Providers Who Purchase Infant Formula...

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How many infants do you have?

What formula do you use?

Why did you decide to buy it?

How much does it cost you and how many ounces do you get?


I will only take one infant who is bottle fed (unless I get a part timer, then two) so I decided that I would ask the mom about baby's formula and why they use it. They have tried GoodStart and baby just cried constantly when younger. Baby is 4 months now and has been doing great on Similac, Enfamil, or the general closest to the Sensitive for fussiness and gas.

I need to offer some type of formula so I decided to offer Similac to this family (because I'm on the food program). I have a BUNCH of coupons for $5 off any formula that is over $5. I like the Similac powder containers for storing the scoop in the lid. Enfamil was a few dollars more expensive making it more than double the generic brands formula. Since I've got these coupons and baby is currently on Similac that is how I made my decision. Do you think it will make me stand out more as a provider for offering name brand formula?

Also, with the coupons it's actually only 4 cents/ounce when I buy the "Ready to Feed" 32 ounce bottle and it's 10 cents/ounce when I buy the 1.45 lb. container. This is WITH the $5 off coupons. This is the ONLY way the ready to feed formula is cheaper or else it's slightly more expensive. Even more expensive if you buy the smaller multipacks, but that is not necessary for me.

Please answer my questions from above. Also, I'm going to be watching for sales but does anyone recommend certain stores that can get me the best deals when they go on sale? I still think buying one small bottle per purchase with a coupon is my best bet for now.

I use parents choice brand. I have two babies on formula. One is on the AR version, and the other is on the infant premium version. I try and get the value sized cans when they have them. ( they last just a bit longer). The bigger can makes 66 4 oz bottles. The regular sized can just says net wt. 23.3 ozs.
I shop at smiths (kroger's) and once in a while I will get a catalina(a coupon printed out at the register) for 5 dollars off enfamil. I cant rely on that so I just stick to the parents choice brand mostly. It means a trip to walmart but I dont mind it.
Normally I prefer taking just one bottle fed baby but the other baby is pt and almost off the bottle so I dont mind it.
Some have said that Costco/Sams club have the big cans but I havent figured out the cost of any of those yet.
Heres a tip: If you have freecycle in your area sometimes people will post free formula if there child is done with it, or decides on a diffrent brand. Craigs list is an other place to watch. Just make sure it hasnt been opened before.
Debbie
I got tired of having to remember to tell parents that the can ws getting low. Or they would forget to bring more when I did ask. Also they never believed me when I told them how fast the can was going even though I keep track of it.

[MarinaVanessa]

Just for informations sake and my own interest...are you sure this is correct? PBM Holdings is the company that makes store brand formulas for Costco, Walmart, Sam's Club, Target, Kroger, CVS, Walgreens, Babies R' Us, and other retailers. In early 2011 PBM won a law suit against Enfamil (made by Mead Johnson) because Enfamil claimed superiority to generic infant formulas. It doesn't make sense that they would claim superiority to their own recipe?

It makes perfect sense to me ESPECIALLY since they're claiming superiority over their own recipe. How can you claim that your formula is superior if it's the same exact thing as a generic brand? (hense being sued) A lot of people buy the generic Kirkland formula instead of the more expensive Enfamil because it's the same thing. Doctor's and nurses will even tell you that. Most hospitals use Enfamil and sometimes Similac because of the endoresment deals they have and all of the free samples and such that they give. Hospitals get a better deal for promoting these formulas too so the cost to hospitals is cheaper (obviously they're receiving large quatities of it).

Unless they've changed their formula within last few years and I just havn't heard about it it should still be the same. I get my info from family that works for a pediatric nutritionlist. She's always telling me "the scoop" about how generic brands are just as good as the other brands, just less costly.

The ingredients on both labels are exactly the same and I know that I was able to switch back and forth between Kirkland and Enfamil with no problems with my DD. Sometimes I ran low and needed formula right then and there and didn't have time to run to the next time over where our Costco is so I'd buy a small can of Enfamil from Target or something and my DD made no fuss. My son became lactose while BFing so unfortunately I can't give him the regular formula, we tried a few soy based formulas and we ended up with the Target brand of soy forula. All other brands made him fussy or he refused it.

EDIT: P.S. I looked it up and Mead Johnson was sued for falsely advertising that Enfamil LIPIL was the only formula containing healthy fatty acids DHA and ARA, which it is not. There are other brands that also contain both including Kirkland. So they weren't actually sued for claiming they were better than other generic brands, they were sued for claiming that they were the only formula that contained DHA and ARA. If anyone bought Enfamil Lipil between October 13, 2005 and March 31, 2010 you can qualify to get $12 or 2 free cans of formula https://formulasettlement.com/Home.aspx