Changing from breast milk to formula can be a drastic change, for both the baby and the parents. But with some trial and error, along with watching for cues, you can pinpoint what the baby enjoys along with ensuring proper nutritional needs are met as well.
As always, when in doubt contact your pediatrician before trying to self-diagnose a baby’s issues before they get too severe.
It is impossible to know for sure what babies think of the taste of formula compared to their breast milk, but there are important health signs and symptoms you should be on the lookout for when determining which formulas to review and eventually purchase.
My name is Sharon Dunn and I will talk about three key topics in relation to choosing the best tasting milk formula for infants.
Table of Contents
- Balancing Cost / Benefit
- Avoiding Allergies
- Reduce Gas and Acid Reflux
- Best Formula Milk For Baby 0-6 Months
- So which brands have the best formula for breastfed babies?
- Enfamil AR
- Similac Sensitive
- Parent’s Choice Infant
Balancing Cost / Benefit
Some babies couldn’t care less which formula you feed them. They will take any and all formula after being a breastfed baby for the first part of their lives. However, this is not always the case and any parent that has been through the constant spit ups, gassy stomachs, and night long cries will tell you that they would pay any amount of money to find a formula that kept their child satisfied and healthy.
Avoiding Allergies
Some say that cow’s milk formulas may cause more allergies than soy based formulas. This may be the case for many, but do not hold this 100% of the time as being the end all be all. Keep investigating if switching to a soy based formula does not do the trick for previously breast fed child.
How do I know if my child has allergies to milk based formula? Symptoms may include: fussiness, vomiting, coughing, sneezing, hives, and overall changes in behavior. Be on the lookout and consult the doctor if any of these occur.
While not common, it is not exactly rare either. Roughly 8-10% of babies are allergic to cow milk.
Reduce Gas and Acid Reflux
Finding a formula brand that reduces gas and fussiness will help the child not only sleep better but have a directly correlated impact to the parents. Sometimes while it seems so simple, gas can actually cause a baby so much discomfort you would think it has to be more complex of a problem. It can cause extreme discomfort in infants, and it is not visual so be careful not to overlook this as an issue. But in some cases a simple formula change can solve all your problems and have a happier boy or girl.
Best Formula Milk For Baby 0-6 Months
After switching from breast milk it’s very important for the new parents to decide on which formula is best for the baby. There are many options that a new parent can choose from and it can often be overwhelming to say the very least.
The goal of this section is to provide you with a few present you with a few options to help you decide which formula milk is best for your 0 to 6 month old baby boy or a girl.
Many of you are familiar with the two main key players in the formula industry named Enfamil and Similac. There are also other ones; however these are the two main ones that have the majority of the market share. But it’s much more complex than that as each of these two main brands has multiple varieties of formula to choose from.
Your baby may be gassy fussy or have allergies that make him or her very choosy with their formula. So with that being said, how do we go about choosing what is the best formula for our young child? Let’s look at this and three different steps one what formula will the baby tolerate best.
Some are more filling than others and maybe the baby will have to eat less. This is true with many rice based formulas. We cannot overlook the importance of cost as well. With rising inflation and prices of things are going up saving a few bucks per can of formula can go a long way in a new parent’s budget.
Combine that with the baby formula shortage here in 2022 and we throw another wrinkle into the dynamic choice of choosing what is best for your newborn. So where do we start there were so many variables when we got to start somewhere.
A – The number one step should be always consulting with your doctor or if you do not yet have a pediatrician the hospital will give you a few samples of baby formula. Those are fine to try as well other samples you may get from the doctor’s office for free. Hey, I would not turn down free formula no matter what! It’s worth a shot maybe one of those will work out fine and you never have to change maybe formula.
B – The other thing to consider is if you will first breast-feed your baby versus providing them formula milk. Your switch later on it may be a slightly different dynamic but you can still use those free samples you were given a few months back. Chances are they’ve not expired.
C – So back to the differences between Enfamil vs. Similac. Enfamil AR is a rice base formula which may provide your baby a little more filling feeling and maybe they will not have to eat as much, also some babies are more sensitive to the various forms.
As your newborn goes through the first few months of their lives, the month by month timeframe towards six months will go quick. Then, they will be introduced to solid foods and then they will slowly wean off the formula, but you will be amazed amount of formula you go through in the first six months to even a year. So be informed!
So which brands have the best formula for breastfed babies?
I wish there was a one size fits all answer, but newborn and young child has different tastes and body makeups that impact these types of things. So there are hundreds of variables that go into play.
Here are some good options that are worth a try:
Enfamil AR
This formula is a staple of the Enfamil brand and the AR stands for added rice starch. A big help in reducing acid reflux and spit up in babies. And in turn, a reduction in pain causing gas that many baby suffer from. Other key ingredients include iron and DHA along with probiotics to support digestive health.
Similac Sensitive
This formula was developed for babies with lactose issues and is designed to reduce gas and fussiness with its use. Also includes brain nourishing DHA, Lutein for eye health, and Vitamin E for growth and development. The cost can be higher that some basic formula’s but a quality choice that many frustrated parents will swear by. It also contains, per 100 calorie serving, 1.9mg of iron.
Parent’s Choice Infant
This is a gluten free formula that is a choice used by many new moms and dads out there. It can generally be found easily and contains many of the same key ingredients as the other ones. It claims to be closer to actual breast milk. Includes no artificial flavors, sweeteners or colors and can be found at many of your local big box retail chains.
So in conclusion, what is the best tasting formula for breastfed babies… ENFAMIL AR!
While each of the 3 reviewed baby formulas for babies who were previously fed breast milk are up to the task, by a slim margin we give our vote to Enfamil AR. With a price point in range of the others, we hear stories and see first hand of many satisfied parents on this formula.
A local survey of ten mothers rated their product #1 but a close margin over Similac Sensitive.
Another point to make is switching your formula between one and another every few days will not get you an actual conclusion. Reason being, it takes a bit of time for it to work out of the baby’s system, so the recommendation of giving each formula a solid 5 days of time is often a recommendation.
However, if the child continues to vomit over and over again feel free to stop well before the 5 days elapse.
Also, the CDC provides some quality reading on infant formula feedings.
Here is a informative video on how to make formula in 3 easy steps: Video Link
Curious about other Enfamil brands? Check out the below articles:
