Tips For Feeding Fox Valley Nutrition Formula????

[CrazySquirrelLady]

I have been mixing up a new batch every day and storing it in the fridge.

Every feeding time, it's a hassle to warm it up and get it in my limited number of syringes.

Today, I heated up the milk on top of the heating pad as usual inside the syringes.

I noticed that it looked clotted, so I decided not to feed it and make fresh.

By this time, I got 2 HUNGRY boys beating down the cage bars to get at me.

So I just fed it to them lukewarm, as I used hot tap water to mix up the batch.

They both ate like they were starved and drank 50 cc between the two of them

So I am thinking I may serving too hot, or that they enjoyed the super freshness or something. This led me to think I better ask the experts for tips. So here I am! What was the big difference that made them like this batch so much? Used same recipe as usual. They have had freshly made before, but usually warm it up more (around 100 degrees, maybe 101 usuallly)

This last batch was lucky if it was 85 degrees!

What do you all think? Please jot down any tips for feeding this formula that you have noticed.

It would be inconvenient to mix fresh each time, but maybe I should after their reaction?

[island rehabber]

I'll give it to you straight, what I do, and can honestly say I never have problems with FV 32/40 OR 20/50 and everyone loves it:

I nearly always mix it up fresh. The bag stays in the freezer. I scoop out a small tupperware full to keep in the fridge, to use daily. From that I mix only about as much as I will need for each feeding. After I mix it in a coffee mug I sit it on a mug warmer (electric) and feed the kids. If there's any left over I put it in the fridge and combine into the next feeding.

Last year I tried making a day's worth of formula ahead of time and putting it in one of those cute mixing canisters. with the wire ball inside? Fuhgeddaboutit.
*nomatter how much I shook, there was an inch of glop at the bottom of the cannister that would NOT mix...by evening the glop was cement-like :shakehead
*by the 3rd feeding of the day the kids wouldn't touch the stuff nomatter what temp it was. They knew it was old!

:dono so that's my story. FV, mixed fresh, feed the squees, wash up. Repeat as needed. :D

[newsquirrelmommy]

I keep my fv bag in the freezer as well and I mix up one day's worth of formula in a small tupperware. I take out of fridge, fill my syringes, get out air bubbles then put the nipples on and then put them all in hot water in a mug. I wait about 5-8 minutes and all the formula in the syringes is warm enough. I always squirt some on my hand just to make sure the temp is right. My Squirt has never had a problem so far. I used to put the nipples on right before i fed him and he hated waiting for me to get the next one ready. This way i take one syringe out and pop in another one and he likes this way better. No waiting. I too used to try and make about 2 days worth but mine got gooey being in the fridge so long so i just accepted the fact that i was going to have to make it everyday..lol:D

[CrazySquirrelLady]

something must've been different this feeding, they were WILD for it.

Low temp is only thing I can think of. Mixing 150 cc each day of formula, guess I can start mixing new each feeding and serve luke warm if that is what they want! heehee

[Thumper33]

Just throwing in my 2 cents...

I have really hot water at my house. I can't hold my hand under it when it's on full hot. I like it that way. Easy to make tea. :)

I have 12 3cc syringes with nipples that never come off.

I start by mixing up about 2 days of formula using hot water. That way it's sure to mix properly. Now the first feeding after I make some, it's warm enough to use immediately, but I do this otherwise...

Pull the refrigerated formula out of the fridge and get a coffee cup out. Fill the coffee cup with water as hot as it gets from the tap. It's okay to have the water hotter than feeding temp because the cold food coming from the fridge will cool it off quite a bit. I fill a syringe half way with the nipple on, turn it over and pull enough air into it to let all the bubble go to the top, and then squeeze out until all the air is out. This way, very little formula is wasted and all the air is out. Repeat to fill all the syringes.... again, I have 12 and usually fill about 8 to start and just drop them into the hot water in the coffee cup.

Now your formula is all set at about the right temp, and no more fuss required.

If she only eats 6, I'll throw 2 of them back in the fridge. They usually just fine for the next feeding. Just make sure you don't have a clump in the end before you try to feed or the nipple will pop off from the pressure and you'll have a mess.

This works well for me. I just make sure to clean the syringes after each feeding by sucking up some hot water and squirting it out again a couple of times.

[stosh2010]

I read somewhwere NOT to reheat.?? If you don't use it...you lose it??
Maybe I mis-read.??

Cleaning?? I fill and empty used syringes at least 10 times with Really hot water... and then remove the nipple, blow out the last of the water from the nipple, and set to dry on paper towels.I've been lucky with mixing a days worth ahead of time...never had "glop" form at the bottom.
I have never served FV right after the first mix...I was told that to absorb all the water properly...it needs to sit for a minimum of 2 hours...

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I'm not saying that My way is the RIGHT Way...
It's just what I do.....

[island rehabber]

stosh you can definitely re-heat -- DON'T throw it out, you know now that it will take you seven months to get a new batch!!!!! :poke :sanp3

[daniellenc]

Man I never reheated either, lol ended up dumping a lot. I always used my cuisinart to mix to avoid glops and nastiness only storing for one day- after 24 hours i dumped and remade all new for the next day.

[CrazySquirrelLady]

thanks everyone for all the tips! It really helps. Lots of ideas here and it is nice to have someone who is more experienced tell how THEY do it....

Just got in 100 3 cc syringes and a whole box of nipples... HOORAY, oh my what fun it is to have a NEW syringe that works like butter!


JEB sucked bottom out of 3 cc syringe in about 10 second... didn't push plunger.. he went SLURP! WOW what a good eater he is....

[stosh2010]

thanks everyone for all the tips! It really helps. Lots of ideas here and it is nice to have someone who is more experienced tell how THEY do it....

Just got in 100 3 cc syringes and a whole box of nipples... HOORAY, oh my what fun it is to have a NEW syringe that works like butter!


JEB sucked bottom out of 3 cc syringe in about 10 seconds... didn't push plunger.. he went SLURP! WOW what a good eater he is....
YIKES....
I would press my finger against the side of the plunger to SLOW Jeb's INHALING his FV.

[CrazySquirrelLady]

YIKES....
I would press my finger against the side of the plunger to SLOW Jeb's INHALING his FV.

He is a difficult baby to feed. If I feed without nipple, as I had to during nippy crisis, then he seemed to have trouble sucking.

Now he got his nippy back he was happy boy.

He often tries to roll over on back when I feed through the bars and suck nippy. It's really hard to get him sitting up right to eat.

He wants to kick his back legs if he is able to from joy of eating i guess.

It's like trying to feed a tornado with a syringe as JEB twists in circles around the epicenter of the nipple... haha

And he is like the JETHRO BODINE of squirrels, just an aroma will arouse him from his nap....

He steals syringes and is a big hog.

But since he has had so much trouble feeding without nipples for 2 days, I let little piggy have his slurp on for one time. He was soooo happy to have a nippy and be able to suck his vittles back at his breakneck speed.

[NutHouse]

thanks you guys for the great info. !!! This will help me....