Formula Options .... Different Brands, Etc.

My first choice would be earths best organic formula. If a special formula is needed than Similac Alimentum ready to feed. Ready to feed does not add all the fillers that powder has. Congrats. My first daughter could only use Alimentum ready to feed due to milk protein allergy

Use the concentrated or ready to use - not the powder - really think that was the biggest problem with grand girl and her spitup/etc. (also prepare bottles for a day - not one each time - this will allow bubbles if any to disperse!)

Formula isn't all the same. there are ingredients that really shouldn't be in there. So please read the label on the can before you purchase it.

you don't want fillers, preservatives and corn syrup. You DO want it to have DHA - a fatty acid that helps with cognition and visual processing.

babies that are formula fed have the most disgusting smelling poops!!

S. - why can't you breast feed? I'm not trying to be rude, but there are ways to fix inverted nipples, if that's what you have. If you are breast cancer survivor - I believe there are options as well.

I would talk to my pediatrician and find out what they suggest - as he/she will know family history and allergies, etc. better than people who don't know you.

My girlfriend who had twins VERY prematurely - had trouble breast feeding - and she used Enfamil that the hospital started the boys on. The hospital told them NOT to change brands once you start...there are different varieties of each one...all of them offer coupons (except store brands).

Congrats on your baby!!

Good luck!

We used the Target brand with both boys.

Enfamil makes one that is gor fussiness... I know for Similac it was the orange can... I liked Enfamil better.. Similac would constipate my son and still now he's on Enfagrow..

Keep in mind that the hospital will use a certain brand, probably either enfamil or similac. If you decide on a certain brand pre-labor, make sure to buy some and take it with you so the baby starts on that brand and does not switch. Switching is not good and causes a lot of the tummy issues. My hospital started us on similac so I just kept going with that and had no issues. However, the walmart and target formulas are cheaper. I regretted paying for similac each week and wished i had thought ahead about it. So if price is important, start with one of those in the hospital versus trying to switch. Same with diapers by the way! Target and Walmart diapers work great, but if your baby is at all sensitive and starts life with pampers/huggies, expect a rash when you switch! Good luck.

They are all basically the same. Don't anticipate problems. Go with what the hospital starts him off with and stick with it. If he is cranky and fussy one day don't assume it is the for USA. Babies get fussy. Some folks make the mistake that if baby is fussy one day it is the formula. You do more harm switching very often.

All brands, from the big name brands to generic store brands all have to provide a certain level of nutrition. There isn't a huge difference there.
What brand to choose really boils down to what you're willing to spend and what one baby likes and can tolerate. Most of the buzz words are just that, words to make you think theirs is better than the others when in reality they are all nutritionally virtually the same since they have to meet government standards.
If you've already had one baby that is sensitive to milk based formula then I would start with the soy based formula.
The "dangers" of soy and it's estrogen content have been overblown in my opinion. I have 2 boys that are milk sensitive, our whole family is. My brother had to be on soy formula when he was little when my mom stopped nursing him. As a household we only drink soy milk because that is what we can tolerate and like. It has not caused any problems with my 2 boys and stopped the issues we have when they get too much cows milk.

The trouble is, it's not just a personal choice for the mom, it's a personal choice for the baby. You won't know what agrees with your new baby until you try. So don't stock up on anything. Buy a small can of whatever they start you with in the hospital, so that you haven't lost a lot of $$ if you have to switch.

I mostly breastfed, but also supplemented a little. My boys couldn't tolerate cow's milk protein, so they both ended up on Nutramigen when I supplemented because I didn't want to do soy for them. But I wouldn't go with Nutramigen unless you know that regular formula doesn't work, because Nutramigen is expensive - much more expensive than the standard formulas which aren't cheap.

As a childcare provider I've probably worked with just about every brand and variation of formula out there.

One thing that stands out in my memory is the HORRIBLE smell of the Target brand of formula. Most formula doesn't really smell great but oh my goodness that stuff is bad.

I have had a couple of babies that have used the Kirkland's Best brand from Costco with great success.

As others have indicated don't stock up until you know what your little one does well with because your little one might have a sensitivity of some kind.

Congratulations.

M

The key is not to switch brands. If you pick Enfamil, stick with Enfamil. If you pick Similac, stick with Similac. We used Similac Advance with our dd because that's what my husband's mother used and when I was unexpectedly unable to breastfeed, the formula aisle overwhelmed us, so we went with her suggestion. We will likely use Similac Advance with baby #2 soon. I would start with regular and only switch if the pediatrician suggests it.

My cousin's baby was fine on the Target house brand, and I have a friend who will only use the expensive organic stuff. But the key is really to stick with one brand. A girl I know had a baby who was happy and great, however, her OB told her that it didn't matter between Similac and Enfamil so she just used what she had as samples before she bought more formula. Big mistake. Baby had a horrible time adjusting and the pediatrician was unhappy that the OB had given that advice. Good luck, mama!

