“Help!” I cried on several parenting Facebook groups. “I need to supplement my breastmilk with formula cus I’m not producing enough!” The response was overwhelming. Over 200 moms reached out with advice and voted on my best tasting formula for breastfed babies poll.
The poll was filled with the most common formula options:
- Similac
- Enfamil
- HiPP formula
- Goat Milk (Holle and Kabrita)
- Earth’s Best
- Enspire
- Gerber
- HappyBaby Organic
The top response on one poll though was unexpected…a user added “Offer More Breastfeeds”. The conversation that pursued is worth reading so scroll down to the section about whether you should give formula to a breastfed baby before choosing a formula.
For those who don’t like to read long posts with explanations and just want an ANSWER on what’s the best formula for breastfed babies. It’s complicated…and dependent on your baby’s sensitives. We went with Kabrita. It was the only formula that our LO didn’t have an adverse reaction to and that she actually drank. My supply did pick up again but it’s comforting to know if worse came to worse we have a formula for her. According to the polls, Similac is the brand of choice for best tasting formula for breastfed babies. And if your baby has a sensitivity Similac Alimentum is the highest rated one by tried-and-true moms.
Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor and you should ask your pediatrician before trying any formula. Also, to support this blog we do participate in affiliates.
Best Tasting Formula for Breastfed Babies in 2021
Below you’ll see the two polls results that I ran in two parenting groups. Similac is high on both lists but there are so many different kinds. I added the comments on exactly which kind moms recommended that I received on these posts under the section below on healthiest formula for breastfed babies.
Best Tasting Formula for Sensitive Babies
According to the poll, the best tasting formula for breastfed babies with sensitive stomachs is Similac. But there are so many different kinds so let’s dig in to what moms recommend is the best version.
Nine moms commented with Similac Alimentum, especially for babies with a milk allergy or sensitive stomachs. (It received the most comments out of all Similac mentions. You’ll find most non-dairy formulas have corn syrup as the first ingredient where dairy formulas have lactose, which is the sugar from milk.)
Four moms said Similac Pro Advance.
“We actually used Similac for Supplementation, it’s the only thing my little girl could tolerate. We’d buy it in a 4 pack on Amazon.” -Jazzmine M (received 3 comments)
“Similac Pro Total Comfort. Horrible and fussy and screaming on the regular Similac, the pro total comfort made her happy.” – Dakota P (2 comments)
“I use the Similac pure bliss,” commented Heidi H. “My first son I had to supplement right away cause I just couldn’t produce enough and he was screaming all the time and the dr figured out he was hungry. Then tried every formula under the sun and he threw them all up until this one. It also dissolves much better into the water and seems to have less harsh ingredients. When my son turned 1 and we started giving him diary milk we figured out he was lactose intolerant. So the pure bliss worked great dispute that. I’m now supplementing my second son for the same reason as you- working and pumping is crazy hard and my body’s supply tanked as soon as baby wasn’t latching 20 times a day. I was more successful breastfeeding with my second son because I figured out I needed a gallon to a gallon and a half of water to produce enough milk. But I got so stressed trying to drink that much and pump that much- it’s so hard. Every day I think- well maybe I should have done this or that and then I’d still be breastfeeding. But really- he’s doing great. Bottles and formula have equal complications. Everything is a trade off. I hope you find a path that is smooth for you and baby. Good luck! Oh- and if you go to a lactation specialist, Yelp and pay a good one. Soooo much better than the ones provided by insurance. Sooo. Much. Better!!”
I tried the formulas myself and Similac did come the closes to tasting like breastmilk.
Similac is definitley not for every baby though: “Enfamil gentlease. Similac tore my baby’s stomach up,” commented Jenna B.
Enfamil was also voted highly (Enfamil Enspire only got two votes). “Enfamil with DHA for babies brain development. I used Enfamil Enspire and my son didn’t have any problem tolerating it. He had a sensitive tummy and sensitive skin,” said Adrian A. We tried Enfamil Soy and MK did NOT like it one bit!
What I find fascinating is if you look up best baby formula for breastfed babies, you’ll see Earth’s Best Organic Infant Formula with Iron is recommend BUT only one mom in my poll voted for it.
Holle and HiPP were also popular among moms who participated in the poll. Both are European formulas, which are held to a higher standard but are typically more expensive to get in the US. Holle has both a cow and goat milk formula. (See more about Goat Milk below.)
Best Non-Dairy Formula for Breastfed Babies
I was introduced to The China Study several years ago and since then have cut 50% of animal products out of my family’s diet. The premise of the book is that the consumption of a lot of meat, especially dairy products like cow milk, is the reason people suffer from obesity, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and more. The book has very clear scientific research to indicate this and the only reason you probably have never heard about it is because the dairy and meat industry have done considerable PR to bury the study.
When MK was born she had what most pediatricians would diagnose as colic but knowing about our bodies reactions to dairy I decided to try my own experiment and cut out all dairy from my diet to see if that made any impact. It took a little over a week for dairy to fully get out of my system and milk but we gradually saw a difference with MK not crying as much (what a RELIEF!) To confirm it was really dairy about 2 months later I added milk back in, within 8 hrs she was in utter pain again.
Not all babies may experience this same drastic reaction. And many parents that come to a similar situation automatically get shuffled on formula since they aren’t knowledgeable about how bad dairy really is for you and babies in particular (even through breastmilk).
