How To Select Right Infant Formula for your Baby: A Complete Guide from our Personal Experience

First of all Congratulations for becoming parents and hope your little Bundle of Joy is in good health. If you are here, most probably you are a new parent.

Milk powders are an effective way to ensure your baby gets the right nutrients. Of course, they can never match the goodness of mother’s milk. Hence, if you have to use them, do so only on top of regular breast milk. Also, go for infant milk formula only after consulting your doctor.

What is the right time to start formula to baby?

Case 1: When mother is not producing breast milk at all right from the beginning,  then doctor suggests to start it from the time of birth when the baby is still in the hospital.

Case 2: When mother is not able to produce enough breast milk and baby still remains hungry after feed

It can be a really tough job for parents to select the best Infant Baby Formula for their newborn, specially for first time parents. With so many products available in market and with very little information available about them, parents gets confused on what would be the most suitable Infant Baby Formula for their newborn.

We recently had a baby and we also went through similar dilemma. The more we asked people, the more we got confused. So, first we would like to share our experiences and hope that you don't repeat our mistakes. Then we will take you through the products currently available in market to help you choose the best for your baby.

Our Experiences:

Let's begin with our experiences with the Infant Formula. 

• Infant Formula was introduced to our baby right after the birth. The nurses fed Nan Pro 1 to him while he was in Nursery and recommended us the same. 
• We used to feed him Breast milk and after that, if required, Formula. 
• Initially everything went smooth but after a few weeks our baby started spitting up a lot after feeding formula milk. 
• Our Mistake: Without consulting the doctor we changed his Infant Formula and started giving him Lactogen 1. No benefit noticed. 
• Then we switched to Similac, again without consulting his Pediatrician, that also didn't suit him. 2-3 days things went smooth then back to square one. 
• In this phase, our baby was also not gaining weight as expected.
• Then after a lot of research and consulting with our Pediatrician, we switched to Nan Excella Pro and finally we got the right formula for our little one. and still continuing with Nan Excella Pro 2.

Suggestions based on Our Experiences:

• You have to start somewhere at first. Usually after birth if your baby is in Nursery for some hours, nurses must have given some Formula already and if baby is fine and not crying after taking feed, you can continue with that formula.
• If not, then better to ask midwife/Pediatrician.
• Personally, I have noticed that most Pediatricians in India recommends Nestle Nan Pro as first baby formula. One reason for that is that it is based on Whey Protein which is easy to digest for newborn.
• If you are on a budget, Nestle Lactogen can be your starting point. 50-60% babies do not require changing their Formula later on if their initial Formula suits them. 
• Most important thing to take care is that in case of Baby Formula, it is not necessary that the most Expensive ones are the best for your kid. The one which suits your baby is the best for him/her.
• Expensive ones might have some additional ingredients which makes them a bit better but that does not mean that it is mandatory. Formula is just a substitute for Breast Milk till the time baby does not start taking external food and once your baby is 5~6 months old, depending upon baby to baby, giving nutritious diet to baby is more important than Formula and it can help in overall growth of baby.
• So coming back to First baby Formula, if you baby is able to take First Formula properly without much spitting out, not more than normal crying and getting enough sleep then he or she has adapted to the Formula and you can keep giving that same formula.
• Now here is the tricky part, how to know if the formula is suiting your baby. Pointers to check are mentioned just after this section.
• DO NOT CHANGE BABY FORMULA if your baby is happy with the current formula. Sometimes, just because someone suggests us that X formula is better than Y, or Z formula can help your baby gain weight etc, we tend to change the formula which our baby is taking. It should not be done at all. Every baby is different and it depends on baby to baby how one reacts to certain Formula or any food for that matter. 
• You should take care about baby's allergies as well, Some babies can have allergies to certain ingredients and they must take Formula as suggested by their Pediatrician only.
• One more point to add, as our baby was colic, these 2 bottles helped us a lot. 1. Dr. Brown: A bit expensive but very useful. and 2. Philips Avent.

How to know if the Formula is suiting your baby?

1. Baby might start throwing up more if the formula is not suiting your baby.
2. Gas: if baby suddenly starts passing gas a lot more than normal.
3. Poop is either very hard or very loose.  Both Constipation and Loose Motions can be sign that formula is not suiting your baby.
4. Weight Gain should remain constant, it should not stop or start falling down.

I hope that our Experiences and Suggestions might help you in making informed decision while choosing Infant Formula for your baby.

Now lets see some famous Infant Baby Formulas available in market:

1. Nestle Lactogen 1 Infant Formula Powder (Buy here)

Nestle Lactogen is a spray dried infant formula that contains essential probiotics. It is primarily made of whey protein, which are milk proteins that are easier to digest.

Nestle boasts over 150 years of experience in infant nutrition. The milk formula also contains the essential B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and iron.

2.  Dexolac 1 Infant Formula (Buy here)

Dexolac infant formula milk powder is replete with iron that helps combat anemia (which can be common during the time). It also contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, choline, and iodine that promote the infants’ brain development.

The calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D support the baby’s bone strength and development. The infant formula also contains nucleotide and folic acid.

 3. Similac Advance Infant Formula Stage 1 (Buy here)

Similac Advance Infant Formula contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, iron, iodine, choline, taurine, folic acid, and zinc – all of which help promote brain health. The calcium and vitamin D in the formula promote bone health of the infant.

The brand has been involved with science-based child nutrition for over 85 years. This infant formula is ideal for babies up to 6 months of age.

4.  Nestle Nan Pro 1 Infant Formula (Buy here)

It is one of the most popular out in the market. It is made of whey proteins. It also contains DHA and ARA and other nutrients like vitamins A, C, D, iron, and zinc.

The product is ideal for babies up to 6 months. Since it contains whey protein, it can also help treat digestive issues, which are most common in preterm babies.

5. Nestle Nan Excella Pro 1 Infant Formula (Buy here) 

Nestlé Nan Excella Pro 1 is a spray dried infant formula with DHA and ARA for infants from birth when they are not breastfed. Nestlé Nan Excella Pro 1 is made with whey protein, which is a component of milk protein, which are easy to digest.

It contains DHA-ARA, and Choline that supports baby’s normal brain development. It contains Vitamins A, C, D, Iron and Zinc.

 6. Neocate LCP Infant Formula Powder (Buy here)

Neocate LCP Infant Formula Powder is specially designed for infants who are allergic to cow’s milk. The product is suitable for infants below 12 years of age. It is an amino-acid based milk formula.

This milk powder contains LCPs (long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids) and nucleotides. The product is also suitable for babies with multiple food protein allergies or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

This Product is Non-Vegetarian.

Although there are many other products available in the market like Aptamil, Farex and many more keep coming but the above ones are the most famous ones.

Safety Warnings: Infant milk substitute should be used only on the advice of a health worker as to the need for its use and the proper method of its use. Infant milk substitute is not the sole source of nourishment of an infant. Unboiled water, unboiled utensils or incorrect dilution can make your baby ill. Incorrect storage, handling, preparation and feeding can potentially lead to adverse effects for the health of your baby.