Whats Better in Formula's.

Hi C.,

I used a different brand than Similac but found little difference between the powdered milk and ready made. I was able to find large cans of my brand in powdered form at Sam's so it made financial difference for me to use that at home but I also kept ready-made on hand for going out. I would just say use what works for you. The differences are small enough not to be a worry.

I was told by my pediatrician that the powder is better, mainly b/c of cost, it much cheaper. There is no difference in the make up.

I used the ready made pretty much until my daughter got off formula all together--Although that wasn't my initial plan (Expensive!). My husband's job requires travel and when it was me alone with a new born, it was just easier and more time efficient to open the pre-made can instead of having to sterilize water, wait for it to cool, etc. Older babies don't need sterile water, but I was really conservative when she was a little baby.

When she was around 7-8 months (and going through more of those cans!), I tried to switch her to the powder type... (same brand, just powder). I was hoping to save $$... she refused it. I think it was too gritty or the consistency was different. So then we were locked into the pre-made formula. For an older baby, a month of pre-made cans averages out to about $250-300 a month... Something to think about!

My sister is a labor and delivery nurse, and she uses Similac Advance, but uses the powder because the ready to use stains so bad. She supplements with formula because she has had a breast reduction. There is no difference in powder, and ready to feed except cost, and staining. I hope this helps

PS Do not heat your bottles in the microwave, because studies have shown that chemicals leach out of the plastic. Scary thought. My sister uses a bottle warmer, just a standard one that you can pick up at Wal-Mart or Target. Another option that some daycares use, is to put water in a crock-pot to heat up bottles throughout the day.

I preferred powder, but it was just a preference... not based on anything but that.
I think they both have their "good sides". If you are traveling, it is easier to take the premade in a bottle... unless your brand has those already mixed tubes of formula that you can just poor in.
For me, I never heated/warmed his formula (unless it was refrigerated - we did room temp) so powder was easier in that regard.
I think the powder is probably less expensive.

GOOD LUCK!

There is no difference. It depends on what you feel more comfortable with. Personally, I like powder better because I can get the water the right temperature from the faucet before mixing and don't have to worry about a bottle warmer or microwave. Once you open that ready to feed bottle, it needs to be refrigerated so you have to start being concerned about how to warm it up at feeding time. I have heard a few people say that their kids do better on one than the other. That is probably just a function of a particularly sensitive baby or getting too many bubbles when shaking up the powder mix and causing gassiness. I used to use Similar Advance Powder to supplement my breastfeeding and my son did wonderfully. I will most likely do that again with my daughter.

I used the powder product a long while back. There had been some talk about the ready made product recently and it having some type of preservatives in it that are not needed -- don't quote without doing research. The ready to use it great in a pinch but since you will be making many bottles it is best to get what will go the distance and not spoil. You just have to get into a routine and you obviously have one with 3 others. Have a good day.

I used the powdered with my three year old and never had any problems. Try it out, and see if it works, if not switch back. It was convenient to use the powdered, you can take water bottles and the powder seperate and you don't have to worry about the formula getting yucky.

Both of them are alright, but i got to thinking which one would be more convent to take on the go without having to put on ice and if i would spoil about time the baby got hungrey.
So i have a 17 month child and the powder is more easy for me to put in water already in bottle shake and go, with less mess. Well when the baby was born until the it was time for whole Milk.
Sincerely,
Candy, W

it doesnt make a difference but i always use powder because if you use ready to feed, you can only refrigerate for so long, and then get rid of it. I use the ready to feed if i know i will use it within 3 days. (if youare talking about the cans or plastic bottles you put in the fridge). if you are talking about the ready to feed bottles with formula already in them, I would thing that would get expensive. A can of formula will last you at least a week.

my boys are 23 and 20 years old. I used the powder, it was a little cheaper and you could add you own warm water instead of putting in the microwave. it was easy for travel bring bottle water and you weren't in a pinch if you forgot a can opener or something to seal the can. I just felt the bottles were fresher using the powder.

I have bottle fed two (currently feeding the second one) and I have noticed that it really just depends on the child. My first one we had no problems as long as we stayed on the Similac Advanced in the powder. My little one she has reflux that she is on 7 and 1/2 mg of previcid a day and as long is we feed her soy formula it doesn't matter the brand or if it is powder or ready to feed. There is a bigger cost in ready to feed but when it comes to the nutrition, my doctors (and I have had three due to moving) have all pretty much said it is all the same.

My lactation consultant, when we realized I wouldn't be able to nurse, told me that powder formula can't be sterilized the way the premade can. For the first 6 months we fed my daughter the premade for that reason, and then we switched to the powder.

Microwaving bottles, or any plastic, does nothing to them. It is a false rumor; you can check it out on http://www.snopes.com/.

