How to Choose the Right Baby Formula

Video Transcript

"You're having a baby, or you've just had a baby and you're interested in how to select the best baby formula. My name is Beverly Bitterman ARNP Health and Wellness Consultant and I'm here to talk to you a little bit about that. First of all, I know you're here to talk about a baby formula. The first baby formula to consider is breast milk. Breast milk is natures best way of providing nutrition for your baby. However, if you're unable to breast feed, or choose not to, there are healthy alternatives out there on the market, on your supermarket and drug store shelves. Many, any of the basic formulas that you see the most out there, Similac would be the name of one, are fine. What you want to then decide is, do I want to go with a powdered formula, a liquid formula, or ready made bottles, and those are in ascending order of price. Powders are the cheapest, it also takes a little bit more to mix it up, so you have to consider that. And, the other nice thing about powder is that it last a while, you can take it, you can travel with it, that sort of thing. If you go with the liquid formula, it's a concentrate and you basically dilute it, and once you open that can, you've got about twenty four hours to use it or we're worried about bacterial growth, and you're going to need to discard it. The other thing you want to be aware of is that if your baby is particularly fussy, if you think that they have maybe a lot of gas or indigestion, certainly that's an opportunity for a conversation with your pediatrician. Some baby's don't do well with cows milk and cows milk is what those commercial formulas are based on. There are alternatives to those. Some would include adding some rice powder into the formula, or formula that is based a little bit more on rice powder, or on soy formulas. So, if your baby's not doing well with the traditional formulas, you do have other options, and I would suggest that you consult with your pediatrician. They may even have samples that they can give you to try out, so that you're not having to buy large quantities of new types of formulas to test them. And, then of course, if your baby is vomiting a lot or projectile vomiting, those would be other signs that you would want to check with your pediatrician. Again, my name is Beverly Bitterman, Health and Wellness Consultant and I wish you very good luck with your new baby."