Truly a noble experiment! Job well done!

hmmm - seems to me you need to combine your results with those found here: http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/000134.html

Yes, but how do they taste compared to breast milk? For all we know, breast milk tastes equally weird so to the babe, there's not a huge difference.

I double-dog-dare you to try Alimentum! That is some nasty sh.... er, stuff!

Umm, okie dokie, I tried the same thing oveer the past year with the different formulas our son had to have. First was Neocate. Totally predigested like poo, smelled like poo, tasted like poo. Then there was pregestimil and nutramigen(Umm, okie dokie, I tried the same thing oveer the past year with the different formulas our son had to have. First was Neocate. Totally predigested like poo, smelled like poo, tasted like poo. Then there was pregestimil and nutramigen( Leylla
PS our son is now 4 years old and is still on the follow up formula and water as his only liquid intake.

I can confirm that Enfamil tastes like Sh*t!

I've been breastfeeding my son, but need to supplement my supply temporarily. We couldn't get our son to drink it, so we taste tested it. My husband said it tasted like Dead Rotten Salmon and I thought it tasted like chewed up Iron and fish oil pills. OMG! I almost got sick. I expected it to taste kind of bland like nonfat dried milk. I never expected to spit it out and have to drink 3 glasses of water to get rid of the lingering taste. It left me wondering if all formula tastes that bad.

To the poster who commented on wondering about breastmilk. My husband and I were curious. Being a bit of dare devils we sampled some expressed milk. It is very sweet. My husband would drink it, if I let him. LOL.

Thanks for the report. Maybe the Similac will work better. I hope!

This is exactly what I was looking for! My 7 month old has been mostly breastfed and now I'm trying to wean her. I decided to taste the formula we were using, Enfamil, and I thought it tasted like poison. Now I am going to try the Similac! Thanks so much.

yes formula tastes yuck! on the otherhand breastmilk is sweet n tasty ...no wonder my son refuses formula

Just what I wanted to know too - but I wasn't going to spend $100 on tins of powdered milk to find out - thanks for doing the test. Can vouch that breastmilk is sweet and fresh tasting. No chance now that any of our kids will be given the canned stuff when fresh is available!

Just confirming that breastmilk tastes very sweet. Sort of like cream cheese frosting.

My daughter is about 5 months old and I have been trying to get her to accept the formula for the last 2 months but she gagged every time. I could guess why she gagged and turned her head away. Enfamil smells like rotten fish ..YUCK!!..there are no words in any language to describe the taste.
I have tried Similac and Good Start and they are both horrible..they all have this fishy aftertaste that took me long to get rid of. I was hopping to get a brake from breastfeeding all the time, but I will stick to breast milk. I do not think anything tastes better, to a child or adult, than breast milk. It is really YUMMY!!

To all those looking for formulas and are able to breast feed, stick to breastfeeding if formula does not work. there is no point in trying to force that stuff on a baby when something so much yummier is available.
I have been breastfeeding and giving her solids once or twice every other day. She has not lost weight, gained too much weight, nor had any problems. She is very active, healthy, and way too content.
I come from a breastfeeding culture where it is the norm. If I did not have any or enough milk and some one who is healthy and known to me offered to breast feed my baby for me, I would accept.
Formulas taste as bad as they smell, it is a wonder any baby will accept them. I wish they would make some that smelled and tasted almost as good as the real stuff.

i have six month old twins, the one loves his formula, the other I have been battling with ever since he came home, he HATES ANY MILK, and now that he is on solids more so, he completely refuses a drop of milk even, what can i do???? i am desperate now as i know he needs the calcium etc and liquids in the day.

Formula is POISON. Do your kids a favor that will last a lifetime and breastfeed.

[do everyone else a favor and lay off the hyperbole, which only serves to throw guilt on people who try to breastfeed and can't. And which doesn't help people weigh the pros and cons and make informed, fact-based decisions. -ed.]

This is exactly what I was looking for as well, I have been breastfeeding (my baby is 9 months) and now want to switch to formula through the day. My baby doesn't like the GOOD START 2. I tried, and I can get her to drink a little but not enough, I find it has a Brassy metalic taste.. YUCK!!!... I just bought the Enfimil today but it sounds even worse! Perhapse I will return it and try the Similac instead. I will be relieved when she reaches a year and we can go to cows milk!! Skeaking of witch calf milk replacer tastes better then infant formula.... maybe I should just give her that LOL!

To the men commenting about breastfeeding being a must: Why don't you try it ourselves and see how your boobs will sag? and stop being so self-righteous!!

[yeah, you men saying BF is a must... uh, wait, who exactly said that? -ed.]

