Which Formula Is Best?

I can't give any advise on formula, because I wont ever use it. But you might want to try a small single pump. Pump some in a bottle and have your husband feed if you want that. It will save a lot on formula and it will still give you freedom to be with out baby for a while. :D

I breastfed my daughter til she was about 1. This was back in 1996-97 and the best formula I found was Carnation Goodstart. It fit well with her digestive system and taste. I also noticed that it did not make her have that smell that many other formulas do (the one of strong a vitamin smell). At the time this was new to the market and reasonably priced as well. Now there may be something out there now that is much better. I had such good luck weening with this and have had such a healthy daughter I loved it. Good luck and hope u find what u need

Yes, each baby is different. My first did great on Enfamil Lipil w/ iron. My second, not as much. We ended up landing on Enfamil Gentle ease lipil. It is more easily digested and did wonders for her gas and spitting up. Neither of mine seemed to care for the Similac. I think a lot of the brands are coming out with Organic now, but I would look to see exactly what they mean when they say "organic"....as I'm sure you know "organic" can mean many different things! Also, check with your pedi, s/he might be able to recommend something as well as give you samples to try!

I put my son on formula when he was 6 months old. We started with Nestle Good Start and later switched to Sam's club brand formula ,which is way cheaper then all top brands and as good as them. Of course the breast milk is best,as you know, so you can pump and only supplement with formula until you wish. That way her dad will enjoy some time with her while feeding and she will get what she needs.
Good luck

Pumping is great way to gain your freedom I bought and evenflo electric one and I wouldn't even wate my time with a manual one. (I have used both) The dual evenflo electric pump was 60 bucks. I am all about not spening more money than I have too. If you are considering weening because you would like to have your body back then the formula you chose will be dependant on your child. My oldest HAD to have soy based, My second had to have milk based formula that was specificaly designed to be easy to digest. Each child is different. I have just started weening my daughter who is 6 months old and she seems to do fine with plain old milk based formula TAHNK GOD. With my first I spent HOURS on the formula isle reading the back of cans. To my supprise Walmart's Parent's choice had the most nurtients in it and it was the least expensive (That was 4 years ago now.) See what your doctor would recomend but then research them for yourself. Good Luck!

We used Enfamil. It is pretty easy on their stomach and it can be purchased in bulk at Sams. Also, you can try pumping. I used to pump and then put it into a bottle so anyone could feed my daughter (grandparents, husband, etc.) When you pump you will actually get more milk than what your daughter will eat. This way you can have some freedom. Hope this helps!

We also used Enfamil Lipil with Iron and Sams is definatly the best place to get it at. We tried the "store brands" too but went right back to Enfamil as did my sister in law. You can tell a difference in the formula just by looking at it. Enfamil is very "soft" looking and mixes up well and actually lasted longer than the other brands. Everything else looked like wet sand, clumped and got stuck in the nipples more when mixing and wasnt as easy on the belly as the Enfamil. Exp when you buy it at Sams the price isnt that drastically different and is worth the few cents more for sure. That and thats what the hospital gives out and recommends so that makes me trust it even more.

Similac has an organic formula on the market now. Similac tends to cause a softer stool than Enfamil because of the difference in the fat blend.

i used bright beginnings, and bought it is bulk over the phone. it was much cheaper and had all the same ingredients as the "top dollar" brands. Albertson's used to carry it sometimes, but I just ordered it to be delivered to my home. If you go to their website there are coupons too.

We put our daughter on the Sam's Brand - Member's Mark - and she loved it. It's waaaay cheaper than anything else - about $20 for 3 lbs. Zoe (now 18 months, has been off of formula since 12 months) is totally healthy, developed wonderfully, etc.

I am a single mom who nursed my baby exclusevilly until 6 months and then still only mom's milk along with her growing repertoire of food up until one year and thereafter my milk in ht emorning and night until 18 months. ther eis nothing better for your child and in the end it is really the easiest most onvenient way to nourish your child in my humble opinion. no bottles to prepare, etc. Yes it was a bit of an effort to pump while at work but still worth it (only pumped up to a year, the rest of the time she had cow's milk during the day from a cup, no bottles after a year and my milk at other times, your body naturally adjusts the manufacturing process). If your husband hasn't given your child a bottle yet just start pumping and storing milk and let him start feeding some of the time. My child ate from the bottle all day and me whenever I was home. You do need to leave the house though when he feeds because your little one will know you are there and if is at all ambivalent about the bottle will refuse it until you come to the rescue. May not take to it at first but will get the knack soon enough. Schedule yourself for a pedicure or something right at feeding time. Pump first then relax and let dad take over.

Good Start is what I feed my baby. He didn't like Similac or Enfamil. Also, Good Start is very easy to digest. :)

I agree that breastfeeding is best for the baby. I returned to work when my daughter was three months old and immediately started a 60+ hour workweek (yuck) for several months. I pumped a few times a day (about 15-20 minutes each session) for her bottles at day care. It was a little bit of a hassle, but worth it because I knew she was getting the best, most natural, (and free!) food available.

I weaned her shortly after her first birthday, and as a result, I have a great Ameda Purely Yours double pump that I am not using. I was thinking of putting it on craigslist or something, but if you're interested, please shoot me an e-mail. The 'consumable' parts need to be replaced, but they're pretty cheap and readily available online or even in breastfeeding centers like Harris HEB's.

