A Baby’s Only Organic Infant Formula Review By Sarah & Sammy Go
Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano
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Bay Area couple Sarah & Sammy Go invite us into their colorful Oakland home to talk parenthood, formula feeding, and more!
While the words organic and affordable don’t typically go together, they absolutely do in the case of Baby’s Only infant formula. Produced in the heartland of the U.S.A., Baby’s Only makes it easy to choose affordable organic infant formulas and toddler drinks that are made independently and domestically.
Available online and at retailers nationwide, the Baby’s Only suite of cult-followed products includes a wide range of options for both infants and toddlers. For the littlest ones, there’s an organic infant formula and A2 organic milk infant formula. For toddlers, there’s an organic plant based pea protein milk, goat milk, organic dairy with whey milk, and sensitive toddler milk drinks.
Beloved by parents across the country, we wanted to take it for a spin ourselves. To give us an honest Baby’s Only formula review, we enlisted Oakland-based mom Sarah Go and dad Sammy Go (parents to Rocky, 1, and Griffin, 4). Their verdict? Making the switch to Baby’s Only was a cinch.
“No exaggeration—Rocky LOVED Baby’s Only from the start,” says Sarah. “We had been using another formula and were curious about how he’d react to a new one. He drank his first bottle voraciously! We didn’t notice any changes with his mood or poops. He adjusted seamlessly!”
Read through the couple’s entire review below, while you get a tour of their colorful, light-filled space. Plus, in addition to talking formula, Sarah and Sammy (founder of Lambert Floral Studio), fill us in on their thoughts on raising two boys, celebrating their Chinese-American heritage through parenthood, and so much more.
For more information on Baby’s Only, be sure to visit babysonly.com and follow @babysonlyformulas on Instagram.
Meanwhile, you can keep following along with this beautiful family via @lambertfloralstudio, @mistersamuelgo, and @slin.go.
Tell us about your feeding journey with Rocky.
Sarah: “We are so grateful that Rocky has always been a good eater! He was exclusively breastfed until about 5 months old, when he started part-time childcare. With pumping, my supply wasn’t enough, so we introduced formula. Rocky did great combo-feeding (breast milk and baby formula) for the rest of the year. He just turned one! So we're transitioning him from infant formula to Baby’s Only toddler milk drink.”
When did you first start thinking about formula?
Sarah: “From our experience with Griffin (our firstborn), I knew that my supply would drop once Rocky went to childcare and I had to start pumping, so we had always planned to introduce formula around that time. My perception of formula has been positive—when Griffin was born, he had jaundice and we needed to use formula. He also took to formula really well as he got older, so we had hopes that Rocky would, too. And he did!”
“No exaggeration—Rocky LOVED Baby’s Only from the start. He drank his first bottle voraciously! We didn’t notice any changes with his mood or poops. He adjusted seamlessly!”
Tell us about your experience using Baby's Only.
Sarah: “No exaggeration—Rocky LOVED Baby’s Only from the start. We had been using another formula and were curious about how he’d react to a new one. He drank his first bottle voraciously! We didn’t notice any changes with his mood or poops. He adjusted seamlessly!”
What stands out for you about Baby's Only?
Sarah: “We love that Baby’s Only is organic but also affordable. We appreciate that we can feed Rocky the highest-quality nutrition without breaking the bank!”
Overall, what advice would you give to other parents looking for a good formula to feed their baby?
Sarah: “Obviously, every child is different, but we’ve had a great experience with Baby’s Only. Rocky took to it so easily and we feel assured knowing that we’re giving him organic formula that’s modeled after breastmilk. Rocky loves the formula and is happy and growing well—and that’s what’s most important to us!”
Did you always know you wanted to be parents?
Sarah: “I have always hoped that I’d be a mother someday! I remember being in middle school and dreaming of names for my future children (none of which made the final cut, by the way).”
