Powdered Formula Question

I would suggest never pre-making it. I boil my water at night and it cools and then I put it in microwave for about 15 seconds and mix up shaking well and have never had any lumps....good luck

I had the same issue with Similac, we moved to enfamil andit worked great.

My brother bought a formula strirrer, a battery operated tool like an egg beater and that worked too.

Use a kitchen wisk to mix the formula - don't use really cold water and store the formula in a glass pitcher - it worked for me!

Hi C.,

I used Similac powder and I found no problems with it. I used Avent Bottles. Not sure if the bottle your using has anything to do with it. I hated Avent (leaked all the time) but, I had no problems with clumps. Do you add the water first? I added the water first then the powder. What about the water temp? Just some questions to throw out there. Hope it gets better.

J.

Ask the dr. If ou can use the microwave...that'll work

My father has worked at Abbott for 30 yrs.... Abbott owns Ross Products, which is the company that distributes Similac. I used Similac w/ both my girls (powdered and liquid forms) and my complaints to my dad were ones he's heard often! :) It just doesn't dissolve well. None of them really do, to be honest. The liquid, however, is extremely convenient - especially when you're leaving the baby with someone. It's nice to know the caregiver doesn't have to measure anything out. They can just fill the bottle and warm it up.

I personally tried to put a little bit of powder in at a time and stir it up so it disolves better. The less powder at a time you add to the water the less likely clumps come about. But, toward the end, as you add the powder, you're always going to get clumps. That's just the nature of powdered formula, unfortunately. At least in mine and my friends' experiences.

Oh, and if you know anyone that works for Ross or Abbott, save ALL of your receipts when you purchase formula...if your friend/loved one who works at either company will do it for you, they can get you a great rebate. You get back about 30% of what you spent. I saved all my receipts and gave them to my dad and he gave me back over $300 for both my girls. Now, you DO NEED "cases" of it... Meaning, six 8 oz cans of Similac RTF will equal one case. Ask your friend/loved one for a list of how many cases of each product you would need to get the rebates. You can even get rebates on Isomil products, Ensure (adult nutrition), Pediasure and Pedialite products.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful!

I use one called Baby's Only that dissolves pretty well. However, when the whole foods were out of the dairy kind I got the soy formula and it was awful to dissolve. I resorted to preparing it in the blender! I'm not sure if that's damaging any essential cellular bonds within the formula but it got the clumps out!LOL

I find it helps to use warm water. I never made over 8 ounces and just shook it in a bottle (Dr Brown) with a cap. THat's about all I can tell ya!

I used Enfamil for my triplets and what I did was call the 800 number listed on the can to get the batch formula so that I could make large quantities of it - there was no way I was going to mix it bottle by bottle. I'm sure Similac has a similar customer service number listed on their product. If you call you might even get sent coupons (that's what Enfamil does) for your next purchase.

As for mixing the powder stuff, if you make it in advance, then the formula is always going to settle so be sure to shake it up before you use it. I know they say to "roll" the formula to avoid bubbles but seriously, you have to shake it otherwise you're never going to get it completely mixed.

Also, I agree with the Tupperware shaker. That strainer thing it comes with works GREAT with dissolving powders. If you're going to batch it out then I suggest using a small hand mixer on the lowest speed. The formula will settle anyway as it sits in the 'fridge and you'll have to shake it up before you use it anyway.

Save your money first of all and buy generic! Wal-Mart, Jewel, Costco all have generic brands and my itwn girls have no problems with any of them. put one or two quarts of water (however much you need) and take the chill off by warming in the microwave 1-3 minutes. Add the powder (usually 1 cup of formula per 1 quart of water.) I use a whisk and gently stir the mixture. I used to use a blender, but that made the formula to frothy and bubbly. Just whisk the powder and you should have no lumps. Transfer formula to an airtight container and store in fridge. Fill bottles as needed and use up the formula within 24 hours (as recommended by the manufacturers.) Best Wishes!

Try using warm water, it will mix much more easily. I always have problems with clumping when I use cold water.

Unless there's something in Similac that just doesn't gel, here's what I always did (I used Carnation).

Say you're going to use 10 ounces of water (I'm just throwing out a number). Take 5 of those ounces as "boiled" water (and I mean HOT!). Mix the formula with THAT and a whisk. Put in bottle, add remaining 5 ounces of COLD water. Voila. Now it's probably just warm enough. Adjust as needed, however.

