Seeking Healthy Formula

With my boys I used whatever was on sale LOL With my daughter she could only tolerate the Good Start Formula, every other brand she spit up like crazy. Now it's been a while since my kids were on bottles so I have no clue about the DHA and don't remember if theirs had it or not. IF I knew about it, I've completely forgotten LOL

V.,
Please don't let anyone tell you that you will harm your baby by switching to formula after six months. My cousin is a pediatric doc who spent several years working at the National Institutes of Health reviewing scientific research. (I have a research background myself, though not in the medical field, and know that one can design/interpret a study to say almost anything. It takes a serious statistical background sometimes to spot the flaws in how studies are conducted and analyzed.) When my cousin was pregnant, she looked at the actual studies about breast feeding (not someone else's write-up about the studies, which can be distorted to support particular views). She looked at all the research and found that the great majority of health benefits associated with breast feeding come in the first week in the colostrum. Almost all health benefits (percent in the high 90s) have been passed on after five weeks. I still chose to breastfeed for longer than that (four months), but that was simply a personal choice. After looking at the actual research studies -- their design, analytical methods, and results -- my cousin actually decided not to breastfeed at all. She is an amazing mom, and never would do anything that she thought would harm her kids. So, unless someone has a strong background in statistics and study design, don't let anyone or any website tell you that you are harming your child, especially after six months of breastfeeding. FWIW, when we switched to formula, we had to use Alimentum because our son had a sensitive gut -- we actually stopped with breast milk on our son's pediatric GI's orders because he was having a hard time breaking down the proteins. I do not recall if Alimentum has DHA.

We used Enfamil with DHA...it is what the hospital started our 1st daughter on when I was unable to feed for the 1st 24 hours. Worked great with both our daughters...we switched to formula around 6-7 months also. I was back to work and my supply wouldn't keep up.

Do what is right for you...

Well I gave my son Kirland Signature (costco brand) baby formula. It has DHA & ARA and is probably about half the price of similac or enfamil. You get 2 one+ pound cans for just under $20. It's really worth the price. My son took really well to it. I hope this helps.

P.

I had no choice but to give my daughter formula as my milk never came in after a long and drawn out attempt at it. The hardest thing I ever had to do was let it go. Comments like the one above are hurtful to me....Fortunately for me, my doctor and pediatrician were VERY supportive. With both of their input, I went with Infamil Lipil with DHA and ARA. According to both it's the best. My daughter is thriving. She is off of it now, but from about 2 months until a year she had Lipil and she's right in the middle of the road for weight and she's perfect. Formula is sometimes the choice that gets made. Don't let anyone make you feel bad about that. And your child will not suffer!

I have done formula and breastfeeding and when I used formula I used the enfamil with lipil but my baby threw up a lot and he seemed to be more irritated, so I began to use Nestle Good Start supreme with DHA and ARA. This formula does not give him gases and he has done very well with it, hope this helps with your decision.

I used the Nestles Good Start Soy and loved it after having a bad experience with Similac. I think most formulas are pretty much the same. I heard the Kirkland brand or other generic brands are just as good as name brand and cheaper. I would also not listen to people who tell that Formula will hurt your baby. I personally breastfed for 4 months and then I was done and my daughter is healthy and happy.

Whatever you do, DO NOT BUY any of the DHA formulas, as the type of DHA used is derived from a very problematic source (see responses below).
Anyhow, go to http://www.westonaprice.org/splash_2.htm and look into making your own formula if you can't continue to breastfeed, which includes using Cod Liver Oil as the best source for DHA. The lemon flavored one actually tastes pretty good too!

I had my son on Good Start and they did have one with DHA I believe I found it to be less constipating for my son. I tried a couple of others and this one seemed to be easier to digest as well :)

Not sure that it's anyone's business *why* you're introducing formula into your baby's diet...it is YOUR choice after all!

We used Enfamil Lipil which has DHA & ARA and iron. I LOVED it! My daughter never had any problems on it at all. It doesn't smell bad like Good Start, and it's thinner than Similac.

Best wishes with everything!

Hi V.,

I never got a full supply of milk in so I had to supplement with formula. We tried out a few different brands and the one that made my son happy was Nestle Good Start Supreme with DHA and ARA. Don't let anyone make you feel bad for choosing formula. It made for babies that need it for whatever reason. Of course breastmilk is best we all know that but sometimes you just do what you have to do and its really nobodys business. And you have been breastfeeding your child for 6 months thats way more than most get so do what feels right and give the Good Start Supreme a chance!

I'm wondering why you would add formula when you are still breastfeeding? Doing so can come with problems, since formulas are made with cow's milk or soy (both are some of the most allergenic foods to infants) and also, your milk supply will suffer, leading to increased formula feeding and further reducing your supply, which is a recipe for premature weaning.

I personally would not feed a formula with DHA - check out the issues that many parents have had with it - http://www.cornucopia.org/DHA/AdverseReactionReports.pdf

If you are concerned about getting plenty of DHA into your baby, the best way to do it is to take a DHA supplement yourself and give your baby as much breastmilk as you can.
http://www.softecare.com/news/dha-breast-milk-benefit.cfm

I loved Nestle Good Start formulas. My children had to be on Alimentum for their first 9 months due to difficulty processing the proteins in my breast milk. After their systems developed enough to tolerate "regular" formula, this was the only one that was gentle enough for thier delicate systems, as it has some components broken down more than other formulas. Good LUck!

Nestle Goodstart with DHA is the best in my opinion. I used it with my son and had zero problems. It mixes without foaminess. It's enzymes pre broken down so it is easier to digest.It did not cause any stomach upset, excessive spit up or anything. Good luck!

We had to put our daughter who is now four on formula when she was four months old. I liked Horizon Organics. They used to sell it at Safeway and health food stores. I thought it was fortified with DHA, but I'm not sure. I liked the texture of it, and how easily it dissolved in water.
Good luck! M.

I have been using similac advanced and it has both DHA and AHA?? My son loves it and we have had good luck with it. He was breast fed until i went back to work at 3 months then we slowly introduced formula to make it easier for me with working. Starting next week he will be on straight formula and 1 meal of rice and seems to be thriving. At his 4mo check up he was in the 75% on everything. Good luck with the formula and don't let people make you feel bad for making the switch - it is whatever works for your family.