From: sgauch@ccs.northeastern.edu (Susan Gauch)
Newsgroups: misc.kids
Subject: Re: formula and feeding questions
Date: 30 Sep 92 14:18:44 GMT
Organization: Comp. Sci. @ NU

In article <1992Sep30.005304.28787@leela.cs.orst.edu> uttla@jacobs.CS.ORST.EDU (Laura Utt) writes:
>
>I've got a few questions about formula. I was told that for my baby
>to gain weight she needed to drink x2 her current weight. Now that
>she has started cereal and gerber baby foods, is this still true? 
>
No, her formula intake will probably drop.  My son is 9 months old,
weighs about 20 pounds, and drinks about 24 ounces a day.

>Also, I've been told and read in a few places that you shouldn't
>feed any used formula that is more than 2 hours old. Does anyone have
>a different opinion than this? I did once give my daughter some "old"
>formula, and she didn't "seem" to get sick from it.

We mix up formula in a big jug.  I sometimes sterilize the jug in the
microwave with a bit of water.  We make 50 ounces which lasts about
2 days.  When a bottle is partially used, we top it up once and put it
back in the fridge.  After the next feeding, if any is left again
we throw it out.  So, a "used" bottle has a lifetime of up to
6 hours in our house (time between feedings).  I would be more careful
with a newborn, or a child that seemed to get ill easily, but we've
never had any problems.
>
>Another is, since she has started foods, when is "ok" to give it
>to her for lunch and dinner. Right now she gets cereal for breakfast,
>and some fruit or vegie for lunch. Both accompanied by a bottle of
>formula.

At this age, we separate the solid and formula feedings.
In each waking period, Brian gets one of each.
Usually in the morning he is starving and wants a bottle right
away.  He gets breakfast about 1 hour later.
After his nap, he is less hungry, so he gets lunch right away, and
a bottle an hour later.  He doesn't always drink a whole bottle then
(so the part bottle gets put back in the fridge).  I usually give him
a bottle again before his afternoon nap, the nanny doesn't.
After this nap, he has dinner, then an hour or so later, a bottle.
He's been really hungry recently, so later in the evening he's been
known to take a solid snack (cheerios or toast).  He gets 
a bottle before bed and drinks 2-6 ounces then.
>

Here are what his meals are:
breakfast:  oatmeal and fruit
lunch:      rice cereal and different fruit
dinner:     meat (canned tuna, chicken, cold cut roast beef or turkey,
                  chopped finely) mixed with a vegetable
            fruit

He has cheerios or toast before and/or after each meal.  Keeps him happy
while I'm preparing the food and/or cleaning up the mess.
                  
>I would also like to get the net.opinion on the type of formula used.
>From the time that I quit breast feeding her she had constipation 
>problems.  So her doctor perscribed Soylac for her. She (her doc) said 
>that it uses the whole soybean, instead of part like other soy formulas. 
>My daughter still wasn't very regular. She would have a BM about every
>3 days and it was a real struggle for her then. Since I started her
>on baby food, she has had 2 BM a day, but I also had to buy a can of
>Gerber Soy.
>
I used Isomil and added corn syrup.  Now that he's on solids, he's regular
so I don't add the corn syrup anymore.  With my daughter, I used prunes
to keep her stools soft.  Oatmeal is less binding than rice cereal.
Whole wheat toast and multi-grain Cheerios are also high in fiber.

At 6 months you could save some money and use Gerber's Follow-Up Formula.
However, Brian started spitting up really badly when we tried the switch,
so he's still on Isomil.  I will probably try the other again.  Note:
this is a milk based formula so if your child is lactose-intolerant,
it may cause problems.

-- 
Susan Gauch
sgauch@flora.ccs.northeastern.edu
Newsgroups: misc.kids