Baby’s Only Formula Review: The Most Affordable Good Stuff

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Baby’s Only. All thoughts and opinions in this Baby’s Only formula review are my own.

When I had my first baby, I was prepared for the agony that was an epidural-free labor and delivery. What I was not prepared for was the otherworldly pain of breastfeeding.

Within the first week, I was suffering from two scabbed-over nipples, and I had placed a frantic to call to the pediatrician when my baby spit up blood—only to realize it was MY blood he was drinking and regurgitating! After learning that my baby had failed to gain enough weight (whatever “enough” was), I panicked and sent my husband to the deli for a six-pack of Enfamil, and then cried guilty/relieved tears when my newborn guzzled two bottles in a row. 

The next morning, I woke up, read the ingredients on a bottle of Enfamil, and decided I had to find a healthier option should the need for formula again arise. (Note: I went on to breastfeed that son until he was two and a half years old, and my next son nursed for three years. A couple of bottles of formula during a crisis moment did not torpedo my plans of being a long-term nursing mother!) 

My research that morning—now 14 (!) years ago—revealed that a brand called Baby’s Only was without question the healthiest formula on the market. A few months later, I listed it as my top pick in the very first edition of our Safe Formula Guide. Since then, tons of better-for-baby formula brands have come onto the market, yet I hold strong in recommending Baby’s Only to many of my consulting clients. 

Why Baby’s Only Formula Is Great

There are a bunch of reasons that I continue to suggest Baby’s Only to parents looking for a baby formula. Among them are the ingredients, the certifications, and the price point.

Baby’s Only Ingredients

• Baby’s Only is organic. Organic certification is a nonnegotiable for formulas that we call Best Stuff. The Formula Mom, Mallory Whitmore, agrees: “Organic status is important as it ensures that a formula is free of synthetic pesticide residues and does not contain oils that have been extracted with hexane, a known neurotoxin.”
• Baby’s Only ingredients are superior to most organic formulas out there. Most Baby’s Only formulas are sweetened with lactose, instead of cheaper corn syrup or maltodextrin. And Baby’s Only doesn’t contain palm oil, a controversial ingredient found in almost every other brand of baby formula. 

Baby’s Only Certifications & Standards

• Baby’s Only is produced in its own factory in Ohio. Almost every other formula in the country is made by Perrigo, Nestle, Mead Johnson, or Abbot. 
• Baby’s Only has The Clean Label Project Purity Award certification, which means it has been screened for 400 contaminants. 

Baby’s Only Pricing & Availability

• Baby’s Only is the least expensive organic formula on the market. This is a huge reason that my clients choose Baby’s Only. They’ve been making better formula for decades, and are a great choice if a newer brand or European formula isn’t in your budget. 
• Baby’s Only is widely available and can be found in most grocery stores and on Amazon. (Note: Getting it on Baby’s Only’s website via Subscribe & Save is the best deal.)

How to Choose a Baby’s Only Formula

If you want to try Baby’s Only—or keep some on hand in case your early nursing days are anything like mine—there are six different varieties to choose from. Two are FDA green-lighted for infants, and four are toddler drinks. 

My recommendation for an infant is Baby’s Only A2 Organic Milk Infant Formula, which costs less than a dollar more (per can) than the Baby’s Only Organic Complete Nutrition Formula. The reason? A2 milk is superior milk–cow milk has two primary types of proteins: A1 and A2 beta-casein. More studies are needed, but they suggest that A2 milk is easier to digest and less likely to cause inflammation than A1 milk is.

For parents who want to give their toddler omega-3 supplementation, Baby’s Only Goat Milk Toddler Drink and Baby’s Only Organic Sensitive Toddler Drink both contain DHA and ARA. These fatty acids are found in breastmilk that play a crucial role in cognitive and visual development. 

If your baby is allergic to dairy or your family is plant-based, Baby’s Only Organic Plant Based Pea Protein Toddler Drink is soy and lactose-free but still offers the essential nutrients needed for healthy development. 

You’ll note the addition of brown rice syrup Baby’s Only toddler drinks. In response to concerns about arsenic in rice, Baby’s Only created a high-tech filter that removes inorganic arsenic from brown rice syrup, reducing it to undetectable levels. This has been confirmed by the Consumers Union.

In the quest for the ideal formula for your family, Baby’s Only emerges as a trusted, high quality, affordable choice. It’s why we have been calling Baby’s Only the Best Stuff for more than a decade. 

Stay sane,

Maia, Founder & CEO