Isn't All Formula the Same Except for $$ ? Baby Wish Tummy Issues Plz Help!

He's too little for all that change!

I found that my son was less fussy and less gassy on the premixed formula, not the powder. Has she tried that?

have you tried breast feeding the child, i am well aware that doctors
"suggest " formula, but you can get him on breast milk try it, if you cant, thats fine, but yes, formula is pretty much formula, no matter how much you pay for it.it could be all the sugar that is in formula that the child is fussy about, if the child is always hungry then there may not be enough calories in the formula for the child, they grow very very fast at that age. and yes soy based formula might actually be better for them at this point, but i wouldnt eliminate regular milk from the child diet forever, and yes, i know that doctors "suggest" that you strictly limit a child to 16 oz. of milk in a 24 period..please. my 18 month old daughter is the height of a three year old, and yes we ignored the doctors "advice" to limit her milk intake. gee, i wonder if the one has anything to do with the other ??
K. h.

Similar but different. All formula meets FDA guidelines as far as nutrition levels go, but how they go about meeting those levels (sources), "inactive" components, how 'broken down' it is... they all vary a GREAT deal between brands of formula. It's done on purpose, each one trying to be "best" and either get the biggest market share, or a niche market (OR trying to be "cheapest"). ALSO, aside from composition, the taste (I've tasted nearly all of them) and how long they "last" varies a great deal between brands.

My son had a very "sensitive" stomach, and was prone to gas... but we had to avoid "sensitive" formulas like the plague. ESPECIALLY anything that advertised "gentle proteins", "gentle ease". They made him vomit almost nonstop. They also went bad/sour inside of half an hour from being mixed (the "gentle" protein were already broken down halfway or more into their component amino acids to make them easy for babies who had difficulty breaking them down with their own enzymes, but being already partially broken down, they go bad VERY fast. Sour milk in 20-30 minutes, rotten fish smelling in 30-45).

EVERYTHING except Enfamil Lipil Premixed (or nutrimigen) made my son violently ill OR constipated and gassy.

That is a phrase you will hear a LOT. "Everything but _________ made my baby sick/constipated/gassy."

The only way to find out what works for your nephew is to actually try them, one by one.

The way recommended to my by NICU staff I was working with (I worked NICU admin for a bit as a unit secretary) was to always always always start with the premixed, find a brand that "worked", and then attempt the powdered version to save money, but be prepared for the powered kind to be rejected (constipation, gas, etc.). Ideally, to try them for 48-72 hours, but if he had an instant reaction (spitting it out and crying, vomitting abnormally, to quit that one right then and there). Same token if he LOVED it, but after a few days started getting gassy/constipated, to "keep that one in mind" (aka not immediately x it off the list), but to move on to the next one.

A GREAT way to save money in this process is to go to the formula websites. They will send out samples to you to try for free. The samples are substantial. Not single serving, but enough to feed their brand exclusively for several days to about a week.

I didn't know this in the beginning, but once I found "the" formula for my son, I got the tip... so asked for samples from Enfamil, and got at least a LITTLE reimbursed for all the formula that made it's way into my garbage can.

NOW... whenever I have friends who are formula feeding I send off for samples for them (either en masse, or of their brand). Similac just sent me 2 big containers (original and sensitive) and $25 dollars in gift certificates. (straight "cash". Not buy one, get one, or % off, but 5 $5 coupons towards the purchase of any Similac formula).

he should not be put through so many different formulas by this age. his poor little tummy is not going to handle it well. I personally don't believe in colic (going off the title of your other post) I was told my son had colic and there was nothing we could do for him. Took him to the chiropractor and within two weeks he was a new man!! Give it a try. But formula so not get switched so much especially from cows milk to soy! Brands are different...cheaper off brands tend to have more additives and junk in them!

every time you switch formulas your baby has to get used to it. No they are not all the same. They might appear the same when you look at the nutrition label, but you need to find one and stick to it for a couple of months, unless it keeps making your baby constipated/fussy.

try sensitive tummy formula or soy for a while, but stick to the formula you get.

Every time we switched our son got terrible tummy ache and was fussy for a week non stop. Constipated and irritable.

Try not to switch formula brands too often.

She needs to talk to the pediatrician. It may be something totally other than the formula. At 7 weeks she should be on enfamil, prosobe, isomil or similac. I would not do the store brands unless the doctor approves them. they do not all have the same ingredients. is she using the straight from a can? or powdered? that makes a difference it also matters whether it is being mixed correctly. How much is she feeding at a sitting. at 7 weeks it may just be that he is not burping enough or he may be ready to go to a larger amount. I had one child that would eat 3 oz at a feeding and another who would take 6. its all a learning process. But bottom line is I would call the doctor before switching anything. chances are the doctor will give her samples of different things to try.

I am a big buyer of generic brands. However, I have a nephew with special needs. His weight was very low for a long time. His Dr. had him on a diet of only Similac (or Enfamil) and I believe they had to mix it in a strong formula/water ratio. Now, I can't remember which formula it was, but it could only be one specific brand. I got some coupons and mailed them to my sis. I was nursing my son and I know formula is very expensive.
I heard half of babies that can't have normal formula can't have soy formula! Not sure what they can have in that case. Hope you get some answers.

All formula is similar, but not the same (i.e. has the same nutrient levels based on FDA regulations). However, each company does something slightly different to their formulas, which is why a baby may react differently to Similac then to Up and Up then to Parent's Choice then to Enfamil. My son could not take ANYTHING but Gerber Good Start. Everything else made him constipated and gassy. Gerber does something different with their protiens that made it easier for him to digest. Some babies cannot take powdered formula because of all the air and grainy particles that get mixed in are uncomfortable in their stomachs. I tried giving him formular specifically designed for gas and fussiness when he was first born, but all this really focuses on is baby's who have these symptoms because of lactose intolerance. If your baby is not lactose intolerant (which most aren't) then it won't change his symptoms. Soy also does not really change fussiness or gassiness if what's causing it is air in the milk. Your nephew sounds like he has reflux. No milk will help with this but simply medicine and time. She needs to try different brands though. They are not all the same. Some babies will react to all of them the same and some can only tolerate one certain kind. It's just like with bottles. Some babies will take only one specific kind of bottle, some will take anything. I suggest she do what someone suggested in the previous post. Change it, wait two weeks, change again. I will say that my son had lots of spit up/reflux issues early on and I never had to put him on soy. He was able to stay on milk cause the problem wasn't a milk allergy, but more how he was breaking down the protiens.

All formulas have to meet FDA requirements as to the primary vitamins, minerals, nutrients etc. The different brands, including store brands have different mixtures or formulas that incorporate the FDA requirements. They are different - you just have to find one that works best for the child. Kind of like red paint. The color is required to be red, but you can buy latex formula or acrylic formula paint.

GoodStart milk based worked for my son. Nutramigen and Similac Soy worked for my daughter.See what I wrote for Juanita from Suisun city for details. Good luck!

Second Denise - try the concentrated or fully premixed formula - I'm not sure how well the powder mixes sometimes...

(and yes, I switched dgd from the formula paid for by WIC - they even swithced to soy - back to what the hospital had started her on after keeping her many many times and seeing how fussy she was, spitting up, and funky BMs -- got all that turned around in a weekend!)

ok i haven't read any of the answers yet so if this repeats i'm sorry.. but i wanted to reply before the thought escapes..

I had this same issue with my daughter when she was younger. I had her on Similac which seemed to work well but when the recall happened my husband and I refused to put her back on it. We switched to Enfamil Gentlease and that worked just great. At the advice of friends with kids we switched to walmarts brand that's similar and there were some differences in her behavior. I called her pediatrician and he told me that they are not the same thing.. the laws say all of them have to have the same ingredients (or whatever) but fact of the matter is the government can't check them all so it's best to stick with the brand names. We switched her back to Enfamil that day and never had any problems since. Good luck :)

I would agree to talk to his doctor first. Theoretically yes, the store brand and the brand name for sensitivity should be the same...but there are probably slight differences and maybe he'll react to a brand name better or just another brand. For instance, the active ingredients that make it formula are the same, but sometimes brand names add in more things to ease stomach cramps, or whatever the case may be. This is true for formulas and other medications. I think for the most part people can switch easily between generics and brand names but sometimes not, so it's possible but not terribly likely. There are however lots of variations of formula. There is "regular" then there's sensitivity, or ones for colic or ones for spit up, there's soy,....you name it. Switching formulas can also cause tummy issues and possibly consitpation, even if it eventually is the right one to be on. We had some issues with my little guy and had to change formulas a few times and each time he had constipation for a week or two. My doctor also recommended that you give every new formula 2 weeks before you decide its effectiveness. I really would talk to the doctor before deciding to go to soy, though, but that's just me!

Ask the Pediatrician. When I asked my sons' Ped. which formula to use, he said Enfamil or Similac.

I would never put my baby on soy because lots of professionals are now saying that soy is especially dangerous for boys. I don't remember exactly what's dangerous about it, just that it messes with their hormones and can have horrible life long after effects. I would switch him to the target brand. That's the one I use. I tried walmarts first and my daughter didn't do well. Target's is only $15 for the sensitive kind. I love it. I research everything that I give to my kids and while researching walmarts formula, I found out that they don't upgrade their formula like everyone else does. So, instead of trying to improve their formula over time like most companies do, they have stuck with the same formula since theirs came out. I would rather have a formula that's been improved for my kids cause I want my kids to have the best. Hope this helps.

I just wanted to add that YES, it is the same as the more expensive brands. All formula has to meet certain guidelines. If you look at any cheap brand and compare the ingredients to the expensive stuff, they ingredients are exactly the same. The only difference between what I give my child compared to the similac is that the more expensive stuff has a tiny little bit more water added to it. No big deal. It is all the same quality. I was told that the reason some are more expensive is because those brands are the one's advertised and used in hospitals.

have her try similac allimentum formul it is a little pricy but it helps solve problems that my daughter had about that aged, and it is worth every penny

Talk to the Dr. they will probably give her some samples to try before she buys a bunch of different kinds. My son used Enfamil Gentlease when going from nursing to formula and never had an issue. Seemed very "gentle"