Which kind of Formula Milk to Use?Posted by Moses Simon on April 23rd, 2021 Choosing to bottle feed your child could be a hard decision to make. You need to think deeply about why you think you need to bottle feed instead of breastfeed your child. Having made your decision to bottle feed, it's also advisable to think about the kind of formula milk that's best for your 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 need to accomplish 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 could 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 form of formula milk is powdered formula. As well as having the advantage of being cheap, additionally it is the easiest to store. Both ready-made and concentrate ought to be stored in the fridge whereas you only need to stored formula made from powder, after it's been mixed with water. As you'll soon discover, you need to be prepared when you travel together with your baby. You need to take along everything you need to get ready your child's formula. If you are planning on staying somew here away from home, you need to consider: will where you're staying have a fridge? Does it have facilities to provide you with boiled water if you're using concentrate or powder? Think about cleaning facilities? Is it possible to plug in your bottle sterilizer? Even if you are using concentrate or powder (and attempting to save pennies) I would strongly recommend buying some ready-made baby formula and keeping it stored in the fridge. After that you can use it as a standby for if you want to create a trip out somewhere. As well as to arrive three forms, baby formula will come in different types: the primary ones being cow's milk and soybean. As well as 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 most likely the best for the child is baby formula made from cow's milk. Selecting the best 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 could 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 currently becoming more popular. Unlike cow's milk it does not contain lactose. If your child has lactose intolerance then soy formula milk may be right for the child. Brands include Enfamil ProSobee, Similac Isomil, and Nestle Good Start Supreme Soy. There has been some controversy concerning whether soy protein can 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 ramifications of soy infant formula and the ones based on cow's milk. But when you have any doubts then stick with baby formula milk that's made from cow's milk. Goat's milk is gaining in popularity and some feel it is best for baby and the environment. Using goat's milk is most likely fine; however, goat's milk does only contain around 10% of the folic acid that is found in cow's milk. So, if you are likely to use goat's milk, look for a brand that has been fortified with folic acid. On the plus side, goat's milk formula does contain far higher degrees of copper and antioxidant selenium. Some also believe that babies have a lactose intolerance can 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 child is lactose-intolerant then you are most likely best switching to soy based formula or a lactose free formula of cow's milk. Lactose free formulas, such as Lactofree and Similac Lactose free are created without lactose, but do have cow's milk proteins inside them. Babies are not usually thought to be born with lactose intolerance, so these formulas are usually not needed. If your son or daughter is experiencing problems with cow's formula, seek professional advice before switching to a lactose free formula or soy-based formula. Other infant formulas include Enfamil AR (anti regurgitation), which is thought to be helpful for infants with reflux and premature formulas, such as for example Similac Special Care and Enfamil Premature. Again, you probably should never need to buy this kind 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 already been introduced which are supplemented with DHA and ARA, which are found in breast milk and are thought to help having an baby's development. Brands of these 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 |