Product Choices (Diapers, Bottles, Formula)

It feels like there are an overwhelming number of choices for EVERYTHING baby. Diapers, Bottles, pacifiers, baby food, etc. I'm going to admit, i used a lot of baby gear lab and other product comparison articles to make my choices.

DIAPERS
The first thing to decide was cloth v disposable. Cloth has cooler prints, and in theory is cheaper in the long run. Disposable offers convenience. I found this article EXTREMELY helpful in helping me decide. Ultimately I decided we're in the "ain't nobody got time for that" club when it comes to cloth diapers, but i still wanted to go green, SO I chose Bambo Nature as the most highly rated disposable diaper.

Bambo is NOT a cheap diaper- it's among the most expensive diapers on the market at .31-.38 per diaper. If eco-friendly wasn't important to me (or if at some point i just can't find bambo) i'm pretty sure Pampers swaddlers is our second choice since that color change stripe is awesome. I DO care that our diapers are allergen friendly, eco-conscious, and still rated well (a lot of the natural diapers are NOT rated well) which is why we chose Bambo for ourselves. Totally understand those that go the affordable route.

ETA: I just have to rave about Bambo's customer service. They were one of the companies i wrote to asking if they did samples, and while they apparently do totally sell a sample pack on their website (that i just didn't see because it's in their store, not a separate link), within 24 hours they had responded to my request, sent me a sample (4 diapers- 2 sizes) that arrived in 3 days, and less than a week later(today) followed up to see that the sample had arrived and offer me a one-time use personalized discount code of 25% (it has my name in it) that i can use to stock up on diapers before baby arrives. (I chose to stock up on their 11-20lb size 3 diapers at .33/ea) I just thought that was altogether classy and stellar customer service, so not only are they the top rated and most eco-friendly, they're also pretty awesome people. I was hoping to get to try their diaper, I wasn't expecting them to go above and beyond.

BOTTLES
Can I just say that not all reviews are created equal. Bambo came out on top for disposable diapers on pretty much every product comparison site i looked at, but NONE of those sites seemed to agree on bottles. We received several free bottles- 3 avent and 1 munchkin latch, and munchkin latch wasn't even tested in several of the comparisons. Philips Avent seemed to score pretty high in all tests though which is ultimately the choice i made. I really hate drinking out of plastic stuff, it just picks up a flavor and never feels clean, so i did register for the small glass bottles, though we already have 3 plastic bottles(1 is the munchkin). I am accepting some hand-me-down medela bottles just because they're designed to function with the breastpump. We chose Avent based on product comparison charts, but i recently saw it on a list of bottles that mimic breast, and can attest that our baby transitions well between the two.

Formula v. Breastfeeding
There is no debate. All doctors and all formula companies agree that breastfeeding is the best option for your baby. Sometimes, there are medical reasons you can't breastfeed, and other times when formula is just more convenient. Personally, we would probably milk bank (some women sell or donate breastmilk for those that can't breastfeed) rather than use formula, but breastfeeding is every medical professional's ideal choice re: the health of your baby.

I've already explained the reasons why we don't really feel that formula feeding is an option for us, but to recap:

• I developed a food allergy to soy in my early 20s. Potential allergen hazard
• Because of that allergy, i've done a lot of research on soy and genuinely feel it is not meant for human consumption. Among other things, the phyto-estrogens have proven strong enough to change the timing of a woman's cycle, the goitrogens are severely anti-thyroid, the saponins are severely damaging to the digestive tract, and many soy formulas are created by acid washing the bean in aluminum tanks. (aluminum is bad)
• Over 90% of soy is GMO to be round-up ready. More and more studies are showing that the glyphosates found in roundup have an impact on brain development. I truly believe that a link between the soy/pesticides in our food and the rise in autism will solidify as research continues in this field.
• Here's a link to an article about why soy-formula is so dangerous, but our opinion was formed without that article.

I understand that as strongly as we feel about soy, it seems to be difficult data for the public to swallow, and most people are not willing to make the (surprisingly drastic) change of diet required to eliminate soy from their lives. While I am happy to discuss our decisions and feel very very strongly about them, this post isn't really about converting people. That said, let's compare both breast pumps and formulas:

BREAST PUMPS
This is another product where there were overwhelming majorities. Hundreds of moms compared effectiveness, ease of use, comfort, cost, and availability of accessories. For the most part, medela came out on top Everytime with Ameda as the biggest contender.
 Reviews put them head to head and in many cases they tied, but there were 3 important distinctions that influenced my final choice: 1) Medela has problems with milk backing up into the tubing and leading to mold. Ameda doesn't. 2) There were a lot of complaints amount the "shields" for medela not being comfortable. 3)Insurance seems to cover the fancier ameda pump but requires some out of pocket expense for the fancier medela pump.

*Full disclosure: My sister is giving me her super fancy medela pump that she paid out of pocket for the upgrade, and since my insurance still covers a pump, i'm going with the Ameda. Ultimately, I will get to try both. BONUS: Did you know that pretty much all ameda and medela parts are interchangeable. I'm told amedas actually cost a lot less, so if you're needing to replace parts on your medela, the ameda parts are a more cost effective option.



FORMULAS
I DID look at my options for soy-free formula. They don't make it in the U.S. AT ALL. but there are a couple UK versions in Holle and HiPP (hipp's american version has soy lecithin) and NZ based Nannycare. I may pick up some of this "just in case"

*My understanding is that the u.s. does not allow formulas to be marketed for children under the age of 1 without an american clinical trial where formula is the sole source of nutrition. Most non-us companies will not undergo these trials, and so you can buy "toddler formula (age 1-3)" on amazon, while the "infant formulas" are available elsewhere online.

Here is a link comparing all U.S. formulas and here's amazon sorted by rating. Amazon is nice because there are pictures of the ingredients labels. Pretty much all formula is sugar and vegetable oil with added vitamins so not exactly ideal. I have to say that the free tub of Enfamil Infant Formula we were given in our buybuybaby bag is probably the least offensive label i've seen. Similac Advance(Kirkland's is the generic) is similar. Soy issues aside, i personally would not buy a formula with sugar as one of the first 2 ingredients- i just wouldn't.