Generic Formula Vs. Name Brand Formulas

I think there is a big taste difference between the two. I tried to switch my daughter from enfamil to store brand and she absolutely refused the store brand. I kept trying for several weeks but she just would not touch the stuff. I tried to mix the two together and gradually phase out Enfamil and she still knew the difference.

I gave up and just looked for any coupons I could find.

I am a mom of twins, and we used the Walmart Parent's Choice formula for our girls. We sat and compared labels side by side in the store and did our research. We learned that the FDA has such strict regulations on infant formula, that all manufacturers must make them nutritionally equal. It gave us great piece of mind. We were able to save nearly $1400 in the time that we formula fed.
The biggest difference between the name brand and the store brand is just the marketing dollars behind them. The name brand companies pay big bucks to make sure their product is out there... TV ads, print ads, and don't forget the millions.. ok maybe hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of samples that they distribute to hospitals across the country... They then pass those costs on to the consumers... nice right? Don't fall for it... You are not a bad parent for buying store brand infant formula... no.. you are a smart parent, saving money for other things your baby needs!
Don't believe me? check out the baby formula savings calculator! http://bit.ly/8qb8i7
It'll show you just how much you (could) save if you use store brands over the national name brands!

I think nutritionally they are all similar, so stick with the one or two that your baby likes, whether they are generic or name-brand. My daughter drank everything, but my son hated everything except Kirkland (costco) brand, which was the cheapest! So good luck and don't worry too much about the label, inside they are all comparable, just a matter of taste.

Our 9 month old will drink and eat most anything we give him. We switched to the Sams Club generic formula (Members Mark) and he has no problem with it. The 3 lb 3.4 ounce size runs $20. It is larger than the name brands that are sold for over $25. I found that it disolves much better than the name brand formulas. He also stopped spitting up as much as when he was on similac and enfamil.

Good luck.

M.

H.,
Both of my boys went from Similac to the Target brand with no problems. I switched cold turkey but you might want to do it gradually, 3/4 Similac and 1/4 generic for a few days then half and half and so on.
I hope you can save yourself some money!
Jessica

We used the Similac brand with our daughter and then when our son came we used the same for him as well, but he was spitting up more with the Similac so we tried the Parents Choice brand from Walmart and he did not spit up with that brand. I asked my doctor and he said that brand is as good as the name brand and I compared lables with both. If your child likes the non-named brand then use it and with the prices going up, save where you can.

Hi H.,

We introduced formula to our daughter at 5 mos and used Similac. It was soo expensive. I did some research a while back and the Costco/Kirkland brand is almost identical to Similac. I didn't have any problems with the transition. I did do half and half for a week or so. Just in case there was a difference, I didn't want her to get an upset stomach.

I also use Target brand. Works great and cheap..I have 4 children and used Target for the last 3..I wish I would have used Target brand for my 1st. it would have saved alot of money ;)

my daughter did great on target brand
i would say read and find the one most similar to the name brand she likes
my sister even used walmart diapers with her 2nd and they were great
she was all about name brand with her first
if she hates it you are only out like 15 dollars

Formula is regulated by the government, so it has to have the same nutritional values. I used both name brand and store brand and actually found the Kirkland (Costco) and Target to mix up better. Switching can be difficult just because the baby gets used to something and they don't really like change, so if you get them used to the less expensive it shouldn't be a problem. The name brand costs as much as twice as the store brand.

Baby formulas are highly regulated so the nutritional content is going to be comparable. meaning: generic brands will feed your baby just as well as the name brands. It comes down to taste and preference. I found I liked working with Enfamil better than similac (powder that dissolved nicely and didn't clump in the scoop) but I eventually switched to save money too. And some babies care about which they have, and some don't. So try the generic and see how it goes.

I agree with another post, the FDA requires that a minimum nutritional content be met.

I use Bright Beginnings. I get it by the case straight from the manufacturer. It gets dropped off at my doorstep - doesn't get any easier than that! And, it's 119$ for a case of 6 cans - keep in mind... the cans are the LARGE formula cans. I brought the label to my doc, because she seemed hesitant to accept 'generic' - and she said 'wow... this is good stuff' :)

http://www.brightbeginnings.com/

Good luck!

We too loved the Target brand formula because it was made to be like the Enfamil formula and the cost difference was astounding. We, unfortunately, didn't find it until late (around 10 months) and given that she only got it until she turned one it wasn't very long. The transition, however, was fine. My dd had no problems with it. There is a color difference and the smell is different. I personally preferred the Target for both.

Hope this helps.
N.

I recall our doctor telling us that all formula is basically the same and to buy the cheapest... We had such a hard time finding a formula that would work for our son, though, that I never bought generic formula... so I can't recommend any... My sister-in-law used the Target brand...