Anyone use Ready-to-Feed Formula exclusively?

[sent]

Looking for advice on how you did this.  We are drinking Enfamil Newborn in the 2 oz bottles and Enfamil Infant in the 8 oz bottles these days.  Right now DD is 5 months old and we combo feed as I wean off the pump but I want to be prepared and look for sales and stuff.  

Where did you buy it?  How do you take the formula when you go out?  Which sizes should I buy?  I see this stuff is sold in a larger 32 oz can and there is a concentrated version too.  A quick search shows me Amazon is cheaper than the Enfamil website, but I haven't scoured my local grocery stores yet.

[Birdie]

Do you have a warehouse store near you? When I thought daycare was going to require RTF formula I did some research and found they had the best deals.

We don't use it exclusively, but I keep a bottle in the diaper bag in case we run out of powdered formula while we're out. I pack a separate bottle to put it in because I had the nipples that come on those individual bottles and that way I can also put the left over in the fridge (if we're near one) for later.

[mainelyfoolish]

Buying the individual bottles is the most expensive way to do RTF. Sales are rare and small; I think Target sometimes does 5% or 10% off. I only used the RTF 8 oz. bottles when traveling and I used cans of powder at home and powder packets in my diaper bag.

Buying the RTF in quart bottles is a little cheaper, but you need to use it up within 48 hours, so that might not work if you're only supplementing.

[leonard131]

We ordered the ready made it from Babies R Us.  You didn't have to pay shipping over 75$ and because he was on Nutrigemen it was super expensive.  We loved the ready made vs powder.  To us it worth the extra money.

When we went out if he was going to have a bottle within 2 hours I just put the bottle in my bag if we were going to be out all day and he was going  to eat a couple times we used the little travel bottles.  They were the 8oz size and I just ordered a couple six packs off of amazon to have.

[sent]

May 14, 2014 8:16:55 GMT -5 leonard131 said:

We ordered the ready made it from Babies R Us.  You didn't have to pay shipping over 75$ and because he was on Nutrigemen it was super expensive.  We loved the ready made vs powder.  To us it worth the extra money.

When we went out if he was going to have a bottle within 2 hours I just put the bottle in my bag if we were going to be out all day and he was going  to eat a couple times we used the little travel bottles.  They were the 8oz size and I just ordered a couple six packs off of amazon to have.

If you opened the 8 oz bottle and he only drank 4 oz while you were out, did you carry a cooler bag with you to store the remainder?  I guess I am worried about refrigeration of the leftover since a coolerbag is not as cold as a refrigerator would be.

I am used to carrying a coolerbag with bottles of BM, just want to make sure it would be safe to carry around a leftover bottle of RTF.  

The "rules" of RTF seem a lot more strict than BM, but I guess I don't follow all the BM rules (like I mix all of her refrigerated unfinished bottles from the MOTN and feed it to her in the morning).  She has not had any digestive issues yet.  

I EP and since I dropped from 5 pumps per day to 3, we are supplementing about 8 oz per day.  So 1 8oz bottle of RTF.  My hospital pump rental is coming due and is $75 for another month.  I was thinking to not renew, use my double electric pump, and spend that money on formula instead.  Part of me likes feeding her BM, but the other part of me doesn't want to pump anymore.  

[Deleted]

Why do you want to do RTF? Is it for digestion or convenience? I premake bottles in the morning and don't find powder to be all that time consuming.

[sent]

May 14, 2014 9:13:35 GMT -5 BirdGirl said:

Why do you want to do RTF? Is it for digestion or convenience? I premake bottles in the morning and don't find powder to be all that time consuming.

Convenience mostly.  I also feel a little scared to try the powder since I know she is used to the RTF.  

[thebreakfastclub]

I can't imagine using RTF all the time.
I used a formula pitcher to make a full day's worth, and then it sat in the fridge until needed.

FWIW, my baby never had issues switching between RTF, regular, or any variety (sensitive, non, generic, brand).

[CloudBee]

Exclusively for about the first 9 months, and then we did some powdered.

I ordered in bulk from both Amazon, and Abbot Nutrition. We used Similar.

He kept RTF down better than powder.

[leonard131]

May 14, 2014 9:06:42 GMT -5 sent said:

May 14, 2014 8:16:55 GMT -5 leonard131 said:

We ordered the ready made it from Babies R Us.  You didn't have to pay shipping over 75$ and because he was on Nutrigemen it was super expensive.  We loved the ready made vs powder.  To us it worth the extra money.

When we went out if he was going to have a bottle within 2 hours I just put the bottle in my bag if we were going to be out all day and he was going  to eat a couple times we used the little travel bottles.  They were the 8oz size and I just ordered a couple six packs off of amazon to have.

If you opened the 8 oz bottle and he only drank 4 oz while you were out, did you carry a cooler bag with you to store the remainder?  I guess I am worried about refrigeration of the leftover since a coolerbag is not as cold as a refrigerator would be.

I am used to carrying a coolerbag with bottles of BM, just want to make sure it would be safe to carry around a leftover bottle of RTF.  

The "rules" of RTF seem a lot more strict than BM, but I guess I don't follow all the BM rules (like I mix all of her refrigerated unfinished bottles from the MOTN and feed it to her in the morning).  She has not had any digestive issues yet.  

I EP and since I dropped from 5 pumps per day to 3, we are supplementing about 8 oz per day.  So 1 8oz bottle of RTF.  My hospital pump rental is coming due and is $75 for another month.  I was thinking to not renew, use my double electric pump, and spend that money on formula instead.  Part of me likes feeding her BM, but the other part of me doesn't want to pump anymore.  

I did just put in in insulated bag. I got a little more lax as he got older and if it was out for longer then recommended I was fine with but I typically through it away if it was more then 6-8 hours. I think they are just overly cautious. We never had any problems.