Finding the Right Formula for a 5 Month Old

Please try goat's milk!! I speak from experience. It's the closest to breastmilk and totally natural / easy to digest. Nearly all formulas have a lot of additives that are difficult for some babies to digest properly. Second option would be Baby's Only organic formula. Note, you'll only find the Toddler formula. When I first went to purchase it, I made the mistake of not buying it at my Whole Foods store because I thought they were out of stock on the Infant formula. However, I then learned the company does not brand/sell an Infant formula. But it's only because the company publicly supports breastfeeding the first year. For mothers who cannot/do not breastfeed, the Toddler formula is fine for infants - in fact, better than most major-brand formulas like Similac, Enfamil, etc. All natural and organic - easiest for baby's sensitive digestion.

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infamil and simalac are both harsher formulas. my daughter was on good start after she became very constipated and fussy on infamil. we tried the gentlease and the lipil. her dr would have had me try a priscription of the nutragamin if she didnt do well on good start. but the good start worked well and ill use it for my next baby. also its cheap too! like 9 or 10 bucks a can for a small can compared to 15-20 bucks for infamil or simalac. oh wal mart sells big cans of good start for like 23 bucks and thats a steal! good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

I was a first time mom too and would SWEAR my oldest was throwing up all the time...when in fact I now know he was just spitting up like a normal baby...maybe a little more, but he was getting enough to eat and enough nutrients. So....how much EXACTLY is your baby throwing up? Does he still seem hungry right after he's eaten a whole bottle?
My other question is how long do you give him to adjust to a new formula? He would need more than a few days or even a week or two to adjust to a formula before you can conclude he isn't tolerating it.

I would have to say it isn't likely the formula that is the problem. Perhaps your son is eating too fast. You know that feeling you get when you have eaten too much!? He may be feeling that also. Maybe the flow of the nipple is too much. In my experience with a fussy/colicky baby...nutramigen was the best. I used similac isomil advanced for my second son and plan to use it for my third, but nutrimagen worked best for my oldest who, as I said, seemed to throw up alot and was very colicky.
If he seems to eat normal and is gaining weight and growing...he is likely spitting up like a normal baby, although it can seem WAY too much. Your doctor should have said something by now if he wasn't growing enough.

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I went through every formula known to man! My son vomited since he was born. Nutramigen helped a little for my son until he started eating solids. Unfortunately I had a pediatrician who wouldn't listen to me when I said I knew something was wrong with him. To make a long story short I ended up changing pediatricians and 5 days later had a surgery date. My son ended up having a "web-like" structure in his intestine that was causing the vomiting. This blockage was restricting digestion causing him to throw up. IT WAS HORRIBLE!! When we were in the hospital I asked the surgeons how common this was and he said that they normally catch it in newborns and infants. My son was almost 11 months old. Being a first time mom was a nightmare for me because of my pediatrician. He just kept giving me the "oh your just a first time mom you don't know anything." But funny thing DOC....don't underestimate the power of mother's intuition!!!! After the surgery my son was a NEW KID!!!! Good luck!!

Soy for a boy is not a good idea - as soy stimulates estrogen receptors....and there is soy in everything! This has worked for a bunch of people I know - using goat's milk and mixing the formula with that - usually the Nutramigen works or try one from a natural food store - but whey should be better and like I said, try mixing it with goat's milk. Some pediatricans freak out, for no logical reason....beacuse it's not "mainstream", but research is constantly changing. I mean 50 years ago pregnant moms were regualrly x-rayed and now we are shocked by it...and no one does it. You mgiht want to give it a try.

Hey M.,
I really think you should talk to the doc, throwing up is different than spitting up. I would also use goat's milk. You can get it powdered at Sprout's or liquid at Trader Joe's. He really needs to go to the doc though.
Good luck to you all,
V.

hi Im E. my baby girl is 5 months old too, I ve been using similac advance formula ..and I think its very good never had a problem .my baby never through up....just the regular s tummy pain.....
hope you fix the problem...when she was born at the hospital they give us....enfamil but i saw that it was too thick...and she cried a lot after eating it...
hope your baby gets better
bye
E.

I used Carnation Good start and my kids all tolerated it well. Is your son able to keep water down or have you tried diluted juice just to make sure he is getting enough fluids. Sometimes it seems like they throw up a lot but it usually isn't as much as we think. If he is still having wet diapers you are ok if he isn't having enough wet diapers take him to the doctor/ER right away.

How long did the vommiting last? My daughter caught a stomach bug and threw up for 5 day. I switched to a soy based formula (she is on whole milk) for about two weeks to give her tummy plenty of time to get over it. Then we went back to milk. This stomach bug really lingered, so you may be fine to switch back over to milk based formula in time.

If you can, try the Neocate brand. Excellent choice for any baby but especially those that cannot tolerate/have dairy or soy. Soy is no better, no healthier, not safer than dairy, in my opinion. Too much like dairy and most of it is genetically modified.

www.neocate.com (I think but could be wrong)

try GoodStart's Comfort Proteins...i breast fed for over 2 years but also gave my son the formula i just mentioned it was the only one he could tolerate..introduce it slowly...never give them a whole bottle of a new formula..start w/ one ounce..also u can water it down a little. also baby jarro-dophulis (sp?) is good to add in there when they aren't feeling well..also check out cold products by Bioron..Wholefoods carries it also most pharmacies..all natural

I found that Carnation Good Start is not only more economical than others, but also gentle on little tummies..

Try it.... hope it helps

Ask your Pediatrician.

If your 5 month old is not taking to any Formula....and he is not getting enough intake... (1) he will be hungry (2) he will/can get dehydrated which is dangerous for any baby (3) he will will NOT be getting enough intake, daily, or nutrition.

If he is throwing up, it can be due to many reasons... THUS, you must ask your Pediatrician. It can be digestive problems, intolerances, reflux, gas and a myriad of other reasons.

My concern being, that he is thus not getting enough intake daily, because he can't tolerate any Formula you tried. Sometimes, if a baby is hungry they will be fussy and hard to console. Imagine having a growling stomach all day....

AND, his system may STILL be recovering from his virus. Thus again, you must check with your Pediatrician.

Do NOT guess at this. If he is throwing up... then something is wrong... either an illness or something else. But in either case, because he is throwing up, he is not getting sufficient intake. Very important.

All the best,
Susan

He probably has a little bit of reflux! My daughter had the same thing and we did like every formula out there! We did pregestimil and it was $37 a can! It was insane how expensive! I used Similac Sensitive for my fussy son and it worked like a charm! It is predigested! It makes it easier on the tummy! Soy isn't always the best for babies! Hope that helped! Oh...and check with your pediatrician to see if he has reflux! If so they can give him a low dose of Zantac and it will help in a major way! Vomiting that lingers isn't a normal or good thing!

Good Morning,

Have you considered that your child may have food allergies?

My mother said that I was a collicy baby always crying. Come to find out, now at 37 years old, that one of the symptoms of food allergies is collic.

I am seeing an NAET allergist for my severe food allergies, and I found out that I am allergic to milk and soy. Both! So that explains why 37 years ago the problems my mother was having with me as a baby.

I strongly recommend that you log onto site NAET.com. NAET.com is a group of allergists around the world who treat and elimiate allergies. They are the only ones in the world who do this and drug free. Completely holistic. And it is working for me! I am seeing remarkable results in my physical well being.

I am completing my degree in Nutrition Science, so I can answer any questions you may have, - ____@____.com Well.

N.

Try goats milk. It is the closest to human.