I sure did, until I switched to Enfamil Lactofree formula. My son was born last November and while he was in the NICU they were feeding him Enfamil with Iron, and suggested I continue with this formula since I never produced any breastmilk. Right away I noticed that my son was very gassy. Because a newborn's digestive tract has a difficult time passing gas he was very fussy after every feeding.

At our 6 week appointment I mentioned to our pediatrician that Ian seemed to have a difficult time with his formula and questioned whether we should try to put him on soy formula. He said that most problems with formula are misdiagnosed as a milk allergy and that a lactose free formula would probably be the remedy. Only 2 days after we switched him to Enfamil LactoFree all of his feeding problems disappeared!

Enfamil LactoFree is a milk based, lactose free, iron fortified formula manufactured by Mead-Johnson. LactoFree comes in several forms 14 oz powder cans, 13 fl oz liquid concentrate cans, ready to feed in 32 oz can cans, 4 oz nursette bottles, and EasyOne single-serving packets 2 oz (16 in a box).

I have personal experience with the powder and liquid concentrate forms of this formula. Each 14 oz can of powder makes approximately 103 fl oz and costs approximately $9.00 (at Wal-Mart). The powder is white in color and has a very fine, silty texture with a non-offending odor. It is prepared by using 1 scoop of formula for every 2 oz of water. For example: to make an 8 oz bottle you would use 8 oz of water, 4 scoops of formula and shake well. A can of powder can be stored opened in a dry place for approximately 1 month. It is recommended that you not freeze powder or prepared formula

The liquid concentrate requires less effort to prepare, makes 26 oz and costs about $3.50 a can. To prepare a bottle of liquid concentrate you mix equal parts of formula and water. For example: to make an 8 oz bottle you would use 4 oz of concentrate, 4 oz of water and shake well.

I have also used the EasyOne single serving packets. In concept these are great for travel. However, I have has some difficulty with using them. An ingredient in the formula creates a significant amount of static electricity with the packets, as a result it is very difficult to get all of the formula out of the packet and into the bottle.

Like other formula companies there is an Enfamil "club". As a member of the Enfamil club they send you information on feeding your baby, as well as money saving checks that act as coupons when purchasing Enfamil formulas. The first few checks I received were for $3.00 off, since then they have been for $1.00 off. To join the Enfamil club you can access their website at www.enfamil.com or you can call 1-800-BABY123. Enfamil also offers ordering online through netgrocer.com.

My son is thriving on Enfamil LactoFree formula. He doubled his weight at 5 1/2 months and is advanced in most of his motor development. While I would have preferred to breastfeed, using Enfamil LactoFree has worked well for us. While Enfamil appears to be the most expensive formula brand, I have noticed that the Enfamil cans make more formula when prepared so the costs works itself out in the long run.

I recommend Enfamil LactoFree to mothers of babies that seem to be having trouble with regular formula. However, it is always wise to check with your doctor because some problems are caused by an allergy to milk, not just a lactose intolerance.



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