Favorite formula?

[helenyoo]

I'm trying to feed my 4 month old some formula and I've been trying Similac with iron. He isn't crazy about it - don't know if he doesn't like formula in general or this brand. Do you all have some favorites that I might try?

[Karenn]

Colin didn't really like similac either. He made the cutest little yucky face when I tried to give it to him. :) He did much better with Carnation Good Start.

[amp]

Our pediatrician has us using Enfamil Lipil w/ iron, and Jake does fine with it.

[Momof3Labs]

Have you tried ready to feed? He might like that better. Also try warming the bottle to different temperatures - that might change the flavor enough for him to take it.

[CherylT]

My DD would only drink Similac with Iron, but with DS, he'll drink almost anything. He does however definitely prefer the store brands (Wyeth) or Carnation Good Start. I noticed when trying to determine what formula was the best fit for him (after weaning around 8 mo) that Enfamil and Similac are the 'stinkiest' - they have the worst smell - being an older baby he isn't too excited about drinking these formulas and my guess is it's the bad smell. Carnation smells a bit better (or should I say doesn't smell as bad) and then the store brand smells the least. Also, I've noticed the the store brand foams up the least when prepared, so it really is the best fit for us - and is also the cheapest, so that doesn't hurt either :). HTH

Cheryl
SAHM to Lilli 9/20/00 & Alec 10/21/02

[helenyoo]

What do you mean by stinky? Well, I'll have to smell that Similac next time I try again! I weas thinking about trying Enfamil lipil with iron next - was this the one that smelled bad?

Also, how long did you feed formula for? You said you began after your son was 8 months old.

[amp]

I use enfamil lipil and I agree, sometimes it does smell bad, but I don't always think it smells. We use the powder and sometimes when we mix it up, it reminds me of broccoli or cauliflower or something, but DS doesn't seem to mind the taste (which doesn't taste like that ;) and once you cap the bottle, you can't smell it anyway.

[peasprout]

I noticed the stink too. It's like a metallic tinny smell. Probably from the iron?

[Sharon]

we noticed a definite stinky smell with ProSobee which was much worse than isomil. At 1 month, DS wouldn't even touch the Prosobee - he spit it out!

[oneild]

Hello,

We used Enfamil Ready-to-Use with our now 13 year old son, and our 8 month is currently on Enfamil Lipil (powder version). I noticed that the powder version does not have as strong of a smell as its ready-to-use counterpart. Also, I suggest you sterilize the water even if you have a filter prior to mixing. The powder seems to mix easier with room temperature to warmer water, than it does with cold water (I nuke the water 30 seconds on power lever 30 or 40 before mixing - you can nuke longer if your baby likes a warmer bottle). Also, the Enfamil powders mix better than Similac, and it does not bubble up as much.

While our baby was around 4 months until about 6 months we used Enfamil AR, which helped her hold the formula down (she didn't start spitting up until around 3 months and our Dr. ran various tests including a sonogram to rule out any digestive/developmental problems). My sister-in-law uses Carnation Good Start and she has had less spitting up with her son since switching. If your baby is spitting up, he/she may also need to try a soy based or specialty formula. I suggest you consult with your physician (some have a preference of one formula over another).

My husband and I have found we prefer the Enfamil brands to Similac. Both are very similar in how they are made and their nutritional content. Although our pediatric group prefers Enfamil, we used Similac the first 6 weeks because that's what the hospital started our infant on. Once our baby turned 6 weeks, the Dr. said we could switch (our Dr. was concerned with switching formulas too quickly and upsetting the baby's digestive development).

Good luck with whatever formula you ultimately decide on. Most important is that your son takes the bottle and can hold it down.

Danielle

[JElaineB]

The metallic tinny smell (and taste if you try it!) is actually from the LIPIL part of the formula. We use regular Enfamil with Iron, and when I tried the free Enfamil LIPIL they sent me the metallic odor/taste was obvious. The regular Enfamil with iron doesn't smell like that. My son acutally got an allergic diaper rash with the LIPIL so we stuck with the regular Enfmail.

Jennifer
mom to Jacob 9/27/02

[mare_mare]

I started using Similac as a supplement to BF and then I had a revelation. I had remembered that while in the hospital I was watching the Newborn Channel and they said that all formulas are federally mandated to be exactly the same. The next time I went to the store I checked all the labels and they really are the same. So, I switched to Carnation Good Start and started saving some money on formula. Carnation good start is about half the price of Similac or Enfamil and it's the same stuff. Doc's IMO push Similac and Enfamil b/c those are the samples they get so they tell you to use that stuff...same thing with meds. There are cheaper alternatives. HTH and good luck with ds taking any formula!!

Mary
Bryan
6/25/02

[amp]

They have the same basic makeup, but there are variations. On the Ask Dr. Sears website, he goes into detail as to some of the variations. Also, the Enfamil Lipil has DHA and ARA, which are fatty acids found in breastmilk. While formula will never be "as good" as breastmilk, and there hasn't been enough time lapsed to prove whether there is any benefit to formulas with DHA and ARA, my ped and the hospital, as well as Dr. Sears and others, recommend using these Lipil type formulas if your baby tolerates it. That's not to say that the other formulas are not perfectly acceptable for babies. This is just the reasoning behind why we use Enfamil Lipil, which is more expensive. :)

[CherylT]

You've got it - the mixed formula IMHO smells yucky. I don't know how to describe the smell, though I see other posters have. It just smells like something I personally wouldn't want to drink so I totally understand why babies may not want to drink a particular formula :). I actually think all the formulas smell, even the older ones in the pre-DHA/ARA days (I still had a can from DD that I hadn't used and hadn't expired that I gave to DS - just plain old Similac and it smells to me too - no better or worse than Similac Advance IMO). Anyway, I fed DD formula until her 1st birthday until I switched her to milk. DS is still drinking formula and will until he turns 1 in a few months (yikes - time flies!). As long as your baby tolerates it, I don't see any problem with trying different formulas and seeing if a different one is more appealing. As another poster noted they are all regulated by gov't and are almost the same nutrition-wise. Some of them have the DHA/ARA added in, but I've read that it is questionable whether the baby absorbs it as well as the DHA/ARA that is in breastmilk. Also, since my little guy didn't start drinking formula full time until he was 7-8mo and since the DHA/ARA formulas didn't even exist until the last year or so, I'm not worried about it - I'm sure he's gotten plenty by now, and thousands of babies before him have survived well on the plain old formula for years and years. HTH - best of luck to you...

Cheryl
SAHM to Lilli 9/20/00 & Alec 10/21/02

[tilly2321]

An excellent research study has confirmed the benefits of DHA//ARA for preemies, since they have less time in utero and exposure to the DHA/ARA. Some experts believe since the preemies are showing good absorption rates then the full term babes will as well. The jury is still out, but if you had a preemie and are formula feeding, I would look into the LIPIL formulas for sure!

[amp]

>An excellent research study has confirmed the benefits of
>DHA//ARA for preemies, since they have less time in utero
>and exposure to the DHA/ARA. Some experts believe since the
>preemies are showing good absorption rates then the full
>term babes will as well. The jury is still out, but if you
>had a preemie and are formula feeding, I would look into the
>LIPIL formulas for sure!

I've seen this same info and that's why our ped wants us to use it and why we are doing so. I figure, it's a bit more expensive, but if it is beneficial, it's worth totally worth it to me! I wanted to breastfeed DS and did not succeed, so if I can provide something beneficial that resembles something in breastmilk, I am all for it!