The sheer number of baby formulas flooding the market can leave you second-guessing which one to consider buying for your baby. Questions like: Which baby formula is closest to your breastmilk? Will this baby formula trigger my baby’s allergies? With so many things to weigh, you can’t settle on a choice. 

To make things easier for you, we have rounded up some insightful pointers and suggestions to ensure your baby will receive the right nutrients to truly flourish and develop as he grows.

Things to Consider When Feeding Your Baby Breastmilk

The amount of formula required by your baby depends on age and size, and the quantity of solid food they consume. The formula tins have guidelines, but they are only estimates since every baby is different. Some babies may require more or less at each feed and a different number of feeds in 24 hours. Just like breastfeeding, your baby should show signs that it’s time to bottle-feed.

Overfeeding may happen to formula-fed babies, simply because they are inclined to drink faster, consuming excessive amounts of milk from the bottle. To help your little one control the quantity of drink, try paced bottle-feeding.

Consider buying a baby formula with a low protein level to prevent excessive fat accumulation, helping your baby maintain an ideal body weight.

Seek the advice of your health provider if you need help choosing the right formula for your baby. Health practitioners can make a good decision on what baby formula is appropriate for your baby, as they know the details about your baby’s health conditions, allergies,  nutritional deficiencies, among others.  

How Will I Know If I Chose the Wrong Formula?

It will be quite evident if you pick the wrong baby formula for your baby.

Here are just some of the red flags to watch for:

Indigestion

Diarrhea

Vomiting

Blood or mucus in the stool.

Due to pain, the baby tends to tuck his legs into his belly 

Drastic weight loss.

Feeling uneasy and distress

What Is the Closest Formula to Breast Milk?

As for the baby formula on the market that is closest to a mom’s breastmilk, here’s what Julia Mejia, lactation consultant has to say:

“There’s no baby formula that can really be closest to breast milk because milk from lactating mothers is a living substance, it constantly changes throughout the course of breastfeeding.” 

Nonetheless, the following are the top brands known for outperforming other competitors when it comes to producing “closest to breastmilk formula.”

Note: Nothing can replace a mother’s breast milk when it comes to providing the best and complete nutrients to support a baby’s development and growth. A mother’s breast milk is uniquely superior to any other baby milk formula. However, if supplementing baby formula is crucial due to certain conditions beyond your control, using baby formula can be beneficial.

Earth’s Best Organic Infant Formula

At times, doctors can put your baby on reflux medication ( which can wreak havoc on a baby’s fragile stomach) if your baby is diagnosed with cow’s milk allergy. You may want to ask your doctor if you can experiment with the different baby formulas before giving your baby a medication for reflux.

If your baby is susceptible to reflux and digestive issues, you may want to give  Earth’s Best Organic Infant Formula a try. This baby formula uses organic and more soothing ingredients than other brands to keep digestive issues at bay.

Earth Best Formula is known for its wholesome ingredients and nutrients that help strengthen your infant or toddler’s immune system, enabling them to fight infections and diseases. Nutrients in this baby formula also help with your baby’s eye and brain development.

Similac Advance

Similac advanced formula milk offers complete nutrition for babies, which they are promoting as similar to breastmilk. Among the ingredients that stand out are the DHA and lutein-nutrients known to support a baby’s brain and eye health. Similac is also one of the leading baby formulas that does not use artificial growth hormones. Additionally, the absence of palm olein oil in their list of ingredients enables your baby to absorb calcium much more efficiently and may help alleviate aggravating symptoms in babies afflicted with allergies.

As one mom said: “My baby had terrible allergies in the first few months and the only formula that didn’t give her a reaction was Similac 360 Total Care (palm oil free). However due to cost and her now being bigger, we decided to give this one a go. It’s so similar and we have noticed no difference with her eating (so happy!).”

Note: What works for one baby may not work for another. If your baby suffers from allergies or any food intolerance issues, please consult your health provider to get proper guidance.

Enfamil Enspire
Enfamil is known for supporting baby’s milestones by supplementing optimal nutrients to babies. One of its key selling points is the inclusion of lactoferrin in its baby formula, one of the primary proteins found in breast milk. This protein is crucial to keeping your infants or toddlers healthy as it is known to boost their defenses against diseases and infections.

Gerber Good Start Baby Formula 

Gerber Infant Formula is specially made for babies prone to experiencing digestive issues or discomfort due to indigestion. Gerber’s gentle and sensitive formulation makes it one of the best and gentlest baby formulas to give to tummy-sensitive babies with its Advanced Hydrolysis – a process the baby formula undergoes to break down intact proteins for easy digestion. It’s also 100% Whey, casein-free—-which means no curdling in the stomach that can upset the baby’s tummy, and most of all–it has probiotics and prebiotics that support your baby’s digestive health.

Similac 360 Total Care Infant Formula

Similac 360 is one of the highly rated baby formula brands on Amazon for good reasons. This infant’s formula lists 5 HMO prebiotics among their top ingredients, labeling them as “structurally identical” to those found in breastmilk. Ingredients are GMO-free, with no artificial growth hormones that could adversely affect your baby’s health. Nutrients found in Similac 360 Infant Formula are formulated to support your baby’s optimal health, such as strengthening the immunity of your little one from infections, aiding brain development, and improving digestive health.

We also love the ease of use, especially for busy moms, as it’s a ready-to-feed formula—  literally, no mixing required.  

Note: Not all babies are the same. What benefits one baby could be detrimental to another. So, let us always do our research when buying the best and most appropriate baby formula for our little ones.