Hey mamas! I have a question for formula feeding moms! I will not be breastfeeding this time because I don’t want the worry of losing my supply as I did with my other two kiddos. The question is, how do you know what formula to get to stock up on? Do you just pick? Does the doctor pick at birth?
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I wouldn’t stock up because a lot of babies have sensitivity to formula and every baby is different for what works for them
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I picked similac advanced pro because the research I did said it was most like breast milk as far as nutrients and benefits to baby. My son took to it well so I stocked up. If he hadn’t taken well to it, then I would have tried others until I found one he did well on (no spit up, no gas, etc) and then stocked up on that.
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You probably don’t want to because formula isn’t returnable and if baby has a sensitivity to the formula you bought, you’re kinda screwed.
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My son is on nutramigen due to allergies so I would hold off until you know how your little one is going to do. Each baby is different. If you wanna stockpile it just buy gift cards here and there for about $40-$60 each for formula and put it aside for when you know.
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Yes you can just pick, but sometimes babies have sensitive tummies and you might have to switch , or allergies. So I personally wouldnt stock up until you’ve found the one your baby will continue to use
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I just picked what formula to go on. I started with similac alimentum (cans then powder after baby is a few months old). But then had to switch to low iron after my baby was having a hard time with bowel movements. It depends on what works for the baby as they may have sensitivities you dont know about yet.
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I just picked what I felt I wanted to put my little boy on. I wouldn’t stock up in case it doesn’t suit the baby. Maybe just buy two tins to start. If baby is happy then stick with it 
I wouldn’t stock up until you know what they’ll take and what works for them. Luckily my son did great on what the hospital provided, similac advance, and he was on it the whole time. But from what I’ve been told it’s rare that kids don’t go through a few to find what works for them.
I wouldn’t suggest stocking up because you never know which one will work for them.
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You can pick. Some babies may have a sensitive tummy and you’ll have to switch. I asked the doctor about parents choice because it’s literally identical to Similac and he said that was a good brand. So we did the parents choice sensitive.
You pick which ever one you want. You won’t know if baby needs a certain one until they are born so I wouldn’t stock up to much, a doctor only picks if they think they have any allergies x
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The hospital I gave birth at gave out similac total comfort and my son never had a problem with it so I always got extra containers of that and used that the whole time but many of my friends used enfamil gentlease and also loved that one the whole time they fed their babies formula!
Don’t stock up… you might have to try 1 or 2 different ones to see which your baby likes/agrees with…
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I prefer Gerber soothe it’s good for tummies but if they have a milk allergy it won’t work
Stock up on gift cards instead of formula. That way you know you have the money for the formula and once baby gets here you can see what kind works for you and then stock up on that brand.
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My son was on one formula in nicu when he become sick on it so had to change it then that one he had reflux on and had to change again the final one was fine though. Don’t stock up you work out yourself what formula you would like your baby to have. If the formula agrees with baby then that’s the one you keep with if not you keep swapping until you find the perfect one that goes with your child’s needs.
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When you have the baby , if the hospital offers formula try theirs and if she/he doesn’t have problems then I’d get that one! I did that with my girls 
I wouldn’t stock up, my little guy ended up on an amino acid formula that the pharmacy had to special order for us.
I did stock up with my second baby. Thankfukly I didn’t have to switch. Thankfully as long as the seals aren’t broken on the formula most stores will take them back if you tell them its the wrong kind
You have to try them… I used the target formula with my son and it was super similar to similac but half price basically
You shouldn’t stock up. You should add money to a gift card. So put money in there as if you were buying a can or so & when it comes time to actually buy for baby. You’ll have that.
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Don’t stock up. Not only do you not know what kind you’ll need, but also formula expires.
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I myself would just start a fund for when it’s time to make that choice. Wait until you know what baby likes and then stock up. You never know if the baby could have allergies or some tummy problems!
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You pick whichever one you want its you’re baby… my eldest i started her on SMA… it didnt satisfy her so a friend highly reccomended Cow&Gate, never looked back after that.
Little one, currently 10 months old… when she was born i put her on Cow&Gate because it worked for her sister, but when she was a few weeks old we discovered she had Colic… so Cow&Gate do a special formulated one for “Colic&Constipation” which was a godsend!
Others had reccomended the Hipp Organic as its meant to be good for Colic… but it just made her sick… so we went straight back to Cow&Gate and again haven’t looked back.
