just fill a bottle with water before you leave home.
  
  
• During the Night This I experimented with quite a bit. At first I was going to the kitchen to make a bottle whenever he woke up to feed. Then I would pour pre-measured water in the bottles and mix in the room. Now I pre-mix bottles for the night and keep them in the fridge and just retrieve them when he wakes up. This has been the fastest, most efficient way for us because our kitchen is not far from our bedroom.
  
  Bottles
  
  
• We have 6 bottles total - three Playtex VentAire and three Dr. Brown's Bottles. The VentAires we use at night and the Dr. Brown's we use during the day, usually with the filter.
  
  
• I try to sterilize the bottles once a week but usually I just let them soak in soapy hot water and then rinse with hot water, sometimes using a bottle brush. You can also use the dishwasher but we don't run ours often enough.
  
  Dealing with Reflux
  
  
• So this has been super hard for us to deal with and I think we have a pretty decent system set up. Most babies spit up but some babies get reflux and it sucks. We have tried different formulas to find one that he seems to like the most and we can tell by his poops (his seem to be similar to breastfed babies), wet diapers, and how much he spits up. We also use rice cereal in his bottles during night time feeds. The bottles we use are geared towards helping with reflux. We also do not burp him often; We only burp him if he seems fussy about air that needs to come out. We noticed that we would burp him and he'd throw up a lot. He seems much happier now that we don't burp as often.
  
  Final Thoughts
  
  
• As far as I know formula feed and breastfed babies are no different. I am still able to bond with my son by maintaining eye contact while feeding. He is a happy little boy and he's getting the nutrition he needs. It's helped me be a more sane mother as well, which is something every baby needs.

My hubby and I invested in two of these : https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Browns-Formula-Mixing-Pitcher/dp/B001I481LM for doing formula for our twins: we always boil our baby water and have a clean jug filled with water waiting in the fridge and one jug of premixed formula which is about 2.5 feedings for two babies who are eating between 6 and 8 oz a bottle. (but you can pre mix whatever amount works best for you) and it is good in the fridge for up to 24 hours (not that it ever sits that long).

That way you can pour a bit more formula into a bottle if baby decides to eat more after what you already gave him without having to fresh mix it on demand.

Double secret advanced PROTIP for you and /u/daveed2001: Buy this thing. It's marked on the side in oz and ml and it's got a sweet impeller thing so you don't have to shake 32oz of formula and drop it on the floor, and it prevents air bubbles in the formula which reduces gas.

We weigh our formula out on a kitchen scale too, which makes it a lot easier to get right when it's 2am and dammit the baby needs eat and I forgot to make food and crap was that five scoops or six?

So since she might be drinking it out of a cup instead of bottle, which will be more difficulty to shake, you might want to get the mixing pitcher and make enough for the day to store in the fridge. It's absolutely fine to store formula that has been mixed but not drank out of in the fridge for 24 hours! So you can mix a set amount, store it, and pour out however much you need. I do sometimes microwave our bottles, which is not recommended because it can form hot spots. I just make sure I mix it really well afterward and squeeze a little in my mouth to be sure it isn't too hot. Roo hates cold bottles and Aoife might not like them cold since she's used to body-temp milk!

Our schedule is like this:
7, wake up
Between 7-8, bottle (6-7 oz)
8, breakfast (eggs, oatmeal, whatever)
10, snack (Cheerios, fruit)
11-1, nap
1, bottle (6-7 oz)
2, lunch
4-6, nap
6, bottle (4 oz)
7, dinner
9, bedtime bottle (6-9 oz)

Sometimes he'll have another 4-6 oz bottle in there too, and sometimes he'll have a midnight bottle. You might want to start her at just 4 oz or so since she isn't used to it, so that you're not wasting too much. If she finishes it, give more! She should probably have between 24-32 oz at this point, depending on how much solids she gets down in a day.

You're supposed to dump formula after they've drank out of the bottle/cup. Sometimes we will put it straight back in the fridge, and add it to the next feeding. I hate wasting, and so far he hasn't gotten sick.

I sterilized everything once, when we first bought it, but now we just wash things by hand. I use tap water to make his bottles since we have very safe water.

If you're going out and about, they make cool little containers that you can bring along a premeasured bit of formula. Like this. And I'll pack some bottles filled with water, so I can just dump the powder in when he gets hungry.

I think that's all for now! If I think of anything else I'll pop back in :) Good luck! It might be a rough week or two, but it's never been super easy for you anyway. You got this!!!

A parent of toddler twins here.

An Amazon prime membership.


