Is there really that much different between the two? I have been pumping for 10 months now, but I working on weaning off as my son will be 10 months old in a week. We have always supplemented using Enfamil Gentlease, but he will soon be on all formula before we move to whole milk. Enfamil sent me a coupon for NextStep and I was thinking of trying it seeing how it is cheeper. I asked the Dr. about it and all she said was that it wasn't necessary.
What do you think of NextStep? My son is on all tablefood and eats 3 meals a day and snacks.
we used good start, cheaper then enfamil. worked great, and very similar to gentlease.
Good luck!
Hi -- I asked my doc the same thing and she said it was basically a marketing ploy to get parents to continue buying formula past the 1-year mark. I used it when I had a coupon but found that the scoop was bigger so it didn't last as long. If your Dr gives the OK then you can switch to whole milk around his first b-day anyway.
Why bother? Goodness sake, he's on table food, eats 3 meals a day! Save yourself some money and stress and just give him regular beverages. Supplement with a baby vitamin and you are ready to go! You are making things harder than you need to.
Good luck,
C., RN
I used goats milk with my son.
It is easier on the body than regular milk and not supporting the corporations and formula.
I cannot speak to the difference between the formula and next step.
Curious as to what your thoughts are as to why you would choose either one (besides price, which is a big concern)
I nursed both of my girls and then weened them to formula then at one year started mixing formula with whole milk then just whole milk. I never used the Next Step because I felt if my child was healthy and getting nutrients with table food then it just wasn't necessary. It sounds like you have a healthy little one also so I would not worry about it especially if the pediatrician said it isn't necessary. My opinion is that it is for children with nutritional deficiencies.
I'm a mom of 3 great kids. But my oldest child was on whole milk at 8 months and she is find. start out with half whole milk and water, wait a week, and Then more milk each time. dr. r crazy.
You need to follow your docotr's instructions. You should never give a baby under one year regular cow's milk. It can cause serious problems including intestinal bleeding. Recently the American Board of Pediatrics also said it would be best to wait until 15 months before introducing cow's milk. My suggestion is stick to the formula you have been supplementing with because it can cause digestive issues changing it around. Supposedly Next Step and Good Start 2 are for older children and have more iron, but if he is eating well, there is no need to change.
Since the FDA strictly regulates ALL baby formula, there is no need to buy any of the brand-name formulas. The Target, Wal-Mart, Costco, BJs, Sam's brands are all as good as the Enfamil, NextStep, etc. There's no need to waste your money buying the expensive stuff!
My daughter never learned to latch properly, so I pumped for 7 months straight. We gave her the BJs brand of formula, and she had no problems.
Good luck!
D.
I know this doesn't directly answer your question, but I saw this article and thought it might be helpful:
Enfamil sent me the coupons also and my grocer gave out by one get one free,..so I stocked up. Big mistake. My DD had a terrible diaper rash and I am SURE it was the stronger formula, by process of elimenation. I used the SOY and afterwards switched bac to her regular Soy formuala and it hasn't happened since.
A littlr about me:
I am SAHM to Noah, 9 and Ella, 1. Very involved in PTO and living in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
I have two small children (4 and 13 months). I would not waste my money on Next Step unless you just want to. We remained with Formula until our girls were 1. We then went to Soy Milk because they could not tolerate cow's milk. They are both happy and healthy.
No, there really isn't any difference between the two types of formula. They are both made with varying amounts of dried and powdered proteins, synthetic vitamins, and taste awful.
(Have you tasted them?)
Compare the taste to your breastmilk, which is completely balanced and has changed consistency to match your child's age, nursing frequency, etc. Your breastmilk is very different now than it was in the first few months of your baby's life, yet it's still a living food that contains valuable antibodies, leukocytes, and the nutrients your child needs.
Are you really wanting to wean from the breast, or just sick of the pump? Pumping is such a weird chore. Since you are already supplementing with formula, you could probably still keep a decent supply just by nursing at night and when you were home. I'm sure the good bacteria fostered by breastmilk have been helping your baby digest the formula. Personally, if I had to supplement, I'd make sure to keep nursing until we stopped needing formula. And if he's eating 3 meals a day and snacks, it sounds like that could be any time you like!
my son's doctor said that he doesn't need next step if he eats well balanced meals. she said to give him whole milk and/or water.
Why not ask your Pediatrician about goats milk?! After I weaned my 2 kids(Girl 4 yrs and Boy 2 yrs) I supplemented with goats milk, which was cheaper and natural and they both loved it. Most grocery stores sell it in the milk section in half gallon cartons (usually Meyenburg Farms, I think, with green writing). I liked the fact that my kids were getting natural nutrients instead of synthetic and it was a good bridge between breast-feeding and whole milk. It is also very gentle on tummies and can even be fed to newborns!
My doctor just started my 8 month old daughter on next step. She nursed for 5 1/2 months then went to formula. We all had a stomach bug about amonth ago and after she got better she couldn't hol her formula down, but could hold down milk. When I told the doctor he explained the side affects of her drinking milk this early and gave me sample of Next Step to try. She has been on it for about 2 weeks right now and loves it! I really like it too, it is the closest thing to whole milk but with all the extras that they need. She will also drink this cold, something she would never do with other formula. So I will use this until she turns a year old then I will start whole milk.