She is currently still on it beacuse we can’t switch her to Cows milk yet, but shes also officially on Solids so she doesn’t want as much milk now… i’ve got two tubs in my cupboard that i reckon will take me to the next two months.
You’ll try all different ones but when you find one that works for bubba… stick to it cos too much change can also hurt their wee tummies. Good luck xoxo
I don’t think I would stock because there’s always the possibility that some babies have sensitivities and allergies. For my first the hospital started her on the formula they used which was was fine except she did need to switch to the sensitive version.
For my son, he was started on a different brand because he was sent to a NICU at a different hospital. I then switched to Walmart brand because it was basically the same except much cheaper and also more formula per container.
I’d recommend buying 2-3 cans of one specific kind or signing up for samples.
I wouldn’t stock up. Maybe buy vouchers for your local store of you want to get ahead. In my experience you may have to change your formula several times.
I did a lot of research into formulas before my baby was born. Everyone has their own opinion on which is best, but I chose the Enfamil Nueropro which has worked great for my baby. Of course, some babies cannot have certain formulas. You don’t want to switch it too many times. The hospital gave us similac pro advance and even though my baby tolerated it, because of the research I did, I decided on enfamil. My decision was based on mainly the fact that similac has more sugar, and that enfamil focuses on brain development while Similac focuses on the immune system. Most formulas have the same ingredients, but some have added extras which is what you want to look at the benefits of. Of course there are plenty of other formulas to choose from. I wouldn’t stock up until at least a couple weeks into a specific formula to make sure that your baby is tolerating it well. Also, keep your receipts. If you buy from WM, they have a 90 return policy so you could return the formula (it will not be put back on the shelf), but to get a refund you HAVE to have the receipt.
My baby is 6 weeks and we’ve had to change formula 3 times due to belly sensitivity… I’d stock up on gift cards instead of formula, I know where I live at due to covid none of the stores will let you take anything back or exchange anything.
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Don’t stock up right away. Sign up for samples (my doctor gave me a sample kit of enfamil and similac). Try them once baby is born and see what works best. We did similac, enfamil and then my fiancé insisted we buy a big thing of gerber because his family fed it to babies. Well. Enfamil made our daughter gassy and gerber completely constipated her. So we stuck with Similac. It’s a guessing game because you me never know how they’ll react.
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I wouldn’t stock up on formula. Every baby is different. Sometimes you have to change formula a few times to find the right one. I would stock up on gift cards instead. Good luck Mama
It’s not wise to stock up on formula before your baby is born. You don’t know what he/she will be able to tolerate, if there will be an allergy, etc. Many stores will not let you return formula anymore and you don’t want to lose a ton of money. Just start setting aside funds, and do some research. Decide the top 3 you want to try. Contact the formula company and they will send you tons of coupons and samples. After you find out what formula your baby will tolerate, take those coupons and your saved funds and go shopping. 
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I didn’t stock up, we used samples when we first transitioned from BF to formula. I ended up switching formulas 4 times before he turned 1.
If your on wic see what kind they offer as where I live we can only get enfimal formula and I had to go through 3 or 4 cans before finding out as I had her on similac and then found out they don’t offer it. Then I got her on gentlelease nope soy nope reguline yes and then Walmart couldn’t stay stocked up so we did infant formula but my daughter had issues with a hernia and Constipation
I did both breastfeeding and formula to supplement. Hospital started her on Similac but she had acid reflux so the Dr prescribed her Similiac Sensitive. With the prescription I was able to have WIC cover the cans
I wouldn’t stock up. Formula has an expiration date. I would sign up online through similac, enfamil, Gerber to get free samples. Also ask your pediatrician which they would suggest and see if they have a sample. Also sign up for your local WIC program they give you a certain amount of formula each month. WIC doesn’t supply the full amount your baby will consume each month.
Join the mailing lists for coupons for all the manufacturers and then buy gift cards to local stores. The manufacturers will send you samples and you can see which is the best option for your baby and hospitals only provide the formula they are contracted to.
I used Target brand sensitive with my first and it was great!
I breastfeed but supplement one bottle of formula each day and my baby can only drink sensitive.
I wouldn’t stock up right away, but I’d sign up for formula samples through the companies themselves. They often offer coupons as well. Hospitals may be different, but my hospital started my son off on similac pro advance right away.
I wouldn’t stalk up on formula, my favorite thing to stalk up on is not only coupons but every paycheck I would go to Walmart/target and buy gift cards! Occasionally would buy amazon gift cards! That way I didn’t feel the need to stock up on too much but yet I still felt prepared as that money was on gift cards for “the baby” not for me!
