Preparing Your Baby’s Bottle
Congratulations on your new addition! Your new little bundle of joy brings an exciting new future, and probably many, many questions.
We are here to help. We’ve created a Metabolic Tips for Parents series of ten short videos to help ease your journey. In each episode, our medical affairs advisor, Rachel Powers, RD explores a different feeding topic that spans over the first couple of years of life. In our first video, Rachel explains how to use a gram scale.
How to Use a Gram Scale
Hi, my name is Rachel and today I’m going to show you how to properly use a gram scale.
It may seem simple but if you are using a scale to measure metabolic formula or foods containing protein for a child with a metabolic disorder, like PKU or MSUD, proper use is very important. So here are some helpful tips.
Most scales have 3 functions: the on button, the units button, and the tare or zero button, which we’ll talk about in a minute. First, make sure your scale is clean. You’ll need the formula or food you’re measuring and a container to measure it in.
Go ahead and turn on your scale. Check the units on the screen. Typically, you will want the units to be grams for formula, but you may use the pounds and ounces units for some food items. Continue to press the unit button until the display shows the units you need.
Place your container on the scale. This can be a shaker bottle, a bowl, or whatever you have handy. Just make sure what you’re using doesn’t cover up the display!
Once your container is on the scale, hit the ‘tare’ button. This button will set the scale to zero again so you don’t have to account for the weight of the container.
Now you can easily measure out the grams of powder or food you need. Most scales turn off automatically after a minute or so, so be sure to have the formula or food handy to start measuring right away.
For formula, add the powder slowly until you hit the exact number of grams you need. For example, let’s say I’m making a bottle of Early Years infant formulaand my instructions from my metabolic dietitian say to use 15 grams.
Let’s add the powder slowly to reach 15 grams exactly. Once you have your powder weighed, you are ready to mix!
Check out our video on how to finish preparing an Early Years bottle.
Thanks for watching and be sure to check out our other videos on our website, NutriciaMetabolics.com and our YouTube channel.
How to Prepare a Bottle
Now that you are comfortable with how a gram scale works, you are ready for our 2nd video which provides steps on how to properly prepare a bottle of our Periflex® and Anamix® Early Years infant formulas.
Hi. I’m Rachel and today I’m going to show you how to prepare a 3-ounce bottle of Early Years metabolic infant formula.
The bottle we’ll prepare today follows the standard mixing instructions on the can, but you should always follow the exact mixing instructions provided to you by your child’s metabolic dietitian.
First, be sure to always wash your hands before mixing any formula.
Gather together everything you’ll need, including:
- your can of formula
- a sanitized bottle
- a gram scale
- cooled, boiled water
Add water to the bottle as instructed by your child’s metabolic dietitian. In this case, I will add water to the 3-ounce line here.
Next, measure out the formula. Check out our other videos on how to use a gram scale or how to properly use the scoop in the can. Use whichever measurement method your metabolic clinic prefers.
I already weighed out 15 grams of formula (which is equal to about 3 scoops), so I will add that to the bottle now.
Place the cap on the bottle and shake until the powder has dissolved. Shake again immediately before the feeding.
Freshly prepared formula is best, however if you need to prepare bottles in advance, they can be stored in the refrigerator and must be used within 24 hours of preparation.
Thanks for watching and be sure to check out our other videos at NutriciaMetabolics.com and on our YouTube channel.
Preparing Periflex or Anamix Early Years Using the Scoop
For those of you who will be using the enclosed scoop to prepare your baby’s formula, we’ve got a video for you too. Check out our short video on how to prepare Periflex or Anamix Early Years using the scoop.
Hi there! I’m Racheland thanks for joining me to learn how to measure Periflex and Anamix Early Years powder.
Remember, always follow the instructions given to you by your metabolic healthcare team on how to mix your child’s formula.
It’s best to use a gram scale to weigh out metabolic formula for the most accuracy. Check out our other video that shows you how to use a gram scale. However, sometimes it’s not an option to use a scale, like if you’re traveling or someone else is preparing your child’s formula and doesn’t have a scale available.
That’s why we include a 5-gram scoop in our Periflex and Anamix Early Years cans. When you first open a can of Early Years, the scoop is often buried a bit in the powder.
With clean hands and using a clean spoon, you can dig the scoop out from the powder. To use the scoop, gently dip into the powder so it remains unpacked. Gently tap the side of the scoop against the inside of the can to remove any air pockets. Then level off the top of the scoop with the back of a clean knife or other straight-edged utensil. This will give you the most accurate measure with the scoop.
Check out our next video on how to prepare a bottle of Periflex or Anamix Early Years formula.
Nutricia is committed to supporting your little one with the best nutrition possible. Our metabolic infant formulas have the best-in-class nutrition including DHA & ARA, important for brain and eye development as well as prebiotic oligosaccharides to help support your baby’s digestive health.
Check out Metabolic Tips for Parents Video Series – Part 2 to learn more about starting your baby on solids.
Periflex and Anamix Early Years products are medical foods for the dietary management of inborn errors of metabolism and must be used under medical supervision.
Brought to you by Nutricia North America. © Nutricia North America 2023
