Poll What Formula Is Best?

My son did best on Similac Advance pre-mixed. The powdered version seemed to make him gassy.

Again--what's with the editorializing? This woman asked for BRANDS of formula you have used with success.

My daughter responded REALLY well to the Carnation Good Start. She had issues with throwing up and gas with any other brand.

Hope that helps :)

We tried them ALL, top of the line price wise, to Walmart brand cheapy......but what worked best and seemed to smell and look the most simular to breast milk was Good Start...highly reccomend it : - )

I wanted to breastfeed too but it didn't work out. When we finally broke down and my husband went to the market to get formula, I was crying b/c I felt like such a failure! Hah, I still get teary eyed thinking about it. Anyway, we ended up using Enfamil and it worked out fine for us.

J.:

I'm sorry breast feeding didn't work for you...were you able to get in touch with REALLY GOOD lactation consultant?

I can't help you with formula - never used it for any of my kids...it's a hit or miss thing from what I understand - there are sooo many to chose from - i would ask your pediatrician for samples!!
GOOD LUCK!

I had great luck with Goodstart milk based formula with my son - it's pre broken down so it's easier to digest, thus less gas etc. My daughter however, when breastfeeding or using milk based formula cried and cried, arched her back in pain when feeding, acted like she wanted to eat but then hardly ate. She had a milk intolerance. Tried her on Nutramigen which worked well (it's non milk based and hypoallergenic) but it's very expensive. Her crying and arching at feeding time stopped. She no longer had to choose between being hungry and being in pain.Tried her on Similac soy based formula and it worked well too and wasn't as expensive. Only use soy as a last resort - milk based formula is best. FYI - my daughter refused transitioning to milk at a year old. Broke down and tried chocolate milk, strawberry milk and still wouldn't drink it. At 2 yrs old I heard about vanilla millk - she likes vanilla yogurt, ice cream etc. so I tried it. Told her it was "nilla" (her word for vanilla) and put it in a non see through sippy cup. She drank some and tolerated it just fine. (FYI she has always tolerated yogurt and cheese so she has no severe milk allergy). We now buy Horizon ORganic Vanilla Milk because it doesn't need to be refrigerated and we can keep it in the pantry (it comes in boxes like juice boxes) and just keep a few in the fridge at a time. She obviously outgrew any milk intolerance as most children do - she just happens to also not "like" plain milk. Good luck to you in finding the right formula for your child!

Good Start was the best for all of my girls. It's what we switched to for my breastfed babies when they were done BF'ing. It was the gentlest on their tummies, no constipation on it, little spitting up, and they seemed to like the taste the best.

Nutritionally they are all exactly the same.

The Enfamil line is fabulous. The nurses in our pediatricians office prefer it and said they thought it was slightly better. All three of my kids were on Enfamil Nutramigen and they are thriving! Healthy and happy. Best wishes.

Similac Sensitive worked great for us!

I got prego when my baby was six months and it hit my milk hard...hardly had any left and then baby weaned! Anyway, I feel your pain on the nursing not working. We use Similac Advanced and it has worked for us (until new baby is born and I'm back to breastmilk!).

Sometimes it takes trial and error to see what works best for her. You don't mention her age, but gas is very common in the first weeks regardless of what baby eats because their digestive system is so immature. In utero, everything baby got was already digested for her, and now her body has to get used to doing everything on its own. As long as she doesn't seem overly uncomfortable, she should be fine.

Another option if she has major issues with formula (many babies do) is either banked milk or donor milk. The $3/oz cost associated with banked milk (San Jose Milk Bank) is not affordable for some families, so if you have a friend or family member who is currently nursing, you could work out with them to get donations either to fully supplement your baby or to work alongside the formula. If you don't have a friend or family member and are comfortable with donor milk, you could turn to a donor organization, such as the Bay Area Breast Milk Collective. I'm sure there are others, but that's the one I'm familiar with.

There are many moms who are willing to share their milk with moms in need just out of the kindness of their hearts :) I always wanted to donate (and did a few time when my daughter was little), but I really don't like to pump :(

We used the Target brand.

Similac Advance with DHA & ARA-----Good luck!!! The gentlease kind is very good for gassy babies too-I don't remember the brand though-

Earth's Best made a formula that our lactation consultant recommended when I wasn't making enough milk. It smelled the closest to breastmilk. Good luck.

Hi,

Have you thought about making your own? Here is some more info:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/1...

We use Enfamil Infant - my LO did have some issues with gas and our pedi gave me Similac Alimentum samples but it REALLY smells and my baby absolutely REFUSED to take more than 2 oz of it (just enough to not be hungry, I guess), even if I mixed it with regular Enfamil. She also refused Enfamil Gentlease (which I found mixed with less bubbles). So instead of fighting the bottle battle I just stuck with the regular Enfamil Infant and gave gas drops as needed. She outgrew her gassiness after a couple months.

A friend of mine researched formulas and found they are all very very close in formulations - the fat/carb/protein/vitamin/mineral contents are all very close to each other. So, I say go with whatever fits your preference and budget - just in case your LO is picky like mine and refuses to switch formulas! :)

My son seemed to have issues with gas as well so we ended up using Enfamil Gentlease for him. It worked great! Then we found Walmart's brand Parent's Choice version of it and switched to that. Our doctor said it was absolutely fine because all formulas have to pass FDA regulations just like the name brands. It worked just as well as the Gentlease except it was almost half the price of it!
Every baby is different because when my daughter came along, that is what I planned to buy for her. She couldn't tolerate any formula produced in the Parent's Choice line! So we kept her on Similac which is what they started her on at the hospital. Just try different ones until you find one that works for your child. Ask your doctor for samples. They are happy to hand them out freely. That helps defray cost until you find one that your baby likes. Good luck!

I used Similac Advance with both of my boys. With my first, I had to buy the premade liquid. Otherwise, he would have horrible gas! With my second, I used the powder. He did not have any problems.

we used nestle good start. we started out w/ similac but it was too harsh for her. so her ped told us to try the good start and she did fine w/ it

Use Mylicon Infant Gas Drops.

Burp her often.

Also, Use a bottle that does not accumulate air bubbles in it as the baby drinks.
ie: The "MAM" brand bottles. Not widely available in stores. Amazon has it. It is also BPA free. I used bottles for my son, with breastmilk. But this bottle was great. NO air bubbles in it as my son drank.

Goodstart worked well for us. The protein in it is different, something about whey...cant remember.

We switched to an organic formula towards the end....similac ready to feed organic.

Enfamil worked great for us.. This was 5 years ago but they used it at the hospital. Also we were able to buy it SAMs club.

We had my daughter on Similac Alimentum, it worked, but I would avoid it, it is the most expensive (7 yrs ago it was $9 per bottle, I can only imagine what it is now). You may have to just play around, try the sensitive versions of different brands. Both my kids got very sensitive when it came to brands. I could switch them to different formulas within the Similac brand, but when I tried to switch them over to Enfamil or Good Start they would refuse it.

I use Emphamil. I figure the hospitals use it, must be good! =)
We have had no problems with it and love it!