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It is just like diapers - everyone has their own preference but baby ultimately decides. I wouldnt stock up on any on brand, most hospitals have a contract with one brand or another and thats what baby starts out with.
I would sign up for all of the promos each brand has so you can get coupons etc. If you qualify for WIC they normally only support one brand. My kids all used Enfamil there is also Similac. Walmart target cosco etc all have their own brands too.
Target almost always has some kind of a gift card promo going on with diapers,formula, baby items. If you go to whichevers brand website you can sometimes get better deals buying in bulk.
I wouldn’t buy in advance, I went through 5 types before settling on a sensitive soy formula. What you can do though is make a like money jar for formula and instead of stocking up just put the money away in the jar so you know it’s safe and always have back up
I would just sign up for the samples to start
You dont…with my youngest I bought one bottle of RTF RTF alimentum as a precaution and that was it.
I did however sign up for samples from enfamil.
You wouldn’t know what one to stock up on yet until your baby is used to a certain one so I won’t waste your money
Just have a small container. My first used enfamil and my 2nd used similac sensitive. I couldn’t use the same products on either, you just never know.
I would check with your local wic to see what their general formula is and maybe opt to stock on the sensitive version of formula incase baby doesn’t tolerate the regular formula. My first son many years ago was on Enfamil and my second totally didn’t like the taste but did really well with Gerber goodstart formula he bad acid reflux on the regular so we switched to the sensitive formula and it worked great
Honestly it’s not worth stocking up on formula before the baby is born maybe instead put a certain amount of money on a gift card or in savings account each week like enough for 2 big cans a week or something that way after baby is born and you figure out what babies little tummy agrees with you can stock up
I wouldn’t stock up until you know how baby handles the formula that you chose. I recommend enfamil. I would just buy a big container, maybe two. Try it out and go from there
The hospital your at has formula I would start with that then if the littles stomach cant handle it then I would switch to the sensitive version of the formula and just go from there.
You don’t unfortunately. I did my research and bought 2 of the one I hoped would work. Bought it from Walmart and kept the receipt so it would be easy to exchange if necessary. The hospitals here uses Similac and when we were discharged we were told the Enfamil we had bought was similar enough we should be fine, and we were. Enfamil is quite popular 
Don’t stalk up! Wait until they are born, sensitive tummies and allergies happen, the hospital will most likely start you with a certain brand or the premade/ready to drink formula (Hospital dependant, may be similac pro advanced/enfamil/Gerber). Also ask your pediatrician for samples if you end up needing to switch! It could save you so much if baby has sensitivities/allergies. We went through 5 different formulas before she was 3mo old just to end up on Soy💁🏻♀
I wouldn’t stock up on anything until the baby is born and has taken to one kind successfully. It can be trial and error for a few weeks or more.
Dont stock up… in the beginning it may take a few different formulas to find the one babys tummy is okay with. Better to just make a formula fund and get as you need.
I would buy gift cards in place of formula rn. You can use the gcs l8r when you know what baby will like. Most hospitals have a contract and push a certain formula, you definitely don’t have to use it. Your baby may not even like it or be able to tolerate it. You could get lucky but idk about you I’m not a lucky person if I bought a bunch of regular formula my baby would need soy lmao
Don’t stock up… start on any one of them. Hospital usually has a premade one then usually use any.
Don’t stock up because you never know how your baby will tolerate each one.
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I would pick sensitive allergy friendly just to cover basis if you where to stock up. These formulas are generally pretty gentle on tummys and it won’t matter if your baby doesn’t have an allergy.
But if you can avoid sticking up get 3ish different ones so you can try different ones if baby doesn’t suit one and then stock up once baby has settled into one.
Don’t get more than one can, instead put the money aside to buy what you need, because you do not know if you need lactose free, diary free, soy free, you don’t know what food sensitivities or allergies your new baby will have, but typically newborns go through about 5-6 cans (at most) of powdered formula the first month, then by the time they are done with it it seems like 5-6 cans a week.
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Instead of stocking up, maybe get yourself like a Visa gift card. And every so often, have money added to it. And use that for your formula money. That way if you have a Walmart gift card and go there and they’re out, you can easily use that Visa gift card anywhere else you are able to buy formula. Also this way, you have the money set aside for the formula.
Enfamil and Similac have like clubs you can sign up for. I’m enrolled in Similac Strong Moms. They recently sent me a gift box with smaller cans of formula and coupons for free. Enfamil does something like this as well.
