Switching from 1200 to 500ml bags

If you recently started on tube feeds, your hospital / home health company probably set you up with these 1200 ML formula bags. That’s what happened for me. Obviously, there are certain nutrition goals we have as people on tube feeds- whether we’re solely relying on formula, or if we’re partially eating by mouth and partially feeding. There are protein, fat, & sugar levels that we have to meet to keep our blood and bodies healthy. Some people, myself included, can’t tolerate formula at a super fast rate. They don’t really tell you that in the hospital. They send you home on a goal of 120ml/hr/18hrs when the reality is that would keep me in bed all day, with a distended belly, vomiting.

I’m not going to share my rate for privacy reasons, but it’s not 120. With the 1200 ml formula bags, we had the problem of my not getting through all the formula for the day (because the bag is just so big), and by that evening it would turn white and leave residue along the inside- like it was going bad. It was gross to watch happen, and once I noticed it I couldn’t un-notice it and then we’d end up wasting formula.

Recently, we asked our supplier if they have any smaller bags and they sent us a box of the 500ml bags to try out. I LOVE them! They shape is more of a square, kinda cute actually, it helps save formula, I go through the whole bag (sometimes multiple) during the day which makes me feel like I accomplished something, and they’re so much easier to carry around! There are also Etsy shops that share little bag covers for the 500 ml bags- i’ve never seen this for the 1200 ml ones. If you find yourself only filling your 1200ml bag part way, wasting formula, or just thinking it’s too big, try the switch! I love it.

LOVE,

Jaime