I am getting ready to have my second child and I formula bottle feed. Last time we used Carnation Good Start, but that was 8 years ago! I see the main competition these days as being Enfamil Lipid vs. Similac Advanced. I noticed today that Member's Mark (Sam's Club/Wal-Mart) has a brand they 'compare' to Similac LIPID and it is $.50 less PER OUNCE - that really adds up to quite the savings! You can also buy it in very large cans, which will obviously last much longer. Have any of you Moms had success with this formula? The few moms that rated it online at Sam's had great things to say, however I need a BIT more pumping up before I'm sold on it! :) Thanks!
After all the wonderful responses I've received, I have no doubt I will use the generic formula once my daughter is home from the hospital. Thanks to all you Moms who put my mind at ease on this subject. I should have probably also asked about generic diapers! :) Every penny counts!
Try the Target brand....less than $12 and compares EXACTLY to Enfamil! They even have soy and gentle (fussy/gassy version) formula!!
We recently switched to the Members Mark Gentle formula and have been very pleased with it. The nutritional info is almost identical to the Similac we were using, and the savings is significant. We save about $75 per month!
Hi! I recently juz had a baby myself after 5 yrs with my daughter. He's now 5wks 4 days old. We started using member's mark formula when he was around 3wks old after we finished using the goodstart formula we got from the doctor & the hospital. I would say my husband and I are very pleased. Aside from the big savings ofcourse, you can tell that the generic brand is no different with the other brands out there that would cost you an arm and a leg. No spit ups, no tummy aches. We give member's mark formula a thumbs up. Good luck!
I used the Parent's Choice (Walmart) brand with my 14 month old son. My pediatrician's opinion is that all formulas have to live up to the same government standards and if you compare the generic to the name brand, it is the same thing. Why support the formula companies who try to rip new parents off?
I did use Similac for awhile (and Enfamil for even less time) because I had free cans, but I liked the Parent's Choice better.
I am expecting #2 in September and I will use Parent's Choice again if I have to supplement. I also would have used the Sam's brand, but my son was lactose intolerant, and they didn't carry that formula at Sam's.
If it makes you feel guilty for buying a "cheaper" formula, you could always open a bank account and put your savings into it to start a college fund ;-)
Good luck!
I agree with the other moms that there is no difference. Both of my kids were on generic formula. My son was on Member's Mark for about 6 months because of the price difference and size of can. Our doctor said if it was better on the wallet than he was good with it. Good luck with your decision and with the new baby!
I was, like you a little skeptical of the members mark brand. But I actually spoke with a Dr. who said it is exactly the same as Enfamil. It saved us a ton of money and my kids never had any issues. I tell all my friends about it now and we will use it for our fourth that is on it's way!!!!
The Member's Mark doesn't have as much of the LIPIL part, as Enfamil does. My sis was a formula rep for a awhile, so had a ton of info on all the formulas out there. Granted she was a rep for Enfamil, so she was definitely sold on it. However, she had so many studies and info that I was convinced. Unfortunately for us it didn't matter, we had to go with a preemie formula :o(
If you want I can probably get you some studies and info.
Tracy,
The generic kind is just the same as the name brand stuff. If you are planning on going with Good Start, sign up on their website to receive free formula checks. They should send you free samples too so you can start off with the name brand and when the checks run out, switch to the generic. Also, be sure to ask your pediatrician for samples, they carry a ton of it!
My daughter handled the generic brands from Walmart & Target just fine.
Good luck on the new baby, I"m sure you're really excited!
I know you received a lot of responses but thought I'd add that we bought Enfamil cans at Sams because they were larger. The generic has a different texture to it, and even though it was a lot cheaper, we didn't like it personally. It was more like wet sand feeling. My son didn't take too well to it either. It really is going to depend on the baby though. I do suggest buying Sams Club diapers! They are just as good as regular diapers and sooo much cheaper!
We used several different formulas after I weaned our daughter from nursing at 4 months. Similac was horrible--really stinky diapers. Enfamil Lipil was what we settled on, and then we tried the Sam's Club formula that you are referring to. We actually preferred it to the brand name. The cost savings is considerable, and it was easy on our daughter's tummy. Where do you live? I have an unopened can of it in the pantry that I was going to donate...you're welcome to have it if you want to try it out without paying the 20 bucks! I'm in the Keller area...let me know! ~B.
Hi Tracy,
I use Member's Mark and have for my other children, too. It's the exact same, it worked very well. One of my boys spit up a lot in the beginning, so we used the Member's Mark brand that is comparable to Gentlease for the first 4 or 5 weeks then switched back to the regular.
I give it a thumbs up. :) Congratulations!!
C.
