Comments on: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Formula

By: Sara

Sara — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:10:10 +0000

Thanks for this Amy – the blog entry link was a big help too! I just started using the CVS store brand baby formula for my son and he is really thriving on it. PBM makes the formula for CVS and I believe it is responsible for most store brands. My doctor advised all formulas must be formulated to serve as a baby's only source of nutrition, and the ingredients to Enfamil are identical at a substantial savings. Thanks again!

By: Sara

Sara — Sat, 23 May 2009 23:46:16 +0000

I buy the Costco brand of formula, each BIG can averages at $10, with no coupons. They don’t have the specialized formulas, but my baby is 7 months now, and we’ve never switched him off of it, except to use the sample cans (he was started on Enfamil at the hospital). My pediatrician even said it’s OK to use generics, and when I compared the ingredients side by side at the store, they’re EXACTLY the same, and my scoop is the same size. The texture is different than Enfamil, but the same as Similac.

It’s like a racket, they know we’ll buy it, if they make us think it’s best for our baby.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 19:17:00 +0000

I have used a number of different brand formulas for my twins. I have mostly stuck with Enfamil R.S. due to spitting up issues. I have used Similac and also Kirkland from Cosco but only Similac and Enfamil have formulas with added rice starch for spitting up. Now that my twins are older and keeping their food down better I am going to give the Cosco brand another try. After doing a lot of reading I found info that the reason Enfamil and Similac and Carnation cost so much is due to the fact that these companies give so much away as samples to hospitals and because when they bid for the WIC program they bid as low as they can go to get the bid and so finally the cost in order for them to turn a profit is passed on to the parents who pay out of pocket for the formula. They work very hard to get their samples into hospitals because it works as free advertising. So there is the big difference between store brand and national brands.

By: Melissa

Melissa — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:49:00 +0000

I have a 3 month old son. I used Enfamil Pro Lipil coming out of the hospital. I switched for financial reasons to Wal Mart brand, then to Similac, then to Gentle Release. But all those formulas either made him too fussy or he threw up everywhere. I didnt know what else to do so I switched him back to Enfamil. Hes been fine ever since. So I m sure there are some differences.

By: Jamison

Jamison — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 13:59:00 +0000

My wife and I were in Target today. OUr son is 4 months and my wifes supply had been drained so we were feeding him enfamil ($$$) so I looked at the target brand and I may be blind, but the ingredients are identical. We will try the target brand (half the price!)

By: Melanie

Melanie — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 14:46:00 +0000

I am also using the Parent’s Choice formula from Walmart for my 3 week old son. The hospital started him out on Similac … and he had no problems with it… but the price was unreal! (about $23 per can) So, after careful comparison of ingredients, etc, I gradually switched to Parent’s Choice formula. (which is only about $11 per can) He is doing fantastic …. and we are saving a bundle of money at the same time.

By: kailani

kailani — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 15:58:00 +0000

My doctor gave us free samples of Enfamil and that’s all we’ve ever used. Sure made it simple for us!

Here via Carnival of Family Life.

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 14:58:00 +0000

I think I read somewhere that there are only really just a handful of formula companies. The big 3 and then another one that makes all the generics. They are all regulated by the same rules and produce pretty much the same thing. But marketing makes the more expensive stuff seem so much better for your kids.

We used Wal-Mart brand from the day we brought them home and our kids are happy, healthy, tall, and crazy.

By: Ashli

Ashli — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 14:39:00 +0000

I used Parents Choice formula with both my children. They are growing fine and have always been very healthy. My pediatrician said that Parents Choice was fine and she even fed it to her baby.
Ashli

By: Marva

Marva — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 09:35:00 +0000

Amy,
It is great that you can save by buying store brand.

I would just like to remind everyone even if you have "healthy" babies, check with your peditrician before switching formulas. Yes, I know that most recommend the name brand. Just ask to make sure there is no medical issues with using a diferent one.

I have 6 mo. old premie twins and I do HAVE to use SIMILAC, due to health issues. One is allergic to enzymes in the powder, that is not in the ready to feed (despite it has to be hypoallergenic and of a pre-digested sort). I do get samples at the peds office and coupons. I also get gift checks from Similac. If I need extra savings I buy on sale and use the coupons I purchase on Ebay. I NEVER pay more than $2 for a 32 oz. rtf bottle (it sales for about $9 including tax regularly). My other twin is on Similac Advance w/ Iron. It is much easier to use the rtf w/ him. They both take cereal in their botles because of severe GERD, powder is also harder to mix w/ cereal in a bottle (more especially when both need one right then). Okay about the other twin, His is regularly $6 w/ tax 32oz. rtf). CVS had it on sale last week, I got 24 - 32 oz bottles (rtf) for $33.60 (that is 768 oz. of formula). I did use coupons and gift checks but it is doable.