baby formula

Powder-Formula Feeding Bottle
Kid Shopping

Mixie Formula-Mixing Baby Bottle: Ga Ga or Gag?

If you thought the breast vs. bottle debate was rough, wait until you get into the powder vs. ready-to-feed debate.
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If you thought the breast vs. bottle debate was rough, wait until you get into the powder vs. ready-to-feed debate. While it may sound like we're discussing military meals, we're actually talking about formula. Once my tot moved off the boob and onto the bottle, we looked endlessly for the perfect feeding solution. While ready-to-feed was quick and easy, it was expensive and had to be kept cool once opened, meaning it wasn't ideal for full-day outings. Powder could be used in room-temperature bottles filled with water, but the cases for carrying premeasured formula were cumbersome and often leaked.

It's too bad Mixie's formula-mixing baby bottle ($22) wasn't available six years ago. The bottle is divided into two compartments — one for the water and the other for the powdered formula. Start the day off by filling the chambers with the necessary amounts of formula and water. Then, once baby's feeding time arrives, simply push a button on the bottom of the bottle and watch as the formula is dispersed into the water. Sure, the bottle has a few more pieces than the average bottle, but that's the price of convenience, right?

Organic Baby Formula Risks
organic

Is Organic Baby Formula Worth It?

Breast may be the best, but for some mamas, it's not an option or supplementing with formula is a must.
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Breast may be the best, but for some mamas, it's not an option or supplementing with formula is a must. I found I wasn't able to produce enough breast milk with my lil one, so I resorted to formula to keep up. My gut was to reach for organic, but to be honest, I wasn't sure it was any better than regular formula.

Organic formulas can cost up to 30 percent more than their nonorganic counterparts, and those extra dollars can bust the budget. Though going organic is the popular thing to do, is it the healthiest option for your tot?

A recent Dartmouth study found traces of arsenic in organic baby formulas that include organic brown rice syrup, a common sweetener in organic formulas, leading many moms to stop buying and start reading the ingredients. Often in top-selling organic brands, sweeteners, such as organic sugar, are found within the top five ingredients — but not in nonorganic blends. Of the 17 organic formulas tested in the Dartmouth study, two organic infant formulas listed brown rice syrup in the ingredients, one milk and the other soy-based, and both had arsenic readings 20 times greater than the others.

While the findings have some moms taking matters into their own hands and making their own homemade infant formula, not all of us have the time, or the skills, to toss together our own. So given the choice, do you pay the extra cost for organic or stick with the basic formula?

Nestle Introduces BabyNes Baby Bottle Milk System
Poll

BabyNes Bottle Feeding System: Ga Ga or Gag?

The pods are coming!
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The pods are coming! Pretty soon you may be brewing up baby's bottle the same way you brew your cup of morning joe. Earlier today, Nestlé introduced a baby milk capsule system, using the same mechanics as the popular Nespresso coffeemakers.

The high-tech BabyNes machine ($287) works with a range of six single-serving formula pods (purchased separately in packs of 26 for $56-$64) to perfectly fill a bottle with the proper portion of milk (at the right temperature) in under a minute. According to Nestlé, the "nutrition system," which the company has been working on for six years, provides a hygienic and convenient way to prepare lil ones' bottles. Made for tots up to three years old, the BabyNes formula pods include four formulations for infants and two for toddlers – the difference being the proteins, calories, and micronutrients in the capsules.

Currently only available in Switzerland, would you want to see the BabyNes make its way to the US?

Is It Better to Use Tap Water or Bottled Water For Baby Formula?
Poll

Which Water Do You Use For Formula?

New moms have it hard — there's so much to think about, and not enough hours in the day!
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New moms have it hard — there's so much to think about, and not enough hours in the day! Even after deciding whether breastfeeding or formula feeding is right for you, some moms have another choice to make: which type of water to use to mix powdered formula?

Of course, mama wants to make the best decision, but the answer isn't all that simple. There are unknown safety concerns (like the radiation fallout the poor moms are dealing with in Japan), the possibility of too much fluoride, and whether or not you need to filter or boil it. Bottled water, on the other hand, may not have enough fluoride for your baby, or may be just too expensive. And then there's the pricier option: buying water especially made for baby!

Whether you run the tap or buy, which type of water did you and your doctor decide was best for your baby?

Haitian Relief Efforts for Children
Health and Fitness

Breast vs. Bottle Debate Enters the Haitian Relief Efforts

While the images of the death and destruction in Haiti have spurred an outpouring of support for the devastated nation, they are also re-igniting the never-ending debate about the best way to feed a baby.
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While the images of the death and destruction in Haiti have spurred an outpouring of support for the devastated nation, they are also re-igniting the never-ending debate about the best way to feed a baby. Since the catastrophic earthquake hit, many relief agencies have sent out email, Facebook and Twitter requests for baby formula, bottles and nipples to help nourish the littlest ones affected by the disaster. With so many wee ones orphaned in the wake of the tragedy, the call for food seemed natural.

But breastfeeding advocates and disaster response experts are sending a different message – send money, not food. As new mamas can attest, formula (in particular powder formula) feeding requires clean water for both food preparation and bottle cleaning. Given the current state of the Haitian water supply, and the lack of access to electricity to boil the water that does exist, formula feeding may be more harmful to Haitian babies than expected, risking contamination, infection, diarrhea, dehydration, malnutrition and death.

Though US milk banks are collecting pumped breast milk for eventual distribution in Haiti, experts agree that sending money rather than milk, will allow relief agencies to provide mothers and wet nurses with the food and water they need to continue nursing babies, rather than having to provide them with unsafe bottles.

Have you donated to the Haiti relief efforts? If so, how?

Don't Water Down Formula, Opt For Store Brand Instead
Health and Fitness

Don't Water Down Formula, Opt For Store Brand Instead

In these tough economic times, mamas looking to tighten their budget should consider purchasing store brand formula rather than the pricey labels.
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In these tough economic times, mamas looking to tighten their budget should consider purchasing store brand formula rather than the pricey labels. Pediatric nutrition expert Dr. Barbara Levine explains that all infant formulas are created equal in terms of nutritional benefits and that shelling out extra for the national brands just covers the costs of their advertising and other expenses. She also advises parents against watering baby bottles down to stretch the formula.