Raise with Care:
A Parenting Blog
Raise with Care:
A Parenting Blog
What Is Baby Formula Made Of? A Parent's Ingredient Guide
Baby formula is made of a milk base, most often cow’s milk, plus added fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients chosen to bring it closer to breastmilk.* The cow’s milk gets modified first, because on its own it is too hard for a newborn to digest. And every formula sold in the US has to […]
21 Jul 2026
11 min read
What Water Should You Use for Baby Formula? A Safe Preparation Guide
For most healthy, full-term babies, you can use clean tap water that is safe to drink to prepare formula, filtered or unfiltered. Bottled, distilled, and purified water all work too. The one exception is for babies who are under 2 months old, were born prematurely, or have a weakened immune system: for them, boil the […]
21 Jul 2026
11 min read
How to Choose Baby Formula: A Parent's Guide to Picking the Right One
To choose a baby formula, start with an iron-fortified, cow’s milk-based formula that lists lactose as its main carbohydrate. That covers most healthy, full-term babies, and from there you adjust to your baby’s needs with your pediatrician’s help. There is no single best formula, and because every formula sold in the US has to meet […]
21 Jul 2026
11 min read
Can You Mix Breastmilk and Formula? A Parent's Guide to Combo Feeding
Yes, you can mix breastmilk and formula, including in the same bottle, as long as you prepare it safely. Feeding your baby both is a common, flexible choice, and families land on it for all kinds of reasons. If you went looking for a clear yes or no and came away more tangled up than […]
19 Jul 2026
9 min read
Formula Feeding: The Data, The Science, and The Real-Life Decisions
One of the most overwhelming decisions new parents face is how to feed a newborn. Between social media, well-meaning advice, and conflicting “rules,” it can feel nearly impossible to separate fact from feeling. Recently, Stroller Coaster cut through the noise with two experts to explore what formula is made of and how parents are actually using it. Dr. Cindy Barber has a PhD in biochemistry and decades of experience as an innovator in the […]
11 May 2026
4 min read
A Solid Start: Allergies and First Foods
If you’ve ever spiraled over ounces, purees, or whether that bite of egg was “too soon,” you’re not alone. Introducing solid foods can feel like a test you didn’t study for! I just listened to an episode of StrollerCoaster featuring Dr. Zachary Rubin, a double board-certified pediatrician and immunology specialist (also a dad of three, […]
11 May 2026
3 min read
Feeding Without Frustration (Or at Least… Less of It)
A real-mom take on breastfeeding, formula, and everything that comes after Feeding your baby doesn’t just feel important, it feels like everything. It’s our first job. The one that keeps them alive also comes with the most questions, the most pressure, and (at least for me) the most second-guessing. Listening to pediatrician and mom of […]
10 May 2026
4 min read