2nd Trimester

If you plan to FF or are unsure about BFing a ?

What are your plans regarding formula and the hospital?  Are you going to use what they supply and then stick with that brand once you get home?

Or are you planning on having a brand/ type selected and at the house and bring it with you to the hospital?

Re: If you plan to FF or are unsure about BFing a ?

  • I am going to try my hardest to EP that said I have done my research on formula and will be brining my brand and bottle to the hospital. DD wont go to the nursery at all so it shouldnt be an issue. I know the hospital uses enfamil

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  • Since you don't know if your baby will have a sensitivity to a switch in formula, I would recommend bringing in what you plan to use.  With DS, he was very good with changing formulas and never had a problem, other babies don't react very well to it.  However, I think my hospital offered a selection of formulas and they could (if possible) supply what you were going to use at home.

    I would find out what they offer and go from there.  As a rule, Enfamil can cause gassiness and spit up, but Similac is a little gentler.

  • I used what they gave me- just an FYI at the hospital it's the premixed... it stains. Powder formula doesn't. Once I got home I switched to the powder. DS got 1 bottle a day of formula and I BF the rest.
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  • I will probably use whatever the hospital provides while we are there if we need it and then make a decision based on how LO tolerates it and how/if BF goes. I will probably have a pre-selected can of something at home.  I probably will buy as needed and not stockpile until we determine which brand works and if there are allergy/tolerance issues.

    I plan on asking at my hospital class what brand they use.

  • imageDaniLovesPink:

    Since you don't know if your baby will have a sensitivity to a switch in formula, I would recommend bringing in what you plan to use.  With DS, he was very good with changing formulas and never had a problem, other babies don't react very well to it.  However, I think my hospital offered a selection of formulas and they could (if possible) supply what you were going to use at home.

    I would find out what they offer and go from there.  As a rule, Enfamil can cause gassiness and spit up, but Similac is a little gentler.

    Exactly.

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  • We just did the Similac that they gave us at the hospital.  Although, Emerson developed loose stools at 8 months that lasted a month.  We tried Soy formula and it took care of it in one bottle so, we stuck with that until she was a year old.  Then, went to milk with no problems.

    You can interchange formula brands if you'd like.  You can start with one and change and it shouldn't be a problem.

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  • You might want to wait on buying formula to see what works for your LO.. A friend of mine's daughter had an allergy to one kind so the hospital used a special kind (sorry I don't know formula names). So when she got home, she knew that was the formula she had to use. I'm sure the hospital will be good about giving you some to take home to get you started also.
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  • imageDaniLovesPink:

    I would find out what they offer and go from there.  As a rule, Enfamil can cause gassiness and spit up, but Similac is a little gentler.

    Who made that rule?  The exact opposite was true for my son and a lot of other mom's I know.  It's different for every baby. 

    My hospital with DS offered both Similac and Enfamil he was in the NICU and on preemie formula they started him on the Similac (just what they randomly picked) and eventually switched him to the Enfamil because he was so gassy on the Similac.

    If you have a preference what kind of formula you would like to use then I would bring your own and let the hospital know immediately, if it happens to be one they stock then you can use theirs, if not you can let them know to only use yours.  I would also bring your bottle type as well because if your child gets used to whatever bottles the hospital may have it can be very difficult to switch them to something else!

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  • Just and FYI, Target brand formula is just as good as the expensive stuff, and it's MUCH cheaper!!!  I EBFed for 6 1/2 months until my supply tanked and then we switched to Up and Up formula from Target and never looked back. 
  • Formula feeder here.  We used what they started DS on which was Similac Advanced we had no issues and continued to use it the entire time he was on formula.  We will do the same with the new baby unless there is an issue.

  • imageDaniLovesPink:

    Since you don't know if your baby will have a sensitivity to a switch in formula, I would recommend bringing in what you plan to use.  With DS, he was very good with changing formulas and never had a problem, other babies don't react very well to it.  However, I think my hospital offered a selection of formulas and they could (if possible) supply what you were going to use at home.

    I would find out what they offer and go from there.  As a rule, Enfamil can cause gassiness and spit up, but Similac is a little gentler.

    Wheres the rule on this???

  • Here is the "rule".  Use the hospital's formula (why bring your own you have to buy when you can get it free at the hospital).  Then take as much of it home as you can carry!!!  That stuff is expensive!!! 

    My hospital used Enfamil.  My son did get a lot of gas- I switched to good start after a few months and it was easier on his stomach.  But I don't regret using Enfamil in the beginning.  You just don't know what they like/don't like until you try it.

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  • I didn't bring formula to the hospital, I used what they supplied.  I BF every other feeding for 6 weeks, before switching completely to formula.  Started on Enfamil, but ended up with Nestle Good Start.

