What is the definition of a mother’s love? A mother is the one with whom no human being is comparable, and the love is unexplainable. When a child is inside the mother’s womb, her first priority becomes the child. No matter what happens, she will take the best care of herself to let the child feel the love inside the womb. Of course, breastfeeding is at the top of the list of sacrifices and gestures of love, but the Best Baby Milk Powders In India will more than suffice if you want an alternative to the sacrifices.

The first time, in the operation theater, holding the 5.8 pound baby in her arms (take a look at our baby weighing machines, while we are on the subject), she promised herself that no matter what comes in life, she won’t give up on you. Mothers, they never expect anything in return from you… they give up their life to see you grow and become healthy. In their first two years of the baby’s life, mothers always stay tensed about whether the baby is getting enough required nutrition or not. And truly it is that breast milk is the most nutritious food in the world. Yet, for whatever complications or just for personal choice, baby milk powder is a wonderful alternative as well.

What are some possible complications I speak of? At times, mothers cannot produce the required amount of milk for their child, and even if they do, the milk lacks sufficient nutrition for the baby. There are times when the baby cries because of starvation and if the mother cannot provide sufficient milk; they cry limitlessly, which distresses the mother and they start worrying more. Milk powder enables a lot of advantages for everyone.

Another reason is that most mothers feel embarrassed to feed their child in a public place. On the other hand, using milk powder means not having to deal with the shyness to feed your child in public. A mother can carry the baby formula milk in her bag, and carry her baby with a baby carrier, and can simply feed the baby whenever required. Without further ado, let’s take you to the product reviews:

Editor's Picks: 5 of the Top Baby Milk Powders In India

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The Best Baby Milk Powders In India You Can Buy Today

1) Dexolac Special Care Infant Formula Review

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Global brands always turn out to be better in every way and Dexolac is no different. They are the best baby milk powder providers and their main target is to attract more customers by providing good quality goods or services. Well, if they weren’t genuine in quality, they couldn’t have gone global successfully, right? To buy a good quality product, opportunity costs will be higher, but quality always outweighs the price. Danone globally spreads happiness, and in India, they operate dairy and life nutrition products which are prepared with the direction of international expertise of Danone to ensure better quality products.

This baby formula comes with vegetarian ingredients and is specially made for premature babies who are born within 37 weeks and babies with lower weight than normal. The bodies of babies who are born before the mature age lack nutrients to develop healthily. This product contains nutrients to develop strong bones and helps to enhance the immune system. To make ease for digestion, whey protein is available in the ingredients which also includes nucleotides.

[amazon box=”B01856U4KQ” title=”WHAT WE THINK” description=”Price is usually high when quality is too. A noticeable change is observed after feeding your baby this formula milk. The product promises to offer good health for the baby and it does keep the promise. This is our top pick.”]

2) Nestle Nestogen Stage 1 Review

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We all want good things at a cheaper price. Nestle made this available for you in their Nestle Nestogen Stage 1. It is a spray dried formula milk which makes sure of babies’ growth and health development because it contains folic acid, choline and taurine. It is perfect for baby’s up to 6 months of age and also helps to digest food easily.

It is fortified with cereal. This formula milk enhances the bone density and also helps to develop their brain rapidly. This cost-effective baby milk powder doesn't have the quality of others on the list, but that means it is the most budget-friendly here.

[amazon box=”B078XHK7YW” title=”WHAT WE THINK” description=”Gradual changes are observed and your baby should be measured every month to see the noticeable change in weight. Nestle never stops making people amazed with the quality.”]

3) Enfagrow A+ Nutritional Milk Powder Review

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Enfagrow started their journey almost 100 years ago with lots of scientific research and experiments, all to give you the best food for your child. This brand is quite popular globally and was developed by Mead Johnson Nutrition.

Enfagrow is a powdered milk for children of age 2 years and above. This milk powder has many beneficial ingredients,  the most important of which is DHA; Docosahexaenoic Acid. DHA plus is an essential nutrient for your child’s brain development, and reduces the chance of cardiovascular disease later in life and improves vision.

Not only that, 8 essential nutrients also come with the powder milk. DHA and the 8 nutritions together works for brain development which will lead to greater intellectual ability, emotional development, and communication skills.

They also took into account your child’s physical growth. Enfagrow is enriched with Calcium, Phosphorus, Vitamin D and Magnesium to promote physical growth. So, your child will be physically active with stronger bones after intaking the milk.

