Best Formula for Supplementing

My son is now 5 months old, and I returned to work when he was almost 4 months. My supply has diminished :-( I'm working hard to get it back up, and it's working, but it's a process- (water intake, Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle, cutting out my beloved sweet tea because of the caffeine, nursing as much as possible at home, etc.)

My son is supplemented with Enfamil Premium Lipil. I haven't had any problems w/ it whatsoever, and my son is VERY sensitive to things (things in my diet have affected him, he has moderate eczema, etc.) He's a bit gassy, but hey, so am I. Lol.

Also, I agree w/ a couple of the pp- start off mixing the formula w/ your breastmilk.

My son was also really gassy and some formulas made it worse or even made him constipated. I also found the Good Start to be the best! It isn't too thick and it doesn't smell or stain clothes. Good Luck breastfeeding - I know it can be difficult at times. Good for you for planning ahead!

Its trial and error. The best thing would be to ask your pediatrician for some samples, but if they don't have any buy the smallest container you can find of formula. I would start with just a regular one, like Enfamil or Similac, and go from there. It takes their systems about a week to adjust though, so you have to allow enough time to pass before determining if it is or isn't the right formula.

I would discourage you from using the nutrimagen and almentum formulas unless absolutely necessary because they are extremely expensive and they taste and smell horrible!

The other thing to do (if you have time) is to contact formula companies and request samples and coupons.

I would also recommend asking your pediatrician.

We had to move to formula when our daughter was 10 weeks old so I could start chemo. We asked the pediatrician - his opinion was that you should stay away from soy unless directed by your doctor. As far as brands, he said he could verify all the scientific claims made by the big names (Similac, Enfamil, etc - he wasn't so keen on Nestle Good Start, but I don't recall the reason).

Though other formulas may have the same ingredients, they may not be in the same proportions, so he couldn't substantiate any claims they make. We ended-up using Costco's Kirkland brand for most of our daughter's first year. She was always above the 90% in height and off the chart in weight, so we think it did OK.

Every child will react differently to different brands, so you may need to get small quantities of a few (or ask your pediatrician if they have samples of a few different ones you can have on hand for that emergency).

Good luck with your return to work!

Hi S., I have two girls. One is almost 1yr. and the other is now 4. Both of my children were very gassy and one even had colic. At 6 months, I was forced to stop nursing. My mother recommended Similac Advance Soy -not milk based for Haley. It has been wonderful. Now, the baby won't take to it immediately, so my ped recommended mixing breast milk and the formula to start her off. Gradually decrease the breast milk and go to more formula. It ha been great and Haley hardly ever so much as spat up again. Now that she's older, I have switched her to the Go & Grow version. It is still soy and easy on the tummy. I didn't have to gradually introduce it either. It tastes the same, so she took it right away. I hope this helps. Good luck.

I use Enfamil Nutramigen which is pricey but it is hypoallergenic which is recommended for breastfed babies and a plus is she never smells like formula. Good luck!

Carnation Good Start in the orange container is the best I've found. I breastfeed almost exclusively, but every once in a while use formula if he's extra hungry or we're out and about and I want something a little easier to transport and deal with than my breast milk. If you're worried about losing your supply I'd suggest you get a breast pump and pump even if you're empty ..it really does help:)

When I went form breast milk to formula my baby girl had a hard time. She broke out with rash all over her face and had an allergy to the milk protein that is in formula. By that time I had lost MY supply and had to keep her on formula. The Dr suggested Enfamil Nutramigin. The milk protein in that formula is already broken down (much like breast milk) It is a bit more $$$ than regular formula but according to my doctor it is what is the closest to breast milk.
I would suggest trying regular formula first and if you notice your baby developing a dry skin like rash then switch to the Nutramigin.
Also most store brand formulas have Palm oil which can cause constipation. Good luck in switching your baby

S. - you will be FINE!!! The BIGGEST reason for diminishing milk supply is stress.

Pump regularly. You can do this at work - I did. Drink plenty of water - avoid caffeine and DO NOT stress - milk supplies go up and down. The more you stress over it, the more it will deplete.

Don't forget you can over drink water - 8 glasses is fine!!

YOU WILL DO GREAT!!! DON'T STRESS!!!!!!

When I found out that I was not going to be able to supply all of my son's dietary needs with my milk (long story), I wanted an entirely organic formula that was made in the U.S.A. so that I would not have to worry about things like the Chinese chemical scare from a couple of years ago. I use Baby's Only, which is made by Nature's One (http://www.naturesone.com/).

In addition to being organic and high in Iron, Baby's Only is made without Hexane, or Melamine. While researching formuals, I learned that most formulas have added DHA fatty acids which have been treated with hexane solvent, acid, and bleach (you can find more information on their website, or just do a google search). They also do not have any BPA coating on the interior of their cans. It's a little pricey and a little hard to find, but Whole Foods carries it, as well as drugstore.com. I've been extremely pleased with it, since not only has my son been repeatedly on target for weight, but he is also very healthy and active and I feel safe giving him this product. If I need to supplement my next child with formula, I plan to use it again.

Nestle Good Start worked great for one of my children and the other used Enfamil Gentlease...it really depends on what works for your kids tummy and what they like the taste of. You may want to try out the formula before you go back to work so you know which one will work...it might be really stressful for you and your daughter if you wait until you are already out of milk and she is hungry. Good luck!