The Best Organic Baby Formula: Feeding Your Baby Right!
You’ve probably heard of the old adage “Breast is best”. But WHAT IF breastfeeding is not an option for you (or if you had adopted or face low breast milk supply)?
For some mothers, breastfeeding may be a smooth journey but there are others who face challenges breastfeeding for example due to certain medical conditions or other environmental factors.
Not being able to breastfeed does not make you any less of a mother and you should not feel guilty over it. Given those circumstances, feeding your baby formula milk is probably your next best option.
While there are the normal and organic baby formulas, it’s always recommended to go for the organic one but which type is the best organic baby formula for my baby, you may think? Well…read on to find out more!
Types of Formula Milk
First Milks (also known as Stage 1 or whey dominant formulas)
First milks are based on the whey of cow’s milk and are often described as for newborns since they are more easily digested than other types of milk. This is the best type of infant formula for your baby unless your doctor suggests otherwise.
If bottle–feeding, first milk is the only food your baby needs for the first six months after which you may start introducing solid food into your baby’s diet. After baby turns one year old, ordinary (full–fat) cow’s milk can be given.
First milk is the only food your baby needs for the first six months. #FeedingYourBabyRight
Recommended read: Why bottle-fed babies are easily overfed.
Other recommended read:
Second Milks (also known as Stage 2 or casein dominant formulas)
Second milks are based on the curd of cow’s milk and hence, takes baby longer to digest than first milks. They are often described as for ‘hungrier babies’ and are not recommended for young babies. However, there is actually no evidence that shows babies do settle better or sleep longer when given these milks.
Follow-on Milks
Follow-on milks are suitable for babies from six months onwards. However, it is not really necessary to move your baby on to these milks.
This is because although these milks contain more iron, not all of it can be absorbed by baby, and in any case, once your baby starts taking solid foods (from six months onwards), they should already be getting enough iron and nutrients from other food sources.
Follow–on milks should never be used for babies under six months old, as they are not nutritionally suitable.
Goodnight Milks
Goodnight milks contain follow-on milk and cereal, and should never be given to babies under six months old, as they are not nutritionally suitable. These milks are often advertised as suitable for babies from six months to three years of age.
There is no independent evidence supporting their claim that they help babies settle or that they are easy to digest so these milks are really not necessary for baby.
Goodnight milks contain follow-on milk and cereal, and should never be given to babies under six months old baby. #FeedingYourBabyRight
Soya Formula
As the name indicates, soya formula is made from soya, not cow’s milk. This formula is based on protein soy extracts added with certain amino acids to emulate that of human milk.
Soya formula contains high levels of a chemical called phytoestrogen, which may have negative effects on babies and hence, should only be used in exceptional circumstances and only under doctor’s recommendation.
However, recently more mothers have chosen soya formula due to some misperceptions that it is better than cow’s milk or that it helps avoid allergies caused by cow’s milk baby formula. There is no research supporting those claims.
Soya baby formula contains high levels of a chemical called phytoestrogen, which may have negative effects on babies. #FeedingYourBabyRight
Goat’s Milk–based Infant Formula
In 2014, UK regulations have been changed to allow goats’ milk proteins to be used for manufacturing infant formula. Some mothers choose to feed their babies goat milk-based formula, citing that their baby is allergic to cow’s milk.
However, if your baby has an allergy to cows' milk, goats' milk formula may not be suitable as well because the protein content is very similar between the two. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) had also concluded that there’s no supporting data showing that allergic reactions is lower when feeding goats’ milk based formula compared to cows’ milk based formula.
It is beneficial to note though, that milk allergies and cow’s milk intolerance are different. Some babies may not be tolerant to cow’s milk proteins, but can ingest goat’s milk without complications.
What’s Next?
You may be thinking…now that we’ve seen the different types of formula, let’s just pick one for baby? That may not be a wise approach…after all, wouldn’t you first want to understand what goes into the baby formulas?
The next section highlights some of the ingredients that you’d want to watch out for; the same ingredients that may cause you to think twice about feeding baby conventional formula.
Watch Out for These Ingredients in Your Baby Formula
- Processed refined sugars, mainly corn syrup (because it is cheaper than lactose).
- Palm oil, which does not absorb into baby’s system but instead forms 'soaps' in the baby's intestines, causing digestive issues and negatively affecting a baby's development and health.
- Synthetic DHA (C. Cohnii oil) and ARA (M. Alpina Oil), extracted with neurotoxic solvents from algae and soil fungus. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting and other gastrointestinal distress.
- Synthetic preservatives (such as ascorbic palmitate and beta-carotene); both of which have been rejected by National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) in organic products.
- Synthetic nutrients (such as lutein, lycopene, nucleotides, taurine, l-carnitine and l-methionine); the concern being that many of them are either listed as toxic ingredients themselves, or have been processed with neurotoxic solvents. These nutrients are also not required in infant formula by the FDA and have in fact been banned in organic formula in the European Union (EU). The NOSB has also rejected them.
The Top 5 Brands: The Best Organic Baby Formula
So…if there are all these concerns with those ingredients in baby formula and you’re not able to breastfeed, where does that leave you then?
Although there’s no perfect formula, another option you may want to consider is to feed your baby ORGANIC formula, as they would not contain most of those harmful ingredients.
Of course, organic formulas tend to be pricier than regular ones so all in all, do consider your financial means as well, and choose what’s best, overall, for your family. If organic baby formula is right for you, here are some off the best organic baby formula brands you can choose from:
Vermont Organics Baby Formula
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- Buy Here
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Earth’s Best Organic Formula
- formula
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- more info
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- Buy Here
- video
Similac Organic Baby Formula
- formula
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- more info
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- Buy Here
- video
Baby’s Only Organic Formula
- formula
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- ingredients
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- more info
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- Buy Here
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Parent’s Choice Organic Formula
- formula
- highlights
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- Buy Here
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Other organic baby formula brand like Hipp Organic and Holle Organic are also highly recommended by the parents.
Conclusion
As implied earlier, there’s really no perfect formula but some ARE better than others. Organic baby formula for one, remains a safer and more superior option than conventional formula. So if you can afford it financially, you may want to choose the best organic baby formula you can get your hands on.