Breasts will sag either way, due to pregnancy and getting older. Besides, this is about the health of the CHILD, not about the vanity of the mother.

As far as I know, the people most in favor of breastfeeding are women, not men, as it was accused.

I think she is referring to the comment Chad left about formula being poison.

Enfamil does smell horribly!!!! My daughter used Enfamil and my son spit it up everywhere. He would cry and cry. I talked to 3 doctors about it and they all told me he was fine. I switched him to Good Start myself and he stopped crying. BTW, the doctor got mad at me for switching him to Good Start. He said it was junk. He even tried to suggest an Enfamil alternative (like the Gentlease). Do doctors get a kick back off pushing this stuff?

To the lady commenting about mother's vanity.
Fisrt of all, what's wrong with a woman that takes care of herself? As far as I know people exercice and eat healthy to look good... So I'd rather my breasts sagged when I'm fifty than in my twenties!!
And This is from a woman who pumped her breasts for each feeding for months because the baby refused to breastfeed so don't lecture me about baby's wellbeing...
I really hate the self righteousness...

I give my nearly 6 weeks old baby S26 Gold once a day and she loves it. I tried and it tastes like fish...revolting. Then I tried my breast milk...it tastes like sweet iron...disgusting, no wonder she doesn't mind the formula...I have to breastfeed her every hour at the moment,and even doing so, she still screams for more, this is when I give her the bottle, 120ml lasts for 2 hours 15 minutes tops...she's growing really fast and it's great, but so exhausting...I have got plenty of milk, she just seems to find it too light at times...

I breastfed, but have been trying to give ny baby a bottle for about 5 months. She is 7 months now. She refuses ANYTHING.....I've tried my milk, all formulas, all bottles, sippy cups (with and w/out valves)regular cups. She won't drink more than 2oz of anything ever (total about 12 oz per day, half of what she needs). I am still breastfeeding morning and night only.
ANY SUGGESTIONS????????????Doctor says she needs 18-24 oz a day period!

It's amazing how our bodies can do what mankind can't, isn't it? While I am currently in the position of having to supplement my son with formula (volume issues, and a long story), I still find it amazing that babies will even accept formula after having been breastfed, as the tastes are so different, and formula tasting so horrible.

To offer a suggestion about a previous comment, I would imagine the only way the breast milk taste could be duplicated would most likely require sugar, and that would be marketing suicide. That said, it seems to me that formula, while having many of the same nutrients as breast milk, is non-sweetened version.

Mother nature certainly does know best.

My son is 10 months and still loves breastfeeding. I'm trying to get him to drink Good Start, which he refuses unless I mix it in with his food- creamy fruit and grains and creamy meat and veggie "soup". I'm still breastfeeding about 3-5 times a day but will need to stop during the day when I go back to work in a couple of months. He accepts water from a cup when he's thristy and absolutely HATED Enfamil A+, even mixed with his food. My friend also had issues getting her son to switch to formula at 6 months but she kept trying and now he guzzles the stuff at 11 months.

As a new dad, I encourage mom to breast-feed, which she is more than happy to do, but the reality is with her working full-time, we have to supplement. I agree that the infamous Enfamil is dreadful; our non-fussy boy nonetheless can't stand it. We use Similac but I would be interested to hear more comments about some of the tempting cheaper brands, including store brands like Safeway and Walmart.

Thanks to everyone for posting. I've breastfed my youngest now for 6 months, however he is allergic to cow's milk that passes into my breastmilk. Given that I'm a chef, it's nearly impossible to give up milk, milk based products and all soy to see if his allergy would go away. Therefore, I've tried to give Nutramigen, which he so far refuses. I'm now going to try the Similac version...we'll see. I do believe that breastmilk is easier for the baby to like-smells like mom, tastes like mom, but I'm hoping by mixing a small amount of breastmilk into the formula and then slowly adding more formula each time, we'll be breastmilk free soon and his colon will be much happier.

The onlye thing my baby took until he was 6 months was breastmilk.

Now he's almost 9 months old and before going to sleep he loves having a bottle of breast milk mixed with cereal, that's how I got him to sleep through the night. I usually pump in the morning and give him that milk at night.

Right now my milk supply is decreasing due to stress (we moved from Portugal to the USA, I quit my job to become a stay-home mom and I don't have my family as a backup here). I wanted to know if in case of an emergency he would take formula.

We tried Good Start and he absolutely hated it. When I tasted it I couldn't believe how terrible it was! It's like bad mild, horrible! Today I tried Similac and he took it, I can't say he loved it, but at least did't refuse it... I guess that's because it's sweet and mild, and a bit more like breast milk.

