Formula Feeding... best options - Page 3

[christophersmom]

I breastfed my DS and while I would not have considered myself a "lactivist" my DH would probably beg to differ. I did have to realize that in the foster world, I was going to have to use formula. I had no clue what age placement we would get, when we woudl get them etc. I held DD 99% of the time I was giving her a bottle (there was a few one off times we were on a road trip or something). I always held her bottle. DD initially faced away from me for her bottles, but eventually it became a very nice relaxing time and she started to want to face me and even at 15 months when she stopped bottles, I was still holding her and holding her bottles. It can be very bonding. She would hold her bottles for other people, just not me and it was okay. Sometimes she likes me to still hold her sippy cups. Now, my new foster daughter is different, she wants/needs to be held very very close to the chest for bottles and it has to be the "perfect" position. I don't mind, I actually enjoy it and it can be a bonding experience. I look at her just like I did DS when he was nursing and her big brown eyes connect to me. It also takes her 20-30 minutes to finish a bottle.

I had a can of good start she didn't like it, she likes the enfamil. Funny how they can have strong preferences at such a young age.

[laughingfox]

Originally Posted by Smithie 

The key is being willing to try different things.

I have three biokids, and for various reasons none of them have nursed a full year. One could tolerate only goat milk - all dairy formulas made him ill. One could tolerate only cow's milk - she spit out all formulas and goat's milk. One is apparently allergic to cow's milk and spits out goat's milk, but continues to drink dairy-based formula with gusto at 20 months.

So, if there was an 8 month old baby joining my family, I'd have a can of Earth's Best powdered formula, a can of Meyenburg powdered goat milk, and a can of cheapo Wal-Mart powdered formula on hand when he came home, plus some glass bottles with silicone nipples. If none of those three worked, I'd branch out into the world of liquid formulas and refrigerated goat milk.

Earth's Best formula and Wal-Mart's cheapo store brand are made by the same company, PBM nutritionals. (They also make Vermont Organics). Wal-Mart even sells an organic formula in their store brand.
PBM also makes the store brand formulas for Sams, Target, Walgreens, and BRU. They make standard formulas with DHA, formulas with DHA+prebiotics, soy, sensitive (which has broken-down proteins like Good Start), and I think a lactose-free one as well. Not all stores stock all varieties; around here Target usually has the best selection.

I wouldn't do the WAP formula. The WAPF page says you have to know the specific breed of cow, get the milk raw, and know that the cow is not diseased. Even if I wanted to do it, that would pretty much be impossible.

[Smithie]

Weird. Around here at least, the Earth's Best and the Wal-Mart powdered formulas are a different color and smell different when mixed. This is why I hate processed food.