Sammy: “Always! My first job in high school was as a summer day camp counselor for first graders, so now I get to be a full-time camp counselor for my boys.”
How were your pregnancy and birth experiences?
Sarah: “I’m extremely grateful that I’ve had two relatively smooth pregnancies. I have a uterine fibroid and it caused me a great deal of pain for about 2 weeks in my second trimester with Griffin. I’m so glad I didn’t experience the same discomfort when I was carrying Rocky.”
“My birth experience was actually a lot smoother with Rocky than it was with Griffin. For Griffin, my water broke (while we were in the process of moving to another house, of course) and I had to give birth 3 weeks before his due date. The doctors also had to perform a vacuum suction after a few hours of pushing because I was spiking a fever and there was a risk for infection. Post-epidural, I couldn't feel my contractions, so I felt really disconnected from the whole labor experience and wasn’t pushing effectively.”
“For Rocky, I started laboring at home and was admitted to the hospital at 4 cm dilated. After the epidural, I could feel my natural contractions, so pushing was so much more intuitive. Rocky came into the world after 15 minutes of pushing! I was so grateful to the staff at Kaiser Oakland, who helped prepare me for a successful delivery and treated Sammy and me with kindness and empathy every step of the way.”
Tell us about your boys' first and middle names.
Sammy: “For Griffin, I knew I wanted a double G name, so he can one day wear a Gucci belt as a monogram. Just kidding. We actually didn’t fully decide on ‘Griffin’ until we had to fill out the birth certificate. His name means ‘strong of faith,’ and when he was born, almost all the nurses commented on how strong he was—strong grip, strong cry. It felt like confirmation. His middle name, Saint, is an homage to the Griffin being a fantastical creature said to be a guardian of the Garden of Eden. We liked the duality of strength and protector qualities being activated for the garden, a house of beauty.”
“Rocky’s name comes from a meaning of ‘well of rest,’ which felt like a declaration for our family as we transitioned from one to two kids. I think Sarah will attest that even though there’s no way two kids could be physically easier than one kid, we do feel a different type of restfulness within our family and Rocky’s first year. ‘Lambert’ is my maternal grandfather’s name, my middle name, and the name of my floral design studio. I was actually contemplating retiring from Lambert before Rocky was born and wanted the name to live on in him.”
“We love that Baby’s Only is organic but also affordable. We appreciate that we can feed Rocky the highest-quality nutrition without breaking the bank!”
What does it mean to you to be raising two sons?
Sarah: “I feel incredibly privileged to be raising two boys. I hope to raise them to be kind and to feel truly free to be their whole selves. We didn’t have a preference either way when it came to their sex; the most important thing to us was that they were healthy. For both pregnancies, we found out the sex as soon as the information was available. Telling Griffin he was going to have a younger brother was hilarious and a memory I’ll always treasure. We took him out for ice cream and told him the news, and he responded, ‘A brother?? But I’ve been calling it a sister in your belly this whole time!’ Then he asked Sammy for a lick of his ice cream and we were on to the next conversation topic.”
Sammy: “I remember feeling the weight of fatherhood when we found out our firstborn would be a son. It’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly to be raising boys who will one day become men. We want them to be more of the men we want to see in the world: kind, full of love, others-focused, tender, empathetic, inquisitive and curious, creative and full of wonder, an advocate for others. Raising two sons also deepens my appreciation for my own father, who raised two sons of his own (I’m the baby!).”
What has surprised you about the experience of parenthood so far?
Sarah: “After we had Rocky, I remember turning to Sammy one day and saying, ‘I feel like my ability to love is expanding.’ Perhaps I assumed that going from one to two children would be chaotic, tiring, and leave me with nothing left in the tank (and there are definitely days when that is true!), but by and large I feel an increased capacity for loving—and enjoying—my children. It’s hard to explain in words. All I know is that these two little humans are changing me for the better.”
