Formula

Being a new mother, you must be aware of the fact that the breastfeeding is best for your baby, but another fact is that everyone can’t successfully breastfeed. What is considered important and feasible is that your baby gets the perfect nourishment he needs to develop and thrive. If you see that the baby isn’t thriving on breast milk, then you need to switch to the baby formula. And pertinent to this, there are many different options to choose from.

You should not be brand conscious when it comes to choose the baby formula as all the formulas are prepared according to FDA regulations which specify minimum and, in some cases, maximum nutrient level requirements for infant formulas, based on recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition. These regulations and the Infant Formula Act help to make sure that all infant formulas are nutritionally complete and safe for your baby. Moreover, the American Academy of Pediatrics does not endorse, recommend, or testify that your infant should drink any specific brand of formula if you choose not to breastfeed. The exception is that they do say that low iron formula should not be used.

The baby formulas differ mostly in the type of sugar and protein which they are composed of. The regular iron fortified infant formulas, e.g. Similac Advance, Enfamil Lipil, and Nestle Good Start Supreme are made with lactose and cow's milk based proteins formula. Soy formulas are made with soy protein and are lactose free and are considered good for children who don't tolerate lactose or milk proteins. Elemental formulas are also lactose free and are made with hydrolysate proteins, which are easy to digest for infants with protein allergies. If you have a family history of food allergies or formula intolerances, you might choose to start your baby off with a soy or elemental formula; if you do not want to breastfeed. Similarly some infants, who are not on breastfeeding, should be exclusively given a cow's milk based iron fortified formula.