If you're just wanting her dad (or anybody else) to get the chance to feed her, get a good pump and express milk. I always kept a supply in the freezer in case I got sick, etc. I last nursed about 5 years ago, so I'm sure there have been changes in pumps since then, and the other more recent nursing mamas here could point you to a good one.

Good Start. Very easy to digest and cheaper than most other formula. I finally changed against the advise of the pedi. and am glad I did. Never one problem since.

i just weaned my 1 year old son and i have to say nothing is better than breastfeeding. he did not have anything besides mommys milk until he was 8 months. i pumped alot. which gave me enough freedom to go back to work. at 8 months i was working so much i felt it would be better to spend time with my son rather than seek in to pump then go see him.
i put him on simalac soy it's in a pink can so the transition would be easier. but simiac makes an organic cows and soy formula. breast feed for as long as you can i weaned to about 10 days ago and miss it so much. and weaning hurts.

Similac Advance is made in an organic form. My daughter was primarily breast fed for her first five months until I lost my milk supply during an intense round of decongestants. In the newborn nursery she was given Enfamil Lipil; however, she spit up a bit and the nurses changed her to Similac Advance until my milk supply came in. At six months of age I changed her to the organic form of Similac Advance and she became extremely constipated. Once I switched back to the regular Similac Advance her problem was solved. Last week I tried the CVS brand that boasts high levels of DHA and within 36 hours she was miserable with gas pains. Immediately I put her back on the Similac Advance formula and all is well again. I am sure that each baby is different, my son did great on the Enfamil Lipil brand.

If breastfeeding is going well, why not just invest in a good pump rather than man-made formula? YOu can keep extra milk in the freezer and hubby can defrost one by running it under hot water in the sink any time he wants. No formula can beat the food that nature intended for your baby! I would recommend the Medela Pump In Style or the Avent hand pump. The Medela is really quick and easy. It seems like this would be a better fit with your philosophy about organic eating.

Good luck!

M.
www.GoodHealthMadeSimple.com

I recomend Enfamil Lipil with Iron it is really great and my daughter loved it. I got it at Wal-mart.

L.

Hi H.,

I would definitely suggest a breast pump first. Medela has an amazing one. I know it would initially cost more, but that would be your only cost. You wouldn't have to worry about buying in bulk or the cost to keep going with formula. They also have storage and you can freeze it for when you and your husband might go out, etc and you weren't there. Breast milk is so important for them and my personal opinion is to continue as long as they still need it. My daughter hit one year and was done. She didn't want/need it anymore. But, she was also the one who wouldn't take a bottle because she had nursed so long when I tried to start it. I survived a full year of nursing. The times get fewer and farther between, especially once they start on some whole foods.

I am right there with you on the organic and best for that baby. I have found a lot of things since the birth of my daughter, that I never knew existed. My family is a lot healthier and safer now. I am so thankful for my daughter and the eye-opening experiences she's brought my family.

Would you e-mail me what kind of cleaning products you use in your house. I have been doing a lot of research and I think you may be interested in some of the things I have found that are in our household and personal care products, even the baby stuff. I also, in my search, found a legitimate company that produces safe alternatives to all those things that we are already using and my favorite part about them is they are actually more cost-effective than what I used before. I would love to share what I've found if you're interested.

Have a great one!
A.
www.free2Bmom.com

The brand at WalMart "Parent's Choice" has literally the exact same ingredients as Similac Advance but NONE of the bubbles!! I wish I had found it sooner... I only used it a month before we switched to whole milk. It is probably the same as Sams brand, you might check the labels and see.

~ t

I think you might find that your baby will have a preference herself. So you might want to buy small samples to let her choose. I found out quickly that my son would not take Similac -- even though i had soo much of the free samples of that. But he would take - and enjoyed - the Nestle Good Start. So that became the formula we relied on. He never spat up or had gas problems with it....
So from what I went through and what I've heard from other moms...your baby might have a preference not only on taste but also on what her body likes (to prevent gas/spitting up etc.).

Good Start, if the prices on the organic formulas at Whole Foods gives you heartburn. I'd also highly recommend pumping. If I did a night feeding and the baby only nursed on one side, I'd pump the other. I used the little Advent manual pump & froze my milk so I could get outin the evenings. Loved their bottles too, and had NO problems w/ "nipple confusion" that some Nursing Nazis go on about. I got to where I could put that pump together in the dark! It was a lifesaver for around $50!

D.

D.

I pumped so my husband could feed our son, plus I went back to work after he was 6 wks. Once I wasn't producing as much milk, I needed to switch to formula. Nestle Good Start is what we used. We tried several different brands and this one seemed to work the best for him and it was the cheapest. You can go to their website and have coupons sent to you. http://www.verybestbaby.com/Public/Default.aspx
I don't remember if Sam's has it. I did purchase ours at WalMart. Best of luck to you in what you decide to do.

Considering your question was which formula is best, not whether or not to continue to breastfeed, I recommend Enfamil Lipil with Iron. Using formula is a great way to gain freedom and there are some mothers, like me, who didn't have a choice. I didn't produce enough breast milk and had to supplement so that my son didn't continue to loose weight per his dr. We have been very happy with the Enfamil and it does come bulk at Costco and Sams.

Ask your pediatrician's office. They'll give you samples of what they have so you don't waste money on formula that your daughter will end up not liking.

Find out if your baby's doctor has some samples that you can try. My doctor has several different brands in her office.