Which Formula to Supplement?

Neither, I would recommend Carnation Good Start, my daughter did much better on that then on Enfamil or Similac.

I too had heard that all formualas including the store brands should be the same, but when I asked my kids' doctor he told me differently. He said that Similac is by far better. Studies have shown that kids who drink Similac have stronger bones than compared to those on Enfamil. Also, even though the store brands label shows the same or better nutritional values than name brand, those things may not be as readily absorbed by the baby making it inferior. He also said that the fillers the store brands used weren't as beneficial.

As for coupons, people sell them for pretty cheaply on EBay if you start running out.

I used baby good start from Nestle. It is less pricey, has all the same nutrients and tastes most similar to breast milk.

J. Smith

You can start with enfamil and see how your baby does. Enfamil is milk based and can cause tummy issues such as gas for your little one. None of my kids could use it because it gave them so much gas they ended up with colic. If you see that your baby is getting a lot of upset tummies with gas and a lot of spitting up then switch over to a soy based formula and that will help. You can also use isomil instead of similac or even nestles good start is a good choice. Try enfamil first and see how it works.
D.

I am 31 and have been married for almost 12 yrs. My husband and I have 3 boys ages 10,7 and 4.

I used Similac Advanced, which is what the hospital sent us home with after our son was born. Really, you should ask your pediatrician, he or she will recommend a formula best suited to your baby. My son did well on his formula, especially after I'd weaned him at 8 weeks due to difficulties nursing.

K., I must tell you first that I am a recent retiree from Mead Johnson Nutritionals, the producer of Enfamil Lipil.

I wholeheartedly believe that Enfamil Lipil is the best formula on the market. Lipil is the closest product to mother's milk. The levels of ADA and AHA present in Lipil are higher than in Similac and Good Start. Both of these help improve brain and eye development of babies.

My only grandchild was an Enfamil Lipil baby after his mother was unable to continue breastfeeding. Not only do his parents and grandparents feel he is very "smart" and ahead at the age of two, but his pediatrician has noted that he is extremely bright and ahead of others at his age. I feel strongly Enfamil Lipil has been a factor in his development.

I know Enfamil Lipil is made in a first-class manufacturing facility, under stringent guidelines. Employees in this facility take pride in the fact they are producing a first-class product that will provide nourishment for babies.

You can feed your baby Enfamil Lipil with confidence.

i would use enfamil with lipil. it contains the same nutrients found in breastmilk. i had the same problem with all of my kids and now i have a 4 month old baby who i breastfed and now he's on enfamil w/lipil.

My suggestion based on some prior experience would be to use Nestle Good Start formula- it has comfort proteins in it and it is closer to breast milk. Hope this helps- from a mother of 4 wonderful children, 7,6 almost 2 and a newborn.

We started our daughter on Similac because I wasn't producing any milk. After a few months of this I talked with my cousin who had 4 kids at the time (she now has 5). She informed me that Similac, Enfamil and even store brands are practically the same. It just depends on what versions of each brand and whether or not the other has the same variety. For example, Similac has advanced..Enfamil has lipil and Target has the equivalent formula for $10 less than the name brands. It just depends on your childs tolerance. Fortunately for us, our daughter didn't have any lactose intolerance issues or gassy issues so we were able to give her all 3 varieties...and most of the time we used the Target brand. I did sit in the store one day and I compared all 3 and the Target brand was fine. Also, just so you know, my daughter has always been at the top of the growth charts...95th percentile or even 100th percentile for height and 75th percentile or higher in weight. So, the Target brand formula definitely works just as well as the name brand formulas.

Keep in mind that Similac and Enfamil and even Nestle may have different versions that a store brand may not cover. But if you're using the basic version like Similac Advanced...then the other versions should be just fine :-)

I actually use similac and i love it i breatsfeed and supplement as well but i hear enfamil is good too so i guess its just your preference

I am a working first time mom of 9 month old twin boys. I tried both of those formulas, and my boys were having problems with constipation. I work at a hospital, so I asked the peds nurses how to help them (I was trying karo syrup, apple juice, suppositories, ane enemas with very little response) and they all told me to switch to Good Start formula. I did, and the problem went away. They eat very well, and one of my boys had reflux that seemed to get better when I switched! So my suggestion is Good Start. Good luck!

I used mosly Similac with my first child, but I also used the samples of Enfamil I received. My daughter had no trouble with the different brands. I started my younger daughter on Similac, too, but switched to Carnation Good Start because it was less expensive and had the exact same ingredients. She did fine with both brands. Groceries are so darn expensive right now. I would go with whatever is least expensive

Enfamil and Similac both use Genetically Engineered ingredients and since we don't know what the long term (or short for that matter) effects are of having our food's DNA messed with, I would go with an organic brand or maybe look into taking some herbs that will increase your supply or maybe a milk donor.

I agree, your pediatrician will have a recommendation. I used enfamil to supplement, but that was mainly because that's what they sent us home with from the hospital. It's my understanding that all formulas, even the store brands, have to meet the same FDA requirements so they are all safe and healthy. I would go with whatever is cheapest - I've heard good stuff about Nestle Good Start.