Immunity is always a matter to be concerned about; the better the immunity system, the better the energy you receive to fight back unwanted bacteria in your body. Enfagrow is itself with Vitamin A, B, C, E, Iron, Prebiotics and Zinc to strengthen the immunity which includes Respiratory Health, Resistance to Infection, and Digestive Health.

This milk powder works as a complement in the child’s diet. For instance, a child who is having a basic diet may not contribute enough required nutrients for the child. Therefore, it helps to improve nutrient deficiency and also levels up RDA nutrients.

[amazon box=”B00KVEOBVE” title=”WHAT WE THINK” description=”The brand has been serving their consumers for almost 10 decades. The goodwill of the company does speak about the quality of powder milk. We think that is rightfully so, both the longevity of the brand as well as its quality. “]

4) NAN PRO Nestle 1 Infant Formula Review

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We all want our baby to be healthy, playful, with a smiling face every time and yet be active (imagine a jolly baby having fun riding a toy rocking chair!). A healthy baby commands the attention of the entire household, but that attention may sometimes be riddled with stress and worry. To ease your pain, NAN PRO from Nestle takes your worries off and activates the healthy mode inside your baby. This baby milk formula is a spray-dried formula that provides all the necessary nutrients which help to develop their brain and also keep them protected from unwanted diseases by supporting a healthy immune system.

Moreover, NAN PRO contains whey protein, Vitamin A, C, D, Iron and Zinc. Furthermore, this formula assists your baby in growing hair, beautiful nails on tiny fingers and also leads to gradual changes in height and weight.

[amazon box=”B07GB45YNZ” title=”WHAT WE THINK” description=”This product contains essential nutrients to develop your baby’s growth rapidly. Nestle has been serving the consumers with baby products for a long time and they get positive feedback from consumers. And they get very positive reviews from us too.”]

5) Nestle Lactogen Stage 1 Infant Baby Milk Formula Powder Review

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Behold yet another Nestle product on the list. And why not? Their customers are all around the world getting served by this trustworthy company. They have a wide range of baby products on the market to make our life easy. Nestle knows their customers and keeps their choices into consideration. As for this product in question, it is suitable for families who don't like non-veg food. This milk powder is a vegetarian formula and also comes as a spray dried formula milk for your infant.

This formula is made especially for infants of up to six months of age. The formula is prepared with lots of nutrients for your little baby which helps to develop their brain, strengthen their bone density and keep a balanced weight and height. 

The base structure of any object must be strong to withstand any problem faced later. Similarly, this formula ensures better health for your infant. For instance, if a child lacks healthy nutrition like protein, Iron or any important Vitamins in their first year, it becomes difficult for the baby to cope up in later life. A small gesture can change someone’s life. So, be wise and careful to get the best product for your infant.

Though mother’s milk is the best milk, this product gives the same nutrition which comes with an advantage of measured quantity of formula. This product maintains good hygiene as it comes as a bag-in-box format.

[amazon box=”B00I4SZLNG” title=”WHAT WE THINK” description=”Nestle is a promising brand and this product also didn’t fail to keep their head up. Most importantly, this can be availed by many consumers because it’s cheaper than other products in town.”]

Forms of Baby Milk Formula

To begin with, there are three forms. These are as follows:

1) Ready-to-feed Formula

If you are a busy person in regular life, it becomes difficult to make baby food every time. To make the best use of your time, Ready-to-feed Baby's Formula is a premixed liquid that takes away your pain as no requirement of measurements is necessary and no need to think about adding extra water. 

It is very easy to make. All you need to do is follow the precautions and simply pour the formula inside the bottle and close it tightly. However, it does take up opportunity cost i.e. high price.

Spending a good amount of time changing diapers and having no sleep at night, how can someone even think to do their own work? With all these troubles, you may at times forget to feed yourself. For instance, if you go on a walk with your child, ideally with a baby stroller, simply pour the formula on a bottle by following the precautions, and in no time flat you can feed your child without worrying for the hassle of preparing it. So, the ready-to-feed formula is here to make your life easy in scheduling your important work on time without the extra responsibility of making baby food.

2) Powdered Infant Formula

Powdered formula has many do’s and don’ts to follow, which seems a bit of a hassle to me, to be honest. Correct amounts of measurements are required here in order to make this food and precautions need to be adhered to strictly. 

Let’s discuss some important points regarding this. You need to measure the correct amount of water and boil, pour it into a disinfected bottle or sterilized bottle, and finally pour a measured amount of powder formula and mix it well for feeding. This product is cheaper than any other baby formula milk.

3) Liquid-concentrate Formula

An equal amount of formula and water is necessary to make this baby food. Before following these steps, make sure to follow the precautions as per necessary. 

