Formula Help

Well, when my daughte rwas on WIC, they said that was the best formula out there for them, we switched to Low Iron, because she was constantly constapasted and it worked wonders! So, I really don't have any suggestions on a different kind, I've tried others, but they all made her spit up a lot and the affore mentioned problem.

~J. P.

Well I have three kids I tryed a lot of different formula's on all of them, but I found that Carnation good start is the best it doesn't have as much iron in it as enfamil and doesn't give them gas or constipation... YOu should try it, it works very well...

It may be messing with his body. My son had a similar problem and we switch him to prosobee, and he didn't have anymore problems. I put my daughter on it after one month of breastfeeding and she had no problem.

You could try a formula without iron. Iron can be constipating. However, he will not have BM's on formula like he used to on breastmilk. (My son is now 19 months) When my son was your son's age I tried to put him on some formula and he was having problems digesting it and with his BM's. I think I wasted my money on about 6 different kinds of formulas. I just went back to strictly breastfeeding. In my opinion all formula is pretty much the same.

That happened to my son when I started him on Similac Advance. I got worried so I switched him to Good Start Supreme with DHA/ARA and had no problems after that. Good Start was a little cheaper for me too, so it was a good change. Good luck to you!!

C. W.

Your best bet IS breastmilk, unless there is a medical reason for not breastfeeding. Formula contributes to obesity and can lead to all sort of bowel problems. If you are not wanting to breastfeed, then you may consider an electric pump so that he is still gettng all your breastmilk, antibodies, and all the good stuff from breast milk in a bottle. There is a reason they say Breast is Best. If you gave up breastfeeding because you found it too difficult then you may wis to contact your local chapter of Le Leche League.

J.
I have had the same troubles with both of my children and the formula that works best for us is Enfamil Prosobee. My kids would have really hard BM's if any when they were on a different formula. I would talk to your dr before trying to many differnt formulas because they can take up to 7 days before you see a change
Good Luck
A.

I was worried about my daughter, not because of formula, but because she hadn't had a bm in 3 days. My daughters doctor told me it is normal for a baby to not have a bm for up to 7 days. Her Dr. said a baby's stomach is still learning how to digest so 3 bm's a day or 3 a week is normal for their first couple months of life. My daughter is also on Enfamil Lipil w/ Iron at 3 1/2 months of age after being breastfed her first 2 months and she has had a smooth transition. Also, my Dr. said if she goes more then 7 days without a bm it is safe to give 2oz. of water between each feeding.

I'm sure you've heard enough that "breastmilk is the best". Even though I agree with the statement, I also understand that it can be difficult for all moms to do it for whatever reason.

If you are concerned about bowel movements, maybe you can try to do a combination of breastmilk and formula. By breastfeeding even a few times a day, your child will get all the nutrients they need and keep their immune system safer. Their BM's will be a bit more regular as well.

I'm sure you'll find something that works for you :)

Well from experience i can tell u that when u change formulas or go from breastmilk to formula or formula to milk it can cause the baby to react to it and u may have to give the baby time or ask the dr...i used enfamil lipil with iron bcz thats what wic pays for but with one child he is allergic to milk but when he finally switched from enfamil lipil with iron to enfamil prosobee lipil he had a problem going poopoo but dr says that will happen and im sure there are some things u can do if its real bothersome otherwise he has to get used to the new formula or ask dr.

J.,
It's normal for a formula fed baby to have fewer and firmer BM's than a breastfed baby. Our doctor suggested we stick with one formula for a while before making any changes to avoid any additional problems with our baby's digestive system. I say keep trying what you're using for a few weeks and if it doesn't get any better, then try another brand or speak to your pediatrician.

soy formula, that one is a fgreat one

Hello J.,
formula babies won't have BM's as often as a breastfed.. I would stick it out if you can... my daughter has been on this formula since she was 6wks old and has excelled in all directions.. compairing to other friends baby born within weeks of my daughter. you could also give a little bit of H20, that will help with soften the BM. This worked for me hope this works for you.

