[This is a poll so could all bottle-feeding moms answer] Which formula do you use?

Baby Formula Differences


There aren't really any convincing studies that prove that one formula is better than another, so you kind of have to go by what the formula companies say about their 'recipes' and see what works for you.





Among the major brands of formula:





Enfamil Lipil is one of the latest formulas from Mead Johnson, which 'has been dedicated to patterning infant formula after the nutritional composition of breast milk.' It provides a 'whey-to-casein ratio of 60:40. Just like breast milk' and they claim that 'no other formula is closer to breast milk than Enfamil LIPIL.'








Nestle Good Start Supreme contains 100% whey, partially hydrolyzed 'comfort proteins' that are supposed to be easier to digest. It is also supposed to have a faster gastric emptying time, which may help children with reflux, and promote soft stools, which may help infants who are constipated. Instead of creating a formula that is like breastmilk in composition, they seem to be trying to make a formula that behaves like breastmilk.








Similac Advance is made without palm olein oil, which they claim helps their formula promote increased calcium absorption and greater bone mineralization. Similac Advance also contains 'special breast milk nutrients called nucleotides' that are supposed 'to help support the development of a baby's immune system,' however, even their website says that 'whether this development provides immune protection like breast milk has not been shown.' And all formulas contain nucleotides.








Store Brand Formula, like from Albertsons (Baby Basics), Target (Healthy Baby), and Wal-mart (Parent's Choice), are made by Wyeth Nutrition and are based on the old SMA formula. They provide a 'nutritionally complete, sensibly priced formula option' for parents.

[This is a poll so could all bottle-feeding moms answer] Which formula do you use?
We use similac advance.
Reply:I use both Similac Advance and Enfamil Lipil-- becuase I have loads of $5 and $7 formula checks for each kind.
Reply:Nestle Good Start. Similac and Enfamil gave my son horrible gas.
Reply:I tried all you named, aside from any store brands and hands down the best tolerated by my daughter was Nestle Good Start Supreme milk based with DHA.
Reply:They gave my daughter Enfamil Prosobee (soy) in the NICU then I started her on Similac Isomil Advance (soy) I asked the doctor and a couple nurses and they said they are equivalent. I saw no difference when we switched her. The price had to do with us switching.
Reply:When it was discovered that I was unable to nurse, we were given samples of Enfamil from our pediatrician. Because we had received a number of jars of Similac as gifts, we tried them first. For us, Similac just did not work well. We found that our daughter would have difficulty digesting, constantly resulting in regurgitation. Therefore, we switched to Enfamil with Lipil. Overall, that worked very well. On one visit, one of the pediatricians advised us to check out some store brands for cost comparison. We tried Parent's Choice (Wal-Mart) and Kirkland (Costco). The nutrients and ingredients were all very comparable. It is my opinion that Parent's Choice more closely resembled Similac's formula while Kirkland's mirrored Enfamil. Kirkland's was also significantly less expensive. We bought two regular sized jars for $19. We used the Kirkland brand until the end. Overall, we were very happy and hope to have the same success with our next child.
Reply:We have used:


Enfamil Lipil


Target brand with lipil


Simlac Neosure (doctor's request)


Enfamil 9-24 mo formula.





I prefer the Enfamil because it has the best coupons. I know not real scientific, but hey you need to save as much as you can when you have to formula feed!
Reply:Similac Advance...I found that my son was having some difficult with gas when I was giving him Enfamil Lipil. Less spit ups and he stool seemed to be softer.
Reply:I used Enfamil with Lipil..... I would skip the "store brands"
Reply:I use ENFAMIL GENTLEASE. The regular Enfamil Lipil gave my baby a lot of gas so after 1 week we switched.Sign up on their website and you can get coupons in the mail from them, also you can check your pediatrician's office, sometimes they have coupons too.
Reply:enfamil lipil
Reply:I use the Goodstart as a supplement to brest. I tried the Enfamil and my baby had bad gas with it. I straight bottlefed my older daughter and she could only use the Goodstart (same problem). It digest easier than the others.
Reply:My children have all had allergies to formula. They were on Similac Alimentum and Enfamil Pregestimil.
Reply:i have tried many, but i find enfamil disolves the best.
Reply:Good Start
Reply:similac advance
Reply:For right now my 4 day old is on Enfamil Lipil. It seems to be working great for her. But with my 2 older ones, I always switched to Parent's Choice after the first 6 months or so...and most likely I will do the same with my new baby.
Reply:good start soy , my son is lactose intolerant
Reply:I use Enfamil Lipil Gentlease. The regular Lipil was a little hard on my baby's tummy.
Reply:Similac Allimentum
Reply:My favorite was either Parent's Choice or the Meijer brand. Both had the same ingredients as Enfamil and were almost half the price. My daughter did just fine on them and never had a problem with gas or throwing up.
Reply:Defiently enfamil~~~It is better digested
Reply:Enfamil is most preferred by doctors and used by hospitals. I had to use Enfamil nutramigen which is lighter on a baby's stomach. It is more expensive, but it works well.
Reply:I did breast feed for the first 3 months so when I switched to formula I used Similac's soy formula. It was very gentle on my daughters stomach.
Reply:Enfamil Sensitive
Reply:we started out feeding our son (now 10 mos old) Enfamil Lipil. It worked well for him, but after the first month because of the outrageous prices we decided to try storebrand and see if he would do alright with it. So we gradually started using storebrand (Kirkland brand from Costco) and we saw no change at all, he has been using storebrand now for 9 months and has done great for him, plus our pediatrician told us it is just as healthy for him! I would highly recommend it..what a money saver!
Reply:goodstart supreme with iron
Reply:Enfamil Lipil
Reply:Started on Similac Advance and had to switch to Similac Alimentum after 3 weeks due to protein sensitivity
Reply:I liked Enfamil lipil w/ iron powder--it looked "whiter" like milk (similac is more yellow) and didn't smell as bad when burped up. Whichever you choose, sign up with the manufacturer's website and they'll send you lots and lots of coupons, which always help.
Reply:I use ONLY Carnation Instant Breakfast with a little Captain Morgan's mixed in....babies love it...