There are so many different formulas out there on the market, as new parents, sometimes you really have no idea which one to choose. Most of us, including myself, go with friends' recommendations. Other looks for online reviews, nutrition contents, or whether or not they have heard of the brand before.
I have tried various brands (Enfamil A+, Friso, Hipp, Illuma, and Kendamil). I wouldn't usually recommend people to keep switching formula, however, due to the different circumstances, we had to change serval times.
I believe (and hope) all formula on the market is safe for our babies to consume. So my reviews on the brands we have tried are only based on our personal experience and how well Joshua has reacted to them.
This is the first brand we tried, it is a reputable brand, easily accessible and highly recommended by my friends. Unfortunately, Joshua had bad constipation while on it, so we had to switch.
Ingredients (Enfamil A+ stage 2): Water, Modified Milk Ingredients, Corn Syrup Solids, Lactose, Palm Olein Oil, Soy Oil, Coconut Oil, High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Galactooligosaccharide Solid (GOS), Polydextrose, Mono and Diglycerides, Soy Lecithin, Mortierella Alpina Oil, Carrageenan, Crypthecodinium Cohnii Oils, Taurine, L-Carnitine, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Mixed Tocopherols, (May contain Potassium Hydroxide)
What I thought about it: I still think it is a good choice, as many of my friend's babies are on Enfamil, and are fine. Every baby is different; mine just didn't react well to it.
Dissolvability: Average, sometimes there are lumps, so you will need to mix it for a bit longer.
Taste: Not the best but not the worst.
The next brand we tried was Friso, which was recommended by our Pediatrician. He said we could try this formula as Friso is known to be suitable for babies with constipation. We were not that impressed as Joshua still had constipation every now and then but better than before. In the end, we decided to try another brand because we found it quite hard to dissolve and it still didn't solve Joshua's constipation.
Ingredients (Stage 2): Skimmed milk, Demineralized whey, Vegetable oils, Lactose, Whey protein concentrate, Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), Maltodextrin, Potassium citrate, Choline bitartrate, Calcium carbonate, Calcium phosphate, Magnesium chloride, Fish oil, Sodium L-ascorbate, Sodium citrate, Single cell oil, Sodium chloride, Potassium chloride, Taurine, Ferrous sulphate, Calcium hydroxide, Zinc sulphate, Cytidine-5'-monophosphoric acid, DL -tocopheryl acetate, Disodium uridine-5'-monophosphate, L-Ascorbyl palmitate, Adenosine-5'-monophosphoric acid, Nicotinamide, Disodium guanosine-5'-monophosphate, Disodium inosine-5'-monophosphate, Calcium D-pantothenate, Cupric sulphate, Retinyl-acetate, Thiamin hydrochloride, Manganese sulphate, Pyridoxine hydrochloride, ß-carotene, Folic acid, Riboflavin, Potassium iodide, Phytomenadione, Sodium selenite, D-Biotin, Cholecalciferol, Cyanocobalamin
What I thought about it: Friso has great reviews online, it just didn't suit us. We have tried some of their other product since such as their rice cereal, however, Joshua isn't a fan.
Dissolvability: Out of all the brands I have tried, I found this was one of the hardest ones to dissolve. I find that it can be a bit lumpy and takes longer to dissolve completely.
Taste: I didn't taste this one, so no comment.
We switched it to Illuma next, which was recommended by my gynecologist. Joshua reacted well to it, so we stuck with it for a few months. Even though Illuma is from Ireland, it wasn't available in the UK, so during our visit over Christmas, we had to switch again.
Ingredients (Stage 3): Skimmed milk Powder, Lactose, Maltodextrin, Vegetable Oils (High 2-Palmitic Palm Oil, Soybean Oil, Sunflower Oil), Whey Protein (Main Source of Alpha-Lactalbumin), Milk Oligosaccharides, Sodium Citrate, Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids [Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA), Arachidonic Acid (AA)], 2'-Fucosyllactose, Vitamin C, Acidity Regulator (Potassium Hydroxide), Emulsifier, Acidity Regulator (Calcium Hydroxide), Choline Chloride, Acidity Regulator (Potassium Carbonate), Calcium Chloride, Lacto-N-neotetraose, Potassium Citrate, Taurine, Ferrous Sulfate, Inositol, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Flavor (Ethyl Vanillin), Nucleotides, Zinc Sulfate, Antioxidant, Vitamin E, Nicotinamide, Calcium D-Pantothenate, Lutein, Antioxidant (L-Ascorbyl Palmitate), Copper Sulfate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Manganese Sulfate, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, Vitamin D3, Beta-Carotene, Folic Acid, Vitamin K, Potassium lodide, Sodium Selenite, D-Biontin, Antioxidant (Mixed Tocopherols), Vitamin B12.
