Formula Feeding My Baby, HELP!

My Dr. always recomended Good Start. I found it to be the most gentle and helps prevent constipation. Pick bottles without a lot of parts to clean. I like the Drop ins.

Good start by Nestle - it has diferrent age levels.

I always used the soy based. It's easy for digestion and a lot of babies are less likely to develop an allergic reaction - like vomitting
good luck !

I would highly recommend Dr. Brown's bottles. They worked well for both my children. I also would suggest not heating up bottles.

K.,
I too, was unable to nurse my first child. I'll private message you a copy of an email I sent to another friend who also needed bottle feeding help with an adopted child. Good Luck and congrats!!
T.

Hi K. -
My daughter liked Similac Advance just fine and took the first and only type of bottles we gave her . . .no problems at all. I didn't have to switch bottles or formulas. The ready-made stuff is more expensive but nice to have around at first, at least for the first couple of weeks. You can just pour it in the bottle without thinking too much. :) Also I learned to keep some soy formula around - the pediatrician recommended it twice when my baby was sick - just to put her on soy formula for a few days.

Also I have this bottle rack from Skip Hop that is wonderful:
http://www.skiphop.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&S...

Being a new mom is a lot of work but it is worth it! Congratulations to you!!! :)
R.

I didn't have time to read the other responses but my two bids would be this:

I've had three kids now (youngest 12mos) and in my experience I've found to help create non-picky and flexible children after breastfeeding is over -- I do NOT heat up a bottle. I'll take the chill out of a leftover refrigerated bottle so that it's close to room temperature. But the bottle does NOT have to be served warm. If your child will take it this way it's so much easier for you. There are no health benefits I've ever heard of for serving warm milk over room temperature milk to babies (that is not true of cold milk though).

As far as formula goes - I would just get as many samples as you can from the hospital and your pediatrician and see what works best. All children are made different so no one can really tell you what will work best except your new baby. Avent bottles have worked wonders for me.

We used the playtex bottles with both of our babies and they worked well. Just a simple bottle that was comfortable to hold (they curved and had indentations on two sides for your fingers) and they were easy to clean. We would go through about 8 bottles a day in the beginning, so it depends on how often you want to wash bottles. We had only 4 to start, but washing bottles twice a day got to be a bit much with a newborn, so we increased to have enough to get through a day. Babies only take about 2-4 oz. per feeding in the beginning, so you can buy small bottles, or use the larger ones so you don't need to buy more later (we had some of both, 6 oz and 9 oz bottles).

I highly recommend a bottle "rack." We washed the bottles by hand and then placed them on the special bottle rack to dry - it made it so much easier. I believe it is also dishwasher safe so you can use it to wash the bottles in the dishwasher. I never used it that way because I felt better hand-washing, but I believe that is an option.

As for formula, I don't really have much advice. We used Enfamil for both of our babies and they both did well on it. The cheapest place I found to buy it was at Costco. I have also heard that the Kirkland brand and WalMart brand (Parent's Choice?) have the same ingredients as Enfamil for a lot less cost, but I never tried them.

I will say that giving the baby room-temperature formula will save you a lot of hassle. We mixed the powder with room-temperature water from the very beginning and our babies never had a problem with it.

I also highly recommend a travel formula "canister" for feeding on the go. They are circular canisters with several little buckets for you to pre-measure the amount of powder. The top twists to each different bucket and has an opening that is the perfect size for pouring the powder into the bottle without spilling. You can carry that with you, along with bottles filled with the right amount of water, and you will be ready for feeding when needed. I also used this for the middle of the night feedings so I didn't have to measure out formula while half-asleep with a crying, hungry baby. If you have seen the pre-measured travel packets of formula, they cost a fortune and this does the same thing for no extra cost, and it is actually better because you can measure exactly how much you need.