  • I mainly BF, but when I was so tired I FF.  At the hospital he was jaundice and they recommended me FF a few times as well.

    I just used what they brought in.  Similac.  I never bought formula because I received so many packages of samples.  I probably had over a month work of enfamil and similac in my pantry!!

    then i brought home about 20 small bottles from the hospital of similac. 

    during growth spurts I also gave some formula because my boobs hurt so badly!!!  

    I say just go with what the hospital provides and see how it goes from there.

  • With DD #1 the hospital gave us similac and that's what we used for her first year since we were fortunate that she did well with it. 
  • image***SweetPea***:
    Just and FYI, Target brand formula is just as good as the expensive stuff, and it's MUCH cheaper!!!  I EBFed for 6 1/2 months until my supply tanked and then we switched to Up and Up formula from Target and never looked back. 

     I read in one of those Baby Bargains books that the cheaper brands are almost the same as the brand names so it doesn't make a lot of sense to go with the more expensive ones provided that your little one tolerates it.  They recommend the Costco or Sams club brands.

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  • We used the Similac that we were given in the hospital.  Our pedi said that we could go between formula brands without any issue.  Well, that was our first mistake.  DS was super constipated with the switch and gassy that we ended up using Enfamil Gentlease.  It was more expensive but it did the trick.  I will stick with whatever brand the hospital uses.  Also, I found that some of the generics stained, as DS was a spitter upper.  The namebrands didn't stain like the generics...the powder of the generics was more yellow (the brand that I used).
  • imagesleepyocean:
    imageDaniLovesPink:

    I would find out what they offer and go from there.  As a rule, Enfamil can cause gassiness and spit up, but Similac is a little gentler.

    Who made that rule?  The exact opposite was true for my son and a lot of other mom's I know.  It's different for every baby. 

    My hospital with DS offered both Similac and Enfamil he was in the NICU and on preemie formula they started him on the Similac (just what they randomly picked) and eventually switched him to the Enfamil because he was so gassy on the Similac.

    If you have a preference what kind of formula you would like to use then I would bring your own and let the hospital know immediately, if it happens to be one they stock then you can use theirs, if not you can let them know to only use yours.  I would also bring your bottle type as well because if your child gets used to whatever bottles the hospital may have it can be very difficult to switch them to something else!

    i've never heard that either. Granted, I don't have kids yet, but I've taken care of preemie quads and triplets. In both cases they had bad reflux and intestinal problems and the docs said not to use similac b/c enfamil was gentler

    LCB: the hospital in the woodlands (memorial hermann) i know for sure and I would think they same would be true of the other ones ask you "enfamil or similac' when they first start the formula and go with whatever you say... i don't know if they have any other brands since those are the big ones. I know that they start with the basic kind (not soy or anything) and i'm not sure what the procedure is if that doesn't work. I have known some moms who bring soy or nutramigen formula with them b/c they are allergic to milk or already have kids who are so they assume the baby will be too...

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  • Our hospital offered Similac and Enfamil. We did not bring anything in, or have anything at home. It is not something you really can prepare for. We started with Enfamil with Nolan, and then before leaving the hospital, switched to Isomil (similac).

    With Lincoln, we started with Similac EarlyShield, and well, I am sure you have seen what happened with that. We are now on a prescription formula for him. 

    Just use what is at the hospital and take samples home with you. It is not a big deal for DH to grab some when he is out filling your pain med script. 

  • I used what they gave us in the hospital to supplement DS's feedings (Enfamil). Most hospitals get both Enfamil and Similac, and they WILL load you down with samples as long as you ask. Typically, Enfamil and Similac will actually GIVE the hospital the pre-made formula for free or at a HUGE discount, so the nurses are usually happy to give you what they have on hand so they don't run into issues with expiration dates or with "company representatives" not stocking them up on the formula. Also, they have all kinds of great little 2oz/4oz bottles and sterilized nipples, which come in handy when you're at home, exhausted, and didn't have the opportunity to mix up a bottle BEFORE your LO started screaming bloody murder.

    The only rule of thumb I know from working in the medical field is that the "samples" and "free diaper bags" that are given away at Dr's offices, hospitals, etc. are a strategic marketing plan by those companies to get their product some free advertisement, and it is also typically seen as an "endorsement" of the product by the physician. They have drug representatives who come out on a monthly/weekly basis to load the doctors down with products, supplies, lunches (usually for the entire staff), and other freebies, and the doctors anticipate that their patients will ask for the samples.

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  • DD was FF and the hospital started her on Enfamil.  We used that until she was 1, then switchted to milk.  She didn't have any issues with Enfamil.  We plan to do the same for this baby and will go from there! :)
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