Choosing Formula

For awhile, I went back and forth trying to decide if I was going to breastfeed. For many reasons, I've decided not to. Now I'm wondering how to choose a formula. I'm thinking the pediatrician will probably clue me in. I've heard that powder can make a baby gassy, but I've also heard that the ready to feed formula is a lot more expensive. Any thoughts? I'm wondering what others have heard on this. TIA

Re: Choosing Formula

I think they will prob limit your options at the hospital. I am pretty sure most hospitals start infants on enfamil or similac, but i know many people have switched once home.

Re: Choosing Formula

my ob office gave us samples of enfamil and the hospital gave her similac.

The week we got out, we used similac cause we had some .. then not knowing better we switched cold turkey to Enfamil lipil.. she really liked it. That week we saw the Pediatrician and he highly recommended Enfamil.

Yes Ready to Feed is easier on her but oh so very expensive. So we use powder (Gentlease to ease the gas).

I started with Breastfeeding but had to use formula since I was in and out of the hospital after her birth. Then later I was diagnosed with High Blood Pressure and the meds I took wouldnt let me Breastfeed anymore so I returned my rented pump and Arianna wasn't too hard to switch to pure Formula since she'd had it off and off those first two-three weeks.

Re: Choosing Formula

My hospital started my DS with Similac Advance and I never switched it because he never had any issues with it (and it helped that its sold at Costco/BJ's )...Ready to Feed is much more $$$ than powdered, fortunately my DS took either without an issue... The only time I bought RTF is when I had the $5.00 coupons from Similac, otherwise we used powder (which is easier to use on the go, because the liquid needs to be refrigerated/or in an ice pack)...The individual RTF are crazy $$$, so take all the freebies you can from the hospital, those little 2oz feeders were the best in the beginning !!!!!

Re: Choosing Formula

I never checked out if it's true, but this is what I've heard... so you might want to check this out...

besides being much more $$$, liquid formulas also contain preservatives that the powdered formulas don't.

frankly, it's much easier to store powdered formula (less space), and it's more economical... so IMO, there's no comparison.

but definitely, speak to your pediatrician about what brand or supplements they recommend.

I BF about 80% of the time, but I do resort to formula in certain situations... I use earth's best organic formula with DHA (you can get it from diapers.com)

Re: Choosing Formula

At Winthrop they have a list of local peds and the formulas that they recommend. We weren't given a choice (I don't thiink... my husband was there), they gave us what our ped suggested... might want to call and ask them.

Re: Choosing Formula

With dd i bfed but when it was time to go to formula or if i had to supplement i went with what my peds told me was best. They told me Enfamil with iron was the closest formula to breast milk, so we went with that. DD was fine on so we lucked out and kept with that. I had exclussively bfed for 4months, then supplemented with RTF until 6months, then went straight with RTF after that, then around 9months or so then did powder (waited to older b/c of the gass issues powder can cause).

I plan on doing the same with this baby.

Re: Choosing Formula

Our pediatrician advised us as to which formula to use.