Feeding Journeys: Stories from Real Moms

Written by Leena Tabaja. Customer Service Coordinator & proud mom of two.

Feeding a baby rarely looks exactly the way you imagined it would. Some parents may start with a clear idea of how they hope to feed their baby, while others may begin without a set plan and find their approach evolving as their baby grows and their own needs and circumstances change. Some families choose to breastfeed, others choose formula, and many find a combination that works for them.

There’s no single path to feeding your baby, and every family’s experience is different. For many mothers, incorporating formula into their baby’s routine is shaped by a mix of personal, practical, and medical considerations. Along the way, they find what works, adjust, and grow more confident in their choices.

Here are three different feeding journeys, each offering a unique perspective on finding what works for their family.

Riah: Building a Formula Feeding Routine

Riah had planned to formula-feed even before giving birth; feeling apprehensive about the challenges of breastfeeding and believing it would be a simpler route for her lifestyle. Her delivery experience reinforced this decision, as her baby was cared for in NICU and initially fed by hospital staff. Riah left the hospital supplied with ready-to-feed formula by the hospital, and a reassurance that her baby responded well to the formula and would continue to nourish him. She continued to give ready-to-feed formula for the first few weeks and eventually transitioned to powdered formula.

Preparing formula everyday, Riah settled into a rhythm that made her daily routine easier and developed a simple morning routine that worked well for her and her baby. She adopted the pitcher method- preparing a larger batch of formula at once and portioning it into bottles- as a convenient way to prepare her formula in advance and offer feeds to her baby based on her feeding and hunger cues. For Riah, this simple routine made feeding quick and convenient, without having to prepare formula at the last minute. She also found it especially useful when travelling. Since the formula was already prepared, she could simply pack the bottles with ice packs to keep them cool and head out for the day.

In Riah's formula feeding journey, planning ahead and finding simple, convenient ways to make feeding easier helped her create a routine that fit naturally into her day. Ultimately, it gave her a routine that worked for her while ensuring her baby was nourished and cared for.

Kate: Making Combo-Feeding Work

Kate faced obstacles early in her breastfeeding journey. After experiencing latching difficulties and low milk production, she turned to exclusively pumping to continue providing breast milk for her baby. However, she found that she still needed to supplement some feeds with formula.

Kate developed a routine that worked for her and her baby, offering expressed breast milk by bottle and following it with a formula top-up when needed. The amount could vary depending on how much breast milk she had available and what her baby needed, allowing her to adjust the balance between breast milk and formula as their routine evolved. This form of combo feeding gave her the flexibility to offer breast milk and formula at different feeds, depending on what she had available.

For Kate, having the right feeding tools and accessories made the biggest difference in managing her routine. Pumping, preparing expressed milk, and supplementing with formula could be a time-consuming way to feed, so she found ways to make the process more manageable. A bottle sterilizer, thermos flasks, bottle carriers and powder storage containers for travel helped simplify preparation and feeding. Having a system that worked for her made this approach easier to maintain over time, allowing her to focus on nourishing her baby with ease and confidence.

Suzy: Finding Balance Between Breast and Bottle

Suzy embarked on her motherhood journey with the heartfelt intention to breastfeed her daughter. However, she soon found herself navigating frequent feeds, as her baby seemed to want to nurse almost constantly. Suzy was already struggling with latch issues and low milk production, so she turned to pumping in an effort to support her milk supply while continuing to provide breast milk for her daughter. Despite her efforts, the first three months were exhausting as she pumped around the clock and endless cluster feeding, leaving Suzy drained.

In search of a way to balance breastfeeding and bottle feeding, Suzy began incorporating formula into nighttime feeds, alongside expressed breast milk. With her baby feeding all day and all night, formula gave her another feeding option and allowed her husband to take over some nighttime feeds, giving her some much-needed relief overnight.

Formula became a dependable part of Suzy’s feeding routine, supporting her desire to continue breastfeeding while providing additional nourishment for her cluster-feeding baby.

Story Disclaimer: The stories shared in this article are based on real feeding experiences. Names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of the families involved.

Finding what Works for you and your Family

Every feeding journey is unique, personal and ever-evolving. These stories show that there are many ways to approach feeding, and that plans can change as families navigate their own needs and circumstances. What remains the same is the care and thought that goes into choosing what works for each baby and family.

Whether you’re just beginning your feeding journey or finding your way through changes along the way, we hope these experiences offer reassurance, practical ideas, and a reminder that you, too, can find your own rhythm. One that works for you, your baby, and your family.

    Leena Tabaja 
     Customer Service Coordinator
     & proud mom of two