“Please discuss with your pediatrician about the best formula for your child,” advised Jennifer N. “If you suspect any sort of allergy or sensitivity insist on having her tested. Both my daughters were allergic to cow’s milk protein and had acid reflux that was exacerbated by cow’s milk and other things. I didn’t find out for my youngest one until she was 1 year old and for my oldest one until she was 3. A lot of pain and sleepless nights could have been avoided.”
If you’ve looked on formula labels, you’ll see that cow’s milk is in formula (it is processed and therefore is not as bad as actual cow milk). Regardless, I recommend trying to go with a non-cow milk version first.
Here’s a few recommendations from moms that found a non-cow milk formula that worked for them:
Many recommended goat milk since MK has a cow milk allergy. The goat milk provides an alternative to corn syrup/sugars. “Goat milk is best for our microbiome and for allergy sensitive babies,” suggested Nicolette P.
“Goats milk is closest to human,” commented Ashley J.
There are two highly recommended brands of goat milk formula: Holle and Kabrita. Kabrita was mentioned more in the comments. I went with Kabrita since my baby is 11 months (as Kabrita has on their website that their goat milk is more for 12months+ though many moms said they have given it to their younger child and it has been fine) and they offered a really cheap way to try the product to make sure MK liked the goat milk formula taste. Claim your FREE SAMPLE of Kabrita here.
Other non dairy formulas moms recommend include:
“Puramino: my son is intolerant to milk and soy and it’s helped him 100000%” – Britni M
“We are using Alimentum for dairy allergy” – Meena V
Should You Give Formula to Breastfed Babies
Your baby needs to eat to survive so it’s important they get nourishment if you aren’t able to breastfeed as much as they need. Babies needs differ – MK, my daughter, only drinks about 6-9 ounces during the 8 hour time she is at grandma’s while I work. She makes up for it though by drinking every 2-3 hrs through the night. I’m always jealous when I hear new moms say their babies sleep through the night (and most times these babies are formula fed because the parent can give the baby more formula throughout the day which keeps them full through the night).
Our pediatrician said babies need between 20-35 ounces of breastmilk (15 ounces is a BIG difference) so just keep in mind just because your baby is on the low end doesn’t mean they absolutely need to supplement with formula.
Breastfeeding does give your baby a leg up in life. Formula has been tied to obesity as an adult. As my mom repeatedly told me, Breastfeeding is the #1 best thing you can do for your baby (besides giving them love and keep them alive, of course).
Some comments I received on my poll included:
“I am a breastfeeding peer supporter in the UK,” said Elizabeth S, “And am wondering why you’re choosing to supplement with formula rather than nurse more? It may just be the way things are done in the US, or you have personal reasons for choosing to supplement but in the UK we look to encourage breastfeeding mums to adjust their nursing patterns to suit baby’s needs. Nursing more will increase your supply to what your baby needs during growth spurts and also give them more of that precious bonding when they’re stressed by the sudden changes in their body.”
Carah F added: “Extra feeding is the way your baby tells your body to make more milk for future. If you choose to supplement with formula, your supply will drop and it may cause further problems down the line. I would really suggest contacting a LLL breastfeeding supporter if there isn’t another reason that you need to supplement with formula. I’m not US based and never used formula so cannot recommend a brand but I would suggest that a goat formula is meant to be more gentle on the stomach than cow formula.”
Others added their experience with supplementing breastmilk with formula: “The more you nurse, the more you produce. It’s a positive feedback system. If you start supplementing, your body won’t adjust to making more. Best I can say is hydrate and continue nursing,” said Janie T. “I tried supplementing briefly when my first was little. He was in daycare and my supply dropped after I had a stomach bug, but he never took well to formula and my milk supply adjusted to his needs.”
Adding in giving formula to breastfed babies is often called the formula ‘booby’ trap because the baby will then prefer formula as it is more readily available especially if the formula tastes like breastmilk.
I’m ALL for breastfeeding but sometimes us moms need a little help to make sure our baby is getting enough milk.
Other moms in the group were supportive of helping me find the best formula for my breastfed baby. Kassiopeia H said: “Some women no matter what they do will NEVER PRODUCE ENOUGH.” Insufficient glandular tissue does impact a small amount of moms (around 4%) and only one of my boobs produce milk.
Things got a bit heated at this point (we’re talking insults, cussing…things I would like to blame sleep deprivation). Here’s the truth of the breastmilk vs formula debate: Whatever choice we choose we constantly look for validation that it was the right choice. No mom EVER wants to hear that their choice to formula feed is hurting their baby or vice versa that the moms that painstakingly went through sleepless months (or years!) in order to get their baby through breastfeeding (not to mention the moms that get pain from breastfeeding or really struggle) did it for nothing.
My conclusion: Breastfeed as much as possible but don’t feel ashamed if you need to supplement breastmilk with formula. In which case, be smart about the formula you choose. I based my top formula choice on two things:
- the best tasting formula (what’s the point of formula if your baby won’t drink it)
- healthiest formula for breastfed babies
Regarding #2 each baby is going to be different for what is healthy for them (ie sensitivies).
Best Milk After Breastfeeding
A recent question came up in my mom group about what formula or milk should you give your baby after breastfeeding to help wean (after 12+ months). Many moms touted Fairlife and Horizon but according to The China Study, babies don’t have the necessary enzymes in their stomach to digest milk until 2 years old.
I highly recommend oatmilk (more specifically Oatly is the best tasting one IMO).
If your baby isn’t eating as much, I recommend keeping them on Kabrita so you know they are getting the nutrients they need.