With all my kids I always used enfamil gentleease since moving to Indiana wic don’t do enfamil gentleease so I have the Gerber kind it’s like gentleease.
I have 7 kids. Even when I’ve breastfed, I’ve bought formula and stocked up on it just Incase. I usually buy sensitive formula, like similac sensitive or total comfort, but buy other kinds also just Incase they end up having an allergy. Usually around 4-8 weeks old they will have temporary tummy issues until around 3-6 months old as their tummy’s adjust more to digesting. Sometimes those tummy issues stay, but usually they go away in time. Just make sure you have a few different kinds. Most babies tend to do just fine on sensitive/total comfort formula though. All of my kids have had reflux. A few have had issues with dairy though too. The ones with reflux we had to use formula thickener in their formula (you can buy formula thickener on amazon for a decent price and add it to any formula for reflux). My kids with dairy issues we have had to either put on total comfort or nutramagin. Nutramagin is usually a last resort though after trying every other available formula because it is expensive.
Parents choice seems to be working just fine for my 2month old. We just switched her from Similac. The ingredients were all the same on the back. But half the price! But this was the one thing I didn’t stock up on bc you just never know. I think the advice to set aside money instead of stocking up is a great idea!
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I used Good start with my daughter and that worked really well for her. I did research and thought it was the best option. My son was intolerant to that formula so I switched him to Similac Sensitive and it also worked well for him. It’s almost like a trial and error. I do recommend buying the little bottles of ready to feed first. It’s easy to use at the hospital.
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You choose. Usually the hospital will send you home with either Similac or Enfamil. Enfamil Gentlease worked for both my kids but is stupid expensive. Save the money and buy generic. We’re currently using Parents Choice Gentle formula and it works just the same. (I use gentle formulas because my kids had problems with constipation, and it also helps reduce gas)
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Yes as a mama said they use the basic at the hospital either similac or enfamil . It’s like coke and Pepsi . That’s the basic and they usually send you home with some . I would use that unless your baby is colic . With my first two I used enfamil but with my last son he was colic and had acid reflux and I had to switch 4x until I found one that worked witch is now nutrumigan. It’s crazy expensive!!! I don’t know where you are but you can sign up for WIC . It supplies you with formula and baby food when ready . Good luck and congratulations
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Don’t stock up on formula, I stocked up on enfamil then my baby would always get constipated, switched to similac and same. Turns out my baby is allergic to a protein in those formulas and has to be on a special formula prescribed by the pediatrician.
Every baby is different, try out a certain brand of your choice and see how well your baby does before buying a lot.
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Buy the little bottles (ready made) instead of the can. So you won’t go wasting money in case your baby doesn’t like or their stomachs doesn’t tolerate certain brand. Each baby is different.
The hospital will start you on something, but you don’t need to stock up. They may have an allergy, an intolerance, or need the sensitive. I would just save some $$ back for it. Similac sensitive is what all 4 of what my children ended up on. They tried several types of Similac though.
I’ve always started off formula with the regular Similac. If you do wic thats generally what they provide unless a dr specifies otherwise (where i am anyway). Then change if any problems arise.
Also, my firstborn was on sensitive so I started my second out with the sensitive and it ended up making him severely constipated. Mine weren’t breastfed immediately after birth. My 1st started formula at 6 months and my second at 4 months.
Also throwing this out there, donor breast milk or a wet nurse are options too. I’ve never seen moms charge other moms for donor milk. A wet nurse would probably depend on the woman, but pretty sure there wouldn’t be charge there, except for maybe gas or food money.
I fortunately picked a random one up that said attractive things like “boost brain stuff and eyes stuff and helps with colic” so i go that one and stuck with it ever since. Its the similac gentlease formula.
Get whatever your hospital uses. Mine used enfamil. Once I got home I got a more expensive “better one” and my sons stomach could not handle the change, he cried half the night after that one bottle. My husband ran out at 2am to go get the original stuff. Lesson learned, never again 
We stocked up on cow and gate because my daughter was perfectly fine on it. When my son was born we had the cow and gate started pack. He didn’t like to do the hospital gave us sma. He drank it in on. But we didn’t want him on sma so we bought a couple of hipp organic and it worked for him. Now we stock up on hipp organic
Don’t stock up on anything until you know the formula is compatible with your baby. I recommend something easy on the stomach such as Enfamil gentle ease the regular one purple can
Don’t. Buy one can. My babies have all had issues and had to change multiple time. Buy one can of regular formula brand or generic or whatever you want BABY will decide if it’s going to work 
if you have multiple cans and the baby doesn’t tolerate it, most stores won’t exchange or return it 
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You can sign up for samples and coupons online with all the formula companies ahead of time. Then you will have a little of everything when baby comes. Then you can stock up once you know which one baby likes.