Hope this helps.

All my babies mostly breastfed but had a bottle of formula a few times a week when I was out. I gave them Good Start. I would start each of them on Similac or Enfamil but both caused them to have alot of gas and also constipation (yes, I was using the iron-free kind). The extra iron often causes constipation. Anyways... most experienced moms I know use the WalMart brand because it's the easiest on the stomach.

Just remember that all formula is the same due to very strict nutritial guidelines. So all cow-milk iron-added ones are the same, all cow-milk no iron are the same, all soy are the same, etc.

If you have formula laying around the house from samples you've received, just use those up first because they were free. :-)

just make sure you read the ingredients before you buy. I was appalled when I read the ingredients on one of the formulas 'specially formulated for easier digestion' the first ingredient was corn syrup! Nobody wants to feed that to their baby!

Hi K., Please don't resort to formula. I am all about breastfeeding and contacted a lactation consultant when I had quantity issues. There are supplements you can take that increase your milk production so you can avoid resorting to formula. My lactation consultant has successfully gotten adoptive mothers to breastfeed their newborn adopted children - women who have never had babies in their lives so don't worry - this stuff really works! It's called More Milk Plus by MotherLove. It comes in liquid form that tastes a little like licorice - you use a certain amount of drops in correspondence with your weight.

http://www.amazon.com/Motherlove-More-Milk-Plus-4oz/dp/B0...

With my second we used Nestle Good Start for a while then Parent's Choice. He actually took better to the Parents Choice, which is a Wal-Mart brand. Just because it's not expensive doesn't mean it isn't good!

The way I decided on which formula was by the number of coupons I had for each. Formula can get expensive and since they aren't that different from one another, I'd choose the one that is either most convenient for you to purchase or the less expensive option. We started our daughter on Similac and then switched to Good Start with no issues. Good luck!

K.,
I used Enfamil, it seemed a little easier on my childrens stomachs.
Good Luck!
R.

I would check with your pediatrician by calling the available nurse to see which product to use. When our baby was in the NICU they sent us home using Similac. Hope this helps :)

My ped just told me to use the cheapest I could find that worked. If you haven't already, I'd recommend trying the formula a couple weeks before going back to work in case there's any sort of milk allergy or bad gas. A nice benefit of formula is that it thickens up their poo even with just one feeding, so no more blow out breastmilk diapers...

Hey:) Just wondered what you have tried to increase your milk supply. I have had a lot of luck with Fenugreek and there is a prescription out there that can help. If you truely have a medical problem producing milk, your pediatrician can write a "prescription" for milk and you can get milk for the donor bank in town. I think it's called Mother's Milk.
There's a La Leche meeting in Castleton on Monday if you want to get some help. Also, support groups at Community North are open to anyone breastfeeding, not just women who gave birth there.
PM me for more info.

Hi K.
I breastfeed both my daughter who is now 2 yrs old and currently my son who is 4 mos. I supplemented with my daughter and use it in my son's ceral the formula by Nestle it is Good Start Supreme with Natural Cultures it is the one with the green label. I found it to be the closest formula to breast milk and my daughter did great with it and so far my son is good with it in his ceral. Good luck!

I think it is personal choice. I tried Similac with my first and it was a little hard on her - lots of spitting up. So I tried Enfamil and she did much better. Plus I didn't think the Enfamil smelled so nasty. So - when I switched from breastmilk to formula for the next two I did Enfamil because that was what worked with the oldest. It is a lot of trial and error unfortunately - so start with the smallest container you can. Enfamil actually makes single serve packets so if you decide not to use them you can give them away. Good Luck!

I would recommend trying some of the herbal remedies to increase supply first. Your breastmilk is so superior to any formula, it is worth a try. Extra pumping will also help increase your supply. There are teas and even medications you can take to increase your production.

I, personally, have used both & didn't really see a difference. I used the one that I had the most samples of & stuck with it. I also found that the generic ones were fine. I don't know if it was the way to go about it, but I compared nutrition labels & found them to be identical to the name brands.

I used both also but if my memory serves me correctly, I used Enfamil Lipil Advance with my last child. It(Lipil) had the most similarities to breast milk and our ped recommended it. Your ped's office often gives samples, I remember getting 3-4 cans of it at one time, which really helps because it can be pricey!! Best of luck on heading back to work! Hope this info helps!

Walgreens has a generic enfamil brand as does CVS called Ultra bright beginnings which i really liked with my daughter because you are doing both i would recommend a formula for gassy babies that is gentler. I am breast feeding and supplementing and my son is one big gas bubble still have not found the right one for him but know you are paying for the brand name and enfamil is almost 30 bucks a can Walmart has some cheaper ones with the same ingredients as well. Good luck to you. Buy gas drops just in case they really help if your baby has trouble with the switch.

K.,

I found Nestle's formula to work the best with my youngest child. With the other formula's she would spit up, but Nestle's she didn't.