Baby Formula

i know for a fact that WIC covers all brands of similac, and being that you are not married you should qualify. my husband is in the army, and most army wives have WIC. there is no shame in getting help with something so expensive! they will even cover a few things for you like milk, cheese and eggs until she is 6 months old.

My daughter had the same problem. Try Sililac Sensitive RS! It took about a week or two for her to get use to but now she is fine!

I always had my son on soy based formula. Whole Foods grocery store carries natural products. However, I would definately keep in close contact with your pediatrician. My son'e pre-school teacher had issues with her newborn spitting up nourishment that eventually led to surgery. I am not trying to scare you, just definately keep your pediatrician informed. Good luck.

Hi there -

My son, now 5 months old, had and still has the same problem. For us it is definitely reflux - you should talk to your pediatrician right away b/c our baby needed to be on meds for it. He started on Zantac and now takes Prevacid instead. Also, we went through the different formulas as well - Similac Advance, Similac Soy, Nutramigen - nothing worked except for Alimentum. I recently tried the Nestle Good Start, but he spit up more with it (almost no spitting up with Alimentum), and I kept finding little strings of what looked like part of the can inside the Good Start can, so I refuse to use it anymore. I also read the labels on the store brand formulas that are supposed to compare to Alimentum, but they seem to have more vegetable oil related ingredients as opposed to milk ingredients - I just feel safer using Alimentum. It is defintely a bigger expense, but worth it to us. (Also with the Good Start, yes it costs less, but the scoop is twice as big and you use just as many scoops to mix it, so not real sure there is a ton of savings there.) We did end up taking our son to a specialist, who really didn't help much except to say to try Beechnut infant rice cereal in his bottle (they consider the Beechnut to be hypoallergenic, other brands aren't) - this helped a lot for a while - definitely decreased the reflux symptoms, but now he refuses to have the rice in his bottle. He will eat it from a spoon, so we do that now instead.

One thing to think about as far as the added expense of the Alimentum - we were told by every doctor that our son should eventually grow out of this - usually by 6-12 months. Hopefully the added expense is only temporary and he can eventually switch to a less expensive formula (or milk when he's old enough!).

I know firsthand how hard it is to watch your baby suffering through this - I really hope you find the solution that works for you!! Good luck -

J.

It sounds to me like your baby might have acid reflux. The problem won't be solved by formula, you might have to use medication like Zantac for the symptoms. In the meantime, try a few things to see if this helps:

1. After you feed her, keep her on an incline for 25 mins or so (maybe let her nap in a swing, or bouncy chair)
2. Feed her smaller amounts, more often
3. Burp her often during the feeding

If these things help, but do not alleviate the problem, I would see your pedi for possible acid reflux. Both of my children have it, and I have had success with them on Zantac, using the above methods of feeding them, and using Enfamil AR formula, which is thicker and therefore stays in their belly better. It's not as expensive as Alimentum, but it is more expensive than the regular formula. You can also add rice cereal to the regular formula. The thicker the formula, the better it stays in their belly.

Good Luck!

Sounds like she may have reflux. Have you tried burping half way through a feeding? Have you tried the Soy versions? Also, the family was just talking about this tonight. The Target, and Parent's Choice brands are just like Similac and Enfamil, just 1/3 the price. Stood in the aisle and read the labels.
M.

My daughter had issues with formula when she was little but after two tries...third times a charm. I am not sure about cost (I want to say it's like $14 a can) but Gentle Ease Lipil worked the best for her because she was spitting up her other formulas. I got her formula through WIC but I am pretty sure that it was about $14 a can (may be pricy for you though, not sure what you are paying now). But, yes, you may want to discuss it with your doctor...after I discussed it with him, he said her's was minor GERD and that's what he "prescribed" and it worked like a charm...along with a bit of Karo syrup to prevent constipation (because she was having that with the second attempt at formula). We also put two drops of Little Tummies Gas Relief drops in her bottle, too because her first attempt was also making her VERY GASSY. So, I hope this helps you out a bit....first and foremost, talk to the pediatrician.

Enfamil has a similiar formula but the price is no different. It's very expensive. Take your baby to the pediatrician to see if maybe she has reflux. If so, there is something else that can be done.

Alimentum is very expensive, and there are some similar ones, but they're not any cheaper. Becareful if you do switch, because alimentum has predigested proteins, not a variation on proteins, which some of the others do have. My son could ONLY use alimentum. I ate a completely dairy free diet, hard to do but worth it, then nursed. Once they're over a year if the problem continues rice and soy milk are good alternatives. good luck!!

When my girls were babies one of them was on Nutramigin which is Corn Based and the other on Alimentum which is milk based - they are both hypoallergenic. Unfortunately both are very expensive. I had to keep them both on the ready to feed formulas since my allergist said no way to the powder. With my gal that was on the Alimentum I still had to water down her formula for a while - couple of months really - she ate more often but didn't have nearly the spitting up she did when I gave it to her full strength. We did formula roulette with my first one - not knowing until much later she was allergic to Soy and Milk which is what we were trying her on. Work closely with your ped and if you have allergies talk to your allergist for suggestions.

make sure you get her checked for GERD (reflux)
It won't matter what you give her if she has reflux. Unless she is on a reflux medication (if she has reflux)she will continue to spit up a lot. You might want to get a referral at your 8 week checkup to see if you can see a pediatric gastroenterologist.

I had some problems with my son when he was that old and I switched to Similac Soy formula and he eventually did really well with that and was able to switch to regular milk when he turned one.

Sounds like reflux, so the formula may not be the only problem. You may want to try a partially hydrolyzed formula like Nestle Good Start or Enfamil Gentlease. They are much cheaper than Alimentum and Nutramigen which are 100% hydrolyzed (milk proteins are broken down). I know many parents who say their kids improved with the partially hydrolyzed formulas.

If you can't breastfeed and have to use formula watch constantly switching back and forth between formula kinds. The switching is hard on their stomachs and takes a while for their bodies to process. Havn't heard of any cheaper formula that alimentum. I have had much success with taking my infant to the Chiropractor. They can help with more than just back problems. You would be amazed. Its worth a shot. Best Wishes.

Sounds like she could either have reflux or she may be eating too much. I'd talk to you your pediatrician. Good luck!

I feel for you, my daughter was on Alimentum for over a year and it is very expensive. I wouldn't go down that road until you have exhausted all other options, I sure wish I had(after about 3 months they become stuck on a particular taste of formula, so try to get it figured out now). Try a different brand, or the Similac sensitive. If it still persists, talk to your doc about the possibility of reflux. Many babies spit up and they spit up a lot, so my question would be is she uncomfortable when she does it? You may want to look at feeding positions also, some positions where the baby is not upright enough will cause spit up, not burping frequently enough, and having a nipple that is too fast. I wish you well.

Talk to your Dr. sounds like reflux.

when one of my daughters was an infant i too had to switch her from similac to alimentum. alimentum did wonders for her. it is very expensive, even the powder one. i don't know of a formula that is a replacement for alimentum but i'd ask her pediatrician to see if they have coupons or samples they can give you.

Hi A.,

Has your pediatrician diagnosed your baby with Gastric Reflux? Maybe you need to get a second opinion.

Here are some web sites: Formula tips: http://www.infantreflux.org/formulas.htm

Products: http://www.infantreflux.org/tucker_wedge_sling.htm

http://infantreflux.org/products.html#feeding products

parenting:

http://www.parenting.com/article/baby/care/ask-dr.-sears-...

www.healthy-holistic-living.com/baby-colic.html

Hope this helps. Good luck. D.

Both of my kids went through this. The doctors said it was reflux. Try adding a tablespoon of rice cereal to the formula. You may have to make the nipple whole larger for her to be able to suck it out. This helped a little. It will go away as you switch over to baby food. But that is months away. Feed her before she's starving and burp her every few ounces. Keep plenty of bibs and finger towels around for the spit ups. Good luck.