I was told to never let the baby "drain the bottle." Meaning, if your baby finishes all of the bottle, he/she may need a little more. You also don't want to let your baby drink until the bottle is competely empty because he/she will injest some air (giving them some gas pain). I always made the bottle for 1 oz. more than what they usually drank. And if they began to finish all of that, I would increase it by another ounce at the next feeding.

Sorry this got so long, but I hope this helps! Congratulations!

Hi K. - I just recently had to ask this very question as we recently transitioned our baby from breastmilk to formula. My dr. as well as lactation nurse suggested any of the four following formulas: Cimilac, Nestle, Infamil and Kirkland Costco formulas. They said they are pretty much the same, of course, the Costco formula is much cheaper than the rest. We are using the Kirkland Costco formula and our baby had tolerated it quite well. We boil the water first, then let it cool down to mix it with the formula. We've learned mixing formula with warm water works best. As for bottles, because of the whole BPA plastics issue, we went with the Born Free bottles which are BPA-free. We purchased both the glass and plastic bottles and prefer the plastic as they are not as heavy when feeding our baby. Good luck and congratulations on welcoming your baby soon!

Hi K., most of my daycare mom's yse the Target brand formula or the Kirkland that the get at cosco, most formulas are pretty much the same, the higher priced formulas are not better than the other ones, they just cost more becasue you are payingfor the name. I have a little 5 month old babygirl in my daycare her mom uses the Target brand, and she has a very healthy happy baby girl, who is doing everthing early, and she's not the only mom I have had in my daycare to use that formila. J. L,

PS I raised my 3 on Simulac with Iron, but it was not expensive when my kids were babies.

why can't you breastfeed? I had breast surgery and breastfed 2 babies with no problem. I would suggest trying, at least, because it's so good for the baby and beneficial for you as well!

K.,

Were you specifically told you cannot breastfeed? Please email me directly @ ____@____.com and I would be happy to speak with you. I am a Lactation Educator & Infant Care Specialist and work with Pregnant & New Moms. I am happy to assist in anyway I can.

Congratulations on the upcoming birth of your new baby and I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Warmly,

H. Irvine
CNCS, PPD, CLE
Newborns & Beyond
____@____.com
www.newbornsandbeyond.com

Hi K.,

Costco's Kirkland brand formula is just as good as the brand-name stuff--in fact, I think it's actually Similac in disguise. Our pediatrician said that all of the formula has to pass the same guidelines--so save money and go with Costco.

Also--don't be shy about getting those free formula samples when you go to your ob-gyn's office! :-)

Happy Parenting!
:-) D.

Nestle Goodstart is an excellent brand. The hospital I gave birth in recommended it and I've found it to be very gentle on my baby's tummy. She had no gas or stomach problems unlike Similac which have her major tummy troubles. The Goodstart with DHA is great for baby's eyes & brain growth, very similar to breastmilk. I highly recommend Nestle brand.

What NOT to do: Please do not use any baby formula that is imported or manufactured in a different country other than the United States. Baby formula manufactured in China has been shown to contain melamine (a 'filler' that acts as a protein supplement- they were using it b/c it was cheapter than milk protein). This affected over 14,000 babies in China (hospitalized). I believe a few deaths resulted in this as well.

Hi K.! Congratulations! We always used the Playtex Nurser Bottles - easy to clean, disposable inserts, and many different choices for nipples. They are also great for squeezing out all the air that can be in a bottle and then cause gas for your baby...no fun for anyone! No need for a sanitizer this way...just lots of hot soapy water!

Re: formula - let the hospital and your pediatrician know you will be formula feeding - they have LOTS of free samples and you can try them to see which one works best for your little one. I breastfed but it took so long for my milk to come in that we had to supplement with formula...we always used Enfamil Lipil. The hospital will have little bottles with nipples all ready for you...don't be afraid to ask for a bunch to take home - they usually give it to you! And call the formula companies, or go online and subscribe. Tell them you are a new mom to be and you want samples, coupons, etc. Believe me they will bombard you with all of it - including checks for free cans of formula, which you can use at most grocery stores and Target (I don't know if Costco takes them). Also, Costco sells powdered formula in huge cans - it's a good amount of savings plus is lasts longer. I think they have several choices.

