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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Is Aptamil really 'closest to breastmilk' ??

48 replies

smallpotato · 06/06/2011 08:33

Just wondering really - I have heard this time and time again and don't really see how it's possible - can they really make these claims?

DD1 was mix-fed from 2 weeks, and part of the reason I chose Aptamil was in my sleep-deprived haze I remembered someone saying it was the 'best'. We switched to Hipp Organic soon after though as I compared the ingredients and decided to go with the one that seemed to have the fewest additives.

DD2 is 11 months and still BF, so it's not an issue for me now, but a friend is struggling with BF and she mentioned she is thinking of topping up with Aptamil as she had heard it's 'closest to breastmilk'.

Is this actually true or just a clever marketing strategy??

OP posts:

G1nger · 08/01/2012 19:53

Am I the only one whose breastmilk tastes bogging? My baby likes it, though :)

Chubfuddler · 08/01/2012 19:56

Mine tastes lovely.

G1nger · 08/01/2012 19:58

Not of cheese, then?

Chubfuddler · 08/01/2012 20:02

Nor chub. It just tastes like watery milk really.

organiccarrotcake · 08/01/2012 20:57

"Aptamil was the first formula milk to introduce LCP's (derived from seaweed/fish algae if I remember correctly) which are found naturally in breastmilk."

Various formula companies have added various fatty acids which have been shown to have "no proven benefit" (Nestle's own quote) and which are NOT shown to be safe because they are not allowed to do trials in formula additions other than actually throwing it in there and seeing what happens.

What we do know is that they are NOT the same fatty acids as are found in breastmilk (which are as yet unable to be replicated) but the term "fatty acid" is something that sounds good as we know that the right ones are important for brain growth. But they're all different and do different things so one fatty acid might be really good for us and another may do nothing, or may be harmful.

The "closer to breastmilk" claim was banned a long time ago yet still is believed by many. Consider it this way:

Two companies make park benches. One makes one which is blue plastic and one makes one which is brown plastic with a grain effect on it. They could market that as "closer to wood" and in a sense it is. Only it isn't, and never will be.

The "closer to breastmilk" claim only differed in that it had no basis at all - not even a wood grain effect.

organiccarrotcake · 08/01/2012 20:59

My BM tastes quite nice unless I try to serve it up slightly turned to my (at the time) 6YO. .

I tried it in tea when I was dairy free for DS2 but that was manky. Rice milk was much better although I eventually went for black and that's stuck.

I'm not really sure I ever tasted formula when DS1 was on formula from time to time. I will have to get some to try it, as I'm intrigued now!

YankNCock · 08/01/2012 21:01

Mine tasted like watery sweetened milk.

The formula I tasted (SMA I think?) was foul, like that powdered milk stuff we sometimes took on camping trips.

PenguinArmy · 08/01/2012 21:02

Mine's a lot sweeter this time around

G1nger · 09/01/2012 00:32

My first taste is lovely, but it's all down-hill from there. Bleurgh. If only I hadn't been tempted to glug the leftover expressed milk...

Honeydragon · 09/01/2012 00:48

I had to bite my tongue at surestart when one mum proclaimed she used aptimal as it was exactly the same as bm.

I was also, weirdly, quietly offended on behalf of my bosoms

My milk is very sweet.

confuddledDOTcom · 09/01/2012 01:09

It has been suggested that you don't stick to one formula for that exact reason, although formula companies will tell you not to because they want your loyalty.

There are differences between brands, some babies will prefer one to another, but it's not about cost, cost is to convince you it's better so therefore spend more money!

Closer to breastmilk is like standing on a ladder and saying to the person holding it "I'm closer to the moon than you"

buttonmoon78 · 09/01/2012 08:29

Of course it's not closer! It's cow's milk.

I would like to say, however, that ds could not tolerate C&G yet tolerated Aptamil much better (until his intolerance clicked in). So I reckon there must be some difference!

buttonmoon78 · 09/01/2012 08:29

MessNessPess · 09/01/2012 14:03

Nope, and the LCP maybe found naturally but milk companies have to use chemical/synthesised versions of them.

Tho in theory all formula milks use the same ingredients they do vary. I have had several babies react to , babies becoming constipated on SMA and recommend HIPP Organic as the best and C&G Comfort for sick or windy babies.

Babaj · 09/01/2012 16:12

My combine fed baby only likes aptamil! He hated sma and it produced the stinkiest nappies!

notso · 09/01/2012 16:32

With two of my three children I have been told to use Aptamil for mixed feeding by the HV, Midwife and HV's assistant. With DC2 I was told by the HV to use Milumil which was for hungrier babies but I don't think is available now.
I guess this made me think it was better with DC1 and I just stuck to it for the other two.

organiccarrotcake · 09/01/2012 19:20

Aptamil spend an awful lot of money promoting to HCPs. Just open any of their "trade" magazines... or go to a seminar...

wigglesrock · 09/01/2012 20:48

I've used SMA with 3 babies, but have also swopped brands midway through a holiday when I ran out, made no difference to the babys feeding. Any HCP I've encountered just says if that's how you're feeding they are all the same. The hospital I had dds in still provide free formula to mums who are using it and they don't offer Aptamil at all.

Although with dd3 my husband looked at Hipp as he thought it was slighly cheaper but the tub was smaller.

tiggersreturn · 10/01/2012 21:14

I asked the consultant paed when she ended the dts nutriprem top-up prescription if there was any difference and she said they were all the same.

YummyDollie · 27/06/2013 06:11

Just to bring up an old discussion here but I did a side by side taste with different formulas and Aptamil was definitely sweet and tasted like my breastmilk (which was also sweet) cow and gate tasted slightly off, SMA was vile, Hipp was lovley but nothing like my own milk and there was another brand I tried cant think of the name but it was rancid. Obviously nothing in the world compares to breast milk but BF'ing is not always possible for everyone.

Cravingdairy · 27/06/2013 06:21

We had a tough start to BFing. On day 2 the midwife suggested a top up and gave our baby some Aptimil with a syringe. On day 3 we agreed to regular top ups and the midwife asked us which brand we wanted to use. 'Yesterday the midwife gave Aptimil' I said so that's what they gave us, and we stuck to Aptimil until I could EBF. Et voila!

0aglxubt · 10/12/2019 03:58

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

OverthinkingThis · 18/12/2019 16:50

I had a similar experience with DC1, though in our case it was C&G we were given in the hospital. I'd bought into the "everyone can bf if they try hard enough" lie message, so knew nothing at all about formula. The C&G didn't cause any issues so we stuck with it for all top ups.

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