Formula question....

[kensjen]

I was wondering about formula. We have been supplementing DS off and on since birth, and will soon have to go to formula only. We have used a couple of different kinds, and he has done fine with them. I have heard conflicting answers on this, and was wondering what all of you thought. Many people have told me that the formulas were basically the same and it was OK to use them interchangeably....(is that a word, LOL). But others have said to stick with one. What is your experience with this?
Thanks, Jen

[egoldber]

Nutritionally spekaing, they are all equivalent, meaning that they all conform to the written FDA guidelines for infant formulas. In practice, they are all slightly different from one another, in terms of all ingredients, but most importantly in terms of their protein compositions. Some formulas agree with some babies and some don't.

Here's a great source for info about various formulas:
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/0/T000100.asp

Personally, until your baby is 6 months or so, I would stick with one. After that, their digestive tract is a bit more mature and less sensitive to changes from one formula to another. Some babies have no trouble switching back and forth and some do, but its not something I'd like to find out the hard way, YKWIM?

HTH,

[vikivoly]

I was told by 3 different peds that it is ok to switch formulas. I switched between Similac Advance and Enfamil Lipil routinely from birth. As long as your baby doesn't mind the taste diffence and takes his bottle, then he will be getting the proper nutrition. Personally, I think parents make too big a deal about this. All of my family and friends were appalled by the fact that I did it, but DD has never had any problems with it. If I have a Similac coupon, I buy that, if I have an Enfamil coupon than I use that. However, since the coupons have stopped coming in the mail I've been sticking with the Enfamil Lipil. Mostly because I can get it cheaper than the Similac Advance. I use the powder and the Enfamil is finer than the Similac, so it dissolves easier.

A final note, I would use my entire stock of one brand before switching. I didn't give Enfamil in the morning, Similac in the afternoon and then go back to Enfamil.

[amp]

We did some switching of formulas in the very beginning because we had coupons and free cans and wanted to take advantage. We found that DS had a lot of gas and started to wonder if he would do well on any of them and our ped told us *not* to be switching so much because it was hard on his tummy. I don't know whether there's any truth to that, but we ended up sticking to the one she suggested (Enfamil Lipil) and he stayed gassy, but did ok on it. Now it doesn't seem to cause any problems and we will likely stick with it for the duration.

[flagger]

It is completely fine to use them interchangebly. Formulas are like Coke and Pepsi and Dr. Pepper. Some babies prefer one over the other. Some tolerate the ingredients better with one brand over another, but nutrionally they are all EXACTLY the same by law. If you can get the off-label store brand cheaper, and your child likes it, it is fine to feed him that.

[Annette_C]

Sabrina has been on Enfamil Lipil from day one and we never switched because it worked well for her.
I agree with Beth that babies younger than 6 mo. could be sensitive to feeding changes. Another reason why I wouldn't switch too often is that some brands work better than others for certain babies. Why look for problems if there aren't any?
JMO,
Annette
SAHM to Sabrina 6/24/02

[mandye]

We used all of our samples of Enfamil Lipil and Similac Advance and had decided to use the Lipil because it foamed less and didn't stain our daughter's clothes like the Similac sometimes did. Then on advice from my sister-in-law we tried Carnation Good Start and we have never gone back. It doesn't foam at all and it seems to digest easier. They now make it with the ARA and DHA that are supposed to be good for baby's eyes and brain.

mandy
mother of Hailey 8/21/03

[KUvsOU]

We tried both Enfamil Lipil and Soy. We went to the soy as there is a history of milk allergy in my family and it appeared that he was showing some symptoms. It seemed like he was having some digestive problems with the Enfamil so we decided to try the Carnation Good Start 2 with Soy. He had no digestive problems with it plus it is also not as expensive as some of the other brands. In the future, this is the only formula we would ever consider using. (As far as the milk allergy, we reintroduced milk when he turned one and so far have not had any problems.)

Shawna
Mom of Cade 6/16/02

[Jen841]

I asked the Ped this question on Friday. I got the green light to buy whatever I want, and it is OK to switch brands if he will take it. DS gets 1 or less bottles of formula a day. So far my favorite b/c of how it dissolves is Carnation. Emfamil stained his clothing. Similac is OK, but the Carnation desolves best. When the coupons run out, we are going to try the Kirkland brand and may switch to soy since that is what day care will provide. DS is only going to be 100% on formula 5-6 months.