formula feeding

my ped has us using enfamil lipil which i have found out is the most expensive formula to buy in this area...UGH! but we are wondering if it might be causing or at least not helping with their reflux and tummy issues. so i ask the question, which formula have you had the best success with? enfamil, similac, carnation good start??

we also wonder if the formula is causing the feedings to be so slow, maybe it just tastes really bad, i know the burps smell pretty rank!

 

Nutritionally all the formulas will give you what your babies need.

My personal preference has always been good start. I tried many different brands with the twins and to me the good start bothers their tummies much less than other brands. This doesn't affect some babies, some can use any formula and be fine.

My oldest son had bad reflux and all that was available then was enfamil, similac and good start. The good start worked the best for him. So when it came time to put my oldest daughter on something I went with good start again.

For the twins we started with good start, then tried the costco kirklands brand. It seemed to bother Rylee's reflux (she spit up more) so we tried parents choice. That caused gas and spitting up so we switched to the gentle, then the sensitive, then the soy. Nothing seemed to help.

We put them back on good start and there was a definite difference in their gas and spitting issues.

So for us, good start works the best, even tho it's way more than store brands They break down the milk proteins one extra step that you can't find in a knock off brand, and that seems to make the difference in their digestion.

 

enfamil nutramigen by far is the best formula for my girls. they have reflux and a milk protein allergy and this formula has helped with both. to me, it's worth the extra money.

 

For the first month we had to supplement with formula. The hospital started us on Similac Advance with Early Shield. It was our nurse's opinion that we should use this brand because they had the most recent update (I guess it's the early shield thing). We didn't have any problems with them eating it, even when alternating with breast milk. They didn't spit up more than normal, either. The only downside that I found is it'll stain clothes and burp cloths if not pretreated or washed immediately.

We still bring bottles of the ready-made with us, just in case.

Edited to add:

Maybe you can get some free samples from your pedi so you can try different kinds?

 

Ours were started on Similac Advance and since they has gas issues, we switched to Similac Sensitive...that seemed to work best for our twosome. You may want to talk to your pedi about your concerns about the formula and see if they can recommend anything else. Not sure if you know this or not, but you can sign up with the formula makers websites (Enfamil, Similac, Good Start) and get checks from them for money off formula. Good luck!

 

this is a great tip! ask your pedi for the forms to fill out and send in, or you could call the nursery at the hospital-that is where i got my forms. and they sent me 2 free cases of formula!!

we started on similac neosure, then switched to similac sensitive for gas/spit up issues and then switched DD to similac alimentium because she had a milk allergy and terrible reflux. now they are both on similac advance with early shield. for us in the early days the best formula was the similac sensitive.

 

My pediatrician started us on Enfamil lipil as well with both my older DD and the twins. After a few weeks, I switched my older DD to Similac with no problems - basically because it was cheaper. This time, we have switched Abby to Similac to see if it would help with her spitting up (which it seems to have). Ellie is still on Enfamil because we got a whole bunch of samples and want to use up the free formula before switching her. I do have to say its a little crazy with the two of them on different formulas - definitely makes that middle of the night feeding making sure the right girl has the right bottle. I do notice that the Similac does seem to stain a little more than the Enfamil does - but we use Oxiclean in all of our loads and it takes everything out!

 

we started with Similac (it was what they had in the hospital) and then tried Good Start (Good Farts we called it because the gas was sooooo smelly!) and then found out their stomach issues were due to milk protein intolerance - switched to soy (Isomil) and they were on that till a year...I tried Enfamil soy and it didn't dissolve as well as the Isomil...

oh and they went to milk at a year without issues...it was just their tiny digestive systems didn't like the milk based in the beginning...

 

We use Wal*Mart with prebiotics and immune support (milk based)

The difference is about $10 per can of powder. All baby formula has to pass FDA's approval so due to that we determined that the only difference is how much $$$ one wants to spend.

 

My girls are mostly breastfed, but I can't pump enough at work so they get some formula at daycare. I just buy whatever store brand I find (I've tried target and babies r us, and just got a can of our grocery store brand). They don't seem to mind any of the various types, and it's regulated by the FDA, so they're all mostly the same.

 

CostCo formula. It's cheap!

 

My pediatrician told me GoodStart is the best and most easily digested.
The girls did really well with it, when I switched from Similac.
I alternate the regular one with the one with the Omega 3, etc.