Like I said, this was the one and only method I used and the only formula I used was "powdered". If it doesn't work, it may be the makeup of "Similac".

Good luck, girl!

Hi..what I did was premade the powdered formula in the blender. Just measure out the water and put all your scoops in and blend for about 30 seconds...dump it into a pitcher and put it in your fridge...for me it was like having ready to feed convience...good luck!

I use the Similac powder formula now for my 9 mth old twins and when my 2 yr old was younger for her as well. I was let in on a little trick from a friend who had twins the same time I had my daughter....get The Pampered Chef pitcher with plunger (The pitcher is clear and the top is white) I think they show it in the catalog as a way to mix ice tea or lemonade (I have not seen a catalog since last year) Every day I make 32 oz at a time. I pour half my water in first (I use a water bottle to meassure water)then I add my formula then the other half of water and plunge away for about a minute.....no clumps, no foam, perfect formula every time!

After I had my twins I had many members of my twins group tell me this trick as well.....you can get the pitcher in a quart size or gallon size.....

I'm sure if you google Pampered Chef you could find a sells person or I'm sure there is a mom on here who sells the it.

Good Luck!

We would heat the water in the microwave and then put it in a blender with the formula. We would keep the formula in the blender & refrigerate. It stays good for 24 hours. Just reblend it for each bottle. This worked great. There were never any clumps or undisolved powder. You get a little foaming but when you pour it out, the foam stays in the blender.

K.

I use Enfamil too but my suggestion wouldn't be to change powders. I wouldn't pre-make them. I fix my son's bottle when he is ready for one with warm water from the faucet, shake it a couple times and it is good to go. I suggest maybe not making them the night before. Good luck!

Hi, I feel your pain with the powder not mixing in good. Don't waste your money on a powder pitcher. Go to WalMart or Target or some place like that and buy 2 rubbermaid pitchers...ones that have the quarts measured off on the side. Then buy yourself, if you don't already have one, a good large wisk. Then you can add the water, add the powder and wisk it right in. It stirs up very quick with no clumps. The reason for 2 pitchers...I like having 2 because when I'm finished with one, I can put it in the sink and grab the clean one out of the cabinet and make up a fresh batch in a jiffy!

I mix my daughters bottles with a handheld coffee frother- it works great

C.,
I used to make the bottles for my son the night before because it was so much easier. I used a pitcher, measured out the water and formula and then used a wisk. That took out the lumps for the most part.
Good luck!
T.

C.- I used the formula to as you did. What i suggest is to either pour it into the bottles and mix it with a spoon to make sure all the clumps are out. Or you can put it in a bottle and hit the bottom of the bottle while shaking it and that works as well. The first solution is better you do not get bubbles in the milk.

B.

When I tried to make one pitcher for the whole day, it was a clumpy mess. I was successful in making individual bottles, capping each, and shaking them vigorously before use. No clumps! I used to make and refrigerate enough bottles that could be used within 24 hours and then warm up each as needed.

Once you mix the powered formula into the water, stir it with a fork. I found this gets all the way to the bottom of whatever you are mixing in and breaks up all of the floating clumps. When you pour it into the pottle for a feeding shake it really good again.

We had the same problem with Similac. And, we didn't like how many bubbles were in the bottle after you shook it up. So, we switched to Good Start. It doesn't bubble up and we have found that if you add the formula to warm water, it is easier to blend it in.

Hope this helps,
C.

I have a grandson 8 mo old and feed him powdered formula. The one we use I put the water in bottle and than formula and shake it and than warm it up. The formula I use says don't use after it's been mixed up after an hour. Please check the one your using.

I am actually an Enfamil fan. I have actually tasted Similac and it's aweful-you can taste the chemicals in it. If you are willing to switch I think you'll notice the difference in consistency-definitely shake well but not like Similac-no clumps. Good luck.

room temp water and lots of shaking does the trick.

We formula fed our first child and found that Nestle GoodStart was the best powder and wouldn't clump. The trick is to use warm water, it help's dissolve the powder. Also add a couple of drops of Mylicon drops to eliminate gas bubbles. Your child will thank you for it!

When we used made formula in batches I used a mixer kind of like a blender to get it all mixed up. I don't remember having problems with clumps when we did this.

I never pre-made bottles the night before--I always just made them right before feeding. Since we don't have well water, the pediatrician said it was okay to use tap water. I would run the water until it was warm, then dump the formula in (Enfamil Lipil) and shake the bottle hard--no clumps (we used Dr. Brown bottles).