Oh - and you can do the same thing with diapers too! Although, just a word of advice...I used the expensive Huggies for our first 2 kids...then I found the Costco Kirkland brand diapers...they are actually made for Costco by Huggies...and they are awesome diapers! So are the wipes that Costco makes!

Good luck and enjoy every minute of it - it goes SO fast!

Hi K.. I also had breast surgery and had to formula feed. We started on Enfamil but changed real quick to Kirkland (costco brand) because it gets really expensive and it's like half the price. I compared the ingredients and they are the same. She is now 10 months and healthy as can be. Hope this helps.

K.,

I personally feel that the brand isn't what matters, what matters is that it is high in Iron and that it includes the vitamins/minerals or what ever ingredients they are that help the development of the brain. I think they are Dh something or Deh something...

My son used Similac with Iron and he is a little 4 yr old with advance speaking and great communication skills who speaks and comprehends like he was a 6 yr old.

Good luck.

C.

You're going to need to decide on what kind of bottle you want to use. I really recommend you get a few different kinds of bottle and let the baby pick which one he/she likes. My son was VERY picky about the nipples we used and simply wouldn't take any other brand than the one he decided on, which basically meant that the large number of bottles I got from my registry were a waste of money - thankfully I hadn't opened all of them, so I got store credit for a lot.

This same advice goes for pacifiers if you're planning on offering one - I'd wait and see what the baby likes. Most hospitals these days use Soothie brand if you ok pacifier use (and don't bring your own), and those things are like baby crack. My son only took the Soothie and no other brand until he was 7 months old and then just decided he didn't want a pacifier at all anymore.

Also, you'll need a sterilizer. I tried going with the bags you use in the microwave but it was just a big mess all the time - I think those bags are fine if you're just doing a few teethers or toys or pacifiers at a time, but not when you're sterilizing 8-12 bottles a day. I ended up buying a steam sterilizer that does 9 standard bottles or 5 large bottles (like Avent-sized) at a time, plus nipples.

As for formula, I can't really help you on that because my son has a medical condition that requires a prescription formula. What I can tell you is that making it from the powder is way easier than buying the premade liquid because you can keep the water at room temperature and then warming it for the baby is way quicker than if you use the premade liquids, which have to be refrigerated after you open it the first time.

You'll need to use special water to make the formula for the first 6 months because it's not good for their tooth development to use fluoridated water (which everyone in Southern California has), they can develop fluorosis. From 6-12 months they are supposed to have a very limited intake of fluoride. I just bought sterilized or purified water in gallon jugs from the grocery store. Be careful of using Nursery Water (it's a brand, they have it in the baby aisle at the grocery and at Babies R Us, etc.) because it's fluoridated, so it's for older babies. I never used it because I kept my son on sterilized water until he was a year, then I just switched our drinking water over to fluoridated water (we have our drinking water delivered).

You WON'T need baby vitamins, which is lucky for you because I've never met a baby who liked them. All the vitamins they put in those drops are already added to formula.

You'll need a bottle brush, a formula container for the diaper bag (mine has 3 compartments in it so I can carry 3 bottles-worth of formula with me at all times), and enough bottles to get you through at least half a day, I went the lazy route and had enough to get through an entire day plus a couple more in case I was SUPER lazy about washing and sterilizing. I think we ended up with a grand total of 6 5oz bottles (one of which was ALWAYS in the diaper bag, filled with water) and 6 9oz bottles and as long as I washed his "dishes" at least once a day, we were fine. I got a dishpan from the dollar store and kept it filled with soapy water to throw them in after use and before washing.

Also, check the nipple size on the bottles you get, make sure you get newborn nipples to start with, if you end up with too "big" a nipple size, the baby will feel like it's drowning when it eats. (The nipples aren't bigger, there's more or bigger holes in the nipple).

