Bottle Service: Education and Encouragement for Guilt-Free and Successful Formula Feeding

Whitmore, creator of the Instagram account The Formula Mom, debuts with a confidence-boosting guide to feeding newborns with formula. Even though most American parents rely on formula, she says, only a fraction receive any training from healthcare providers on how to properly prepare it. Whitmore helps readers understand formula, a combination of milk, lactose, and plant-based oils designed to be similar to breast milk, and how to choose the right kind (“Don’t break your budget for ingredients that aren’t required unless you really want them”). She covers how to safely prepare bottles, noting that parents can generally mix formula with tap water if it’s safe to drink in their area, as well as topics that become relevant in later months, like introducing solid foods and moving from bottles to cups. “Quick Tip” sidebars offer game-changing ideas, like batching a pitcher of a day’s worth of formula, as it can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours, and implementing “dream feeds,” or waking up and feeding a baby roughly three hours after their bedtime to help them—and parents—sleep longer. Throughout, Whitmore suffuses her practical advice with compassion, acknowledging that women are often made to feel guilty for not breastfeeding their babies. Parents will feel informed and affirmed. (Feb.)