Finding The Right Formula For Your Baby Can Be Hard — Here’s Your Game Plan

There’s nothing more anxiety-inducing for a parent than having your new baby in pain and not knowing what to do about it. If your little one is dealing with gas pains, acid reflux, constipation, or diarrhea, you just want to help them get relief — which can send you down the rabbit hole of researching new bottles and nipples, and even alternate formulas. For parents struggling to find the right formula for their babies, it’s a really stressful time, but it’s going to be OK. There’s a plan for this.

Sometimes a baby’s upset stomach is caused by them gulping down formula too quickly, or having to suck too hard to eat and taking in some air with their meal. It could also be that the formula is too watery. Just be sure that these common issues aren’t the real culprit behind your little one’s tummy troubles before you start switching formulas.

“Make sure that you are mixing the formula properly based on the manufacturer's directions. Because sometimes if we are using too much formula, it can cause constipation for the baby because we don't have the correct amount of formula-to-water ratio in there,” says Katherine Shary, RD, LD, registered dietitian at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

She also recommends:

• Double checking that the formula has not expired.
• Practice paced bottle feeding, where you position the bottle an angle so the formula flows into baby’s mouth more slowly, in an attempt to keep them from sucking down air as they eat.
• Holding your baby upright while they eat instead of laying them down or cradling them.
• Burping your baby throughout feeding them, not just at the end.
• Experimenting with a slower or faster flow nipple that is appropriate for your baby’s age.

You should definitely reach out to your child’s doctor right away about switching formulas if they’re experiencing projectile vomiting after eating, diarrhea, rashes, or if you notice blood or mucus in their stool, Shary says. If your little one is still uncomfortable after trying these tips, it could very well be that their tummy isn’t a fan of their formula. Here’s how to go about finding the right one.

Start by talking to your pediatrician.

When you walk down the formula aisle, you’ll see multiple brands and types of formula that all say they’re best for babies who spit up often or struggle with gas pains, but they all differ slightly from each other. Your pediatrician will be familiar with the specific protein compositions of different formulas and how most babies tend to react to them.

“It’s not going to be the same for your baby as it is for the neighbor’s baby or your pediatrician’s baby. So helping target what could be the trigger I think is really important. And these labels are not easy to read either,” says Dr. Liz May, M.D., FAAP, pediatrician at Texas Children’s.

You should tell your doctor about your baby’s GI symptoms, and everything you’d tried at home to help remedy them. Together, you can pick a new formula to try, and they may even be able to send you home with some samples.

It’s so tempting, but when trying new formulas, don’t switch to another too soon.

Once you and your pediatrician pick a new formula to try, don’t consider it a failure until a little time has passed (which is really, really hard when you’re desperate to help your baby get relief). It takes three to five days of giving your baby a new formula before you start to see a difference in their tummy troubles.

“If it’s been seven to 14 days with the formula change and you’re not seeing a difference, that’s reason to go back to the drawing board with your pediatrician,” says May.

“If we were on a formula for two days, we think it doesn’t work, we switch to another one, then another one. That in itself can be causing discomfort for the baby if we are trialing too many formulas at one time,” Shary says. “We should be on a formula and give it time for about a week, unless we are having those concerning GI issues that I mentioned. For example, if your baby is having bloody stools, they need to go to the doctor immediately.”

Give these comfort measures a whirl.

If you’re testing a new formula but your baby is still dealing with gas pains while you wait, Shary suggests trying these exercises with them:

• Bicycle legs, where you alternate bringing each of their legs up to their belly and back out
• Pelvic figure-8s, where you move your baby’s hips in a figure-8 motion while they’re lying flat on their back
• Tummy massages to gently ease the gas toward the exit

“All of those moves help the intestinal tract move things through. So if there is gas trapped in there, it can help expel some of that gas and discomfort that baby might be feeling,” she says. “Trying to do those things first can help a parent not have to add in or buy a whole bunch of other infant things that are out there on the market.”

You can try over-the-counter remedies.

There are so many rules about giving babies medication, and new parents may not realize there are actually options for gassy little ones at the pharmacy. There are OTC gas remedies for infants, usually in the form of simethicone drops. In studies, it hasn’t been shown to be terribly effective, but it’s also not harmful, May says. So, it may be worth a try. “I do have parents that have felt it has been very helpful. There are parents that said they tried it and didn't see a difference. Simethicone is a medicine so it's pretty tightly regulated by the FDA,” she says.

On the other hand, gripe water and other herbal supplements are not regulated by the FDA for quality. “I do caution parents if [gripe water] is something you're wanting to try, it's not regulated by the FDA. That being said, the bigger brands tend to have their own quality measures that they perform. It has not been shown to be dangerous if a parent wants to try it. In studies, it has been shown just to be kind of neutral. But anecdotally I have had parents that have felt it has been helpful with their infant’s symptoms,” says May.

You should let your child’s doctor know before trying these OTC options, Shary says, just to be safe.

Ask for help and accept it when it’s offered.

While you’re in the thick of finding the right formula, and working through that three-to-five-day waiting period that can feel like an eternity, lean on your support system.

“Historically, there’s something called alloparenting where each infant was actually raised by six to seven adults because it really takes that many, right? It’s a lot of feeding, a lot of diaper changing, a lot of supervision. We have single-family homes now most of the time and we’re doing it all on very little sleep and dealing with things like feeding issues. If a baby is really uncomfortable, it can make for really long days and it can be really, really tough to watch your baby be uncomfortable. Rely on those people who are helping you,” says May.

What to do if you’re switching formulas because of a shortage

In May 2022, there was a nationwide formula shortage that left many parents scrambling to find food for their infants. It hit parents of babies on specialty formulas hardest. While most formulas are much easier to come by now, when a specialty brand is recalled (which recently occurred with hypoallergenic formula Nutramigen at the end of 2023), it can be incredibly stressful.

If you’re considering switching formulas because you can’t find your usual brand, call your child’s pediatrician first. They may have samples in their office, or be able to help you find a safe substitute for now. You can also try calling the manufacturer of the formula directly to request some, or if you use food assistance programs, contact their offices, too, Shary says.

What you should not do is water down your baby’s usual formula, use toddler formula in its place, or try homemade formula recipes, Shary says.

New babies are still developing and adjusting to the world, Shary points out. Their bodies are brand new at digesting formula (or breast milk), and it can take a while for their tummies to work out the kinks. “Just take it one day at a time,” she says. So, you and your baby may have to stick it out for just a little bit longer, but you’ll find the right formula soon (and the right mix of tricks to keep them comfortable along the way).

Experts:

Dr. Liz May, M.D., FAAP, pediatrician at Texas Children’s

Katherine Shary, RD, LD, registered dietitian at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta