How often can you change formula?

Jamie - posted on 05/24/2011

Sorry, I mean, should NOT switch up a lot.

Jamie - posted on 05/24/2011

You really should talk to your pediatrician about this. My opinion is you should use what works, and babies tummies can be extremely sensitive so you probably should switch up a great deal.

Miranda - posted on 05/24/2011

If she is doing well on Similac for gas than I would just stay with that formula. The only thing you will do by switching is to find out she can't tolerate the other formulas, you know what I mean? I wouldn't bother to try them out, keep what makes her content, less gas, less belly irritability and no spit ups, that's a winner!

Christy - posted on 05/24/2011

I wouldn't switch from a formula for gassiness to a regular one. We switch between regular Enfamil and the generic form of it (Target brand). If she needs the one for gas/fusiness then stick to that kind, there are generics for every kind of formula. Donate the samples that you can't use.

Lesa - posted on 05/24/2011

Keep her on similac it it better formula and it better for her .

Lesa - posted on 05/24/2011

Keep her on the fornula the doctor put her on or she will have stomach up bad.

Sharon - posted on 05/24/2011

No Dru, stay with the one the Dr. wants her on. You says she does well on this formula the dr. sugested; Keep her on that!

Sarah - posted on 05/24/2011

If you sign up for Wic, with a dr note, they will pretty much give you any formula you need. If no note, you get the "generic whatever's on contract" my 9 month old is on gerber good start, the twins (now 4) had the switching issue, as did the baby. they were great and nice. the twins were similac i believe. or enfamil.. can't remember it was so long ago!!!

Karie - posted on 05/24/2011

I would have to say it depends on how your child handles the change. We changed formulas all the time when my son was was still on formula. We bought what ever was on sale and he never had an problem with any of them.

Rosie - posted on 05/24/2011

i had to switch multiple times to find the "right" formula for my boys, and each time i switched the doctor advised doing it gradually. mixing kinda like you would a dog, if you were to give your dog a new food. it'll more than likely give them an upset stomach or diarrhea if you swtich suddenly..

it won't hurt them to switch gradually,but i guess why do it if what you are on is working fine? :)

Deanna - posted on 05/24/2011

If your baby is on Similac for gas then the best thing to do is keep using Similac and you can try the similac Advanced. It might help with the same problem. Good Luck and enjoy your new little one

Elizabeth - posted on 05/24/2011

I have been reading the posts since my last one. All I am going to say is I tried to breastfeed my son. Did not work for him or me. I hated it and so did he. Experimented and found a formula which worked for him. Like someone else said, call your wic office. Doctors go with whatever makes them and their peers the most money. FYI - my son is now 6'1" and will be 22 yo in October. My daughter will be 20 in july and she was not breast fed at all. Neither of them suffered a bit when they were young. You know why?? Because I did not over think and worry about everything. Some of you are going to have ulcers before your poor children are out of diapers.

Joy - posted on 05/24/2011

Oh, and Dru, I wouldn't change formulas if I were you. From my personal experience, we switched once when my son was little and it caused him a lot of gas and constipation. If all else fails though, check with the doctor or a nutritionist. If she's doing well on the Similac then I'm of the idea that "if it's not broke, don't fix it".

KAREN - posted on 05/24/2011

Crystal, some people have no choice and HAVE to use formula like I did....if you don't have breastmilk or if it hasn't come in then what do you do? let your child starve?

Joy - posted on 05/24/2011

Crystal, yes, you are entitled to your low opinion of formula. But here, in the "land of adults", it's typically respectful to actually answer the question being asked. You can't make a statement like your first one and not expect people to be offended by it. If you actually READ the original post, you'll see that she's asking if it's ok to SWITCH formula. Here, in the land of adults, to break it down Barney style for you, this means she isn't asking for your opinion of formula. She's seeking advice from other formula using moms, about a specific question regarding the use of formula. You don't use formula? Great. You're proud of the fact that you breastfed all your babies til they were two? Super. But come on, live in the world of adults and if you find a topic that is about someone asking for advice, and you have none, then don't reply.

Brenda - posted on 05/24/2011

I would donate the samples unless you want to switch to save money. If she is doing well on what she is on I wouldn't switch her. Like others have posted,too much tummy troubles. Sorry if this reposted,my browser is acting up.

KAREN - posted on 05/24/2011

Don't change formula! We did that and it made our daughter worse. It takes quite a while for them to adjust to a new one and then you don't know if they are having problems because of that or not. Stick to one...I recommend Good Start.

Megan - posted on 05/24/2011

Don't switch, unless the one you're on isn't working and you need to. Donate your other samples, as hard as it is to let those freebies go. Ask your pediatrician for samples of the formula you use, normally they'll have some. Sign up at Similac.com for their checks, they're really good at first, then the savings taper off, but it's something anyway. :)

Luisa - posted on 05/24/2011

I have an almost 2 months old daughter and by this time I had switched formulas twice. From Similac Advanced to Enfamil and I haven't got any problem. WIC representatives and the ped says that all formulas are almost the same and there should be no problem to switch if your baby's tummy accepts it. Good luck!

Karen - posted on 05/24/2011

enfamil is a good formula. We used it on my grandson when he was an infant.

Lucy - posted on 05/24/2011

I think the point is that if this was a thread about breast vs formula your opinion would have been relevant but this is a thread about switching brands of formula and how it may affect the child. Saying that you hate formula and all it stands for is incendary plus you have gone on to say other equally antagonistic things. Please consider the arena into which you voice your opinion and maybe think about what effect you might have on others with your choice of language and how you word things.
We are all women and we face the same struggles, lets all just agree to disagree on breast vs formula and try to answer the question at hand eh?

Crystal - posted on 05/24/2011

Last time ladies, I don't care if you don't like my opinion. Saying that I'm mean and ignorant and militant won't change the fact that YOU ARE ON A PUBLIC FORUM. Occasionally here in the land of adults you come across people with different veiws than you. Somehow, all of YOU ladies that think I'm a horrible person for having an opinion, are going to have get off your own high horses.



On a side note, I think it's pretty funny that I've been verbally attacked quite a few times. Yet, I've also had quite a few people like my comments. So, apparently not everyone thinks I'm the evil person I'm being made out to be.



And for the record, AGAIN; I've not judged a single persons reply or gotten nasty with anyone. Yet I've been called ignorant, militant, small minded, naive, ect. Interesting how the masses lash out when they don't understand something.

Danise - posted on 05/24/2011

From birth your babies stomach learns to digest milk. They will get cramps, upset stomach and become gassy when you change the formula as they body needs to adapt to the new formula. If she is happy on Similac keep her on similac as the other formulas might upset her. If you want to change the formula do so over a period of time starting with one bottle of the other formula a day and then working it up 1 bottle a day until she is on the new formula. You should keep her at least a week on a formula to see it she is happy with it.

Maria - posted on 05/24/2011

Switching formulas is never too good for babies. you are better off sticking to one formula that works for your child.
you will cause your child's digestive system to be upset with the changes.

Alexandra - posted on 05/24/2011

dont change formula, it is not good for the baby's tummy. If she is doing well on that Similac, it would be better to stick to it. You can always call the pediatrician, but this is what we were always told.

Sara - posted on 05/24/2011

Best advice is to talk to your pediatrician who is familiar with your baby. I breast fed but when I occasionally had to supplement, I found that I had to stick with one or two varieties because most formulas tended to cause major constipation.

Ruth - posted on 05/24/2011

My son got really constipated if I changed his formula. I would hope this is a question for her pediatrician and not for someone online.

Lucy - posted on 05/24/2011

I bottle fed due to my own personal circumstances and I am very glad I did. Both my children are healthy, happy and intelligent individuals. I was a very happy mummy and my hubby a very happy Daddy who got to be involved. The only shame I have is that women like Crystal feel the need to brandish their own opinions like weapons against anyone who dares to think differently.

In response to the actual question posed, I have used the same brand for my children throughout, we don't have a huge amount of choice in the UK, maybe 5 brands to choose from? When I made the choice to go for formula my hospital had maybe 4 brands for me to choose from.
Neither of my children ever had trouble digesting their milk so we just used regular formula, hungry baby and now my little boy is on follow on milk as he is eating solids. We just used different sub types from the same producer. I would say that for the first 6 months you should probably stick to the milk you know your baby can digest just for your own peace of mind, however there is nothing wrong in trying out a different milk if you choose to, you will know soon enough if it doesn't suit your little one.

Good luck!

Cheryl - posted on 05/24/2011

I dont recommend switching. My daughter had problems with acid reflux so after trial and error I found that the soy worked best for her. Unfortunately I couldnt use the generic brand because she would spit up more. I also had samples that I couldnt use so I donated them to a food pantry.

Amanda - posted on 05/24/2011

It depends, is she on the fussiness and gas because she needs it? If so then no do not switch her, it could put her in pain, and if she is like my son, change her poop to little hard rocks, you could try a few bottles of it but talk to her dr first and find out why she is on the other formula in the first place

Sue - posted on 05/24/2011

As long as you are still using a formula for gas and fussiness you should be OK (Enfamil Gentleease is one and Walmart also has one that has been fine for my great grandson. Formulas are regulated by the FDA so all are OK to use-you do not need to stick to the name brands.

WENDY - posted on 05/24/2011

i didn't breast feed simply because i didn't want to. my daughter is two happy, healthy and smart as a whip. we used enfamil as directed by our doctor. the stuff is very expensive. i have a friend that compared ingredents and bought whatever was cheapiest at the time. her kid is healthy and happy. i think that the doctors and hospitals push either enfamil or simalac.

Marsha - posted on 05/24/2011

I haven't read the other posts, but this is my personal experience on this. With my first daughter, she was a bit colicky and had some nasty reflux. Her Nana, my mother in law at the time, kept having me switch formulas, after preventing me from breast feeding like I wanted. At first she was on Good Start. Then there was Enfamil, Similac, Good Start Soy, Alimentum..you name it, my mother in law bought it. And the reflux got worse every time..and boy did the smell get worse. I got fed up and told her no more switching, that we're going back to Good Start. My daughter's tummy settled back down. She was gaining a little weight the whole time, but the reflux was projectile/waterfall.

Constantly switching formulas isn't good for a babies tummy because each formula is made differently, believe it or not. Each formula has a different ratio of casein vs whey, whey being the better of the 2 because of it's similarities to breast-milk in terms of consistency. This is where my preference in formula comes in, Good Start. It is made up of 100% whey protein, which is the easier protien for a baby to digest, and works more like breast milk on the tummy. Casein, it's more like cottage cheese, especially when digested. Imagine that in your baby's tummy! While yes, human breast-milk has a certain amount of casein, it must be noted that human milk and cow's milk are different, not just visually. With my last pregnancy, for my new husband's benefit to justify why I said Good Start was the better formula, I did some research on the formulas, and it was proven hands down that Good Start was the best. I was able to find a non biased chart that showed the chemical compositions of the major marketed formulas and their benefits for baby. i honestly can't find it now..as this was 2 years ago and had a lot of time on my hands, but give it a try. Do some research. Asking us moms for our opinions is a great idea, but we all have our preferences in the end. Personally, Good Start tops them all..and is very affordable per can than any other. I'm also an advocate for mid-wives vs. going to an ob/gyn for routine pre-natal care. But again, that's just me. Give it a shot. Research, you have a great tool at your fingertips.

Stephanie - posted on 05/24/2011

I have four kids and from *some* experience I recommend you don't toss the free samples! Just wait until the baby is about 6 months old before switching around. The baby might spit up for a few days while she becomes accostomed to the formula but her stomache is advanced enough to handle the changes. (Even if on strictly one kind, babies can spit up; this usually subsides around the 6 month age.) I used Good Start (2 different kinds), Enfamil, and Similac (both Advanced and Soy) on all my kids and they all did fine. If you see a problem with gass and fussiness on the Sim. Advanced or Emfamil (after the week ajustment period) switch back to the one she tolerates.

Sarah - posted on 05/24/2011

Melani, did you not read? She was breast feeding.

Melanie - posted on 05/24/2011

wouldnt u have had this mither if you just breast fed ?

Annabel - posted on 05/24/2011

Do you know why I have glasses on my pic? does it mean my comment was good or bad

Lisa - posted on 05/24/2011

I also use the Similac for gas and fussiness and I find it's the miracle formula! It is lactose free so it may be the lactose that is upsetting her little tummy. If it works, stick with it. Otherwise, switching may cause her gas and upset tummy. I bought a 6 pack on diapers.com and got in the next day. They offer a little money off if you buy it in bulk. Why fix what isn't broke!? There is nothing worse than a gassy baby -- they are so uncomfortable and you feel so helpless!

Sarah - posted on 05/24/2011

Yeah, I did that with my son. Wic told me if I wanted to do that with one, it should be ok to mix them, like for an 8 oz bottle, 2 scoops Can X and 2 scoops Can Y. If she's on it for gas, I'd consult your doctor, But as a mom of twins that were on Similac, How old is she? See if you can find a pediatric nutritionist, or call your local WIC office, even if your not a member and you should be able to ask for their opinion. (After you consult the dr or they'll just tell you to do that.)

Annabel - posted on 05/24/2011

Honestly if you try other formula's it will not hurt your daughter to try something else before buying in bulk, to be honest it sounds like you are being quite sensible before buying something your daughter does not agree with

Kimberly - posted on 05/24/2011

Also I agree with Kristy. My milk NEVER came in I tied everything as well dry pumping, herbal supplements and saw a lactation consultant twice a week. Some of us aren't blessed with te ability to breast feed so back off. Not everyone doesn't do it cause they are selfish.

Kimberly - posted on 05/24/2011

Stick with what is working, we HAD to try 3 different formulas before we finally came upon Similac Sensitive. She has horibble constipation from the switches and was so gassy. We tried the advanced first and then soy and stayed with Sensitive. It was a sad and horrible experiencing switching. So my advice is DON'T DO IT if one is already working great. My daughter is now 19 months and happy and healthy

Katie - posted on 05/23/2011

With my first son I had to supplement with formula and I found out pretty quickly that switching formulas didnt work for him. He would spit up everything but one. I think I would ask your pediatrician first before trying something new. and to the formula hater, all babies are different! My first son did well with the formula and I never really produced enough milk for him. With my now 2 week old son I am only BF him. He was given some formula at the hospital and he didnt react well with it (he had breathing problems because he was premature and a c-section so they had to feed him by tube at first) I pumped so much that now I have too much milk and a freezer full of it already! its really up to the baby and nobody should feel ashamed for feeding their baby formula. my now 2 year old is a healthy happy toddler and he had mostly formula.

Allie - posted on 05/23/2011

I tried Similac in the hospital with my NB in April, and it was very hard on her little tummy. Not to discourage if your NB is doing well with it. We switched to Enfamil Gentlease after 1 week and she is doing TONS better. My Dr. put it the best when I asked about switching to use up my samples.."If it's not broken, don't fix it." I know it seems reasonable to try everything but it can be hard on their already delicate systems. Don't mess with a good thing. (:

Katie - posted on 05/23/2011

I agree with Alicia, If she is used to one type of formula and you switch it, and it doesn't agree with her, your going to have a fussy baby. I know because I am a 49 year old woman with three grown kids and 2 grand babies. If she is doing good, then I wouldn't change it.

Marcella - posted on 05/23/2011

Had that problem with my son when he was little. Took sometime to find one that did not upset his stomach. For your peace of mind and not having a fussy baby, I would stay with what you are using.

Joy - posted on 05/23/2011

It depends on the child. My baby never had much difficulty eating. We tried about 6 formulas. All of the formulas are regulated by the FDA and need to contain the same ingredients in the same amounts. Our pediatrician also said that generic formula (target or walmart etc) brand is just as good as the pricey name brand. Our son is on Target brand formula now. When we made the switch from enfamil he had no problems

Kristy - posted on 05/23/2011

To the lady who hates formula I would like to reply and say your comment is completely inappropriate and disrespectful to mothers like myself. I have a 3 week old baby and a 6 year old. With my 6 year old due to PCOS and undiagnosed thyroid issues my milk supply NEVER came in, I mean nothing nada zilch! That is with pumping for a month straight and herbs and a lactation consultant! Not every woman is blessed with the ability to breastfeed and has no other choice but formula, so maybe be a little sensitive to others before casting judgement on others. My newest little girl I have very little supply, this time a tiny bit more came in but despite my efforts I cannot exclusively breastfeed otherwise my daughter would starve and fail to thrive! So please before you judge think of this! Had it not been for formula my daughter would starve! Just my 2 cents...

Dru - posted on 05/23/2011

Maria,

I hate to self diagnose myself but I wonder if it could be medication I take for lupus. I take Plaquenil daily but was told by my doc that it should be fine to BF and when I asked the pedi he didn't know enough about it to say. So I wonder if that could have had something to do with it.

Heidi - posted on 05/23/2011

My youngest son who is 18 months now, breast feed for the first four month but when I had to put him on formula it was hard to find the right one, I tired different ones and every time I put him on something different he would spit it all out and would get cranky. Once I stuck to one type and one brand he did get. He was on prosobe enfamil. I would suggest the sense she has a gas and fussy problem I would keep her on the one formula you have found that works for her. If you put her on something different it might make things worse.
There are places like rachaels house that take donation that can take baby items off your hand.
Best of luck
Heidi, mom of four!