Ok, that was a huge wall of text I just typed. Hope I helped!

Definately ask your pediatrician and hospital for samples to see what your baby likes. We used Enfamil Lipil with all 3 of our kids and have been using the Born Free bottles, since they are BPA free. FYI: Costco does check formula checks. So sign up for them on the manufacturers website. Good Luck & Congrats.

It's ok. I bottle fed both my sons from the get go. There are some really nice parts to it. I went to bed early and had my husband feed before he went to bed. I fed all night and then he took the early morning. It was heaven and balanced our sleep a little.
The BEST tip I can give you for bottle feeding is you don't ever have to heat the bottles. Room temperature the whole time. Your baby won't start on warm breastmilk so room temperature will just be normal to him/her.
I used Enfamil Lipil and was happy with it. I had about 8 bottles so that I only had to really wash bottles once a day. Another lifesaver is the round sectioned formula holder. I had two of them. That way I filled the sectional holders with the exact ampount of formula before bed each night, filled the night bottles with the right amount of water, and left everything on the counter. That way when I was half asleep in the middle of the night, I could just dump the formula into the bottle, shake it up and go without ever having to turn on a light!
The other nice part is that you know exactly how much formula your baby is getting so that you can say, "I know they had 4 ounces at 10 am so they shouldn't be hungry until about...." That helped me know the difference between hungry cries and the rest. It also helped me push the baby to sleep longer in the night. I didn't worry that my baby wasn't getting enough food.
Good luck!

K.,

I have used several formulas over the years. I have used CostCo formula, Similac, Enfamil and all different forms and formulas of such. The one that I have found that mixes the easiest, is the CostCo brand. The Enfamil stays down easier, if your baby ends up with a problem with spitting up. The CostCo formula is also cheaper in the long run. I have a 17 year old, an 18 month old and a 7 month old. They have all been on CostCo formula. The 7 month old, we have tried all the others listed, due to spitting up, but, have gone back to solely CostCo formula. When you do have your baby, your pedicatrician, if you choose to use one, will let you know what they prefer and will have samples in their office they will gladly give you.

Best of luck! The best thing you can do, is just to try and see what works best for you. Many of the companies, that sell formula, will send you samples to try before you purchase.

K.

Hi K.,
My advice is to not commit to anything until your baby tries it. I also had breast surgery so could not nurse. My first son was intolerant on any formula including the expensive hypoallergenic ones except isomil (soy) ready to feed. Even the powdered version of the same formula made him ill. My second son, we thought we would cut to the chase and bought th same for him. He ended up allergic to soy and dairy. We ended up with Alimentum hypoallergenic for him. So buy in small quantities until you are sure there are no reactions. My favorite bottle by far is the vent air. A friend recommended them for my second and he never had gas. And like a previous post, don't get the baby used to warm formula. My first insisted on heating it until he was almost one. He would go on a hunger strike if it was room temperature. My second learned from the beginning to take what he was given even from the refrigerator once in a while.

Good luck
L.

Hi K.,
Couple things I recommend try getting the baby used to taking the bottle with room temperture water from the beginning that way you can make and feed the baby right away anywhere or time with out having to find hot water or a stove to heat it up. I have had several kids either my own or daycare and this makes it so much easier especially in the middle of the night. Also they sell a formula holder that holds like 3 servings of formula that you pre-measure that will also be great you may want a couple of these one to keep by your bed for middle of the night feedings and one or two to carry in diaper bag. I always used the "old" bottle type that have been around for ever I believe they are playtex they come in colors and either 8 or 4 oz size. Target & walmart sell them in packs of lie 4 for cheep. (my oldest is 17). As for formula Carnation Goodstart was the best tolerated by my kids but every kid is different. Don't worry about not being able to breastfeed your child will be great. I have 2 kids who only nursed and my oldest only had a bottle they are all healthy & smart. My advise is cuddle them as much as you can while feeding sometimes when we use bottles we think of prop it up and get stuff done try not to do this the really important part of feeding is the bonding and closeness. If you need more info or want to talk message me. I have three kids do daycare and have taken in foster kids I have a lot of experience with babies. Best of luck this is the best part of life.