The munchkin diaper pail Munchkin Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002V92XAS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_aHujxb4ACN1VM

And if you're doing formula the Dr. Brown's formula mixing pitcher have been great.

Dr. Brown's Formula Mixing Pitcher https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001I481LM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_tIujxbJ68A4J8


Congratulations and good luck!

Formula Pitcher! It allows you to mix enough for a whole day at a time and keep it in the fridge.

I was just thinking about the breastmilk thing this morning... I leaked for 9 weeks and I really wish I had asked a doctor for help because I couldn't even stand holding Baby Boy to my chest for 6ish weeks. Whatever you do, don't pump! Tight sports bras with cabbage in them will help, but there's a medication that the doctor can prescribe to dry you up. (I suspect it has terrible side effects, but next time I'm going to ask for it.)

I don't know your circumstances, but I'd encourage you to post logistics questions on the main page. Everyone here is really helpful.

This pitcher is super awesome! If your baby doesn't mind cold formula it's so easy to mix up a days worth and pour bottles as you need them. I just buy those large water jugs and make 24oz at time with that pitcher. This is what my set up looks like (pitcher is in the fridge)


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001I481LM/ref=sxts1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1472843090&sr=1 http://i.imgur.com/Tm8AhUa.jpg

Dunno if this is what you were looking for, but I make large batches in the Dr. Browns pitcher and it's way easier than trying to get a scoop into a bottle. It makes mixing really easy and it has a little spout for pouring out your bottles.

Mom of an EFF baby here as well!

I wanted to breastfeed but I could only get maybe an ounce at a time to come out, so we formula fed even in the hospital and switched to it full-time after about a week. Luckily, no one in my family really made any comments about it! On our last day in the hospital before we left I asked them if I could take home some formula and they gave us about 4 or 5 of the 6-packs of pre-mixed formula. After that ran out, we started using Enfamil and then switched to Costco's brand, Kirkland, for formula. It is less than half the price and literally the exact same product! My son had no issues on it at all.

I'm not sure if I'm just fortunate or if this is normal, but I just slowly stopped breastfeeding my son and my boobs just kind of slowly stopped producing any milk at all. That is probably due to my low supply, though.

We originally mixed every bottle on our own but found that it made the formula way too foamy and it gave my son a lot of gas. We then bought a formula pitcher and it was awesome! It mixes it so well so all the formula is dissolved. So we would mix up the total amount my son could drink in a 24 hour period (since mixed formula is only good for 24 hours refrigerated) and then put it in bottles, then heat each bottle up in a bottle warmer. I do know some moms who say their babies were fine with cold formula, but my son never liked it. But if your kid likes it, go for it! That will definitely make things easier.

A few months later I saw a Baby Brezza on Facebook Marketplace for like $75 and it was literally the best purchase I ever made! It was amazing when my son would wake up in the middle of the night screaming and I would literally press one button and a bottle would be made in less than 20 seconds.

I have a Dr Browns Formula Mixing Pitcher as well as a Nuk bottle warmer. Can I just say that the pitcher is probably one of THE best purchase I made? With how much LO eats (my guy is 7 months now) it makes feedings super convenient. Plus, it does a great job mixing the formula - I'm amazed at how LO's formula never has any lumps in it when I use the pitcher. If you couldn't tell, I highly recommend going this route - it makes feedings convenient and is much more cost effective than a Brezza.

A lot of people use bottled, especially past the 2 to 4 month range, and I have never heard of any ill effects, but I think the WHO recommends boiled. Their recommendations are super stringent and I probably don't follow them all, though. They can be found here: http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/micro/PIF_Bottle_en.pdf

You can prepare a whole day's worth and keep it in the fridge even with their strict guidelines, though. For daycare, I prepare them the night before in individual bottles, but there are also some nice products to make it even easier, like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Browns-Formula-Mixing-Pitcher/dp/B001I481LM

For feeding on the go, I will often put the boiled water into a couple of bottles in advance and keep the formula powder separate, and then just mix it together when it's time for a feed. Or I use plain bottled water, but my baby likes her formula to be pretty warm. The boiled water usually stays warm for quite a while, so a feed even 3 or 6 hours after leaving the house is above room temperature.

This is all you need: https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Browns-Formula-Mixing-Pitcher/dp/B001I481LM

I boil water and keep it in a glass jar for when I need to make a new batch of formula. I use this mixer and make 32 oz (as much as it holds) and I'm set for the day. Thankfully my girl likes cold formula, so I don't even need to warm it. Just pour it in a bottle and I'm good.

