Which method of feeding did you rely on when raising your family?
Breast for all 4 babies. I had a good supply of milk (sometimes too good, but that's another topic). Nursed the first till he was 8 months, then found out I was 4 months pregnant with baby 2 (again, that's another topic. LOL) Abruptly weaned baby 1, and he went straight to cup by his choice. Nursed baby 2 till she was 18 months , I think. Baby 3 nursed till was 2, and baby 4 till he was 3. (I know, I'm ridiculous. But I had waited 10 years to be able to have him, and I was gonna enjoy the time all I could (or should I say ,"milk it for all it was worth"? LOL) Of course he was also drinking from a cup during the day and only nursing at bedtime, but still, I shake my head. I had the mindset that I'd wean him like Hannah weaned Samuel--on his third birthday, and I did.
- Any particular reason as to why you chose one over the other?
See above.
- Did anyone make their own homemade formula and baby food?
No. I had 3 babies in 4 years. I was up to my elbows in baby mess of every kind and didn't have time to make food. If it didn't come from my boobs, it came from a jar until they could handle Cheerios and soft fruit.
- Did you use glass or plastic baby bottles?
Plastic
- Did anyone opt for the smaller 4 oz bottles at the start?
I probably did if they were shower gifts, but only for water in the early days if it was hot-hot and the babies weren't hungry-hungry. Seems they all graduated quickly to more than 4 oz of diluted juice once they started drinking from a bottle. So the 4 oz bottle wasn't worth buying.
- As an added question, did you use cloth or vinyl bibs at feeding time?
For the tiny infants, cloth, because they had no neck and they needed breathable material. Once their necks became noticeable, I could put the easy-clean vinyl (snap-on or velcro kind only) bibs on them.