Also, once my daughter turned 9 months old her pediatrician said it was okay to switch to the "generic" brand because her stomach could tolerate less fine formula. Consumer's Choice and "Baby Bargains" (a GREAT book that is printed every couple of years with great advice on just about any baby product you would need to know about) both rate Parent's Choice highly (Wal-Mart), and it's less than half the cost of the name-brand formulas!

Good luck!

I found our best options was NOT to make it ahead of time. We use room temperature baby water and just have the formula canister sitting there ready to go (or the formula dispenser so you don't have to measure in the middle of the night). It takes so little time to whip up a bottle and shake it and there is no time for it to settle and clump. Then it is room temperature and there is no need to warm it. So, it takes about the same time because you don't warm it, but you do have to mix it each time.

That is also what we do in the diaper bag. We keep the formula dispenser and a bottle of room temp water that way we never have to worry about the bottles going bad.

Also,We did use Similac Advance and switched to Target Formula due to the cost. It is half th cost!!

We use Similac Advance powdered formula and I find the key is to use warm water when you make it. Even if your immediately putting it in the fridge. And shake shake shake shake. If you still notice clumps, then maybe shake after each scoop? I usually notice no clumps when I make them this way. I have never made formula in a pitcher so I can't comment on that one. Also, if your using botles with the plastic bag inserts that could be a problem because there's so little air in there to allow you to shake it so it mixes. Good luck!

I have a pitcher from pampered chef that has a plunger in the lid. It works great for mixing things like formula...but I found that if I always heated my water before I mixed the formula that did the trick everytime. Warm water disolves the formula like a champ.

I used the Similac Advance powder one too and found the same issues. I did call the company and with a combination of their suggestions and mine, here's what worked for me.

Buy one of those pitchers with a screw on lid (kinda like a big water bottle). You'll need to buy one that is slightly bigger than the amount of formula you make as you need some room for it to 'shake'. I ended up drawing a line w/ a permanent marker on my pitcher so I always knew how much water to put in it.

Use mildly warm water (if you're using the jug of nursery water then put the water in the pitcher first and run it under hot tab water to warm it up a bit). Add the powdered formula and shake, shake, shake. I also let this sit for a bit before making the bottles so that the bubbles would settle, etc.

Hope this helps!

Okay, for starters we used the Emphamil instead because our twins were premature. But we were limited on time, sleep, and sanity for making these rediculous number of individaul bottles every night. So here's what we ended up doing...we would take the 1/4-1/2 of the gallon of the nursury water (used the actual plastic gallon, nothing fansy) and gradually pour the powder into the formula into the gallon (using a funnel to pour it into) to make enough for our twins for the next 24-48 hours. Keep in mind you have to go by the quantity you will need within that time so it won't spoil & refrigerate it for up to that time and warm it when you needed it. We would send our milk to our sitter in this form as well so she wouldn't have to mess around with measuring everytime. Just shake the gallon really well everytime you are about to pour a bottle so that you can avoid the "bottom of the gallon clumping" and life went on with more time for us to do or schooling and work @ 5 am. The conveniance is worth the trip as long as you are keeping track of when you made the milk. We would write with a marker on the gallon when we made it & @ what time to throw it out in case we had left over after the 48 hours had passed. Hope this helps!

When we used powder, I would make up a quart or so at a time in a pitcher with an immersion (stick) blender. Then I tried the concentrate form, and we were sold. We had been given a case from a rep. The baby got hooked - she wouldn't drink powder anymore. It is SUPER easy too, and added about $3 a week to our formula tab. The convenience was 100% worth it. It was still far cheaper than ready to feed.

C.,

We used powder for our daughter also. We found that the best remedy was to warm up the water prior to putting the powder in. Also, I gave it a little stir with a spoon before I shook it up. It is a few extra steps, but it is worth it for the money you are saving.

Good Luck
L. B

I use powder all the time in my childcare program. The trick is to add the water first and then the powder and shake. I never have lumps--no matter what brand. I hope this helps.

When I was making powder formula I just filled the bottles up half way with really warm water, shook the bottles, and then added the rest of the water right then... or the next day cause sometimes I would give warm bottles, and it would beat trying to find a microwave:) GOOD LUCK

I used the Enfamil and never ran into that issue. Have tried warm water?

