Baby Formulas...need some opinions

[LosingMyMindInGA]

According to the Wic office here the good start formula is supposed to be basically the same thing as the similac.  I'm wondering if anyone here has switched from similac to good start and noticed a difference?  The reason I ask is that I'm still supplementing.  Lily gets breastmilk during the day and formula at night.  She's not doing well on the Similac.  I know it's the formula becuase for about a week after the similac recall I had switched to using a can of Enfamil AR I had left from Gabe (yes the exp was still good) and she didn't have the spit up, gas, lack of pooping, etc that she had on the Similac.  After finally finding that my cans of similac weren't part of the recall I started using it again and she is starting up with all those things again.  

Wic is switching over to the Good Start formulas this month and I have to make a decision what type of formula to switch to.  If I go with Good Start I just wait until my appt next week and they will automatically switch, but if I go with Enfamil AR I have to get a docs prescription.  I've heard good things about the Good Start formulas but I have never used them myself.  

What would you ladies do?  Wait and try the Good start and risk having to switch her again if she doesn't do well OR just go to the doc and get a script for the enfamil since she's proven to do well on it?

[smjmekg]

Good luck!!! Give it a few days/week or two for her to adjust to it before you decide if you like it or not. I'm sure with so many kids you already know new things mean adjustments.

[LosingMyMindInGA]

We had a doc appt this morning.  Btw Lily is now 8 lbs 12 oz (with clothes and a clean diaper).  She was born 7 lbs 2 oz.  Anyway, he said that since I know she does ok on the enfamil AR that I COULD just stick with it and he'd write me a script but he feels that Good STart is probably the best formula out there and is the closest to breastmilk that you can get in a formula.  So we are going to try her on it. Unfortunately becuase I use WIC I can't get the protect plus, for whatever reason it's not WIC approved....so we are going wtih the Good Start Gentle Plus and we'll see how that works.  Wish us luck!  We'll be starting it this evening.

[5n1]

we used enfamil gentlease with my son, because of fussiness and pooping problems. and, we loved it. but, with this little one we did similac and it was horrible!!!!she was gassy, fussy, not pooping, reflux so bad she gasped and gagged, so my pedi told me to try similac RS and she is doing great...pooping normal, not spitting up, and minimal gas!!! i have never tried the goodstart so i cant speak from experience...sorry if there is typos in this i am typing with one hand while trying to pacify the baby with the other lol

[LosingMyMindInGA]

Well I've never tasted the formula LOL but I can tell you I prefer the SMELL of the AR over the similac.  This is my first time using similac.  I used Enfamil AR with GAbe and before that I used Isomil (before the AR came out).  I've been giving Lily the Similac at night.  She gets breastmilk during the day.  She's been VERY gassy lately, hasn't pooped in a few days and has been spitting up a lot more. While she's sleeping she makes whimpering noises and grunts a lot trying to pass gas. Last night she woke up at 2:45 and didn't really go back to sleep until around 5:30.  She just kept wiggling around and grunting and whimpering and occasionally letting out a squeal.  

I've heard so many good things about the Good Start and I was really wanting to try the Protect Plus for the immune system support and becuase the Good Start is supposed to be about as close to breastmilk as you can synthetically get.  That's my dilemma.  I'm afraid I'm not gonna be able to continue giving as much breastmilk as I have been for very long.. it seems my supply is slowly dimminishing so I want to pick a formula that's going to have the most benefit.  I guess I'll make an appt with the ped and talk to them and see what they say.  

I just know this similac is really wreaking havoc on her poor little digestive system.  I'm gonna have to try some tricks to try and help her poop today so she can get some relief.  Poor little girl.  

[Ashelen]

I wanted to add that I originally had Kahlan on similac too..and she spit up and gagged and even vomited several times...but once on the good start she had no more problems. It's funny that you say that majikat because I had the exact opposite opinion...to me, the good start tastes just like odd milk but the similac tastes like chemicals.

[waitn838]

i had a lot of acid reflux issues with em when she was on the similac neosure...i switched her to good start the protect plus one because i couldnt stand the doc telling me she "had" to be on a premature formula and gave a rx for zantac...

em is doing great on good start now....we go to her new ped on wed for her 2 month appt and i will see what they say....i refuse to go back to similac

i know enfamil makes a premature formula (enfacare) but im not sure how em would do on that and im not trying to switch something that is working

[Majikat]

I thought goodstart tasted like metal or blood :( so I stayed with similac for my two and plan to do the same with this one

[NicMom]

I switched from similac to good start gentle plus after the drs office suggested it. We love it! It's worked great and she was less fussy.

[HeatherLF16]

My baby has a sensitive tummy and wasn't doing great on Enfamil Gentle Ease.  Doctor recommended Gerber Good Start Gentle Plus and said she has heard from patiants that it works best for babies with similar issues.  We had a transition period where he was getting used to it (a week or two) now he is much happier than he was before when he was on the other formula.  I would recommend it =)

[smjmekg]

I agree with Ivy! Elijah was on Good Start from the beginning pretty much, the only thing I did with him was switch him to soy. He never had any problems.

[Ashelen]

good start for both of my babies! we used the natural cultures which became protect plus.....it's been amazing. neither kid has ever really been sick,a lthough they both did get breastfed for a bit. but if you know she does well with the one type, you can get the script from your doctor for sure....but if you're wondering if the good start is any good...I wouldn't use any other brand personally!

[bubbahbigsis]

i used the good start when i had to supplement my boys and had no problems with it. they both did very good. but if you know she can take the ar i would go for the drs note and get the stuff she already takes well.

[mom2ariana]

Honestly; since you are on WIC  i would get a prescription from the doc. i know the ar is more expensive, and if you were paying for it yourself i would say try a cheaper brand. but since the government is paying i say go for the more expensive one you know lily likes.

i just switched ariana from similac to parent's choice. i got an add in the mail for parents choice saying that the FDA regulates formula ingredients and that they are all required to have the same basic things. some have more of one thing or less of something else, but that they are all good quality. soo i decided to check it out, and upon comparing the ingredients in similac advance and parents choice advantage i found they are the EXACT same. and a 23 oz tub of similac advance is 21 dollars, whereas a 23.2 oz can of parent's choice advantage is 11!!! so i was like h e l l ya i'll switch. she did fine with the switch too...a little constipation at first but after she got through that she was fine!!! if ever you need to switch due to WIC not paying for a certain one, there is nothing wrong or worse about parents choice, good start, or up and up. oh and on a side note, a friend of mine has her baby on enfamil ar, and we went to target the other day to get another can and decided to compare the up and up can to it since it says compare to enfamil ar. and what do you know, every vitamin, mineral, etc was the exact same amount. only thing i found was on the chart that compared them on the up and up can, there was a typo. they said some weird ingredient enfamil had more of than up and up, but i double checked the enfamil can and they were the same.

so i guess what im trying ot say is it definitely doesn't hurt to switch! enfamil and similac advertise more but neither is better than the less expensive brands. but as long as WIC is paying, i'd use the one you KNOW she tolerates simply because its less hassle for you to be switching back and forth. :)