First, pour boiled water in a measuring cup glass. Then add an equal amount of liquid concentrate formula and make sure to measure carefully. Stir the mixing continuously. Now pour it into the bottle and tightly close the bottle with nipple, rims and cap. Place it in the refrigerator, keeping in mind the milk must be drunk within 24 hrs. If by any chance the time extends more than 24 hours, don’t feed this to your child rather make it again for safety purposes.

Types of Baby Milk Formulas

Cow Milk Protein-based Formula

The main ingredient of this formula is cow’s milk which acts as a substitute of mother’s milk. It consists of many useful nutrients which is healthy for the baby and also helps the baby to digest the formula easily. This formula milk is well suited with babies who are not allergic to the proteins in cow’s milk. As for babies with allergic problems from cow’s milk I recommend they can switch to other types of formula milk.

Soy-Based Baby's Formulas

This formula has been beneficial for most healthy babies. It is mostly recommended for vegan families or babies who imposes galactosemia or hereditary lactase insufficiency. However, it does not prevent allergies or any protection from diseases if it occurs in the future. Moreover, it is not the right formula for prematurely born babies, low birth weights, those allergic to cow’s milk, or with poor renal function. Do consult a doctor before feeding this formula if you have any doubts.

Protein Hydrolysate Formula

The name says it all. In this formula, protein is broken into smaller sizes as compared to cow’s milk and soy-based formula. It is highly encouraged for babies who are allergic to cow’s milk or soy-based formulas. For babies with protein allergy, this formula fills in the requirement and supports your baby to become healthy.

Lactose-Free Baby Formulas

Lactose is the sugar within milk. There are babies who are lactose intolerant. To explain this deficiency, lactase in our body breaks down this sugar so that our body can absorb it. But for people having lactose intolerance, they lack much lactose in their body. A baby having low levels of lactase can have milk products without any problem, but those with lactose intolerance find difficulties after having milk products. So, get your baby a lactose free formula to avoid any bad symptoms.

Elemental Formula

Elemental formula is a hypoallergenic formula for babies with one or more food allergies. It consists of proteins which are fully broken down and is composed of amino acids which are the basic building blocks of proteins. In other words, amino acids help our body to process food and make them digest easily. This formula is based on protein, which is essential for growth and development for the baby.

Specialized Baby Milk Formulas

Some health conditions – such as premature birth, heart disease, severe reflux, or metabolic disorders – could require the use of a specialized formula prescribed by a child health specialist.

Why You Should Use Baby Milk Powder Formula

Breast milk is the most essential formula for your baby, but baby milk powders also have quite a number of benefits:

1) Anyone can feed

A mother is one who cares the most about her baby. She knows what her baby wants the next minute before crying. Many unuttered sleepless nights she passes which take away most of her personal time. Baby Formula milk is very easy to make and easy to feed anywhere, by anyone. Any family member can feed the baby just by taking some important precautions.

When work is evenly distributed, life is fun and easy. The mother can restart her own personal work activities and look after her baby as well. For older babies who have been weaned, these baby high chairs (feeding chairs) will help tremendously.

2) No Risk for the Baby

Breastfeeding a baby contains a risk of transferring disease from mother to baby if the mother has any diseases. During this period, the mother needs to have high powered medicine which is harmful for the baby as well. To avoid transferring of disease, a breast pump may be used. Using milk powder for baby is another super option. It contains good ingredients which can help the baby develop growth in their body, not to mention the several types of milk powder suitable for babies with allergies.

Moreover, the mother also gets freedom to eat anything herself. For instance, during breastfeeding a mother must follow a specifically prescribed diet only to help her baby get the benefits of the food.

3) Harmony in the Family

A baby is a blessing which every family member wants to spend time with. Most of the time, the mother becomes the only person with whom the baby is comfortable with. Though many in the family may want to play or spend time with the baby, the baby cries out loud for most of them. Especially in the first few months of the baby’s life, no one but the mother and sometimes (but not always) father can handle it.

Formula baby milk breaks this stereotype and makes the baby friendly with the family members. For instance, if the feeding responsibility is rotated around the family, the baby becomes comfortable with them and starts playing around freely.

4) Food is Measurable

Formula milk requires you to measure the exact amount to be fed to your baby. In this way, you can keep track of food being consumed and this also helps you to speak to the baby's doctor of how much the baby consumes food every time. 

On the other hand, in breastfeeding, the amount cannot be measured and it is difficult to keep track of how much quantity of milk the baby is having regularly. In this way, you can maintain a good diet for the baby and control weight if the baby gains excessive weight.