Sammy: “First of all, I did not expect to be buying so many berries and for them to be priced per pound at their current market rate. It’s wild. Otherwise, I feel similarly to Sarah about our multiplied capacity to love and delight in our children. Also, my perception of time is so wonky. It was compounded by the pandemic, but if time is a thief then it’s thieving voraciously! I can’t believe how quickly they are growing up, especially since I still feel like we just began this parenting journey.”
What were your own upbringings like?
Sarah: “I had a happy childhood with two loving parents. They couldn’t conceive for 14 years, and suddenly I showed up. The doctors didn’t have an explanation! We lived in San Diego until I was 8, then moved to the San Jose area. These days, I have the privilege of spending time with them often since they’re nearby. They can’t get enough of their grandkids!”
Sammy: “I grew up in San Francisco and my parents still live in the same house—it’s so fun that my boys get to play around in my childhood bedroom! My childhood was very sunny, full of fun. My mom and dad raised my older brother and me with a selfless type of love that seemed so effortless. They let me be creative, put me in sports and tutoring, but also let me try out for dance classes and capoeira. I think they were always able to see the validity in what I was interested in and curious about and gave me opportunities to grow skills in those interests. I was also very close with my grandmother, who lived 2 minutes away from us. We would hang out a lot.”
Are there things from your upbringing that you're consciously trying to incorporate (or not incorporate) into your kids' upbringing?
Sarah: “It’s really important to me that both Rocky and Griffin feel connected to (and proud of) their Chinese-American identity. We are intentional about sharing the beauty of our culture through food, books, and trips to Chinatown to get dim sum.”
Sammy: “I feel like there are so many layers in this question! I’m a 3.5 generation Chinese-American and the process of understanding my own heritage and making sense of my own identity has been its own journey. I also think Griffin and Rocky’s generation will relate to their own identities as Chinese-Americans differently than Sarah and I do, and I want them to be equipped to engage in that discourse as it arises amongst them and their peers. So sometimes that is as simple as making sure our Sunday mornings are balanced evenly between french toast breakfasts and a box of fresh char siu baos. And I’m sure when they’re older we will want to tell them our experience of some of the discourse around the Stop Asian Hate movement and other AAPI discourse post-pandemic.”
What excites you most about parenthood right now?
Sarah: “As an only child, it’s so exciting for me to watch Griffin and Rocky grow up as brothers. Griffin is almost 5 and Rocky just turned 1, so they’re not quite playing yet, but my hope is that they’ll develop a deep and rich friendship.”
Sammy: “Same as Sarah, I’m most excited for Griffin and Rocky to begin their own relationship with each other.”
What makes you most nervous?
Sarah: “Navigating transitions with childcare and elementary school! Griffin starts Kindergarten in the fall, which I’m so thrilled about but also equally nervous about. Rocky is well-adjusted in an amazing childcare program, but I’ll be equally nervous to send him off to preschool in a couple of years. I’m also dreading the day they’ll be too cool for me and not want to hang out with me.”
Sammy: “I’m nervous for Griffin to start Kindergarten! I really appreciate the ways his preschool teachers see him as a learner, so I hope he finds a safe space in his future elementary school.”
How would you each describe your profession right now?
Sarah: “I’m a content marketer at brightwheel, a software company that serves early education businesses. It’s such a fun space to be in because through my parenting experience, I can see first-hand how critical early education is for shaping healthy children, families, communities, and society as a whole. I believe early educators are some of the most important people out there and I’m honored to work with them.”
Sammy: “I am a florist! I am the owner of Lambert Floral Studio and we make flowers for weddings and events. June 2024 will mark the 10th anniversary of the first wedding I made flowers for! Before then, I worked as a landscape designer and kinda fell into flowers from there.”
How has becoming parents impacted your creativity and how you think about your career?