Get one of those formula mixing pitchers. Makes it a lot easier to pour and heat easily at night! https://www.amazon.ca/Dr-Browns-925-Formula-Pitcher/dp/B001I481LM

We use this to mix formula. No bubbles, and you can make multiple bottles at once. It was a game changer for us. Well worth the $11!

https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Browns-Formula-Mixing-Pitcher/dp/B001I481LM

Yep, this pretty much covers it! I just want to add that this pitcher has been one of the best purchases we've made since starting formula. Before our baby was at least 7 months old, we were boiling and cooling our tap water before mixing a day's worth of formula. Boiling probably wasn't necessary, but I was a paranoid ftm. I used bottled water here and there, both boiled and unboiled (I never really knew if boiling was necessary with bottled either), but we ended up just using cold tap water after a while. I've always heard that using warm/hot water from the tap can increase the chances of lead and other mineral contamination.

I started liquid formula with breast milk supplementing after my LO's first day due to a low supply. I understand the failing feeling and I still feel that way at times when I stopped pumping at 5 months. It's hard but as most people say, fed is best. Honestly, having to formula feed is probably the best outcome for all in my situation. My child had no problem transitioning at daycare since she was used to the bottle and having others feed her. I get depressed with little sleep so I could have others help do the overnight feedings once I stopped pumping. You'll feel guilty for some time but you really shouldn't. You are doing what is best for you and your child.

I can't answer the questions about WIC, but here are some tips and answers to your questions:

-Powder formula is not sterile. There are varying ideas if you should give powder formula to a newborn or wait until they are a few months old. I always err on the side of caution, so I did not begin powder formula until LO was 4 months old. I used premade liquid formula up until that point. Your doc can best advise when to start powder formula.

-You keep the liquid formula at room temp until you open the container. Then it needs to go into the refrigerator. Your baby will probably be OK with eating at room temp (mine was until her first cold and then she got picky) but any that is from the refrigerator will most likely need to be warmed up. Again it depends on your child's preference.

-It is advised to not use a microwave to warm a bottle. It can create hot spots though as mentioned here some people just make sure they mix it around. I haven't ever used a microwave and don't intend to. I either use the hot water method you described or use my bottle warmer. I have this bottle warmer: https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Browns-850T-Bottle-Warmer/dp/B0035LLG2W/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1484580287&sr=8-1&keywords=doc+brown+bottle+warmer It was great at first though now it is a bit temperamental 7 months in. I use distilled water for the warmer. I just pop the bottle in the warmer and then go do a diaper change while the bottle is heating up.

-I still warm the bottles with powdered formula due to my child's preference described above. She will gag if it is not warmed up enough. I also pre-make bottles of formula and keep them in the fridge so that I don't have to waste time making one when it's the middle of the night or LO is hangry. When you switch to powdered formula, you can buy a formula pitcher to do a big batch at a time so that you aren't making each bottle every feeding. https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Browns-Formula-Mixing-Pitcher/dp/B001I481LM/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1484581617&sr=8-1&keywords=formula+pitcher is awesome.

-I had a few samples of bottles. My favorite are the Philips Avent Natural. If you use this one, pull the nipple all the way up into the ring until it is flush with the top. I had months of leakage until I figured out that I wasn't making the bottle correctly. You will find out which one works best for you & LO.

-I started out with 4 bottles and now have a total of 11. I decided that I didn't want to spend time washing bottles several times a day and now just do it once at night.

-As previously mentioned, your child will maybe want more milk in a few days to a couple of weeks. You will need to watch for hunger cues for your child to know when she is hungry. She will keep seeking out the bottle after it is empty or maybe even try to root at your breast. Mine would cry after the bottle was just given so I knew she needed more than advised. She started to drink 3 ounces after a couple of weeks.

-This wasn't one of your questions but it's my best advice: BURP YOUR LO OFTEN!! Stop after every ounce to burp your baby in the first few weeks, and then later halfway through the feeding until your child is old enough to burp themselves. With the combo of a bottle & formula, your baby may get gassy. Save yourself hours of screaming by trying to burp her as often as possible.

-I used Similac and then switched to the Costco powder brand about a month ago. I'm in Canada and the Costco brand up here is basically Enfamil. In the states, the Costco brand is basically Similac. It's way cheaper and ingredients are almost the same.

-Sign up for the Similac strong moms rewards program if you stick to Similac. You can get coupons for money off of your formula (can be used with the liquid cans) and eventually free formula coupons. I believe Enfamil has a similar program but I never looked into it. I would just receive their coupons in the mail a lot too.
Just like you would with a dog switching to new dog food, you would want to slowly switch over to any new brand to avoid stomach upset.

Feel free to p.m. me any more questions you may have. I also find the Similac website gives pretty good advise on how to formula feed.

Good luck!!