Formula Feeders: How did you decide what brand?

[hellokitty1]

Assuming you are brand loyal, how did you decide what formula to give? Price, brand, etc?

Does anyone switch around and just buy based on what's on sale, etc?

[lchang25000]

We decided to use the Similac RTF bottles since it was just so much more convenient even though a lot more expensive than powder. I chose to use Similac over the other brands since I like that the RTF formula came in bottles and not in cans like Enfamil/Goodstart.

[mommylamb]

We supplemented with formula for a while. I used Target's brand because it was inexpensive and DS liked it just as much.

[tnrnchick74]

I used Enfamil because they have a higher amount of DHA/ARA in their products - plus my ped prefers them. I used this until we found out DS had a milk allergy - then we were on Nutramagin. Once he turned 6 months old, I would have switched to a generic though. Once we started on soy, I found the levels of DHA/ARA to be the same even with the generics, so we used Target soy.

[arivecchi]

I used Enfamil because they have a higher amount of DHA/ARA in their products - plus my ped prefers them. I used this until we found out DS had a milk allergy - then we were on Nutramagin. Once he turned 6 months old, I would have switched to a generic though. Once we started on soy, I found the levels of DHA/ARA to be the same even with the generics, so we used Target soy. Ditto. We also use Enfamil for those reasons.

[LarsMal]

I used Nestle Good Start with DD1, from 8-12 months. Similac and Enfamil were hard on her system, but she did well with the comfort proteins. My ped prefered Similac or Enfamil, but they just didn't work for my kids.

DS was on Alimentum from 8-12 months.

I've been using the Nestle to supplement with DD2 as well. It's what I'm comfortable with now. I tried a Similac RTF that I got as a sample from the hospital and she spit it back up. No problems with the NGS though.

[kijip]

With T, who ended up only being partially breastfed for about 6 months, we just switched around. He would take it all, anytime and never developed a taste for a certain brand or type (RTF, powder, concentrated). We mostly used Enfamil and Good Start because at the time, every time I bought a can of one of those the register spit out a high value coupon for the other, LOL. And Similac smelled worse to me for some reason.

With F, who only gets a rare bottle, we are still swimming through all the free samples from Enfamil. He would not drink the Similac samples so we gave those away. We decided to switch to an organic version, so I bought a tub of Earth's Best Organic to try out and he takes that just fine. I read about problems with the Similac organic so skipped trying it at all. He only gets it when I run out of pumped milk, I am not a very prodigious pumper, LOL. Mostly he just nurses.

[NN317]

We started using the Kirkland formula from Costco after I stopped pumping when the girls were 4 months old. We chose it because the price cannot be beat (two 25.7oz cans for $19.79), and our friends used it with their kids without issue. It is comparable to Similac Advance and Enfamil Lipil.

[JBaxter]

Enfamil gave my first 3 gas BIG TIME. Switched to similac regular for 1, 2 &3 then discovered Parents choice. Recommended by my ped. DS3 did great and its half the price. When I needed to start supplamenting with DS4 ( and I have with all the boys cause of cronic low supply) we found he has a BIG lactose issue plugged the little guy all up :( Similac sensitive works great I have a ton of coupons and when they run out I'll swithch to parents choice lacotse free. So a little of all :) Parents Choice used to be called SMA which is a formula my mother used for my sibilings.

[WatchingThemGrow]

I thought you weren't supposed to switch around b/c of sensitive developing digestive systems. Similac was the first supplement we tried, and it came back with force twice. Tried Enfamil, which didn't come back up. One of my friend went to a generic from the grocery and her son ended up with developmental delays. Although I'm sure the two aren't related, it made me wonder.

[Sweetum]

Well, we started with Similac (the blue one with early shield) since we had free samples. We also had Enfamil but found out that the powder didn't mix well enough and our DS didn't like it very much and his system didn't take it well either. In the meantime I looked around for an organic formula (I wanted to go Organic), and found (on these boards!) that Earth's Best came highly recommended. I started that, found DS liked it, was going well enough with his system, found that amazon has a great price on them (free shipping too) and stuck with it. My DS did have green poop with it, but since he had no other symptoms or issues, we stuck with it. I use it as a supplement to expressed BM. I personally thought Similac had an unpleasant smell. Although I haven't, I know a lot of moms taste the formula as well.

-SunshineAndMe

[nrp]

We started using the Kirkland formula from Costco after I stopped pumping when the girls were 4 months old. We chose it because the price cannot be beat (two 25.7oz cans for $19.79), and our friends used it with their kids without issue. It is comparable to Similac Advance and Enfamil Lipil.

Ditto this. It has the same amount of DHA/ARA as Enfamil, and my kids never had a problem switching from BM to the costco formula.

[manda]

We used Good Start with all 4 because it is the only formula (that I am aware of) that has a version without the DHA/ARA. My kids seemed to have issues with anything that had DHA/ARA.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

I've been switching around. I wanted to find something without soy, but there doesn't seem to be such a thing. Even the Baby's Only Organic has soy.

The formula she was on in Taiwan was so nice! It was white, not yellow, and the powder was free-flowing not clumpy and it dissolved very easily. I hated the Similac sample we got and quit using it because it is impossible to dissolve. I liked Earth's Best okay. But now we are using Costco because it is cheapest and it dissolves easily. I liked the idea of Baby's Only Organic but not the price. And I figure since she is getting breastmilk I don't need to worry so much about the formula.

She seems to be okay with anything. She's getting about 1/2 of her nutrition through breastmilk (direct from the tap, pumped from me, and some donated) and the rest is formula.

[BeccaB.]

We tried DS on the samples of Simalac and Enfamil. The Enfamil made his stomach really upset so we went with the Similac Sensitive. That was the only formula that didn't make his stomach upset (gassy, fussy, spitting up). Then I saw that Target and Walmart ma.de generic versions. He hated the Walmart but the Target generic worked well so we've used that ever since.

[AnnieW625]

We started with Similac and then were given a can of Enfamil at the drs. office. We liked the Enfamil better, and then tried Target brand on a whim, and found it to be very similar to Enfamil. I think it's about $12 for a can. Prior to the Target brand I had also tried Costco and it didn't disolve well (however I think Ijust had a bad batch; Costco took it back too! :)). The Target brand is also made by the same manufacturer, PBM Nutritionals as Parent's Choice, Walgreens, and some other store bought brands. Baby Bargains book even recommended them. Becca, interesting about Parent Choice vs. Target.
http://www.pbmproducts.com/

[HIU8]

With DS we started with similac regular formula. Then switched to soy b/c of the gas, then we found he had a milk protein allergy and went to allimentum per ped GI. With DD we started with similac, but b/c of $$ and the fact that she had no issues we switched to the kirkland brand at costco.