Hi K.,

I highly recommend the Playtex insert bottles. They reduce the amount of air that gets into Baby's stomach. About formula, it all depends on how well your baby does. My little angel had acid reflux so we use the GentleEase formula that is mild on her little tummy. Make sure you use a formula that is rich in iron and DHA. These help with the developing brain. Good luck!!

I'll stick to the basics...

I was a combo feeder...brestmilk and formula after 6 months. I used Playtex Drop-ins, super great for avoiding gas bubbles in the belly and stuck with Enfamil Formulas after we had a spit-up issues with Kirkland Formula, while the make-up of it is basically the same there is something in it (missing? I forget) that made my son spit up after every feeding. But, like my son's pediatrician said finding a formula is like trying on shoes...just keep doing it until you find one that fits!

First off, Congratulations on your upcoming arrival! I just had my 3rd baby in August, and when I give her a bottle I use playtex original nurserr w/drop ins (nipple and liners are BPA free). I also used playtex vent air with my second, but I am not sure if they are BPA free. When I had my 2nd, I hadn't heard about the issue with BPA yet, I thought they were wonderful bottles. They greatly reduced gas,and they are already tilted at an angle! As for formula, I agree with other readers. Your baby will let you know in time! I would talk to your pediatrician ahead and see what he/she suggests. I used Similac with my first and started it with my 2nd, but when I shook the bottles they got all foamy, so I switched to Enfamil and the foam issue went away. I have heard Costco's Kirkland brand is the same and much cheaper.

Again, Congratulations and good luck !!

One thing to keep in mind, if you tell ANYONE at the hospital that you want to breastfeed they will be obligated to teach you how to breastfeed properly/ successfully. Depending on what surgery you had, this may be frustrating for you and the baby since you may never have the supply your little one needs/wants. Some folks believe there is never a reason not to try breastfeeding and may push a little too hard. I worked as a nurse and I really felt horrible for the moms who were made to feel so guilty (by the people who were supposed to be helping them - docs, nurses, consultants...) for not wanting to breastfeed. I breast and bottle fed both my boys so I've seen both sides of the coin.
As for tricks of the trade, I measure out about how much powder formula my baby takes in one bottle into seperate little baggies. I do the whole canister of formula at one time and store the baggies in the fridge. It seems to take less time for me to do it once a week rather than every day. I also store my bottles with the amount of water I need in the cabinet so they're at room temp when I make it. I use all the bottles in one day so it's not like they stay in there forever. Like some of the other moms mentioned, I keep tabs on how much the baby drinks during the day - I write it down on a chart so I know how much he's taken just 'cuz I'm dumb as a rock when it comes to remembering numbers. It's also nice to be able to look back over the week or at doctors appointments and be able to tell exactly how much the baby takes. Both my boys are really on the skinny side because they're VERY active and it was good to be able to tell the doctor that NO, I wasn't starving them - in fact, they were eating MORE than the average kid at their age.
My first would eat any formula out of any kind of nipple, but my second ONLY likes the playtex drop in system with the fast flow nipples. (He's 7 mos so probably not good to start with the fast nipple.) Anyway, I like the system - it's convenient for me but expensive. I get the drop in's that are the Walmart brand - saves a little money.
A bottle brush is really helpful as are the dishwasher baskets. Beyaond that, can't think what else you need.
Good luck!

we used mam bottles because they are bpa free. i personally would not use the plastic bags that you microwave for several reasons - it's easy to get too hot, the plastic breaks down under heat and i wanted as simple of a system as possible.