Sarah: “Witnessing the importance of early education first-hand has made my work all the more meaningful. Rocky’s and Griffin’s teachers are pivotal to their growth and development. These early years are so formative and I’m so grateful for how these teachers are shaping my children into kind, confident, and compassionate human beings. What an incredible thing it is to raise children in community and not in isolation. I’m forever grateful for the early educators in our life!”
Sammy: “Becoming a parent has absolutely changed my relationship to career, recontextualizing and redefining my motivations and drive for work. I’m sure other working parents may recall a pull to work less and be with their child(ren) instead, and then a renewed vision for the importance and value of their work.”
“One of my greatest joys as a father has been witnessing Griffin explore his own creativity, which has impacted my own in so many ways. I feel like children have the purest sense of creativity—it’s not for ego or ambition. It’s not concerned with being on trend, or optimized for engagement, accessible enough to be understood but unexpected enough to be trailblazing. Their creativity is wholly expressive of their own curated idea of beauty, a response of delight to the world they’re experiencing for the first time (we’ll go through periods where all he wants to draw is a sun, or he would like to paint his face to become a roly poly, or everything in a coloring book is red).”
“I also notice that Griffin’s creative expression is a choice for him. Therefore, it’s trustworthy and true. Lately I’ve made small shifts in my creative posturing, trying to emulate my son’s unabashed creative choices. As a creative entrepreneur, you learn how to temper your own creative junction with the vision of your stakeholders. In fatherhood, I’m relearning how to listen to my creative intuition, wanting to peel back the years of learned behavior of how to make my creativity effective above expressive.”
Do you have any creative habits or practices to get inspired?
Sarah: “Being outside brings necessary balance to my life (especially since I work from home and can easily hole up in my office all day). Going on walks or runs in my neighborhood is really important for my mental health and creativity overall.”
Sammy: “I find cooking for our family to be a helpful habit in low stakes creativity. Sarah and I both cook, but we are so different in the kitchen! She loves a recipe and is diligent in following instructions and relies on tried and true methods for success. I’m less scripted and am not afraid of following an intuition down an unplanned road. Most of the time it’s a rewarding and explorative process, other times it’s an opportunity to gain an extra ounce of creativity as I have to problem solve on the spot how to salvage a dish I might have just messed up. During the early pandemic days, I wasn’t making many flowers for wedding clients, but I was making dinner at home a lot!”
“In recent years I’ve come to value and nurture my need for inspiration. Whereas before I thought it consumptive or inane, now I prioritize my own creative intake and input. Investing in print magazine subscriptions, scouting trips to neighborhood nurseries, browsing art auctions online. I take these pastimes seriously now! I also love walking in our neighborhood. It helps me feel connected to the seasons in a really simple way. I am really grateful for the homeowners in my neighborhood ~50 years ago for planting some great magnolias, dogwoods, and flowering cherry trees.”
Any favorite local spots that you love?
Sarah: “Our family loves Dracena Quarry Park—it’s always perfectly shady with lots of grass to run around in. Highwire Coffee is our go-to cafe. I also love Wood Tavern for a little treat-myself lunch.”
Sammy: “We have a small mom and pop grocery market near our house called Rocky’s Market (totally coincidental, we stumbled upon it after our Rocky was born). It’s super well curated and charming, and every Friday, Griffin asks if we can stop by on our way home from school so I can treat him to ice cream (see how that works).”
“I also love browsing ReLove, which is the most well curated used/vintage boutique I know! They have the most tasteful, chic, thoughtful selections. Once the owner was talking with me as I went to try on some pieces and she knew the story behind every item I was holding. I love their eye for designer vintage pieces and my closet is so grateful.”
Any big goals or happenings—professionally or personally—that you're excited about for the year ahead?
Sarah: “I’m excited to continue making our home a haven for Rocky and Griffin where they can have fun, feel free, and experience deep rest and moments for creativity. We’ve been creating a little art-making nook for Griffin that I’m excited to keep expanding on. Small projects like that.”
Sammy: “I would love for Lambert to share the beauty of flowers with as many people as possible.”
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