It is all about the ingredients. Look at them and you will stick with Organic. Any basic store bought formulas first ingredient is Corn Syrup! I wish i would have realized that before...but I trusted what was on the shelf.

Personally, I think corn syrup is not an equivalent to sugar, and do not allow it in my house. Add that to the fact that most, if not all, corn syrup is made with GMO corn, then this is not a healthy thing to feed your child at all.

http://www.parenting.com/article/corn-syrup-in-formula

I don't want to seem all high and might, I was just sick to my stomach thinking this is what I fed my kids. I would never give my babies that knowing what I know now....even if it cost less.

I agree with no soy either, for boys or girls. (Another mistake I made with my second who didn't tolerate milk based formula well).

I only used Similac with my oldest. I wouldn't even consider the generic brands. But our financial situation changed when I quit my job, so I used the Target brand with my second and third. They have a sensitive line too.

All formulas must meet the minimum and maximum nutrition standards set by the FDA. All formulas are equally fine from a nutritional standpoint. Even the generic and store brands are totally fine ...

so it is really personal preference.

I would start with whatever formula the dr recommends.. the fussiness and spit up is really just part of life with newborns. my daughter was exclusively breastfed.. and she was the fussiest baby that puked all day long.. nothing was wrong with my milk.. she stopped fussing and puking as her Gi tract matured..

lots of babies switch formulas several times and then they stop fussing and spitting.. most likely their tummies finally grew a bit and they would have stopped fussing on the original formula.

No real insight on brands, but I would avoid stocking up too much right away. My first was almost entirely breastfed, but he did have the occasional bottle of formula. When he was 4 months old we tried formula for the first time, started with organic soy formula, and he was violently allergic. Projectile, exorcist-style vomiting. Not good. Switched over to cow's milk based, and he was fine with that as my emergency back up. Just be aware that there might be an unforeseen issue with one type of formula, and you can't return even an unopened can in most stores!
Best wishes for a safe and speedy delivery!!

I'd talk to the pediatrician that is assigned to the baby in the hospital. They often start them out on what they have on hand. If it works it's good. If it doesn't they use something else.

You don't really have to make any decisions about it one way or the other. The hospital usually provides the formula and it's just easy.

Our grandson had to use a more expensive brand and he got it through WIC but only one tribe around us would provide it. The state wouldn't pay for it so we had to go enroll with that tribe. They were wonderful with him. He did so well on the formula and all the other programs they offered.

I started with Similac Advance with all my kids. My daughter had to switch to Soy because of a milk protein allergy at 3 months and the doctor gave us samples of Enfamil so we used that. After awhile we switched to the Babies r Us Brand Soy formula. Luckily for me my daughter did not have trouble with different brands, my boys didn't either. My boys started on Similac Advance but I had to switch to Sensitive because one boy had issues. I again used Babies R Us Gentle formula and my boys did fine. For me the issue wasn't really the brand, but the type of formula. At 9 months I was able to switch my boys to the next step formula. The Babies R Us brand was the least expensive at the time for me because it was always on sale and with twins, you need to save where you can. Go to each companies website and email them directly. I got a lot of free samples of all of the types, not just the advance that they usually send.

You've gotten some fabulous advice. personally with my first son, who I was unable to breastfeed due to multiple issues, including bad advice from the hospital/ lactation consultant, I chose to formula feed with Similac and eventually switched to Meijer brand formula. it was the same size but a fraction of the cost. worked great for us.

my second son is now 4.5 months old and has been exclusively breastfeed, with occasional supplement. Depending on the reason why, just because it didn't work last time doesn't mean it won't work this time. New baby, New you. :-)

good luck momma..

I have to disagree with the post about babies who are formula fed have the most disgusting smelling poop. That might have been a personal experience but all babies are different. I breastfed my son until around 5 months and supplemented with formula, if anything the poop is more frequent and very runny when breastfed, but no change in smell.

Anyway to answer your question we used enfamil newborn formula until I noticed excessive spit up as he got a little older, then we switched to enfamil AR. It works great for the spit up for my son. I would also just start with what the hospital provides and go from there. There's really no way to tell if there will be any issues or not, sort of a learn as you go kind of thing.

I was not able to breast feed either - don't let anyone make you feel bad about that! My son had a really hard time with Similac. We thought he was getting colic - but it was the formula. As soon as we switched he was fine. My daughter has reflux and Enfamil Gentlease has worked well for her. I would also speak to your pediatrician about what they recommend. Good luck with your delivery!

The brands of formula are pretty much the same. It's like the difference between Coke and Pepsi. Basically the same thing, but with small variations in ingredients and taste. My advice would be to start off with the regular formula, then if he has issues with it, then switch to Sensitive. Good Luck!!