When it comes to choosing a formula for your baby, there is good news: all formulas are designed, regulated, and manufactured to meet your baby’s nutritional needs and help them grow. After that, it’s all about what particular ingredients work best for your baby and which formulas live up to your own standards and preferences. But ultimately the best formula option will be the one your baby tolerates and enjoys the most.
In order to choose the best option for your little one, it’s a good idea to take a more strategic approach. Start with the gentlest formulas you can find. Examine the ingredients closely — decide what’s important to you when it comes to organic and any additions — and then let your baby try them. You’ll know when you’ve found the right fit! Things to keep an eye out for include diarrhea or constipation, gas, reflux, dry or red skin, or chronic fussiness. These indicate that there might be an allergy or digestion troubles caused by that particular formula!
Even though Lex is now 10 years old, I still remember clearly all the trouble that he had with different formulas during his first year. MY wife’s and Lex’s induced labor failed and the result was that she wasn’t allowed to eat for a very long period of time. By the time the doctor manually broke her water, she was starving and therefore it was no surprise that Lex was born with low blood sugar. As a result, the nurses immediately gave him standard Enfamil formula. What they didn’t know was that Lex was allergic to milk and soy.
Ouch, what a rough welcome into the world. I still ask why they don’t start a newborn on something like Nutramigen, in the same line of reasoning that they give O-negative blood in the emergency room. Quickly my wife got him on mostly pumped breast milk and some Nutramigen. Eight months later Lex was done with breast milk and fully on Nutramigen. This is when things got brutal. He had two weeks straight of diarrhea. It was terrible! As it turns out the trace amounts of dairy in Nutramigen was the problem. Lex’s doctor moved him to Elecare (prescription) and this got him back to normal. The bright side was that our insurance mostly covered the cost of this very pricey formula. The point I hope to make here is that one should carefully select a baby formula, but also stay attentive in case a change is required as your moving target matures.
Here is a great guide from Reviews.com on what to consider when choosing a formula for your baby.