I had that same problem with my children. We had much better luck with carnation good start formula. Not is it only cheaper babies tummy and bowls react better to it.

Unfortunately there is no formula that duplicates breast milk, therefore, on formula BM's will not be the same. Rather than worry about his BM's, you should be watching to see how he does on the formula - is he gaining weight? Are you also giving him enough water to hydrate him? On breastmilk he didn't require extra hydradion because your milk had 100% of everything he needed, with formula he might require a little extra. My 2 daughters began having formula at @ 4 months. The oldest required a little extra care due to having an immature digestive system - on our pediatrician's advice we gave her Similac which came in a can and required a little diluting, my youngest however, did just fine on Carnation powdered.

Our pediatrician had us introduce apple juice early on to help our little guy poop. Initially they had us dilute it, but then we had to go full strength. Be sure to check with your doctor before doing this to make sure your baby is old enough. If your baby is having normal poops, every 3-4 days or so, he is probably just a normal baby on formula. If the poops are hard and difficult to pass, he may have consitipation. It didn't matter what kind of formula we used, he was always constipated. Let your pediatrician know if you think he is consitpated instead of just infrequent bms and they can give you some age-appropriate advice.

Good Luck!

Hey J.-

I had the same problem with my daughter. She had it since a nb and she never had regular bm's. When we had some friends over and one of my friends told me that they had the same problem with their child. All we had to do was to switch from regular Similac Advanced to Alimentum� Advance� Protein Hydrolysate Formula with Iron. It was a little bit more expensive but it worked and the can was much smaller. You may be able to pick up a sample at your dr's office to try it out. Also you could ask your doctor for similar formula for Enfamil. My daughter was put on that for a while. Then she was put on Isomil� Advance� Soy Formula with Iron and she was on this until she turned one. Now she drinks Vitamin D milk and she has no problem. Her doctor also had her on Apple Juice too. He told me to use the canned ones and the juice that had more vitamin c. I really do not know how much that really helped. Changing the formula really helped her out. Before changing or trying new formulas you should always contact your doctor for his recommendation which is always and should be the best advice. What ever you decide though, I hope this helps you out. Best of luck!

C.

Hi there-
I breastfed both of my children, and it is My understanding that formula does not digest as quickly as breastmilk. Therefore not as many BM, and it also ties them over a bit longer. Unless your child really gets constipated I would not worry to much about. As LIPL is a good forula.

Hi J.:)
My daughter went through the same thing. Her bms were always a lot harder, almost like tootsie rolls. Sometimes I put a little extra water in her bottles, like a half an ounce or more depending on how much she was drinking, and that seemed to help. Her pediatrician said this was normanl, and for me not to give her juices like other generations had advised me. In the beginning, she would have a bm every two or three days with formula, and the Ped said sometimes babies go a week and that is normal, although she never waited a week. That seems to long to me anyway! I don't know if this helps! Congrats on your new baby!

Formula doesn't digest anything like breastmilk so your son's bm will be different - probably harder, much more stinky and less frequent. I've heard that Nestle Goodstart is easier on the belly than some of the other formulas. But according to my pediatrician they are all very similar nutritionally (including the generic versions). I was fortunate that I only used formula for the first couple of weeks. We had a rocky start to breastfeeding but after that, it was only breastmilk (I was pumping and breastfeeding because I work full time). I babysat for a friend who's daughter was formula fed. I was shocked when I changed her diaper. Who knew such a tiny baby could smell that bad? LOL

T.

hay J.,

well i tried all types of formula with my son but the one that you are using now seemed to work the best!! Sometimes you just have to give things a chance to work after he gets used to it than he should be fine.and remember when he is switched from brest to bottel it can take sometime to get used to:]hang in their it gets better:]

Hi J. W.,

I had a couple of questions to ask before I offer my advice. Are you still BF and supplimenting with formula or did you stop Bf and just switch to formula?

There are just a few basic types of formula out there.

