Best formula milk....

[Harrysmom]

Hi everyone. Which formula milk is the best on the market? My HV recommended SMA Gold. Also, do you think its a good idea to switch to follow on milk at 6 months for the extra iron? would appreciate your advice ta

[jessicasmummy]

SMA gold for me - dd is six months and have been advised not to change to follow-on milk unless she becomes unhappy on sma gold. GO WITH GOLD!!!

[oooggs]

I used Aptimil First with breastfeeding from birth as they advised in Transitional Care. I did change to the Aptimil followon milk at 6 months. They say it would make no difference and that it was just a con to get us to spend more money. But it was cheaper so I did it anyway. No problems at all .

[dinny]

Apatamil is supposed to be most like breastmilk, Harrysmom (not sure who says that though...)

Thought HVs weren't allowed to recommend any brands of formula though.

[LIZS]

The "right" formula milk is whatever suits your baby - some find SMA too rich and constipating, others are fine, for example. There a restringent standards so no "best" afaik.

Follow on milk is a marketing tool to get brand recognition - it's necessity for its iron content is dubious if the baby is otherwise starting to be weaned onto a variety of solids.

[oatcake]

certainly midwives aren't allowed to advise on formulas, so I'm surprised the HV did.

I think it's as long as it is short as regards formula. I think Aptimil is for hungrier babies, is it not?

You'll soon know if the formula doesn't agree with babe.

[Harrysmom]

Hes been on SMA Gold for about 4 weeks now...and although he wolfs it down, he does seem to get a bit constipated even though his solid diet is full of fruits and vegetables, this makes me think it might be worth switching.

[Harrysmom]

A friend of mine's HV made a recommendation on formula too!

[smellymelly]

Hv's here advise anything except SMA, weird how they all have their favorites.

I have always used Aptimil.

[Harrysmom]

Where are you?

[smellymelly]

Devon.

[Harrysmom]

Ah well they know a thing or two about milk down there I hear

[smellymelly]

?

[Harrysmom]

Devon milk (cows) is supposed to be the best tasting!

[smellymelly]

LOL

[Harrysmom]

BUMP! any other thumbs up for aptamil?

[Mosschops30]

Message withdrawn

[acnebride]

Odd really, I have never seen anyone else recommend Cow and Gate! I've used it all through and although I am v sad I ever had to use it at all, and am delighted to be saying goodbye to it (almost entirely over to plain moo milk now)it's been absolutely fine. Didn't have any of the foul smelling poos i was expecting, I do think formula is better than it used to be. Only problem was with French brand Bledilait, which caused ds to produce unbelievably unpleasant poos.

[jessicasmummy]

can i ask then, do i need to swap jess onto follow-on milk or should i leave her as she is? i have bought a small carton (one feed) of follow on but am yet to get the guts up to give it to her..... thoughts???

[hercules]

They are a marketing ploy as it is the only way the companies are allowed to advertise. Apparently if you work out scoop sizes it is no cheaper.

[colditzmum]

I liked Cow and Gate. I couldn't distinguish ds's poo from that of his breastfed peers', he gained well, he wasn't sicky, and sadly at the time I was choosing formula, I was in a dispute with my employer about maternity pay, so price was the deciding factor

[Surfermum]

I used SMA Gold and then switched to the SMA follow on milk, as the follow on milk was often on offer and therefore cheaper. She didn't need it for the extra iron as she got plenty in her diet.

[tiktok]

Follow on has more iron than ordinary cows milk. Babies already on regular formula can stay on it - no need to change. Some babies get very constipated on follow on, because of the extra iron.

No health professional should be recommending one brand over another. There is no independent evidence that one brand is 'better' than the other. Personally, if I was using formula, I would go for a long-established brand as I would assume any serious problems with it would have emerged by now. The newer ingredients haven't been around for long enough for me

[busyalexsmummy]

I have to agree with pinkdiamond, my ds was also very sick on SMA-projectile vomiting in some instances but I changed him onto cow and gate green(first milk) and he was fine, also tried farleys, which was nasty stuff and had the same effect as SMA.
Strange though as most hospitals, only store SMA/FARLEYS, and not most other brands??
I think the worst thing about formula is the smell when they burp-ewwwww