Most parents will try a variety of formulas before finding the best one for their baby. The variety of formulas can be confusing, and many babies will have an allergic reaction to one of them. Here’s how to find out which formula is best for your baby. What are the signs of a possible formula allergy? It’s normal for every baby to be more or less bloated, have occasional diarrhea, and be a little irritable. If your baby is fine most of the time and seems happy, then you probably have nothing to worry about. However, if your baby has the following symptoms, he or she may have a formula allergy: cries for hours every day with colic; spits up a lot after every feeding; has green, mucusy, loose stools; is constipated, has thick, hard stools, and painful bowel movements; has blood in his or her stools; has a chronic rash over most of his or her body; and has a chronic stuffy nose or shortness of breath. Make sure if it is really a formula allergy first It is advisable not to rush to change the brand of formula first, some babies just need you to change your breastfeeding technique and the situation will improve. Try these methods first: 1. Avoid overfeeding In the first few months, most babies need 60 to 120 ml (sic: 2 to 4 ounces) of milk each time. If your baby wants more, it’s probably just because he likes to suck, so give him a soother to try. You may also find that your baby’s condition improves with less frequent feedings. 2. Change the bottle Maybe your baby is just swallowing too much air at the breast. This can happen if the nipple has too fast a flow rate, or if the bottle tends to make your baby swallow air. Switch to a slower flowing nipple or try a few more bottles to see if the situation improves. For some unknown reasons, some babies can digest liquid formula more easily than powdered milk. Try the same brand or type of liquid milk before switching to another brand of formula. 6 Things to Try If your baby’s problem isn’t resolved, you can take the following steps to find the right formula for him. After each change, take a week to observe the situation before moving on to the next step (unless the situation worsens across the board after the change): 1. Change brands If your baby is on cow’s milk-based formula, try a different brand. There are subtle differences between different brands of formula that may help. If your baby is on soy-based formula, try a different brand as well. 2. Eat organic milk If your baby is eating non-organic formula, try the same type of organic milk (cow’s milk or soy formula). 3. Switch to milk-based “mild” formula All of the major formula companies have milk-based “mild,” “anti-allergy,” or “comfort” formulas, which contain milk proteins that are slightly broken down into smaller proteins. Soy formula and standard cow’s milk formula both have mild counterparts. 4. Swap cow’s milk formula for soy formula and vice versa If you’ve tried all possible cow’s milk formulas (or soy formulas), simply try switching it up a bit (swapping cow’s milk for soy milk or soy milk for cow’s milk). 5. Try lactose-free formula Some companies produce milk-based lactose-free formulas. Although lactose intolerance is rare in infants, it’s worth a try. Note: Soy-based and lactose-free formulas are only short-term solutions. For human infants, soy protein is not as desirable as milk protein, and lactose is the most readily available energy source for the human brain. If your baby can only have soy formula, try switching back to cow’s milk-based formula after a month or two. As your baby’s digestive system develops, he may be able to learn to digest milk on his own. 6. Switch to a specialized hypoallergenic formula This type of formula is made up of pre-digested milk proteins, different sources of sugars and fats and is suitable for particularly sensitive babies. Some brands now produce this type of formula without a prescription, and it’s available in most stores, pharmacies and online, but it’s important to be aware of where to buy it and to consult a professional.