I used to breastfeed but had to stop to take thyroid meds. my son made such awful faces! so ai also tasted Enfamil and Similac. Enfamil is revolting!!! I could never justify giving the nasty stuff to my son. similaac was sweeter and tasted more like soy milk...yet still pretty bad. The poor kid does't know what happened to his yummy sweet milk.

Well thank you for the post it saved me money. I have a 6 week old and a breast feeding mom and I am for it 100 percent I'd rather breastfeed than any thing but one of my nipples does not get long for her to attach properly and she likes to be up more when its around our bed time. We try to keep her up during the day but she screams and wants me to feed her even if she isn't hungry. My husband and I bought enfamil and my daughter absolutely hates it. It made her throw up everything so we tried it there is no words to describe how nasty it was. Then my husband tried my breastmilk and said it was sweet and wouldn't mind drinking it him self. I'm going to try simalac to give me a break so I can sleep more at night. If she is hungry enough she will eventually eat it. It just takes time. I would recomend breast feeding if you are afraid of your nipple hurting pump your milk because it doesn't hurt to pump and your baby if getting the proper nutrient he/she needs and there isn't all the additives in it and you can store it way longer than formula.

Please Breastfeed Your Baby!!!!

Dads, the best choice is breastmilk! Don't waste your time tastetesting formula. Spend you time learning about breastfeeding and supporting your wife and child so that they have a successful breastfeeding relationshiop. Invest in your child's future, not in the formula companies bank accounts. YOU are so important in helping your wife or partner feel comfortable and confident in breastfeeding your child. If there are problems, find a great lactation consultant. They are a godsend.

[don't shout, and don't take a single formula-related post out of context of an ongoing and committed dialogue of breastfeeding and feeding kids generally. And anyway, a partner or father's role is to help a mother feel comfortable and confident in her decision to breastfeed and for how long--AND to support her decision to stop. Keyword: her decision. -ed.]

I'm running out of milk. I have breastfed exclusively for the past five months, and have done everything in my power to improve my milk production, including taking fenugreek like it's candy, pumping, more frequent feedings, and consulting LLL, a midwife/lactation consultant, and a nurse. I came to this site to find the best options for formula because I want the best for my baby.
People like Pauline and Chadbryden make truly committed mothers like me feel terrible. Do you think we've missed the pro-breastfeeding propaganda? And do you truly think that your snippy comments on a forum are going to change people's behaviour?
I feel TERRIBLE that I can't breastfeed anymore. I came here looking for answers, and I go away feeling worse than before.

Earth's Best Organic tastes very close to regular milk and breast milk. It smells good and does not stain. It is all our
baby will drink. It is easy to interchange with breast feedings.

My baby is 5 mo and i've tried Enfamil, Similac regular and soy as well as good start. She refuses it all. I've even bought similac organic which doesn't taste bad at all ( I agree the other stuff is nasty).She still won't have it. I have been trying to get her to take formula for over a month now and she refuses. I guess the only one left to try is Earth's Best. I would love to have her weaned!!

Due to some constipation, my doctor recommended putting kero syrup in my 2 month old's bottles. about 1 Tbs. in 1 bottle per day (but always check with your doctor.) We are using Enfamil, and I'm surprised about how nasty it reportedly tastes. Perhaps my son drinks it happily because of the sweet Kero syrup. Maybe this makes it more like breast milk? or at least bearable...

as a physician and new mother, of course "breast is best".....but so is a relatively happy, functional parent. For myself, I thought that I would for sure exclusively breastfeed, but a variety of issues, including milk production (tried fenugreek and blessed thistle and domperidone) have led to the occasional formula feed. There is no absolute right or wrong; there is certainly what is ideal and then there is what is doable. So I don't think anyone should feel guilty for their choices in this matter - what is important is an informed decision, and of course that your baby is not starving.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.
My baby is 6 months old and has apparently had a growing spurt because I can not keep up with him. This actually happened over the last month but thankfully I had enough extra milk frozen to delay the formula one more month and give me time to try to increase milk supply.
We started trying to sneak formula in about two weeks ago first we tried Enfamil and then Enfamil GenleEase with no luck. My first child was supplemented with Enfamil and we never had any problems but this one would have none of it. He actually gagged and spit it up he was so disgusted.
After reading this posting I decided to go get Earth's Best Organic and Similac and give them both a try - surely one of them would work, right?? Unfortunately our store did not carry Earth's Best Formula so I only left with a can of Similac and a prayer that it would work. By this time I was pumping every chance I got at work, coming home to feed him and try pumping more but I still couldn't make enough for my little piggy, we now only had enough milk for 2 more full days and I am starting to panic.
Similac Advance - I couldn't believe his reaction - gobbled it right up just like it was breast milk. Apparently it is sweet and creamy enough for his palate so thankyou, goodness knows how much you just saved me (money & heartache). He is now nursing and taking one bottle of Similac a day with no problems. Now I am just wishing I would have saved those coupons I thought I didn't need.