What I thought about it: By far the most expensive formula on the market! They promote themselves as the only brand to have Human Affinity formula. (To be honest, I still don't fully understand what that means.) As new parents, if your baby reacts well to a formula, you will keep using it despite the price. However, looking back, I think it was crazy how expensive it is. When I told my sister in law how much we were spending on formula, she was gobsmacked.
Dissolvability: Very easy to dissolve, definitely one of the easiest to dissolve on the market.
Taste: Let's... just... say, it is not my cup of tea, shall we? To me, it tasted very metallic. If it is supposed to emulate breastmilk, it definitely doesn't taste like it.
During our England trip, we switched to Hipp. We chose Hipp because Joshua's cousins are on it, we heard lots of good things about it, and it was easily available in different supermarkets and Boots. Most importantly, I know we can get Hipp back in Hong Kong if we decided to continue.
Joshua reached well with Hipp. He didn't have constipation, in fact, his bowel movement was very good and regular. So we continued using Hipp when we came back to Hong Kong.
Ingredients (Stage 2): Skimmed milk*, lactose*, vegetable oils* (palm oil*, rapeseed oil*, sunflower oil*), whey powder* partially demineralised, fibre (galacto-oligosaccharides from lactose), calcium carbonate, vitamin C, potassium chloride, L-tryptophan, calcium chloride, ferrous sulphate, stabiliser lactic acid, natural lactic acid culture (lactobacillus fermentum hereditum®1), vitamin E, vitamin A, niacin, zinc oxide, pantothenic acid, copper sulphate, vitamin K, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, manganese sulphate, folic acid, biotin, potassium iodate, vitamin B2, sodium selenate, vitamin D, vitamin B12
What I thought about it: Out of all the mummies I have talked to, most are on Hipp. It is a well-known brand, easily accessible and reasonably priced. I have tried both the Organic and Combiotik formula, Joshua reached well with both.
Dissolvability: The Organic one needs a higher temperature for them to dissolve properly, or else it will easily lump together. The texture is also stickier and finer. The Combiotik formula is a lot more grainy but dissolves a lot easier, however, the packaging is awful. It comes in a cardboard box and in a packet. Not the easiest to scoop and measure.
Taste: Decent, not the best but not the worst.
I try Kendamil as part of their campaign, at first I wasn't quite sure if I want to switch Joshua to a different formula again, as he seems to be doing well on Hipp. However, after reading up about their brand, their ingredients, and reviews, (even Prince Louis drinks Kendamil) I decided to give it a try. I have to say, I am very glad I did.
Joshua's bowel movement has been great, and he absolutely loves the taste. I don't blame him, as it is the best tasting formula around.
Ingredients (Stage 2): Whole Milk, Lactose (from Milk), Demineralised Milk Whey Powder (enriched in alpha-lactalbumin), Vegetable Oils (Sunflower, Coconut, Canola), galacto-oligosaccharides (from Milk), Skimmed Milk Powder, Calcium Citrate, LCP Oils (Arachidonic Acid, Docosahexaenoic Acid), Sodium Ascorbate, Magnesium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Sodium, Citrate, Potassium Hydroxide, Iron Pyrophosphate, Inositol, Taurine, Choline Bitartrate,
Nucleotides (Cytidine-5’-monophosphate, disodium Uridine-5’-monophosphate, Adenosine-5’-monophosphate, disodium Inosine-5’-monophosphate, disodium Guanosine-5’ monophosphate), L-Carnitine, Vitamin E, Niacin, Zinc Sulphate, Ferric Ammonium Citrate, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A, Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Copper Sulphate, Manganese Sulphate, Folic Acid, Potassium Iodide, Riboflavin, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin K, Biotin, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12
What I thought about it: My husband and I did have a long discussion about whether to go back to Hipp or stick with Kendamil after the trial. In the end, we decided to continue with Kendamil because it tasted so much better. Even though Kendamil is only available to purchase at certain Watsons, we decided it was worth the hassle for the better taste. I mean the way I see it, I would only want to feed my baby something that I would consider consuming myself.
Dissolvability: Fantastic. Really easy to dissolve, the temperature doesn't need to be too high, it pretty much melts the minute it touches warm water. I have even tried it with room temperature water and it will still dissolve, it just takes a bit longer.
Taste: Not only does it smell great, but it is also delicious. This is the only formula I have tried that I won't mind drinking it myself. It is creamy, and it smells delicious. I think it is a great formula to transition to cows milk as they are weaning off bottle feeding.
Other interesting facts about Kendamil:
BRITISH MADE – the only British-made formula, 57 years’ experience
FULL CREAM NUTRIENTS – natural goodness of British full cream milk
NO PALM OIL – better for your child and the environment
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY – plant-based Omega-3 DHA, zero fish
Which formula does your baby drink? Are you happy with it? If you are thinking of switching, I would highly recommend trying Kendamil. It is worth a try, you might be pleasantly surprised.
I hope you enjoy my blog review today. Please do let me know if this has been useful to you.
Sending you love & positive thoughts,
Christine xxx
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