5)  Eases Worry of Production

Breast milk depends on how much the mother is having healthy foods in her diet. It is difficult to quantify how much is produced. At times, mothers may lack to produce milk and fulfill the baby’s food capacity. Formula milk makes your worries disappear (or at the very least, mitigates them). Do make sure to measure the quantity your baby requires and prepare to feed accordingly.

6) Doesn’t Lack Nutrients

Though mother’s milk is the best food, the most nutritionally balanced food, in existence, the best baby milk formulas in India aren’t that much behind. Again, the best is always thought when making baby food. Formula food is enriched with Iron and Vitamin A, C and D which are vital for the growth of your baby.

How To Prepare Formula Milk For Babies

Every food needs preparation to make, whether it’s for an adult or a baby. We often make difficult measurements in preparing any food for the first time. For your baby, no compromise must be made so, we will learn how to prepare baby formula milk. And always remember, good food keeps your baby happy and healthy too.

1) Expiry Date

First advice, before buying any formula milk, do check the expiry date on the body. No matter if you ordered online, bought from a reliable company or any shopping mall, do ensure that the product didn’t cross the expiry date. Products which cross the expiry date become poisonous and may even lead to death if used.

2) Avoid Damaged Packing

In production of baby's formula milk, they throw away any product which has any normal defects. If anyhow you come across a damaged packaging, don’t take the risk to buy and endanger your baby.

3) Maintain Hygiene

These steps are for cleansing the bacteria in the bottle:

Before even touching the formula, first and foremost, wash your hand properly to kill any germs at hand. Now, take a big pan and disinfect it with warm water. Place the bottle, nipples and bottle cap inside the pan filled with water and warm it for at least 5 minutes to disinfect the baby's bottle.

On a side note, if you are looking to warm any kind of food for babies, then we have got you covered. And if the hygiene you want to maintain is the baby's itself, then a baby bathtub will be extremely useful and also fun!

4) Actual Process of Making

Take another pan to warm water. Add this water to the bottle and then add the stated quantity of powder to get the actual benefit of the formula milk for your baby. Make sure to add warm water first and then add powder in the bottle.

After adding powder to the water, conceal the bottle tightly with a nipple and cap, and shake the bottle to mix powder with water properly so that the baby does not face difficulties while having the food.

Tips You Should Keep In Mind When Feeding Your Baby Milk Formulas

1. Before feeding your baby, ensure whether the nipple has the right size or not. Make sure that if you hold the bottle upside down, milk should come out one drop per second.
2. Do hold your baby and keep it steady when you hold the bottle into its mouth. Don’t leave it alone with the bottle inside the mouth; this can cause choking.
3. Hold the bottle up to ensure the nipple is filled with the baby formula milk. In this way, it allows your baby not to swallow gas and cause gas problems.
4. Completely avoid putting your baby with a bottle on bed. This can cause choking. Maybe using a baby booster seat would be ideal.
5. Do not forcefully feed more which your baby can’t have. Look out for signs of resistance from the baby, lest it may lead to bad health.
6. Try to make your baby burp to reduce gas. Hold the baby on your arms with the baby’s head resting on your shoulder. Then rhythmically and with slight pressure keep thumping on its back. Though this may sound dangerous, it is important and healthy.
7. Make sure that the formula which your baby had should be completely drunk within 2 hours. If there is any remaining, don’t place it inside the refrigerator; throw it away instead because bacteria from your baby’s mouth can mix with the formula and may lead to bad health.

Things To Consider Before Buying A Baby Milk Powder (Buyer's Guide)

Availability

Getting habituated to a particular food is easy but difficult to manage at times of unavailability. This term is also true for your infant. Imagine yourself in a situation where you must need a particular medicine that you normally have every day but suddenly it went out of stock. Similarly, a baby’s habituated food must also be served at the right time or else, they won’t let you have a comfortable sleep. So, make sure to buy the most available formula milk, and keep it in stock, to avoid such problems.

Baby’s Age

Doctors need to be perfectly aware of a baby’s age before they consult any medicine or food. Age is an important factor to think before purchasing any formula milk. Every baby formula milk mentions the edible ages for the baby, so you must check the baby’s age within the range provided on the body. The products consist of different combinations of nutrition and are made considering different ages of babies; not only for a specific age. The amount of nutrition needed for a 10 year old kid does not imply the same for a 2 year old baby.

Probiotics & Prebiotics

Probiotics is a microorganism which is good for your immune system. This is known as helpful bacteria which is found in food and also in supplement foods. Probiotics recharges the good bacteria inside the body. It has many advantages like building up a good immune system, controlling proper digestion and curing of many other diseases. 