tricks - i thought the bottle warmers made the milk/formula too hot (we could never get it right or maybe we had the wrong one, i was terrified of scalding her little mouth so was constantly testing on my wrist) we would put the bottle in a bowl filled with instant hot water - it warmed it perfectly to the right temperature. I like the posting idea earlier of getting your baby used to room temp formula - my lil one wasn't picky at all - but i was a nut and boiled my insta hot/reverse osmosis to make sure the water was pure.

we used organic formula from earth's best - i didn't like similac's organic as it has sugar in it - don't need her addicted to sugar at this early stage in life and being the daughter of a chocoholic! the best formula will depend on your baby's digestive needs, allergies, etc. the hospital will give you samples and the doctors office usually signs you up for mommy welcome kits - i got a lot of similac, enfamil and nestle giant sample containers with cool travel bags including dry blue ice. your baby's dr can help you choose the right formula.

good luck!

if you only had a boob job u can still breast feed if the doc didn't cut all around your nipple and sever the milk ducts....in my opinion the best formula is Good Start Supreme's comfort proteins
easy on the belly..
they'll help u at the hospital...they'll give u lots of formula but it's not good to mix them up..i breast fed and also supplemented and when i supplemented my son would have a lot of trouble and Good Start Supreme was the only one he didn't have trouble with.

K.,

I feel my daughter Similac Advance which I can readily find at my Costco store but any formula with DHA and RHA is good. If you have signed up for any online advice sites such as Babycenter.com and had a baby registry at Babys 'R' Us you will more than likely begin to receive free cans of formula to try.

M.

Each baby is different. Start w/ the inexpensive formula first -- hope it works. Then work your way up until you find what is best for your baby, some babies require expensive prescription formula which can run you $500 a month! I never used a bottle warmer. I kept a big mug that I could heat h20 in micro then but bottle inside mug to warm formula. Shake well before serving. Test temp.
Don't stock up on bottles/nipples until you figure out what your baby likes. Have a few choices on hand then after you find the one, the invest in more bottles. I used to sterilize bottles, add boiling h20 then store in fridge for day(s) ahead. When baby is older, you get lax and find they'll drink formula made from room temp bottled water.

Hi K.,
Congrats!!!! I breast fed and formula fed my baby... couple of things.. even though you are going to formula feed I would still get the "Breast Friend" pillow it's great for the 2am feedings... also I tried several formulas before deciding which one was best for baby..... you'll get tons of sample from your OBGYN and hospital.. I'd say start there and see how the baby does... am sure you know formula tends to constipate babies so keep an eye on that... I ended up going with Enfamil LPL with Iron ;-) Powder formula is way easier and cheaper than liquid so get you baby to like that before doing liquid Oh BTW Dr. Brown's bottles are fabulous specially if you have a baby who has collic issues.. I also use the Playte drop in.. but they are kinda expensive and I think the Dr. Browns are better...
Best of luck.. am here if you have any other q's
Ciao
N*+*

there are many different types of bottles, nipples, etc. out there but your baby will tell you which nipple he/she likes, so don't buy a whole system until you figure out which one the baby will take. with my first one i had a whole set of a more expensive brand & my daughter did not like it. in regards to formula, whichever brand you end up getting (enfamil, similac, etc.) try the wal-mart equivalent. it's just as good for about half the price. you can also send for sample packets from wal-mart. good luck!

