Baby formula question

Congratulations on your son :) Don't feel bad about using formula, I tried to breastfeed and couldn't, but my daughter's doing amazingly well as a formula baby :)

We use Similac Advance for our daughter because that's the formula the hospital provided, we used the ready-to-feed until she was 3 months old, and we've been using powder since then. I'm glad she took to it so well (honestly I think she would've taken well to whatever brand we fed her), since I pair similac cheques and coupons and have saved between $10-$15 on each can (total cost $10-20 per depending on the sale).

Most of my friends used Similac Advance for their kids too and they all took to it well. Similac releases a lot of cheques but I find the coupons are less frequent (but they do exist), versus Enfamil coupons are super easy to get, and Goodstart coupons are almost nonexistent in my experience outside of the backpack package and occasional mail-outs.

Luckily my daughter isn't a huge eater (we go through one can of powder a week) and I save a ton on the similac, but for next baby or if I had to do it over, especially with a big eater, I'd seriously consider the Walmart brand or Costco (Kirkland Signature) formula, I've known people that have used both of these and their babies did well on them too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by safielstar

Congratulations on your son :) Don't feel bad about using formula, I tried to breastfeed and couldn't, but my daughter's doing amazingly well as a formula baby :)

We use Similac Advance for our daughter because that's the formula the hospital provided, we used the ready-to-feed until she was 3 months old, and we've been using powder since then. I'm glad she took to it so well (honestly I think she would've taken well to whatever brand we fed her), since I pair similac cheques and coupons and have saved between $10-$15 on each can (total cost $10-20 per depending on the sale).

Most of my friends used Similac Advance for their kids too and they all took to it well. Similac releases a lot of cheques but I find the coupons are less frequent (but they do exist), versus Enfamil coupons are super easy to get, and Goodstart coupons are almost nonexistent in my experience outside of the backpack package and occasional mail-outs.

Luckily my daughter isn't a huge eater (we go through one can of powder a week) and I save a ton on the similac, but for next baby or if I had to do it over, especially with a big eater, I'd seriously consider the Walmart brand or Costco (Kirkland Signature) formula, I've known people that have used both of these and their babies did well on them too.

---

My goodness! 4 cans a month! :-) You're so lucky! DS #1 drank 10 tins a month for about 8 months, and DS #2 (5 months) is now up to 8 cans a month!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by safielstar

Congratulations on your son :) Don't feel bad about using formula, I tried to breastfeed and couldn't, but my daughter's doing amazingly well as a formula baby :)

We use Similac Advance for our daughter because that's the formula the hospital provided, we used the ready-to-feed until she was 3 months old, and we've been using powder since then. I'm glad she took to it so well (honestly I think she would've taken well to whatever brand we fed her), since I pair similac cheques and coupons and have saved between $10-$15 on each can (total cost $10-20 per depending on the sale).

Most of my friends used Similac Advance for their kids too and they all took to it well. Similac releases a lot of cheques but I find the coupons are less frequent (but they do exist), versus Enfamil coupons are super easy to get, and Goodstart coupons are almost nonexistent in my experience outside of the backpack package and occasional mail-outs.

Luckily my daughter isn't a huge eater (we go through one can of powder a week) and I save a ton on the similac, but for next baby or if I had to do it over, especially with a big eater, I'd seriously consider the Walmart brand or Costco (Kirkland Signature) formula, I've known people that have used both of these and their babies did well on them too.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Minou

My goodness! 4 cans a month! :-) You're so lucky! DS #1 drank 10 tins a month for about 8 months, and DS #2 (5 months) is now up to 8 cans a month!

---

WOW I didn't know that babies used that much of formula. I was thinking about one or two a month. Well I'll stock up well I'll know which brand he likes.
I'm definitly thinking using the walmart brand or other depends which one is more like the original enfamil or similac.

With ODD we used Similac Advance. With YDD we used Enfamil A+ Gentlease for the first 7 months and then thought we'd try Kirkland from Costco. She did really well on it and it's so much cheaper (I have paid 18.99 and I think the can is 1.2kg). Had I known she'd do so well, I would have at least tried it from the beginning and for ODD too.

