I am the mother of a very happy, very healthy 2 month old son. I exclusively breastfeed at the moment, but once he reaches 3 or 4 months I plan on supplementing with a bottle of formula when I am not around to breastfeed. Currently I just pump extra to bring along if I leave him at his grandmother’s or a friend’s, but pumping and store the milk, then cleaning all the equipment can get very tedious.
I have heard good things and bad things about both Similac and Enfamil. The hospital where I gave birth suggests Similac, but the pedetrician’s office suggest Enfamil. I’m not sure which one to use, as Enfamil is better as far as DHA and ARA are concerned, but Similac is better as far as promoting a healthy digestive tract and immune system.
What is the best formula to use…or can I use both if I mix them, say, 50/50…or would mixing them make him sick?
I just want the best for my baby. I take prenatal vitamins, calcium supplements and a DHA supplement while I’m brestfeeding and I give him his Poly-Vi-Sol drops everyday. I want him to have everything he needs to grow big, strong, smart, and healthy.
i would say Enfamil.
My younger sister took it the same age as your son would, and the hospital had said the same thing when my mom asked, but she decided on Enfamil instead and they told her she made the right choice. My sister learned to crawl and walk and talk and get stronger much faster on Enfamil then my baby twin brothers who both are on simlac.
and anyways, Simlac causes lots of foam in the bottle which is bad for baby
Hi 🙂 you sound like quite a nice mother! Well, I have a 6 and a half month old nephew (Caleb) and he has been on Enphamil since he was 2 months old to about a week ago – He’s moved on to mashed peas now lol. Anyway, the Enfamil was easy to make and he seemed to enjoy it. I probably wouldn’t recommend mixing two formulas though, each formula has special substances in them for healthy brain, eye and hearing development so mixing them could delay your baby’s development or just taste weird, plus the “add ___ much water per 2 scoops” formula is probably different. Bottom line, choose which ever but Caleb responded well to Enfamil (he just started crawling on Christmas!) Oh, one last suggestion idk what kind of bottles you are planning on using but check out these ones called “Dr. Browns Baby Bottles” they are pretty neato 🙂 hope I helped and good luck!
The formulas are about the same to be honest. That’s why doctors will suggest both, there’s not really any difference. You may find that one upsets his tummy more than another. And don’t rule out the non-name brands, they’re just as healthy. Long-term studies that suggest one makes a baby smarter than another, healthier than another, or whatever, are very questionable.
You don’t want to mix them though. I am sure they’ve resolved this but if you remember the malanin in formula about a year or so ago, there was something else in the other. When you mixed them together it caused little stones to form. You want to use one or the other, and avoid mixing.
The best for your baby is to continue the breastfeeding and pumping like you are, but if you need to supplement with formula go with a lactose-free or lactose reduced formula and don’t mix.
Similac was to rough on my sons stomach when i stopped breast feeding. It was like is was heavier and harsher on his stomach so i fed my son enfamil until i learned that walmart brand formula is pretty much the exact same thing as enfamil and a lot cheaper. he did wonderful on it. i would go with Enfamil or walmart brand. i swear look at the ingrediants they very just a little bit but are pretty much the exact same thing!
enfamil!
Its really up to your son. I tried both and the pre-made similac was the only thing my son would take. Don’t mix them.
I found that cleaning the bottles to be just as annoying as cleaning the pump. My son suddenly refused the formula.. any bottle actually. Some breast fed babies ONLY want the breast. If you really want the best.. and I know I’ll get thumbs down for this.. the breast milk is going to be the best and not as harsh on your baby. Its much cheaper to pump as well.
I used enfamil because that’s what the hospital gave me and i didn’t want to switch it up because they said changing formulas is not to good on ur babies tummy so i just stuck with it since my son seemed to like it, also cleaning bottles is def a pain im sure because my son uses a nuby cup for juice and yea like i said its a pain to clean but for using bottles i suggest playtex drop ins, omg i don’t know what i would have done w/o them. u can also get the target brand and they are way cheaper 🙂 all u do is drop the little baggy into the special bottle and when ur baby is done toss the baggy! no scrubbing bottles! all u have to worry about is the nipple 🙂 good luck!
Baby formula is really all the same. Really. No matter how much DHA or ARA is used, it does not compare to the immunity you provide with breastmilk. Use a formula that….
1) Your baby will even drink. Exclusively breastfed babies have a taste for mom’s milk most of the time.
2) You can afford. It will cost you at least a thousand dollars a year if you go fifty-fifty between the two. God forbid your baby is sensitive to the milk-based formulas and you need to buy the “sensitive” stuff. Wow.
Breastfeeding is a Labor of Love…..Keep up the good work.
I’ve heard that Similac is a good choice it has necessary vitamins like iron. I personally would recommend it.