Keep in mind if you switch formulas, it’s can take a couple days for baby’s system to adjust and they may spit up more, it doesn’t necessarily mean baby doesn’t like it/allergic to it.
I think it depends where you’re from…I’m from UK and we had to take our own formula in. We had to buy the ready made small bottles that came with teats as there was no bottle making facilities available in hospital and they don’t provide any formula for you.
They use basic at the hospital but my oldest has a diary allergy and baby 2 did as well and within first 3 days on the basic formula he was so bloated and constipated so if we have a third we will go straight to nutramigen.
Its basically a trial and error. Start by getting the regular kind or something specifically for newborns. My son was premature so we got a formula that helped with that, i think it was Gerber good start. Then after awhile we switched to gentle ease because he was pretty gassy and it helped a lot
I just picked. It was generic bread for all 3 kids. Same with just about everything else unless there was something else that was cheaper. I’d just start buying little by little in general for everything. It will add up faster then you think. Or you could start putting money away as if your buying formula. That way if there’s a problem it won’t be such a big hit to your pocket book.
You choose. Your doctor will have some samples. I used the generic version of enfamil, from Walmart or target. DO NOT BUY A LOT at first!! Your baby might not agree with the kind you’ve picked. But it one small can at a time until you’re well established.
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I went with similac and in your hospital room they will give you that too…as long as your baby doesn’t need extra help (supplements, vitamins ect.) thats what I would go with blue can…
Definitely don’t stock up on cans! Set up a savings account for formula money, but don’t buy it just yet. Your baby could end up needing an alternative to the dairy based formulas, so soy or goat’s milk, there could be reflux issues that make a sensitive one better, or Similac Neosure could be needed if baby is a preemie or struggling with caloric consumption. And one of the sensitive formulas is $30 a can. Even if you got a basic formula to start out with, that could still end up being $17-$18 for one can, down the drain, if your baby has any issues with it.
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I love Gernber Goodstart. I used the gentle one. My son tried both enfamil AND similac from the doctor and they made him SICK. Never heard of anyone having an issue with either of the Gerber ones tho their formula is AWESOME.
My son had the worst time with formulas until we tried Similac soy liquid formula. That was the best one we ever found. It will be the formula we use for all our kids if I am lucky enough to have more. Powder formulas use to give my son hives
So there is a new product out that supplements for breast milk. Its called else nutrition… look it up. Just came out and my daughter loves it. Gives her the same nutrients as breast milk does.
Usually you pick…I used the same formula as they were given in hospital at birth
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Nutramagin. For us because it’s broken down better. My kiddo was a vomit machine until we switched. If your I wic you’ll need a Dr note for them to cover it.
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If you are able to receive wic. I would wait as the program is in contract with Gerber formula previously they had been in contact with similac. The hospitals usually use similac. My babies have never had an issue with the transition. And probably wont. But Ultimately wait til the babies born and wait to see what the tummy wants
My dr started us on enfamil first… he had the worst spit up problem we tried all of them… finally ended up on parents choice gentle… I recommend just setting aside the money you plan on using until you know what kind works best for your baby. But a couple cans of whichever one you choose to try first
If your on WIC we contract through Similac, at least in TX. Honestly I would get giftcards for formula instead of formula. Some stores do not take back formula and that would be a waste to have a lot of formula you cannot choose.
I wouldn’t buy any formula yet. We had to try a few and we ended up on the formula for reflux and then the lactose intolerant formula.
We chose one kind but ended up having to use a different kind because our baby had reflux, just depends on the baby.
Usually they recommend Similac. But it all goes based on baby and what baby’s body and stomach can handle.
Honestly, stock up on gift cards. My one daughter couldn’t handle dairy and the other couldn’t do the dairy or the soy formulas.
Never stock up on diapers or formula. They could be allergic. Put the money into a seprate account to use once the baby comes.
Don’t stock up until you know which one will work! I formula fed all three of my kids and they all used different formulas.
Don’t stock up. Literally worst thing to do is buy a bunch of one kind and it don’t work with your child. Stores don’t take formula back.