Hawaii Babies

well that will teach me to try to be cheap

We were using the most expensive brand of formula for our boys ($28 a can, and they go through about 2 cans a week - and they don't have coupons or formula checks here, so daaaaayum this shiznit is expensive!), so we thought we'd try a less $$$ brand. I did a bunch of research and finally settled on one that was about $5 per tin cheaper and got lots of good reviews on Aussie parenting forums. We introduced it gradually over a couple of days and thought it was going well...

Yeah, not so much. 2 days after they were fully switched to the new brand, my poor little boys are so constipated that they cry hysterically whenever they have to poo (and their poos are the consistency of rubber balls, I kid you not). It also made them really gassy, so the poor kids are both constipated AND windy and can barely nap for longer than 15 min at a time without waking up crying (they used to sleep solidly for 1.5+ hours at a time).

I've read that when introducing a new formula you should give it 2 weeks to let their systems get used to it, but eff that! I'm not torturing my kids with killer constipation for 2 weeks in the hopes that they'll adjust so we can save $10 a week! I sent Ben out for a tin of the expensive kind last night and they're back on it now...hopefully it won't take too long for the last of this constipation to pass. My poor little guys. Crying

Re: well that will teach me to try to be cheap

  • Aww.  Poor guys!  Hope they feel better soon!
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  • Thanks! I think they are already, after about 18 hours back on the old formula - they've been sleeping for the last 2 hours or so...poor little guys are probably all worn out!
  • Well that worked quickly!  Yes
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  • inamrainamra member
    Eek, wow, didn't know that different formulas could do that! It sounds pretty extreme. Poor babies =( That must've been really rough for both them and you guys =/ Glad to hear that the original brand worked its magic already!
    Sept 2008 Wedding | May 2010 & Mar 2012 Babies
  • aww boo.  too bad. while there are variations in individual response to different brands (i.e. sometimes one baby will tolerate one brand better than another)...in general there isn't any true difference in formulas and they are all nutritionally complete for baby...that's what they teach them in med school and at the children's hospital at least...they always tell the pedi's to recommend whatever is cheapest.  i wonder if you had started W+D on the cheap stuff if they would have been ok w/it... i can't imagine making them go through all that pain for 2 wks at this point though.
  • imagemrspresley:
    aww boo.  too bad. while there are variations in individual response to different brands (i.e. sometimes one baby will tolerate one brand better than another)...in general there isn't any true difference in formulas and they are all nutritionally complete for baby...that's what they teach them in med school and at the children's hospital at least...they always tell the pedi's to recommend whatever is cheapest.  i wonder if you had started W+D on the cheap stuff if they would have been ok w/it... i can't imagine making them go through all that pain for 2 wks at this point though.

    I wondered the same thing - the only reason we used the expensive one initially is because that's what they had in the hospital so we already knew they were OK with it. The nurses said it was the closest to breastmilk (if there is such a formula) and that's why they used it. *shrug*

    It is slightly different to regular formula - the whey protein is partially hydrolysed, so it's apparently easier to digest than regular formulas (it's actually designed for babies who might have allergies - like if they have a family member who has a known allergy). So maybe their systems are just used to the food that's easier to break down? I dunno. I did find through reading through more Aussie parenting forums that a lot of parents use this kind when their baby has a problem with gas or vomiting or constipation on other formulas, so it really must be easier to digest.

    But in general, yeah, most formulas are the same - they all have to meet the same standards, after all!

  • VERY glad that the little guys are ok again. Poor bebes!

    Curious, which formula was it (if it's ok to name brands on here)?

  • Aw - glad they're feeling better now.  Elyse had the same problem when we tried her on formula.  No poop for 5 days and then a really painful one :(  Hurts a mama's heart!
  • imageSirenSong:

    VERY glad that the little guys are ok again. Poor bebes!

    Curious, which formula was it (if it's ok to name brands on here)?

    I don't see why we not since we're not making money off it. Smile The good stuff is Nestle NAN HA Gold 1, and the bad one was Heinz Nurture Gold.

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