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Formula Feeding

  • Many women supplement their breastfeeding with formula now and then, or while they're at work. It's best to wait until your milk supply is established and your baby is comfortable with breastfeeding. A good time to start is when your baby is around six weeks old.

    Confused about which formula to use? Use our Formula Finder to determine which formula may work best for your baby.

    Related: Supplementing with Formula Feeding

  • Learning to feed a baby just takes a little time and practice. Start by making yourself calm and comfortable.

    Hold your baby on your lap with their head resting in the bend of your arm. Keep them in a semi-seated position, with their head slightly higher than their tummy. Tilt the bottle so that the nipple stays full, that way, your baby won't swallow air. Stroke the nipple against their lower lip or cheek. That should make them open their mouth.

    And remember to give your baby a chance to burp during and right after their feeding.

  • When formula feeding or breastfeeding, your baby may close their mouth, stop sucking or turn their head away when they're trying to tell you they're full.

    When feeding your baby solid foods, your baby may also close their mouth and turn their head away when they've had enough to eat. Other indicators of fullness are a slowed eating pace and emphatic gestures, like pushing their food away or shaking their head.

    Related: Hungry or Full? How to Tell When Your Baby is Eating Solids

  • In the first few weeks, your baby may drink anywhere from 2-3 fluid ounces of formula about every three hours. In general, your baby will take in what they need to meet their body's demands. So don't be too concerned about fixed amounts. Instead, feed them when they're hungry. They'll let you know when they're finished.

    If they drink a bottle and still act hungry, they probably are. Offer them an extra ounce. Most babies do fine with 3-4 fluid ounces per feeding during the first couple months. Increase by about 1 ounce a month until they are drinking up to about 6-8 fluid ounces at 6 months of age.

    Related: Baby Feeding Timeline and Guidelines

  • If you want to warm a bottle that has been in the refrigerator, run warm tap water over the bottle or place the bottle in a pan of hot (not boiling) water. Do not submerge the bottle nipple or collar in the water. Shake bottle occasionally while warming. Warming time should be less than 15 minutes. Test the formula temperature before feeding; it should not feel warm or cold when dropped on your wrist - neutral is close to body temperature.

    Once a bottle has been warmed, keep it for no more than one hour. Then discard it.

    Don't warm Enfamil® formula in a microwave. A microwave can overheat the product or cause hot spots and result in serious burns to your baby. In addition, microwave use may cause your baby's bottles and/or plastic liners to explode or burst during heating or after they are removed from the microwave.

    Related: How to Make Baby Formula in 3 Steps

  • No. Re-warming formula increases the possibility of bacteria growth in the formula as it cools off after heating. Bacteria can be present in powder, in bottles, on your hands, or even introduced in other ways during formula preparation. Follow the safest procedures when feeding your baby.

  • Some babies do better with breastfeeding than others. An excited or hungry infant might be so eager that they don't latch on well. Or your baby might be satisfied by getting just a taste of milk and then stop nursing.

    If your baby is a "sipper", try to keep him interested by singing or rubbing their back. Massaging your breast may help with milk flow. For additional breastfeeding questions, talk to your doctor or lactation consultant.

    Related: Newborn Formula-Feeding Schedule FAQ

  • Many of our products are available in different forms to fit individual needs and preferences and most infants and toddlers can use the product forms interchangeably. When prepared according to label directions, all forms (powder or liquid) of the same product will provide the same nutrition to meet a child’s needs.

    We offer our ready-to-use liquid formulas in convenient sizes. Our 2 fluid ounce Nursette® bottles are wonderful for late night feedings, while several of our formulas come in re-sealable 8 fluid ounce Ready-to-Use plastic bottles which are terrific for when running errands or traveling.

    Related: Powder vs. Liquid Formula

  • Once prepared, Enfamil® powder formulas can be kept in the refrigerator (35-40° F or 2-4° C), covered, for up to 24 hours and Enfamil liquid formulas up to 48 hours. A prepared bottle can be kept at room temperature for up to a total of two hours. If you choose to warm the bottle, warming time should be less than 15 minutes and the bottle should be fed to your baby within one hour. Once your baby begins feeding from the bottle, discard any formula left in the bottle within one hour.

  • Don't set a strict baby feeding schedule, instead breastfeed your baby as often as they want at least 8-12 times every 24 hours during the first few weeks. You'll know how you're doing by how much weight they're gaining.

    Milk Supply

    To establish a good milk supply, you need to feed your baby frequently (8-12 times per day) in the first few weeks. Keeping up the frequency of feedings will keep telling your body to produce milk.

