So confused... what is the right option with formula these days

[oneontheway]

I am beyond confused and sad. BF never really worked for me. I had to work really really hard because of low production and for DS1 I was able to work it for a while but for DC 2,3 and 4 it was even harder. With DC3 he was on Good Start recommended by his surgeon and then switched to Parents Choice Organic at 6 months. Now with DC4 he had a really hard time with formula and was on Nutramigen for a while but it did nothing for him so he is on Good Start but he still has some issues at almost 5 months. Sorry to ramble but my real question is whether to switch to Organic? There is info now out about Organic being bad because of certain ingredients and then the issue with the way they are producing DHA and AHA but non-organics seem to be using GMO. I'm not sure what to do and starting to feel terrible that I'm putting bad things into my sweet baby. I know that the government regulates formula to be sure certain nutrients are present but that doesn't give me any piece of mind that the ingredients are okay. For those who are or have recently formula feed, how have you made you decision and what did you decide?

[crl]

Dd was born in 2010 and we did what you describe with Goos Start for the first six months and then switched to organic. That is what our Ped advised because he felt Good Start was easier for digestion and that that outweighed the benefits of organic for those first months.

I am sorry to hear that the Good Start isn't being tolerated very well. Does your Ped have any thoughts? Mine wanted to avoid soy unless there really were problems, but maybe it would be tolerated better?

I think you just do the best you can as far as ingredients go and try not to worry about it. Parenting offers so many opportunities for guilt, doesn't it? But my dd is happy and heathly and her months on formula didn't change that outcome.

Catherine

[scrooks]

For some reason we always use similac products. Typically just the standard "regular" similac version. For ds2 we have been using their new total comfort formula which has the proteins broken down a bit. My kids tend to be a bit milk sensitive and he seems to be no exception (they all typically outgrow this by 5-6 months) and he seems to have done ok on this formula (full disclosure he only gets one bottle a day and I am phasing that out because I think the milk sensitivity is peaking). I'm reading this response and I'm not actually sure it makes sense but I can say I would recommend this total comfort formula. It's at least worth a try I would say!

[AnnieW625]

I last formula fed in 2011 when DD2 was a year old, but after trying every almost every formula brand on the market except the organic and hypo allergenic ones (although that would have been out next step) DD2 ended up doing really well with Similac Sensitive. It produced the least amount of spit up in her (and she spit up the entire time I was BF--I weaned her at 4 months) and then once I tried the Playtex Drop Ins bottles the spit up stopped.

TBH I never thought long or hard about using organic formula with either of my kids, especially not Dd1, maybe I would have had DD2 not had such horrible reflux. With DD1 we started with Similac then got Enfamil samples and liked them and then found the store brand formula (made by PBM Nutritionals) was equal to Enfamil. The Store Brand Formula people make the organic formula for Earth's Best, and the organic store brands to so it is the same stuff. With DD2 we started out with Enfamil, then Target AR, then Target Sensitive, then Good Start, and then the Similac Sensitive.

If your baby is happy with Good Start then I would continue to give him that. From what I remember that one produces the most breast fed like poop which does seem like it would be the easiest to digest (had no idea about that though when I had tried it with DD1 so I thought she had diarrhea as she had never had a really runny poops when she was breast fed), but if it is too much or spit up is an issue I might think about trying one of the sensitive formulas.

[wellyes]

Oh honey, you are not putting bad things into your baby. You are loving and caring for your baby and that is wonderful.

Try the organic. If it works, that will probably give you peace of mind. If it doesn't, then it is not a good choice for the baby. Keep it simple.

[MamaMolly]

Oh honey, you are not putting bad things into your baby. You are loving and caring for your baby and that is wonderful.

Try the organic. If it works, that will probably give you peace of mind. If it doesn't, then it is not a good choice for the baby. Keep it simple.

We need a like button :) Hugs to you OP!

[tmahanes]

Oh honey, you are not putting bad things into your baby. You are loving and caring for your baby and that is wonderful.

Try the organic. If it works, that will probably give you peace of mind. If it doesn't, then it is not a good choice for the baby. Keep it simple.


We need a like button :) Hugs to you OP!

Exactly!

We started on the Similac Advanced and then there were some recalls on different powdered formulas so we switched to Organic Similac RTF. It worked for our family and for B and at the end of the day that's what matters.

I had some guilt at first when I couldn't get him to nurse and then I want getting enough pumping. I decided not to feel guilty anymore. It was what worked for us.

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[mackmama]

We used Good Start gentle. My pedi recommended it.


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[KpbS]

My babies all needed hypoallergenic formulas due to MSPI. DS1 drank Similac Alimentum, DS2 drank Nutramigen, and DD drank Elecare (an amino acid formula). Don't feel bad for feeding your babies! Mine wouldn't have made it without it. Hugs!

[azzeps]

Use whatever your babe tolerates best. If she can do the organic one that is what I'd choose. The only perfect one is the one that works for her! Hope you find something that works!

[llama8]

We Formula fed both of my DD's from the start. They both began on Enfamil but the gas was bad. We switched them to Good Start gentle around 2 months for each and they were fine on it until it was time to end formula. I loved Goodstart Gentle better than regular Goodstart. Try that before trying organic. You are not putting bad stuff into your baby and there is nothing wrong with formula feeding. My ped said there was no reason to go to organic unless there was a personal preference for it.

[oneontheway]

Thanks for the encouraging words from everyone.

Llama8 - I thought the gentle formula was the regular? Did you try good start soothe at all?

[SnuggleBuggles]

I bf but I always figured my back up plan would be one of the formulas at Whole Foods. I was fond of Earth's Best for diapers and older baby food so I imagine their formula is decent.

[llama8]

There was a Goodstart green tub (protect) that was regular and the Goodstart orange tub is the gentle one. I used the orange tub. I don't know if it has since changed. We stopped formula in 2012 when DD2 turned 1.

I know that most of my friends had great luck with Goodstart orange. Anytime one of their kids was having an issue on formula, they went to Goodstart orange and the issues stopped. (As long as no special rx formula was needed.)

[oneontheway]

There was a Goodstart green tub (protect) that was regular and the Goodstart orange tub is the gentle one. I used the orange tub. I don't know if it has since changed. We stopped formula in 2012 when DD2 turned 1.

I know that most of my friends had great luck with Goodstart orange. Anytime one of their kids was having an issue on formula, they went to Goodstart orange and the issues stopped. (As long as no special rx formula was needed.)

Ahh that makes sense. Now they have Soothe which is for senstive stomachs. I'm thinking I might switch to soothe since it isn't a big change. Eventually though I think I'd like to try the Parent Choice Organic.

[ssand23]

If a milk allergy is suspected, Nutramigen has dairy in it, too. It's broken down but the milk is still in there. For some babies, they can tolerate Nutramigen and Allimentum anyway but some can't handle the milk in those 2 either and need products like Neocate and Elecare that have an amino acid base and no milk or soy at all. My son is 3 years old and is still on Neocate (now he takes Neocate Jr through his GJ feeding tube but 2 of my girls drank it by mouth when they were younger and it was very helpful for them).

I'd speak to your doctor about what they recommend based on what types of problems your baby is having with the formulas you have tried in the past. And please don't be hard on yourself. You sound like a caring mother who loves her son and is putting much thought and effort into feeding her baby. Sometimes BF doesn't work out no matter how hard you try and you just need to move on to another option with out beating yourself up. I hope you can find a formula that is helpful for him and with out problems. :)