When I was pregnant, I always knew I was going to breastfeed, now how long was a completely different question. I ended up breastfeeding for 3 months until it was time for me to go back to work. A mother’s number one concern is the health of her baby. I knew when it was time to go back to work, that I was not going to be able to breast feed. I had to decide on which formula was best for my baby.
Working at a major retailer I always saw Mother’s purchasing Enfamil, it was expensive so I thought that was the way to go. For 4 months I spent anywhere from $23 – $26 on a 25.7 oz can of powdered Enfamil with Lipil every week. Enfamil had DHA and ARA which is good for brain and eye development. Its claim to fame is that it’s as close to breast milk as it gets.
As a new mother I just wanted what was best for my baby, well Enfamil was killing our budget so I began to research formula. I found out that Formula is regulated by the FDA, so there are requirements on what Formula has to contain. I began to look at Target Brand Formula, and on the back of the Target Brand Formula it compares Enfamil to Target Brand Formula. To my surprise all of the ingredients were the same! There were slight differences in the amounts, but they were shockingly close. It even had the DHA and ARA that Enfamil had. The cost of Target Brand formula was only 13.00 for a 25.7oz can of powder.
Their were only a few noticeable difference that I saw between the Enfamil Formula and The Target Brand formula was the Enfamil formula dissolved a little better. I had to use warm water when mixing the Target Brand formula, because it aided in the dissolving process of the formula. When you opened the cans, you could definitely tell that the Enfamil Formula’s texture was softer and had more of a powder texture. Where as the Target Brand Formula, had more of a grainier texture, then the Enfamil formula; it was almost like a fine sand. I’m sure this is what caused the Enfamil Formula to dissolve better then the Target Brand formula.
Target has done a good job with keeping up with all the different brands of Enfamil. Enfamil has many different “formulas”, that suite the needs of your child. Enfamil has, Enfamil Prosobee (soy based formula), Enfamil Gentlease (for fussy or gassy babies), Enfamil Lactofree (Lactose Free), Enfamil A.R. (for babies with reflux) and also Enfamil Nutrimagen (for babies who are allergic to cow’s milk protein). Target Brand has comparable formula for all of these listed except for the Enfamil Nutrimagen formula. I’m confident over the next few years; they will offer a comparable formula for that as well.
When choosing a formula for your baby, whether it be Enfamil with Lipil, or Target Brand formula, I suggest you do your research first. I thought the more expensive name brand formula, Enfamil with Lipil, was the better formula. After spending twice the amount of money, I looked a little bit further and realized that Target Brand formula, is just as good as Enfamil with Lipil, and my baby loved it just as much as she did the Target Brand Formula. Don’t buy into the fad, that name brand is the only way to go. The extra money can be used to put towards your child’s college savings. Imagine saving $10 a week for the 52weeks that your child will be using formula. That’s $520! I would say with that kind of savings it is definitely worth looking into. With our future children, I will breastfeed as long as possible, but if I’m not able to continue I will definitely be choosing Target Brand formula!