We use Similac lower iron. At the hospital they gave us Enfamil A+ to supplement with but I have heard if you ask they often have other kinds. After four months we switched from occasional supplementing to FFing elusively. At first I used Similac with Omegas and she spit up like crazy, then we tried iron added similac and still some spitting up but less but she still had terrible, smelly gas finally we went to Similac lower iron and it works great for us.

From a cost perspective I have heard good things about PC formula great value and agreeable with baby. I used coupons and find there are lots out there for Similac. I think the ones I hear are the hardest to find are Nestle followed by any Enfamil except A+.

we used safeway brand. Formula have to all meet a min standard to be sold. They are all basically the same, its mostly about finding one that your baby can tolerate. I personally wouldn't choose Nestle because of the companies practices, but really, anything baby thrives on will do. :)

As everyone has already stated, you will just have to see what works for you. I almost died having my DD, so she was drinking Enfamil premixed bottles from the hospital because we were 4 hours apart. When we left the hospital, they felt sorry for us so they gave us a bunch when we left. But that was the premixed stuff and it's even more expensive. When we got home, we switched to Enfamil powder and she would cry and cry. We switched to Enfamil gentle and she still cried. We switched to good start and she stayed on that until she quit her formula. The interesting thing is my baby's doc also felt sorry for us and at the six month mark she gave me tins and tins of the stuff (who knew the docs got samples like that-they weren't full sized, a little smaller). That was awesome! Wouldn't hurt to ask!

I used similac advance for each of my three kids because I was not planning to breastfeed and thats what the hospital provided me with to supplement. But once I realized my kids were going to be primarily formula fed, I looked into it and chose to stick with similac because it is the only formula that does not have palm olein oil. Research is mixed on whether this ingredient prevents the calcium from being absorbed properly or fully, but it seemed to be the only ingredient in formula that there was negative attention around so I decided better be safe. Another ingredient I personally did not like was modified milk ingredients. I think it was enfamil that had that as their primary ingredient. I wanted a formula with skim milk powder, or the like, to be the primary ingredient.
One more thing, the costco formula hands down is the cheapest and also has the omegas. I started using this one a 7months with my third child. So if you don't think you get a ton of formula coupons/cheques, I would suggest the costco is the best value.

Like everyone else, it's total trial & error...Similac worked best for me but also the Kirkland brand was just as good for way cheaper (no coupons though)

No one should say anything negative to you for not breastfeeding -- that is totally your choice. I breastfed & used formula -- it was what worked best for me & my baby.

Congratulations on your little one!!

Congratulations on your son! I fed both of my children Presidents Choice Formulas with Iron and Omega 3 and 6. I tried breastfeeding, but was not very successful at it, so I needed to supplement. Luckily, both of my kids did not have any problems with the formula whatsoever, so that way I was able to save quite a bit of money by buying PC Formula, instead of buying Similac or other brands. But I understand that every baby is different and I hope you find a formula that works for you.

Congrats :) Breastfeeding / formula feeding is a personal decision ... no one should have an opinion on what you decide to do with your child :)

Our son is 13 weeks now, I asked for samples from enamel, nestle and similar through their baby programs while I was pregnant. We also went to the babyshow (Toronto) while I was pregnant and got some more samples.
When our son was born he got Similac in the hospital (Mt Sinai - Toronto), after a week or so we went through the samples of Nestle Good Start that we had ... he didn't mind it, but his farts were so bad (sorry TMI lol) So we went back to Similac Advance and that is what he is still on.
I wouldn't buy too much before your baby is born, you never know what the preference will be and formula is so expensive.

My 2yr old loved the nestle goodstart with iron, once she was fine with that, i decided to try parent's choice formula with iron and she loved that too and had no problems with that so i continued buying the cheaper brand. IMO when babies are good with goodstart it means they can try store brand with no problems and less gas! :)