What Type of Formula Milk to Use?Posted by Moses Simon on April 23rd, 2021 Choosing to bottle feed your baby could be a hard decision to make. You should think deeply about why you believe you need to bottle feed instead of breastfeed your child. Having made your choice to bottle feed, it's also advisable to think about the type of formula milk that's best for the baby. Formula milk comes in 3 forms: ready-made, concentrate and powder. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Ready made milk formula may be the easiest to use; all you have to to do is open the container and feed your child its contents. The main disadvantage with ready-made formula could it be is the priciest option, so if you're trying to save pennies it may not be the most suitable choice. Formula concentrate is cheaper than ready-made, nevertheless, you do need to add boiled water. The least expensive and most widely used type of formula milk is powdered formula. In addition to having the benefit of being cheap, it is also the easiest to store. Both ready-made and concentrate ought to be stored in the fridge whereas you only need to stored formula created from powder, after it's been mixed with water. As you'll soon discover, you have to be prepared when you travel together with your baby. You need to take with you everything you need to prepare your child's formula. If you're planning on staying somewhere abroad, you need to consider: will where you're staying have a fridge? Will it have facilities to offer you boiled water if you're using concentrate or powder? Think about cleaning facilities? Can get more info plug in your bottle sterilizer? Even though you are using concentrate or powder (and attempting to save pennies) I would strongly suggest buying some ready-made baby formula and keeping it stored in the fridge. After that you can utilize it as a standby for if you want to make a trip out somewhere. As well as coming in three forms, baby formula comes in different types: the primary ones being cow's milk and soybean. Along with these basic formula types, you can also find lactose free formula, formula supplemented with DHA and ARA, and formula for preemies. The most popular and probably the best for your child is baby formula made from cow's milk. Selecting the right brand is a personal choice. All brands now sold in Western countries will meet their government's guidelines. However, different brands will contain different degrees of sugar and protein. All baby milk formulas are fortified with iron and Vitamin D (these can be lacking in breast milk) and contain lactose (milk sugar). Brands such as for example Similac Advance, Enfamil Lipil, and Nestle Good Start Supreme are made with lactose and cow's milk based proteins. Soy based formula is now more popular. Unlike cow's milk it does not contain lactose. If your son or daughter has lactose intolerance then soy formula milk could be right for your child. Brands include Enfamil ProSobee, Similac Isomil, and Nestle Good Start Supreme Soy. There has been some controversy concerning whether soy protein could cause longterm health implications to babies that are fed soy-based formula. However, a recent study, led by Dr Brian L. Strom from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, showed no difference in the long-term health effects of soy infant formula and those based on cow's milk. But when you have any doubts then stick with baby formula milk that is made from cow's milk. Goat's milk is gaining in popularity and some feel it is best for baby and the surroundings. Using goat's milk is probably fine; however, goat's milk does only contain around 10% of the folic acid that is found in cow's milk. So, if you're likely to use goat's milk, find a brand that has been fortified with folic acid. On the plus side, goat's milk formula does contain far higher levels of copper and antioxidant selenium. Some also think that babies have a lactose intolerance will do better by switching from cow's to goat's milk. Whilst it really is true that Goats milk does contain lower degrees of lactose, if your son or daughter is lactose-intolerant then you are probably best switching to soy based formula or perhaps a lactose free formula of cow's milk. Lactose free formulas, such as Lactofree and Similac Lactose free are made without lactose, but do have cow's milk proteins in them. Babies are not usually regarded as born with lactose intolerance, so these formulas are often not needed. If your son or daughter is experiencing problems with cow's formula, seek expert advice before switching to a lactose free formula or soy-based formula. Other infant formulas include Enfamil AR (anti regurgitation), that is thought to be helpful for infants with reflux and premature formulas, such as for example Similac Special Care and Enfamil Premature. Again, you almost certainly should never have to buy this sort of formula as your baby's reflux is most likely being caused by something else. Again, get hold of your doctor before switching to the type of formula. Very recently, new infant formulas have been introduced that are supplemented with DHA and ARA, which are located in breast milk and so are thought to help having an baby's development. Brands of the supplemented formula include Enfamil Lipil, Similac Advance, and Nestle Good Start Supreme DHA & ARA. Speak to your doctor about these and what benefits, if any, they might offer your child.Like it? Share it! More by this author |