With a wealth of information available in parenting magazines and online, it can be hard to know where to start looking for reliable advice on the best formula for newborns. New moms often turn to friends and relatives for advice, but with so many online resources available, it makes sense to use the internet to carry out some research, and discover which formula is best for your baby’s needs.
Store Brand Formula
Many moms spend a fortune on branded formulas, which they think will provide the best possible start for their baby – they don’t want to compromise on quality and they presume that by spending more, the baby formula they buy will have nutritional benefits. In fact, store brand formula, which can often cost up to 50 percent less than leading brands, boasts the same nutritional benefits as the big brand manufacturers; it’s still approved by the FDA and undergoes the same stringent testing regimes. Buying store brand formula could save you hundreds of dollars over the course of the year, particularly if your baby drinks ready-to-feed formula, which tends to be the most expensive due to its convenience. In fact, you could save over $600 in a year by choosing store brand formula over name-brand. But why is it so much cheaper?
WIC
Low income moms and families in the US can apply to the Women, Infants and Children nutritional program for free baby formula. It’s usually only name-brand formula manufacturers who supply the program with formula – up to half of all the formula consumed in the country is provided free of charge to this program. Of course, this costs the manufacturers money and leads to the price of name-brand formula rising. In addition, leading manufacturers offer hospitals and physicians free samples, which store brand formula manufacturers don’t do. This all contributes to a higher cost to the consumer.
Advertising
Leading name-brand formula manufacturers spend thousands of dollars on glossy advertising campaigns in print media and on television – they want consumers to know their product is the very best. Packaging is elaborate and designed to catch your eye, and they spend money becoming a manufacturer you can trust to provide the very best for your baby. But the best formula for newborns isn’t always a name-brand formula. The only difference is price – store brand formulas don’t spend a fortune advertising their goods, they rely on the discounted price to attract moms and families, who are clever enough to know that there’s no nutritional difference between leading brands and store brand formula.
Ultimately, you may need to test several formulas until you find one your baby likes. So there’s no such thing as the best formula for newborns; it varies from baby to baby. Testing formulas can be expensive, but by purchasing smaller cans of store brand formula and taking advantage of money off coupons, you can make significant savings.
Walmart’s exclusive brand Parent’s Choice Formula was introduced in 1998, and is one of the leading infant formulas in the USA today. The brand also offers a range of infant food including toddler formula, pediatric nutritional beverages and snacks including cereal bars and yogurt bites. Nutritionally comparable to leading brands, Parent’s Choice Formula meets FDA standards and could save parents $600 a year compared to purchasing name-brand formula. Could it be the best formula for newborns?