Milk formulas which include probiotics help the baby to tackle any bad diseases and cures them quickly. No need to buy extra medicine if your baby has caught an illness; probiotics can look after them!

In simple words, prebiotics is the food for probiotics. Both prebiotics and probiotics boost the helpful bacteria to fight diseases and support other organisms.

Iron-Fortified Formula

Iron is a necessary supplement for babies from birth. It’s the key to developing growth in the body and mind of the child. Deficiency in Iron can lead to tiredness; moreover, it is needed for better thinking. 

0.27 milligrams of iron is recommended from birth to a 6 month old baby. Breastfeeding moms should consult with the baby’s doctor at the age of 4 months regarding Iron supplement given that the mother has been feeding Iron supplement during this time. Babies between the age of 7 to 12 month old should get around 11 milligrams of Iron a day. Moreover, babies age within 1 to 3 years should receive 7 milligrams of Iron a day. 

Do check the product specification with your baby’s Iron requirement to give them the accurate iron needed for development.

DHA

The DHA found in human milk is beneficial for babies’ brain, neural, and eye development. But the DHA found in baby's formula milk has controversy about whether it performs or not. There is unclear evidence on DHA in formula milk, so it is suggested to consult a doctor before feeding formula milk to your infant.

Price

The most important yet highly thoughtful matter for most products is affordability. Baby products are always expensive as they are made with care. Good amount of effort and safety is ensured while producing the items. However, not everyone can afford expensive meals for their baby. Hence, there are good baby formula milk in the market that come at an affordable price range. 

However, my take is to not compromise quality over price for your baby’s betterment.

Usability

Don’t risk a toddler’s health for a small negligence. We always try to be a good parent and give our full potential to make our children’s lives healthy. A small mistake in the growing stage of your child can cost you a lot. Bearing this in mind, before selecting which formula milk to buy, please ensure how to prepare the formula in the right manner to feed your child. Take suggestions from experts or at least the seller about which products taste good for the baby. 

However, in the beginning, I recommend you try the formula milk first on yourself and then feed your baby. After the baby comes to the world, it can’t speak out and say, “mom, I don’t like the taste of this formula”. So, when they first try the formula milk, try to know the symptoms of whether it gives them irritation or if they seem like vomiting. Based on the situation, decide whether or not the formula is good for your baby. Furthermore, do also take recommendations from child health specialists.

Before feeding your infant, make sure the bottles, caps, nipples and rings should be disinfected for safe feeding by placing all these in a boiling water for minimum five minutes before using them for the first time

Precautions to follow

1. Do take recommendations from your doctor about which baby formula will be appropriate for your baby.
2. Wash your hands for 20 seconds appropriately before usage. This is of utmost importance especially because you are dealing with baby food.
3. Especially now with the importance of hygiene so much clear world over, before or after making any formula, please disinfect all the containers, spoon, nipple, rims, caps etc by warm water to avoid any kind of bacteria to mix with the formula.
4. To open any formula whether it’s a can, a plastic container or glass jar, please wash the opening section with warm water.
5. Before purchasing any formula, please check for the expiry date, and the external appearance of the formula container – checking if there is any damage to the body.
6. Avoid warming the bottle in a microwave. It may result in burning the baby's mouth as it can create warm spots in the milk.
7. Don’t feed a formula which has been stored in the refrigerator for more than 24 hours.
8. Don’t forcefully feed the formula if your baby is not willing to have anymore. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

A Final Word; Our Personal Recommendation

Every end is a new beginning. After a long walk reviewing the best baby milk powder in India, we came to the end of suggesting the single best powder milk in India. The price of the products falls under different ranges and all of them provide quality powder milk. Therefore, it is very difficult to hand the first prize to one of the names. 

The most important thing to consider is the age compatibility, as not all the products are applicable for a certain age. There is furthermore the concern for babies prone to allergies, or premature babies. Thus, one may buy a formula which is best for their six month old baby and another may buy the ones for a premature baby.

This is our personal recommendation:

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The product is especially made for premature babies which took our whole attention because a premature baby has to fight a lot to develop their body. Unlike a mature baby, a premature baby lacks lots of nutrition which can be filled up by Dexolac.

The products reviewed so far have different uses but a mother’s milk is always the best – no question in that. Apart from health benefits in the reviewed products, there are many advantages of using baby formula milk which shouldn’t be overlooked at the same time. Feed your baby to become healthy, wealthy, and wise.