    Tips: Ask yourself these questions to determine if your milk supply is sufficient:

    • Is my baby gaining weight?
    • Do they gulp and swallow when they feed?
    • Do they wet their diaper 6+ times and have at least one bowel movement per day?

    Some Issues That May Affect Your Baby

    Food Sensitivities: The things you eat and drink affect your breast milk and ultimately your baby. Some babies have food sensitivities or allergies that bring on colic-like symptoms like crying, fussing, frequent nursing, and stomach discomfort.

    • Tip: Lay off the spicy foods or gassy foods like cabbage, garlic, onions, broccoli, and caffeine. If removing the food item doesn't stop the symptoms, talk to your baby's doctor about the possibility of colic.

    Nipple Confusion: Bottles and pacifiers feel different to your baby than a breast does. Introducing these things can confuse them and make them not want to nurse.

    • Tip: Be sure that breastfeeding is well established before offering a pacifier, or bottle-feeding them.

    Sucking Difficulties: Some babies do better with breastfeeding than others. An excited or hungry infant might be so eager that they don't latch on well. Or your baby might be satisfied by getting just a taste of milk and then stop nursing.

    • Tips: If your baby is a “sipper,” try to keep them interested by singing or rubbing their back. Massaging your breast may help with milk flow. For additional breastfeeding questions, talk to your doctor or lactation consultant.

    Related: Baby Feeding Timeline and Guidelines

  • Liquid products appear darker and thicker than those prepared from powder. These differences may be due to the heat sterilization that the liquids undergo during manufacturing and also the emulsifier ingredients in our liquid products.

    Related: 5 Common Formula Feeding Myths

  • Bottles and pacifiers feel different to your baby than a breast does. Introducing these things can confuse them and make them not want to nurse.

    Be sure that breastfeeding is well established before offering a pacifier, or bottle-feeding them.

    Related: How to Avoid Common Breastfeeding Issues

  • The things you eat and drink affect your breast milk and ultimately your baby. Some babies have food sensitivities or allergies that bring on indications of colic - like crying, fussing, frequent nursing, and stomach discomfort.

    Lay off the spicy foods or gassy foods like cabbage, garlic, onions, broccoli, and caffeine. If removing the food item doesn't stop the issues, talk to your baby's doctor about the possibility of colic.

    Related: What to Eat While Breastfeeding

  • Formula not only meets your baby's basic nutrition requirements, it also provides the nutrients your baby needs for their growth and development. Formula-feeding also allows other family members or friends to feed and bond with your baby, and for you to have a little break. And some parents just feel more comfortable with formula-feeding.

    Related: Breastfeeding vs. Formula-Feeding: 7 Common Breastfeeding Questions

  • Each of our products is designed for children in a specific age range.

    Enfagrow®Toddler Nutritional Drink is designed for toddlers 1-3 years of age. This milk drink is a nutritious complement to an older toddler's diet, which now includes more solid foods and varied choices. It has 19 nutrients for growth, such as calcium, vitamin D, and zine, to help fill the gaps in your toddler's diet.

    Enfagrow® Toddler Nutritional Drink also has DHA and Natural Defense® Dual Probiotics® Blend

    Related: Enfagrow® Toddler Products - Which one is right for my toddler?

  • Liquid formulas are commercially sterile and, once opened, can be refrigerated at 35-40 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 48 hours. Powdered formulas, however, cannot withstand the high temperatures necessary to make them commercially sterile. In order to maintain high quality, infant formula prepared from powder should be refrigerated and used within 24 hours.

  • We would expect your little one to tolerate the Enfamil PREMIUM® and NeuroPro™ versions of the same product equally well.

At TEST Enfamil, we are dedicated to giving the millions of babies and toddlers that rely on our formulas the best start in life.

The majority of the Enfamil products tested by Consumer Reports* were ranked as “Top Choices,” which accurately reflects our commitment to providing the highest quality and safety in infant formula that parents and pediatricians have trusted for 120 years.

We value the trust parents and caregivers put in our formulas and that’s why Mead Johnson Nutrition ensures our products not only meet, but exceed requirements set by the U.S. FDA and other international regulatory bodies. Our stringent quality and safety protocols start with testing ingredients and only end when our infant formulas leave our hands.

All Mead Johnson Nutrition products tested are fully compliant with safety and quality regulations, including formulas rated lower like Nutramigen or Puramino. We regularly test these products and hundreds of tests contradict the findings of this singular report. We encourage parents and caregivers to speak to their pediatrician, if they have any questions.

Should you need assistance in finding the formula you need, please reach out to our Customer Service team 1-800 BABY-123 (222-9123).

*Reported March 2025

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