I was also mystified by bottle feeding. (was planning to breastfeed, but it didn't work out) I'm so glad someone bought me a set of Avent bottles for my shower. Own a Dr. Brown bottle in case your baby is gassy you can test it to see if it helps. But its not worth cleaning the extra parts if your baby is not gassy. Invest in a box set of bottles to get good variety on size. Nipple hole sizes vary. Avent goes from a level 1-4. All sets are sold with newborn level one nipples. Many a seasoned mother swears by they playtex disposable inserts, but my kidlet never liked them. Avent can be finiky and leak, but its all in how you tighten the lid. They don't leak on me anymore. I learned sometimes its about loosening the lid, not tightening it. We started on Similac Advanced and swithched to Kirkland brand at 10 mo. Cleaning blottles is such a daily chore. Make it easy by owning enough bottles to get through the whole day and then some (9 bottle). I never sterilized my bottles past the firt use. I also realized my baby didn't care one way or the other about her milk being warm, so she gets a room temp bottle and it has saved me tons of time! Do do do however use filtred water. A Brita will do the trick to get rid of the lead. Its the lead you need to be most careful about. When she was newborn, I mixed a whole batch of formula and filled and refrigerated a days supply of bottles. Now I make as needed with room temp water (this way I don't have to heat the bottle!) You can buy bottle heaters, but seriously when your baby is screaming and you are waiting for those two minutes- forget about it. I used the microwave and shook the bottle for heat spots. Hot spots are a non issue if you shake your bottle. However, since I'm not a fan of the microwave and plastic thing, we do room temp. Another must have are the containers you fill of premeasured formula for your diaper bag. Also the premeasured packes of similac where outrageously handy on the go, but overpriced.

Hi K.,
We used Enfamil Lipil formula - it was great and it has probably improved in the 6 years since I had to use it. We didn't know that there were different nipples for the bottles so we left the slow flow nipples on too long and it was taking forever for my son to drink his formula. So that's something to look for and figure out when to change nipples. We also bought the powder because it was cheaper and you can take it with you and mix with bottled water when you need it (it also comes in single serving packets).

I think that's about it. It's just a matter of what the baby likes and doesn't like. If he/she has problems with milk products you may have to change to another brand.

Good luck! And remember it gets easier every day!

Buy a bottle warmer-best thing ever! We used kirkland formula with my daughter with no problems but my son needed a lactose free which they didn't make. If your baby has no problems with it, go kirkland and save $$. I used playtex dispoables. Get a bottle drying rack plus dishwasher basket. Happy pushing.

I see that you already have a lot of advise, but I thought I would also share my experience. I started breastfeeding, but was only able to for a little over 3 months. Don't let anyone make you feel bad that you can't breastfeed. I turned out fine without any breastmilk, and so has many other babies.
That said. Bottle feeding is Sooo much more convenient! You don't have to expose yourself in public each time the baby fusses. You probably want about 8 - 10 bottles, I don't think that brand or type really matters though some people swear by certain ones. you don't really need a sterilizer - that's what a dishwasher does. You will want a bottle and nipple brush to clean them though. but you might want a bottle warmer for nighttime feedings if you mix the formula and store in a fridge before hand. I kept a small fridge and warmer in my room so I didn't have to go to the kitchen or think too much when the baby woke me at 3am. Sterilized water really isn't necessary as long as you have a water filter - I started using Nursery water for nighttime bottles when my son started teething because of the floride.
The brand REALLY depends on your baby. if you got free samples in the mail (Lipil and Similac usually send them if you request online) try them first. These brands didn't work for us. Lipil gave my son gas. Similac was just discusting. The Kirkland brand was really thick and made my son constipated. The one that worked the best and didn't smell (a plus when laundry can't be done every hour) was Nestle Good Start. The orange container not the green (which also gave him gas and is more expensive besides). My son did REALLY well with Good Start. I would separate servings into a formula container at night (you can get them at most stores, I used the Munchkin ones from Target and had 2 of them - when your baby is on regular milk you can use them for snacks) it is super convenient for on the go and takes the guesswork out for other people if your baby is being watched by someone else. Another option for at home is making a big pitcher of formula milk to keep in the frige so you don't have to mix when the baby is hungry. My son didn't mind chilled milk during the day.
When I leave the house I always take a cooler with me to store bottles with uneaten formula (so it doesn't go bad), and snacks. You will get used to it. It isn't tough and you can make your own routine as you go along depending on how much your baby wants and what he/she likes and what you like. It will be an adjustment, but I'm sure you will love it!