I used the Tupperware mixed drink container. The lid was domed and it had the measuring on the outside. It was wonderful to shake all the powder and would evenly mix it up. The lid had a snap spout. My children are 7 and 9 yrs but I think they still carry it at Tupperware. Go online and I believe they have a store front in the area. Hope that helps. It carries 16 or 32 oz so it wasn't that big but enough to fill plenty of bottles

Sorry, I should've checked first. It is called the Quick Shake container. It is $11.00 and there is an insert to help mix it up. This was one of my favorite baby products that I used with both kids.

Since you are making them the night before, try using warmer water when you make it. Also, give each scoop a swirl so they don't get so clumpy. The warmer water should help do the trick. Good luck,
M.

I've found that Enfamil mixes better for me...

Hi C.

My name is A. and I work for the WIC Program in Chicago.
First off, have you applied for W.I.C.Program (Women, Infant & Children) which is a federally funded program for pregnant, breastfeeding & post partum up to six months women and the infant and children up to age 5. Try to apply where ever you live.
Secondly, powder formulas are to be made for single bottles, try using the concentrated form of the similac that can be made in a pitcher.

I hope this work for you.

A LITTLE ABOUT ME.
Working mom of 4. Been with the WIC Program 23 years.

Enfamil was cheaper and seemed better to me. I never pre-made any of it. I always just made the formula as needed. I hated it sitting in the fridge.

Hi there,
I've been using this formula until now and never had problems (small clumps sometimes)the water can't be too warm or hot, just room's temperature. I shake it really well and than I warm it up in a warmer. They suggest to use that mixture really soon after praparation. Similac powder has good reviews. Good luck.

Hi there, I had the same problem and switched to Enfamil. Problem solved!

Try pouring in the powder gradually into a pitcher of lukewarm water, stirring the whole time or occasionally, whatever works for you. Then put the whole thing in the fridge or measure into bottles. I did this and never had clumps. If that doesnt work try enfamil or something. It could be the formula, not you!

Hi there!
I have twin boys who are a year now and what seemed to work the best for me was the Tupperware shaker. I really takes the clumps out. It's only $11 and you can go online and get it.
Just another bit of information about powdered formula...I used the Target and Wal-mart brand because there is not a difference at all. My boys didn't have a problem switching either. (I started out using Similac.)
I hope this is helpful for you!

Good morning C. U,

I couldn't help but notice your question about similac and I found the trick is really to add the water first then similac then shack. I personally like to use luke warm or warm water. I have a 7 month old & it seems to workout pretty well for me.Pre-making a couple a putting them in the frig should help a lot considering you have two little girls.

A little about me: WM- My working hours use to vary.

i used the pitcher at first, but i found it to be a waste of my time...so what i do now is fill all of the bottles with water and just dump the formula in the bottles when i need to use them from little cup that holds the servings of formula...i have found this to be much easier and i don't have to warm up the bottle like i did when i put them in the fridge...plus you get better force to mix the powder and water when you shake it in the bottle...hope this helps!

Hi,
My kids are 10 & 7 now, but when they were of formula age, we used a blender and pre-made our bottles for the day.
J.

I breastfed but for supplemental purposes we always used powdered formula. I always used hot water when making up the bottles. It dissolved the powder quickly and I never had a problem with it clumping back up even when I premade the bottles.

I have used powdered formulas for every baby (4) and have found that the moisture content is different in the various brands. I used Good Start Soy as my kids had issues with milk proteins. This wasn't working for my son, who also had GERD for him I found a brand called Ultra Bright Beginnings (google it to get the website) that I found at Walgreens - we used the Soy but they also have a milk based and a couple other types for various feeding needs. It is 19 bucks for a large can so the money savings is terrific but it also seems easier to mix, and less cakey - now we buy it direct from the company by the case. We mix with warm water - not too warm, you can curdle the formula and make it go bad - general rule for us - we run the tap water until the temp is equal to our body testing on the inside of the wrist. we fill each bottle with water, then add powder and just shake like crazy for about 30 seconds. When we make them ahead and store them in the fridge for overnight, i put them in the microwave to warm them - I have done a bit of research on this and the only risk of microwaving is the chance of hot spots - to eliminate this problem we just give the bottle a good shake to mix, and then test on the wrist.

This formula seems to be really good about the lumps and is very economical. It is equal to or better than the 'major' brands on every level - I dont like using the term generic :)

Good Luck!