Choosing Milk Formula

[RebekahJ]

Hello everyone,
How did you decide on which brand of milk formula to give your baby?
I’m finding it really hard and cannot decide between Aptamil, SMA or HIPP.

They are all the same. Choose the cheapest that you can buy in your local supermarket

I decided on Aptamil, just because it’s easy to get everywhere pretty much.

Honestly I am sure they are all so tightly regulated I don’t think there is much difference between them! I’m sure some are made in the same factories just with different labels. Next time I might consider a cheaper option as it adds up quickly!

They are all broadly the same, there isnt any "better" formula out there.

My DS was given some aptamil in hospital before we were discharged so when I moved from breastfeeding to formula feeding I stuck with Aptamil because that's what he had before.

If I was going to bottle feed from the start I would choose whatever was readily available in my nearest shop!

I spoke to Aptimal in depth about this. She told me that all milk meets current nutritional MINIMUM guidelines but certain milk has different added extra vitamins that is more than the minimum required.

All milks are not the same. They have the same basic ingredients in it but that’s all that’s the same.

They all have to meet strict guidelines anyway so the way I chose was:

• cheapest
• most widely available in local shops

We used Aptimal Pro Futura as it had the most vitamins and nutrients in it

Thank you for your help ☺️

They do each add their own stuff, but that's mainly as a marketing tool to try to differentiate from each other, as everything a baby actually needs has to be included baseline. Go for what you can get easily and suits your budget and you can change if you need to.

Aldi Mamia because it was almost half the price of Aptimal with virtually identical ingredients and nutritional values.

I watched the great formula milk scandal and went into the price etc over 6 month on each formula and the price off aptimal compared to other brands were terrible and they do all have the same nothing they add extra is any better for your child! I choose cow and gate because every child in my family had used it so it was just one I knew best! X

They are nutritionally the same.

I'm pissing myself at the pp who spoke to the manufacturer rep. Ffs do some critical thinking. A doctor or government health researcher or peer reviewed academic study, probably worth paying attention to. A formula company call centre rep... We, wtf would you trust their advice about nutrition?

(Yes, I'm aware there are literally differences in the vitamin make up of formula, but the benefits are moot - if it was important, all UK formula would have it in because they would add it to the legal specifications for manufacturing it. Obviously!)

If any of the brand-specific added vitamins or whatever were proven to be beneficial to babies, the minimum requirements would be updated so that all formulas had to include them.

OP there's a great Dispatches episode on 4oD about formula milks, I really recommend that anyone who FF watches it. One thing I didn't get pre-baby was how much formula you actually go through- that program did the sums and explains the cost differences over time if you choose to go with one of the more expensive brands.

I went with HIPP but that was because I had heard a lot of people switched to it after having issues with Aptamil (which is the UK's best selling formula). Having said that, it's generally not available in smaller shops whereas you'll get Aptamil or C&G in most corner shops if you're in a pinch.

Have a look at the Baby Milk Action website. There a document on there that lists all the brands and their varying contents. There don't all contain the same balance of ingredients. It's a very interesting read.

My DS doesn’t like Aptimil he never finishes the bottle if make him one with that formula. So he has HIPP organic, if we run out and can only get to Tesco metro, we buy SMA

I ended up using Aptamil but I think it was because I was using the follow on by the time DD came off prescription formula (after surgery) and it was the most widely available near me at the time.

Get the cheapest. They are all the same.

Any reason not to breastfeed? Happy to offer advice

They’re all the same.

But loving the poster who spoke to Aptamil, who, in a surprising turn of events, told her to buy Aptamil

@ANiceLuxury of course an Aptimal rep advised you that Aptimal was better than other brands...

All formula bases are the same and they are all fortified with essential nutrients - the values are the same but the composition differs between brands.

Clever marketing, slogans and expensive looking packaging allow them to sell it at higher prices by making people think it's "the best" without actually saying it because they aren't legally allowed to do so because there's no real proof.

We used Cow & Gate comfort because DS had a sensitive stomach and it was really available.

That formula milk scandal actually asks the mums why they choose the milk they decided for their babies and most mums actually said they choose aptimal because it was the most popular milk and everyone was using it and because off the price they thought it must be the best! X

@DontFundHate I'm all for encouraging breastfeeding but that's not what the OP is asking about.

Someone had go say it, might as well be me saying it nicely

HIPP and Cow & Gate here, first kiddo couldn't be breastfeed and also refused breast milk so had to try the formulas...SMA and Aptimal were both projectiled vomited back at us so no go on those.
They are all the same, I worked as a receptionist in a laboratory and I remember having a discussion with one of the food lab guys, he explained all vitamins over the RDA get expelled by the body, you can only absorb what you need. Minerals are different as they accumulate and for someone like myself who is anemic I have to watch I don't overdose on iron and stick to the RDA as I've been unfortunate to experience excess iron and it wasn't pleasant!
I've not tried Aldi but that's due to not having one within a 20mile radius.
We used to use/collect boot points to get the formula and bulk buy when on special offer, I worked near a boots so popped in before & after work as it was a 2 box limit back then.

I actually breastfed and gave formula, I think we used three different brands in the end as baby wasn't fussy so just bought whatever happened to be in the shop!

Thank you this formula business is a mind field, not only do you have different brands the brands have more than one choice 😂🙈 like SMA they have little steps stage 1 and Pro stage 1 such confusion.