Are all formula milks the same?

[Starberries]

Just what it says in the title really. Is any one better than the other? Are the price differences really just due to well-known vs. bit more obscure brand names??

I've heard that SMA can make babies constipated, but apart from that never heard any other formula pros/cons.

no they're not all the same but there is no clear information about how they differ - that's deliberately done to allow the milks to be marketed as they choose.
I think pros and cons depend on how the baby takes to it and your circumstances (is it in your local shop, does it come in the sizes you want).

bumping

SMA was the best for my son. He was very sick when we tried Heinz and constipated when we tried Aptamil. Although they could have been coincidences, of course.

AFAIK SMA has the highest iron content, which is why it is often guilty of causing constipation.

Aptamil is meant to be the closest to breastmilk, although considering women's milk differs according to baby's needs, I have no idea how they know that

Don't know much about the others.

Be wary of the claims that certain brands are closest to breast milk - all the big companies use different ways to work this out so that they can say that about their formula. E.g. SMA says their formula has the protein profile closest to breast milk, Aptamil says their formula is closest to breast milk because of the added nutrients...

Is highest iron content a good thing for babies who aren't being breastfed from newborn?

It's neither a good nor a bad thing. Someone more knowledgeable will come along and say why in a minute. :) I really think they're much of a muchness, and would just pick any one of them and see how your baby gets on.

a high iron content can cause constipation in babies. Stick with the 0-6mos formula from birth till 12 months as the follow on ones can make your baby constipated. The slight differential in iron content among 0-6mos formula ought not make a difference in constipation but other ingredients in it may.

Aptamil don't actually claim their milk is the closest to breastmilk any more, I think the claim contravened advertising standards or something like that. Pretty sure they all have the same main elements and the same calorie content etc but some are supposed to be better than others for digestive issues. Apparently ready-made is more easily digestible than the powder too.

they all have to have the same key nutritional profile - proportion of fats, protein etc

different ones have different extra stuff (ie immunofortis, whatever that is)

there is no independently verified evidence for claims made about the extras

so start with a formula available at your local corner shop which is cheap and work from there - i have heard good and bad about all formulas 'my baby is thriving on formula x' and 'formula x leaves my baby constipated'

good luck

babies have their own iron stores which start to deplete from around 6m I seem to recall.

Go for accessibility and convenience over the slight nuances, though, since what suits your baby may not be what you believe to be the best milk.

i started my dd on aptamil but she was very sicky on it, but was and is much better on sma. so there must be a difference.

OP for impartial info see this leaflet for HCPs on formula.

There are guidelines which have min and max amounts for certain ingredients.

Wouldn't it be nice if health visitors could offer evidence based advice about matters such as this. Having really struggled to breast feed and having carried on through two bouts of mastitis and a breast abscess until first son was eight weeks old such sensible advice would have been so much more helpful than "breastfeeding mothers put their babies first, bottle feeding mothers put themselves first". Well done for keeping going for so long would have been more to the point. Perhaps the HV service needs to go the same way as NHS direct! In the meantime, BF is great if it works for mother and baby and both are happy. If one or the other is unhappy (esp. mum)then the infinitesimal benefits of BF are surely outweighed at what can be an indescribably difficult time. I would have loved BF to have been a success but for all mummy's who are struggling breast feeding is a very small part of parenting and if it doesn't work your baby isn't going to remember when he or she is 18. With love to all who are struggling with feeding and struggling for sound advice from those who are paid to provide it.