This artical was SO timely for me! Last night I did my own taste test of Bright Beginnings and breast milk. The reason I did this was because the BB smells horrible - my husband and I call it the Potato Fish Concoction. I was really hoping it didn't taste the same way - BUT, Ewwww! It really tastes bad. The author said it tastes like Soy milk, which is probably true since I can only drink vanilla soy without being grossed out. I also opened up a Similac Advance sample that I have and it also smelled like Potatos and Fish - I decided I didn't need to try it. Going over to my friends house tonight to try out the Emfamil - although author may have scared me out of that one.
I feel pretty bad feeding my son something that I think tastes horrible especially when I have been giving him the "good stuff" for so long, but we've decided to wean and need to pick something. Maybe I will try Earth's Best too. Great article -thanks!!

I hate people how make comments about BF with out thinking...I tried to BF my baby and she turned out to get very sick because of my milk, I tried everything I did not drink any cow products, no wheat, no eggs, I was almost eating lettuce and chicken and still my milk made her sick, so I had to stopped I was sooo sad, I had tons of supply (I still have some in my fridge) and I couldn't provide them to my child (I donated most of them) I had to switch to similac sensitive (hubby did the same "experiment" but with walmart, target and similac, by far similac was the best, the other two had that fish after taste) and she's been happy ever since, I felt so guilty I also use to think formula was no good, but if it wasn't for formula, what would I feed my baby with?, so thank God there is formula out there for the moms who cannot feed their babies and the ones who choose not to (which is fine also)...any way I don't feel guilty now, my baby is healthy as can be and that's what it matters...

ps. sorry for my grammar, I'm not very good with English.

well all i can say is that i have read almost every comments in this blog, and i think i will stick with breasfeeding my little baby girl, by the way she is 10 months old. I never thought that most of formulas tasted like fish or iron, no wonder my baby hated enfamil, and i was going to try with similac, so i think i am not going to.

I am grateful that i can breastfeed my baby until i can no longer produce milk. And for the mothers that cannot breastfeed their babies don't feel guilty, some babies are lactose intolerant, so it is not your fault, while your baby is healty and happy there is nothing to be anxious or guilty about.

And some women who don't breastfeed because of vanity, try pumping it out and give them the milk in a bottle, just like that, ok, i know it takes a lot of time, but your baby will be gracios about it :) and he is going to be constipated and colic free :)

Ed, I like you.

I have been tossing around the idea of weaning my breastfed son to formula for... well, since he was born. He has multiple food protein allergies and so my diet is extremely restricted. No dairy, soy or eggs. (A few other things make him reactive but nothing as serious as those three.) He is now 9 months old and I have tried offering Similac Alimentum but he flat out refuses it. I even mixed it (1/2 oz of formula with 3 oz of expressed breastmilk) and he refused that. He will take 100% breastmilk from a bottle though, so I know he is just being particular about his milk.

I was wondering if you'd do me the honor of taste sampling the alimentum? JUST KIDDING! ;) I understand it's worse than the worst (along with other hypoallergenics like Nutramigen). It's no wonder he won't drink it! But man I don't know how much more I can take - he nurses all day, and all night. I'm tired. I'm thinking about mixing up a batch of goats milk formula and trying that... we shall see.

In any case, thank you for this. It was highly entertaining!

Thank you so much for this test! My son HATES enfamil, and I can't blame him. I tasted it and gagged. I'm off to try Similac... Cheers!

My baby is 3 1/2 months old and I am getting ready to go back to work. With my type of schedule, I find it to stressful to pump & I was considering a formula for the daytime. But, my doctor suggested enfamil which we have tasted and had my baby try. She refuses all different types of enfamil. I don't understand why it is so recommend by the doctor? I too have tasted my breastmilk & it is sweet and easy to swallow. I haven't tried similac but, I am glad I read all of your opinions and suggestions. This will help me with my desicion.

This has been a helpful thread for me to follow. My wife and I are trying to switch our baby to formula to supplement breast milk (she's 4 months now), and she throws a real fit when we try to give her Enfamil. I wanted to respond to some comments here about why peds recommend these brands if they are nasty tasting (believe me, I wish Enfamil wasn't that foul...we are going to try Similac after reading the recos on this thread). For pediatricians, safety and nutrition is first and foremost, and the three leading brands (Enfamil, Similac and Good Start)apparently have provided sufficient data to the medical community to get them completely comfortable with recommending these brands. Taste comes last - think about it, isn't it true even for adult medications?