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Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Infant feeding

SMA, Farleys, Milupa, Cow and Gate and now with prebiotics . . . which one??

29 replies

ellenrose · 14/05/2006 18:25

I am currently exclusively bf but will need to move dd onto formula when I return to work. Having started to review the formula options it is clear that there are far more options than the last time I did this with ds2. Anyone have any preferences or advice on any to avoid ???

OP posts:

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tiktok · 14/05/2006 18:31

Always a diffcult Q to answer, as there is no independent, non-commercial comparison of formulas available in the UK, so people's own individual experience fills ths gap (hence people saying brand x caused wind, brand y caused constipation, and we are never talking about samples greater than 1 or 2!).

I tend to suggest people get a brand they know they can buy easily, including at the late night grocer's - there's no other reason I can think of for getting one brand rather than another.

Newer formulations - such as prebiotics - are innovations, and simply haven't been around long enough for any proper claims of benefits to be made for them, IMO.

If your baby is old enough when you go back to work, you may be able to continue bf, albeit with some expressing, so you don't need to bother with formula at all :)

ellenrose · 15/05/2006 12:36

thanks so much tiktok - I appreciate it

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donnie · 15/05/2006 12:45

FWIW my health visitor advised us to use aptamil as it was easily digestible and closer to breast milk than some of the others. We have used ot on both dds without any problems.

muma3 · 15/05/2006 12:48

i used farleys to switch from breastfeeding and it all went smoothly no probs
hth

muma3 · 15/05/2006 12:48

i used farleys to switch from breastfeeding and it all went smoothly no probs
hth

rosycheek · 15/05/2006 14:04

When I moved ds1 and dd from breast to bottle I used Aptamil. Found it fine, they took to it easily. Ds2 was fed on Aptamil from birth.

hunkermunker · 15/05/2006 14:51

Donnie, sounds like your hv fell prey to the milupa marketing machine.

hotmama · 15/05/2006 15:09

I used Aptimil with dd1 when I stopped bf.

mears · 15/05/2006 22:46

Can I echo the fact that you do not need to introduce formula when returning to work - it is possible to continue breastfeeding/giving EBM.

However if you decide formula is the route for you, I agree with Tiktok. Use the one that is easier to get your hands on. There is not one 'ordinary' formula better than another.

PrincessPeaHead · 15/05/2006 22:54

I used aptamil 3 yrs ago with ds2 and it was fine, but tried it with dd2 this time around - the formulation has changed and it made her very sicky and uncomfortable. she is now on cow and gate organic instead which is fine.
think you need to try a few, but I've heard from a few mothers that the new formulation of aptamil is not well tolerated by their babies.

NotAnOtter · 15/05/2006 23:06

i looked it to it with ds3 cos i am so fussy about their skin as i have eczema and was told by paediatritionsthat cow and gate was cosest to breast milk!

peaches27 · 16/05/2006 11:20

We use Cow and Gate premium and it suits our baby, she went on to it after being bf for 4 months. Can I suggest you try her with one of those small cartons which cost about 50p rather than buy a whole big tub of it? This is what we did. Our little one wont touch aptamil!!! so this is why its a good idea to try a small amount.

We have had no real constipation issues with C & G either, except when she had a cold.

It is one of my constant complaints that there are no good guidelines as to which formula to use. I would have welcomed a site that reviewed all the options as I have no option but to use formula. It seems with greater emphasis on breastfeeding people are afraid to push formula. Our health visitor plays it by the book and doesnt recommend any.

I would go along with the advice to get them used to one that is readily available too! That is something I bore in mind and was thankful.

Try the little ready made up cartons, see which suits. I havent heard anyone complain about Cow and Gate premium though.

ellenrose · 16/05/2006 12:14

Thanks so much everyone. Would dearly like to carry on and use EBM unfortunately my office is not the best place to try and express during the day and store the milk to have enough for all her feeds but might be able to do a combination - if anyone has had any experience of this would love to know how you coped. Peaches27 - great idea about the small cartons to try, thank you.

OP posts:

gegs73 · 16/05/2006 12:18

I formula fed my baby from about 4 months. I tried SMA Gold first and found this really constipated him, so switched to Cow and Gate and he/we were very happy with it.

bl0ndie · 16/05/2006 15:27

ellenrose, I have absolutely no idea myself, but a midwife friend of mine recommends SMA Progress for babies 6 month + 'for the iron'.

ellenrose · 16/05/2006 15:36

Thanks Blondie - I appreciate the info, anything is useful right now

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kiskidee · 16/05/2006 15:37

ellenrose: i am still expressing for dd at work. you can ask your workplace to provide the place, time and storage facility foe expressing and storing ebm. i did in writing but really just discussed it. :)

ellenrose · 16/05/2006 16:27

Wow, will definitely ask but not sure if they will be very accommodating - thanks for the advice

OP posts:

Bozza · 16/05/2006 16:30

Personally wouldn't bother with the extra iron ones unless you suspect there is likely to be an issue with iron.

kiskidee · 16/05/2006 19:59

link{http://www.abm.me.uk/ABMworking.pdf\expressing at work}

tiktok · 17/05/2006 09:17

blOndie, sounds like your midwife friend has seen the ads on TV. Follow on milks have more iron in them, but there is no evidence babies need it, and in fact most of the iron content is not absorbed (which is why some babies get constipated on these milks).

We keep saying it here on mumsnet - follow-on is a con :)

donnie · 17/05/2006 14:22

why is the follow on cheaper ? we use aptamil follow on and it is about a pound cheaper that the numbers 1 and 2 aptamils!

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tiktok · 17/05/2006 15:06

Market forces, donnie.....follow on is essentially competing with cows milk, which is a lot cheaper.

madmarchhare · 17/05/2006 15:16

ellenrose, everyone else is right, after trying to get as much information as I could to make an informed choice on which formula I gave to DS, I gave up and just went for readily available (sold in local chemist and in ready made up cartons for travelling etc).

Quite pathetic really. It was SMA GOLD as it goes, and it did suit DS. My SIL chose to use it, again, because she was lacking info, simply because I had. It didnt suit her DS and ended up using Cow and Gate I think.

I did not use follow on milk at all.

oliveoil · 17/05/2006 15:20

didn't bother with follow on, HV said big con.

Can you express and build up a frozen supply of EBM, then you could breastfeed in the morning/evening and use a bottle of EBM in the day.

I think by law they have to provide a room for you to express but tbh the thought of everyone knowing what I was doing in My Room would have put me off expressing at work.

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