Do you want to know how to choose the best baby formula for your little one? Follow our simple steps below!
Best Baby Formula | Find It in Just Three Steps
Step 1: Know the Different Kinds of Infant Formula
The first step to giving your little one the best formula is to know the different forms and kinds. While you know about the ones made from cow’s milk and organic baby formula, there is also vegan baby formula you can find in stores. To further guide you, here’s a quick reference:
Forms of Infant Formula:
- Powder: This is a budget-friendly pick. The powder form is usually mixed with water.
- Liquid Concentrate: Your average-priced formula for infants. This form is diluted with water.
- Ready-to-use: The most convenient choice, thus, the most expensive also. You just have to transfer this to your baby’s feeding bottle, and it’s all set.
Kinds of Infant Formula Based on the Ingredients:
- Milk-based: The best for full-term babies. This is made with cow’s milk mixed with the essential vitamins and minerals for infants.
- Soy-based: The perfect choice for infants who are lactose intolerant. This is a type of vegan baby formula for babies who are allergic to milk-based proteins.
- Specialties: These are for babies with special conditions and allergies, e.g. low birth weight babies and premature babies.
Step 2: Check the Baby Formula Ingredients
The next step is to read the label of the formula and check its ingredients. While not all formulas have the same ingredients, they must have the main components of a baby formula that is nourishing to your baby. Here’s a list of what to look for in a formula:
- Carbohydrate: Lactose, which is found the cow’s milk, is mostly the source of carbohydrates. For specialties and vegan formulas, it’s usually corn syrups, sucrose, and cornstarch.
- Protein: Most formulas contain the same amount of protein as breastmilk — 60% whey and 40% casein.
- Fat: Fats are mostly found in the different variety of oils used for baby formulas, milk-based and vegan. Some examples are coconut, palm, sunflower, and soy oils.
- Vitamins and minerals: 90% of the ingredients on the formula label are vitamins and minerals. Two of the most crucial are Vitamin C and Vitamin B5, so be sure to look for these.
- Iron: It’s another very important component you must look for in a formula. Iron is vital for blood circulation and the proper functioning of the body’s cells.
Step 3: Pick the Ones Fortified with Iron
Once you decide that breastfeeding is no longer an option for your baby, you must switch to an iron-fortified baby formula to feed your little one. Unless your pediatrician advises you not to do this, you must find a way to look for the best brand with high iron content. This is to help your baby’s blood to circulate oxygen in the body better and to prevent anemia at an early stage.
Proper Formula Preparation Tips
Wash Your Hands Before You Prep the Formula
Always wash your hands before you prep the bottles, teats, and the formula itself. You don’t want the bacteria from your hands to get into your little one’s feeding bottle.
Use Purified or Distilled Water for Baby Formula
When preparing baby formula, use purified or distilled water. For some babies, purified water will do. Purified water is between spring and distilled water. But if you really want to make sure there is zero minerals and impurities in the water, go for the distilled variant. There’s really no need to boil the water when preparing formula as this can also prevent your baby from burning his/her tongue.
Find out more about baby formula in this video from Chubby Cheeks:
May these steps guide you in choosing the best formula for your baby. Sometimes, it will take some experimenting to really find the best one. But in the end, if your baby is happy with the formula, and you see his/her body and health are responding well, your efforts in searching will all be worth it. If you can’t seem to find a good match for your baby, don’t hesitate to seek advice from your pediatrician.
How did you discover or find the best formula for your baby? Do share it with us in the comments section below!
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