In choosing between powder, ready to feed, or concentrate, they basically have the same nutrients. With the ready to feed you're least likely to give wrong composition since there's no mixing involved. The powder is easy for on-the-go moms since you can make only a bottle at a time if you choose. The concentrate takes less storage space in your pantry.

Ready to feed is of course easier and more expensive.

Just a tip: Most formulas are made in the same plant, this includes store and name brands. I have always used the store brand (usually Target) and have found there is no obvious difference.

The powder is more convenient and less expensive.
As long as you are using filtered water, you are better off with the powdered. And when you make your own babyfood you can also add it for added nutrition.

I always used the powder in a can, because I thought it was cheaper....never really considered any other....?? Similac Advance is top of the line from what I understand. I have a 3 yr old & a 10month old...I breastfed both and supplemented with formula. But i used the Wal-Mart store brand & the Sam's club store brand (Member's Mark) mainly because my sister in law is an RN and said basically they are the same as far as vitamins & minerals....and of course my brands also had the DHA & ARA for brain & eye development. I say if you can afford the Similac - GO FOR IT! I also went with the store brand b/c of price.......At the hospital with my 2nd baby they did use ready to drink Similac Advance.....if that eases your mind any! :o) Good luck!

I really don't think it matters as far as ready to feed or powder. I think that the ready to feed is more expensive, but probably not by much. I feed my daughter Next Step by Emfamil when she was 10 months old and my son I stared with Nestle Good Start with Natural Cultures when he was 6 months old both were powder form.

If you are out and about alot, you might consider using powdered formula. That way you can bring clean baby bottles of water, or empty, and mix them as needed. Many mothers tote unrefridgerated bottles of formula around all day, feed them to baby and then wonder why baby has diarrhea or spits up a lot (then think that baby has a formula intolerance).

I've found most babies don't like the ready made as much because it is so strong. The thing for me about formula is I read in Parents magazine a long time ago that there is an industry standard for powder formula. That means they all must contain the same amounts of the main nutritional substance. Therefore, you can buy the cheaper formula (like Member's Mark at Sam's) and still get the same thing that the more expensive brands offer. Compare the labels and see!

So, if your child likes the ready made, I guess you could stick with it, but if you would like to save some money, you could use the powder.

Hope some of my rambling helps!

when my daughter got alittle older, the ready to feed formula seemed to give her some digestion problems and the powder seemed to settle her back down. this was convenient because the powder is less expensive than the ready to feed and with diapers, formula and coming up on baby foods, the amounts spent on her items were as much as for our grown up grocery bill.

I used the same formula with my now 1 year old. He always did better with the powder. The ready to feed seemed to be really strong and upset his tummy. Hope that helps.
J.

I buy both. The powder is cheaper. The ready to feed is ready made and easier to deal with. I also use the nursery water because it has floride for the baby. If the powder is made right it is the same as the ready to feed.

The differences are price! The ready to feed is a little easier to digest but I didn't have trouble with the powder as long as you mix it well and don't leave lumps in the mixture!

The best formula is the formula that your baby does best on. I tried a few different ones before I found one that my daughter could take. Most of them made her spit up a lot. I liked the powder just because I found it easy to travel with. We fly once a year, and are always on the go. I could pack a few formula bags and buy bottled water where ever I was and make a bottle. I guess what I am saying is just do what works for you and your baby.

The powder is easier if you are out--like just having the water in the bottle and pouring the powder in--the ready to feed has a little more strict temp. requirement. AND---powder is cheaper!

My daughter also took Similac Advance. I used the ready made until my daughter was off formula. Whenever I mixed the powder it made too many bubbles. My husband and I did a price breakdown between the powder and ready-to-feed and discovered it was only nominally more expensive to stick with ready made.

I did use the single serve powder packets when traveling or as "back-up" in the diaper bag.

Register on the Similac website. They will send you coupons from time to time. In my experience Babies-R-Us had the best price on bottles consistently.

Congratulations and good luck!

There's no nutritional difference between the 2. We have both ready made and powder; I use the powder most of the time because it is a LOT less expensive, but the ready made is really handy when traveling or on the go. When we drove from south Texas to Louisiana for the weekend for my brother's wedding, we took the ready made so we didn't have to worry about boiling water to mix the powder or finding a place to heat mixed formula before feeding.

If you're going to use powder, I highly recommend checking out the generic brands to save money. I use the Similac ready made, but instead of their powder I buy the store brand. It's got the same ingredients, it's the same or better in all the key nutritional categories, and it costs half as much!

Hello,

I am a SAHM of 5. I breastfed all of my babies, but I would also supplement and my youngest is 14 months old and I still give him formula. I prefer the powder to the ready to feed. It's cheaper in the long run and doesn't go bad. I like the Enfamil compared to the similac. The enfamil is ground finer than similac and it's easier on their stomachs. I use the formula with the breastmilk vitamins in it. The formula with the DHA added to it. Hope it helps.

D. A