M.. asks from Schenectady, NY on October 14, 2011
Switching Between Formulas- Enfamil to Similac to Generic Etc
Did you just buy what was on sale or did you stick with one kind?
Did you find any success in using powder vs ready made stuff?
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A.F. answers from Houston on October 17, 2011
Similac caused my baby to get super constipated - and that was only on one bottle a day. She had been taking Enfamil every now and then with no problems. When I mentioned it to my best friend, she says her pedi said they're very different and not to switch between, but the generic formula from walmart is the same as enfamil so those are interchangable.
If money was no concern, I think the ready made stuff would be easier, but powder is definitely cheaper.
More Answers
A.F. answers from Houston on October 17, 2011
Similac caused my baby to get super constipated - and that was only on one bottle a day. She had been taking Enfamil every now and then with no problems. When I mentioned it to my best friend, she says her pedi said they're very different and not to switch between, but the generic formula from walmart is the same as enfamil so those are interchangable.
If money was no concern, I think the ready made stuff would be easier, but powder is definitely cheaper.
R.D. answers from Richmond on October 14, 2011
Ask your pediatrician first... I'm all for generic everything (except Delsym), and my kids doc said that it's not worth it to switch. Their little belles get used to something, and if it's working, don't switch. It's not worth the 'savings' in this instance :/
K.M. answers from New York on October 15, 2011
I used the powder at home and saved the liquid for when we were on the go. As far as brand, my son's pediatrician said it didn't matter. That they were all the same but the lactation consultant at the hospital had told me to use only enfamil or similac, no other brands. Everyone seemed to have a different answer. I wound up using enfamil because we had the free samples and that's what we stayed with. Good luck!
R.R. answers from Los Angeles on October 14, 2011
My guy took Enfamil, when someone gave me a can of Similac it seemed he didn't digest it the same, and our ped had said not to switch for that reason. As he got older i tried the Target version of the Enfamil and it worked fine. I always used powder, ready-made was way too expensive for me to justify the cost.
M.C. answers from Washington DC on October 14, 2011
once you find a brand that you like and can afford stick with that one brand. So try a generic first and see if you like it.
C.W. answers from Washington DC on October 14, 2011
My daughter refused anything but similac ready made. My som was flexible for a few weeks then got picky. What i liked about the ready made was if you wanted an odd number of ounces you just poured it in. It seemed thicker and more filling also. What I hated was having to warm it as it came out of fridge. We are working our way thru powder samples now and I like that there is no warming needed.
M.P. answers from Raleigh on October 14, 2011
It depends on the baby! If you find something that works, stick with it. My daughter did the best with the Target brand. It was a huge budget saver and was great!
M.B. answers from New York on October 15, 2011
I wouldn't go with premixed unless you NEED to for some reason -- it's much more expensive.
I personally like the Baby's Only brand. It's completely organic and they use humanely-treated cows for milk (I can't remember the website, but it rated milk and formula products in terms of the conditions in which the cows live and their treatment, and Baby's Only was the only high rated formula brand). I got it at Whole Foods and found it was actually a little cheaper than Enfamil or Similac. You can order it online, too.
If you don't care about organic or humane treatment of cows, I'd personally go with a generic brand, but stick with the same one. There's no nutritional difference between generic and name brand; the only reason to choose a name brand IMO is if the baby won't tolerate a generic.
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