Newborn Care
Bookmarks
bookmarks-menu
Print-Friendly More <

How to save money on infant formula

The least expensive way to feed your baby is to breastfeed. There are many other breastfeeding benefits, too. But not all moms can breastfeed. Some moms feed their baby both breast milk and formula. Others switch to formula after breastfeeding for several months. Here are some ways you can save money on infant formula.

 
Money-Saving Ideas

Here are a few ways to save money on infant formula:

  • Do not buy just one type of baby bottle at first. Try a few different types to see which kind your baby likes and will use.
  • Buy powdered formula. It is much less expensive than ready-to-use and liquid concentrate.
  • Use cow's milk formula, unless your pediatrician says you shouldn't. Cow's milk formula is often less expensive than soy formula.
  • Buy in bulk, you will save money. But first try the brand to make sure your baby likes it and can digest it.
  • Comparison shop. Check to see which store is offering a deal or the lowest price.
  • Save formula coupons and free samples, even if you plan to breastfeed. You may decide to supplement with formula a few months from now, and those coupons will save you money.
  • Sign up for newsletters, special programs, and deals on formula company websites. They often send out coupons and free samples.
  • Ask your child's health care provider for samples.
  • Consider generic or store-brand formulas. By law, they must meet the same nutritional and quality standards as brand-name formulas.
  • Avoid using disposable bottles. You will have to use a different liner with each feeding, which costs more.
  • If your baby needs special formula because of allergies or other health issues, see if your insurance will help cover the cost. Not all health plans offer this coverage, but some do.
What NOT to Do

Here are a few things to avoid:

  • Do not make your own formula. There is no way to duplicate the same nutrition and quality at home. You could risk your baby's health.
  • Do not feed your baby straight cow's milk or other animal milk before they are at least 1 year old.
  • Do not reuse old plastic baby bottles. Reused or hand-me-down bottles may contain bisphenol-A (BPA). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned the use of BPA in baby bottles due to safety concerns.
  • Do not switch brands of formula frequently. All formulas are slightly different and the baby may have digestive issues with one brand compared with another. Find one brand that works and stay with it if possible.
Open References +

References

American Academy of Pediatrics website. Formula buying tips. www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/formula-feeding/Pages/Formula-Buying-Tips.aspx. Updated August 7, 2018. Accessed May 1, 2025.

American Academy of Pediatrics website. Forms of baby formula: powder, concentrate & ready-to-feed. www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/formula-feeding/Pages/Forms-of-Baby-Formula.aspx. Updated May 9, 2022. Accessed May 1, 2025.

American Academy of Pediatrics website. Nutrition. www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/feeding-nutrition/Pages/default.aspx. Accessed May 1, 2025.

Barrett KJ, Gilley SP, Haemer MA, Krebs NF, Johnson SL. Feeding healthy infants, children, and adolescents. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, et al, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 61.

Review Date: 4/5/2025

Reviewed By: Charles I. Schwartz, MD, FAAP, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, General Pediatrician at PennCare for Kids, Phoenixville, PA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language.

© 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

All content on this site including text, images, graphics, audio, video, data, metadata, and compilations is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. You may view the content for personal, noncommercial use. Any other use requires prior written consent from Ebix. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, transmit, display, publish, reverse-engineer, adapt, modify, store beyond ordinary browser caching, index, mine, scrape, or create derivative works from this content. You may not use automated tools to access or extract content, including to create embeddings, vectors, datasets, or indexes for retrieval systems. Use of any content for training, fine-tuning, calibrating, testing, evaluating, or improving AI systems of any kind is prohibited without express written consent. This includes large language models, machine learning models, neural networks, generative systems, retrieval-augmented systems, and any software that ingests content to produce outputs. Any unauthorized use of the content including AI-related use is a violation of our rights and may result in legal action, damages, and statutory penalties to the fullest extent permitted by law. Ebix reserves the right to enforce its rights through legal, technological, and contractual measures.
© 1997- adam.com All rights reserved.