I live in Tallahassee Florida with my fiancé, his father, and my son. My son is 10 months old. Since he was born, we have used formula. I tried to breast feed, but unfortunately it did not work out.
The formula sample I was given at my doctors office was from the brand Enfamil. It was the infant formula which you can use up to 1 year of age. The first time we went to buy some we drove to Target. It costs 17.08-18.00 for one 12.5oz can. One can will only last 3-4 days! I was worried since that is really expensive, and then I found WIC.
WIC stands for Women, Infants, and Children. It is federally funded assistance program in the United States that helps out pregnant women receive food and mothers receive food for their children. You go to their office at your local health department and can sign up. They will also assist you in knowing what to feed your child and at what age. At certain appointments, they will even weigh your child to make sure they are healthy. WIC also gives you rice cereal and baby food for your child.
Currently I receive 7 12.5oz cans of Enfamil infant formula, 128oz of baby food fruits & vegetables only, and 60oz of rice cereal. WIC gives you a card that your benefits will be loaded onto, and you use it at the store like a debit card. Except you select EBT and then WIC. The rice cereal that I use is the Gerber single grain rice cereal that costs $3.99 for a 16oz container. You can either put it in a bottle with some formula, mix it with baby food, or on its own with a little formula in a bowl.
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I also use Gerber baby food. Gerber is the most known brand in the U.S. and is relatively cheap. It comes in a 2-pack with two 4oz containers. It costs $1.29. There are a plethora or kinds to choose from. WIC only covers the fruits and vegetables. But I still get the ones that include meats as well. My sons favorites are the apples, cinnamon, and wholes grains for breakfast, Butternut Squash for lunch, and Sweet potato and turkey with whole grains for dinner.
Of course, since my son is getting older he is starting to eat more solid foods. We have been giving him a little cheese, some softer or cut up fruits like bananas and strawberries. He also drinks apple juice. Not very much though, 1oz of apple juice mixed with 4oz of water. Another product my son cannot get enough of are Gerber Graduates Yogurt Melts. They are made with freeze dried yogurt and fruit. They are round chips that easily dissolve in his mouth. They cost $2.47 at Target. They have a variety of flavors but his favorite is Banana Vanilla. They are really good, sometimes I will sneak a few since it tastes like banana pudding!
My sons taste in food is already changing. I’m sure raising him will give me a few surprises along the way, especially with food.