Similac, Enfamil, Carnation good start, generic cows milk formulas. These formulas are basically the same. If you add
lipil, then you may be addding a little extra dha/ara, though the studies are out there and will take many years to complete. The ara/dha is a special componant in breastmilk that has been proven to make babies have higher iq's. However we will not know until these babies have grown and tested for iq vs thoses only fed formula with iron.
The formula's that I mentioned before are made from cows milk. Think of the difference between coke and pepsi, thats pretty much the same thing between one cows milk formula and another.
Advertising just makes one look better than the next.

I agree with the advice, keep baby on this formula for 1-2 weeks to determine tolerance. If you switch back and forth from cows milk formula to soy, then another brand, you risk introducing allergies into your babies system.

Prosobee, isomil, carnation soy formula,..... all the same. Coke or pepsi.... The ingrediants are basically the same, one might use corn syrup as its sugar base and the other might use sucrose. Both are sugars just a different type of sugar. We may care for the taste of one over the other, but basically the same.

Remember, cows milk formula's are different from soy formula's.

When your baby was recieving breastmilk, the bowel movement probably looked like cottage cheese with curds and quite runny, very little smell. A formula fed bowel movement looks more like playdow, thicker in consistancy and smells!

If you just stopped giving breastmilk one day and switched to formula, then that can be difficult on the babies stomach and your breasts. It is not unusual to go 3-4 days without a bowel movement with a quick switch like that. When the baby does go, it will probably be hard like a ball. She may have some diarreah behind that movement, this would be normal. She should learn to regulate it once a normal bowel movement is established.

If you just stopped breastfeeding, then your breasts might be really sore. They may even feel like they are going to pop.
If you have a pump, I would recommend that you pump every 3-4 hours for 2-5 minutes. This will only make you feel more confortable. It is not removing enough milk to continue making more milk. Or you can go out a buy a head of green cabbage. Refrigerate the cabbage. Once cold, peel leaves and place in your bra till wilted. Then repeat the process, until no longer feel full. I would only recommend this practice if you have totally stopped breastfeeding. Its a quick dry up method. I know it sounds stupid but it works.

The last type of formula out there is special metabolic, easier to digest formula's. These would be for severe allergies or intolerances. Not what most Moms want to use. Part of the reason is the price. $20.00-40.00 a can. Most babies will go through 9-12 cans per month. Once eating its full amount. It also really stinks, but if your baby is ill or needs this special formula then your doctor would prescibe it. These formula's are called Nutramigen, Alimentum and Progestamil. These are not usually needed for a full 12 months depending on the infants tolerance.

So remember.... Cows milk is one type of formula, Soy formula is another type of formula and then the metabolice formula's that are easier to digst because they are already partially brocken down.
I would not recommend more than 4 oz. of water in a 24 hr period, babies can get a condition called water intoxification, from drinking too much water. It can shut down the kidneys and cause problems with the liver.
You could try manual stimulation with some vasaline and a baby thermometer.

Never over dilute or undilute the formula's, this can cause major health problems.
Have you contacted your pediatrician or a person that works for WIC? I have worked for WIC for over 12 years, this is where I have gained my knowledge.

Good luck! Don't fret, Not everybody poops everyday. Just monitor it for now, watch for progectile vomiting (the exercist) or frequent vomiting. Some spitup is normal. If it could fit in the palm of your hand, even if its every feeding, that still would be considered normal. I hope this helps!

H. B.

When I switched my daughter to formula at 6 weeks, her bowel movements changed. It takes a little while for their bodies to adjust, but in general babies on formula have different movements than those on breastmilk. Totally normal. But, if your baby isn't having any movements, you should probably check with your pediatrician.

J., no fears. My first child had the same problem. My pediatrician told me that when some babies make the transition from breast milk to formula it can constipate them a little until their body gets accustomed to it. Talk to your baby's doctor about some things that you can do to remedy that. If he is still having regular BM just different there is less reason to worry. The make up of breast milk versus formula is different so just like different food affect our BM's different types of food will affect baby's as well. The Enfamil Lipil w/ Iron is one of the best formulas out there.