Best, Cheapest Formula??

When my children were babies, I was told by my pediatrician that Wal-Mart store brand forumla was exactly the same formula as Similac. I took his advice and gave this to both of my children. It was half the price and was great!

J.,

I have been in a similar position regarding the formula. I did some research and talked with several medical professionals about formula options. Apparently, the FDA regulates formulas, with each being required to meet the same standards. While some brands, typically more expensive, boast on having something the others don't, the truth of the matter is that they are all very similar. The only true difference is when the formula is created with soy, for lactose intolerant babies. I was encouraged to explore options at Walmart and Target or amazon.com, as they have the cheapest available options, all meeting the same high standards. Instead of buying the name brand like Enfamil you can purchase the store brand for much less. If you go on amazon.com, you can usually find formula even cheaper than in Target or Walmart. I hope this helps. Good luck.

J.,
I have tried three different brands: Enfamil, Similac and Member's Mark (Sam's Club). I like the Member's Mark the best because it is the same as Enfamil but doesn't foam up when you shake it and it is cheaper. Hope this helps!
Good luck,
J.

Good day,
When I had my son, I was not able to breastfeed, so we had to use formula from the beginning. I started out with the name brands, but found that the off brands at walmart, Kroger, etc. most of them have the same items. Just check your labels. I personally used powder and loved it. It is easy to trasport and can be made anywhere with water. Hope this helps you. Have a great day.

I USED ENFAMIL FROM SAMS CLUB AND THEN ONE DAY THEY WERE OUT TEMPORARILY SO I BOUGHT THERE BRAND MEMBERS MARK, WHICH HAS ALMOST THE EXACT SAME NUTRITIONAL VALUES AS THE ENFAMIL. IT IS A 51 OUNCE CONTAINER WHICH IS LARGER THAN THE ENFAMIL AND SIMILAC AND IS ONLY $20.00 COMPARED TO $30.00 FOR THE OTHERS. MY SON WENT FROM BREAST MILK TO FORMULA FINE WITH BOTH....

all the formulas are about the same. very little difference in what the companies put in. we used the generic Costco and the generic Walmart Brands. If you check out the ingredients, almost no difference. I would suggest the advanced types though with the DHA and ARA. So you know, i work in a pediatrician's office and have spoken to other pediatricians about this as well.

I like the Enfamil Lipil and the pediatrician says she thinks it is the best. It is a couple dollars more than the other but if you compare labels, has more good stuff so it is worth price. I was only able to breast feed for about 4 weeks and was supplementing then and my son was ok with this formula. My sister in law uses Similac since both her kids seemed to spit up more with the Enfamil. You can go to the Enfamil website and 'sign up' for email stuff and get $4 or large checks in the mail. They are not coupons and are taken off your bill like a check but I won't complain about $4-$6 off my grocery bill! Good Luck--call your preditrician also, they would give you their 2 cents I am sure.
C.

Hi Jenny, I weaned my son about a month ago. We have used Enfamil in the past, however ever baby is different and you may have to try a few before he likes anything. A few of my friends have used Nestle Good Start. Apparently, it is sweet like breast milk. Walmart seems to be the cheapest that we found. Always use a coupon. You can go online to the websites and sign up and you will receive tons of coupons from enfamil: www.enfamil.com, nestle good start is www.verybestbaby.com, and similac is www.similac.com. I have a neighbor that had good luck with the walmart brand of formula too.
When weaning, be careful if you are just going to stop completely and not wean. I was told to just wean one feeding a week. Good luck and hope this helps.

Target I used Soy formula. If it is on sale at Target, it is the best price. you can get the large cans, of powder. If you buy the liquid formula,(ready made) it is NOT cost-effective.
Good Luck~

Hello,
I used Enfamil lipil with my son and currently with my daughter. I wouldn't call it cheap. My doctor recommended it so I tried it with both of them and they both did well with it after having been nursed. I found the most inexpensive way to use this formula is to buy it at Sam's Club. And always buy the powder formula the liquids and already mixed formulas are very expensive. I believe Sam's also sells Similac brand as well. I have found buying it in bulk the most inexpensive way to save with formula. There are probably other brands out there that are more reasonalbe I just found that both of my kids did well with the Enfamil Lipil.

Good Luck,
D.

My pediatrician said that Enfamil Lipil is the easiest to digest, so that s what I used for my son. My OB gave me an article that compared enfamil lipil to the Sams brand and the Costco brand of formula. It is the EXACT SAME ingredient for ingredient. I used it for a year. I actually compared the lists on the backs of the cans and they are exactly the same. So Enfamil Lipil is about $20 for the big can and the other ones anre about $15-$18 a can and the can is almost twice as big. i can't tell you how much money I saved. Also FYI the Sams brand of diapers( Smiles) are better than Pampers. I have gone through two kids in them and not a single leak. They are soft and have the flexible tabs so that it doesn't irritate their skin. Good Luck!!

Dear J.,

I am a mother of one and a registered nurse. It is my experience that your best bet is to give your Pediatrician's office a call and ask them what formula they prefer that you start with. That way they will know what your baby is on in case he has trouble tolerating it. Just some advice from one mom to another. I hope it helps.

Sincerely,
T.

My son is almost 2 and started formula at about 3 months. His system was still pretty sensitive, so it took about a month to find the right formula. We started with Enfamil milk based which caused some stomach problems so we switched to the Enfamil Prosobee Lipil (soy based), which he did very well with. In my experience the less expensive formula was not necessarily cheaper, because you had to use more of it per ounce of water in mixing. You can get coupons occasionally from the Babies R Us mailing list that can make the Enfamil a lot less expensive.