OcalaMom.com

So, grocery store aisles are packed with so many different kinds of formula. How did you choose your brand? Did you have to go through several brands to find the one you liked best?

My first was in NICU at Shands and they used Similac so we stuck with that. I nursed the 2nd for 6months but supplemented with Enfamil because the pediatrician gave me a sample and it seemed to work. However, many of my friends had to try many different brands and types to find what worked because of food allergies and spitting up issues. If someone is on WIC, I think the formula is dictated by WIC but I'm not sure. Most formula companies have a coupon program if you sign up online. They will send coupons every month or so to help defray costs.

We tried to breastfeed, but my allergies got so bad that I had to go back on my meds (poor baby got scared a few times by my sneezing!) We first put my son on Similac but it made his very constipated. Then we switched to Carnation Good Start for a couple of months, but it wasn't working out (too many surprises in the diaper). We then tried Enfamil and it worked the best. We still had spit up issues with all three (no matter how much or little he ate, he always spit up half of what he ate), but he wasn't allergic according to the ped. Once we put our son on regular milk, the spit up problems disappeared overnight.

I was very lucky and did not ever have to deal with formula. I breastfed for 19 1/2 months. It takes work and alot of dedication but its so worth it for so many reasons, I would not have done anything different.