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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Which is the best formula milk when moving from breast to bottle?

28 replies

Chi2011 · 20/01/2012 16:14

I am about to start weaning my 5 month old of the breast. The problem is I have no idea what formula milk to choose and how to go about it. f it was for me I could just taste them all and see which one I liked the best and wether it was the best for my digestive system. Do I just pick any one. Any advice

OP posts:
strandednomore · 20/01/2012 16:17

Ha! When I did this everyone recommended Aptamil because apparently it was the "closest formula to breastmilk" Hmm but dd1 hated it and sicked it up all the time until we switched to SMA Gold and she was much better...

...anyway that's not much help! Personally I think they are all much-of-a-muchness and just go on whatever you fancy by price or design!

ReduceRecycleRegift · 20/01/2012 16:20

aptimal made DS sick and smelt vile to me, it has fish in it which the others don't, it was briefly believed that this was the same as an ingredient in breast milk but it isn't yet the reputation of being "closest to breast milk" persists.

the only beneifit IMO of this extra ingredient is it seems to help some constipated babies, but if yours has regular bowel movements then I'ld go for one of the others

Hipp and SMA seemed best for mine

ReduceRecycleRegift · 20/01/2012 16:22

"if it was for me I could just taste them all "

DO THAT!

seriously if I'ld listened to MY body's reaction to aptimal then DS wouldn't have had to have it and reject it

I don't give my DS anything I haven't tasted

your bodys have been connected up to now, so trust your own reaction to the different formulas

EquestrianStatue · 20/01/2012 16:24

My DS had HIPP at nursery from 8mo to 1yo. I chose it because it had the shortest list of ingredients Hmm

We also tried their 'Goodnight' milk - YUCK. Smelt & looked like vanilla Slimfast!

Sparklingbrook · 20/01/2012 16:25

Both DSs had Aptamil and were absolutely fine.

bibbitybobbityhat · 20/01/2012 16:25

I think all babies are different and you are probably going to have to experiment.

My dd hated Hipp but got on fine with Aptamil.

Ds hated Aptamil but guzzled down Cow & Gate Hmm.

Be warned - they all smell absolutely VILE!

EquestrianStatue · 20/01/2012 16:26

Maybe buy a couple of cartons of each and see which your baby seems to like the best?

Sparklingbrook · 20/01/2012 16:28

The HV said to get Aptamil so I never looked at any others. They sold it at the Doctors for less than the chemist, (But this was 12 years ago)

LurcioLovesFrankie · 20/01/2012 16:43

The permissible ingredients are tightly controlled (by law) so they're all much-of-a-muchness. Aptamil puts a lot of marketing money into trying to convince mothers it's closer to breast milk than the others (for instance its current TV ads for follow-on milk - which of course are all about raising brand awareness so it can sell 0-6month formula too, even though they're not allowed to market this directly), but I think this is just hooey. Go with whatever seems to suit your baby's digestion best (I used SMA). Just remember to make it with hot, i.e. 70 degree water, as the powder isn't sterile. And when your baby turns 1, you can switch to cow's milk (I found you can get them used to the taste by gradually mixing it with the formula they're used to). Again don't fall for the advertiser's baloney that you need special "growing up milk" because of the iron - by that age, they should be well established on solid food and getting their iron requirements from the rest of their diet.

RitaMorgan · 20/01/2012 16:49

I think they all have fish in now!

I would just choose the one that is cheapest and easiest for you to get. If your baby doesn't like it, try another - they are all more or less the same.

Aptimal and Cow&Gate are the same btw, but Aptimal is more expensive. They are made by the same company.

ReduceRecycleRegift · 20/01/2012 16:57

I thought the no 2 ones all had fish, but aptimal was the only one that had fish in its first milk?

ReduceRecycleRegift · 20/01/2012 16:57

aptimal and C&G may be made by the same company, but their ingredients do vary at least for their first milk

scarlettsmummy2 · 20/01/2012 17:03

I used aptamil without any issues, and it didn't bloat my baby up, she was fine with just the normal one.

RitaMorgan · 20/01/2012 17:35

Aptamil and C&G definitely contain fish, and Hipp is "unsuitable for vegetarians" so I assume that's because of fish too. Looks like SMA is fish free though.

I'm actually sad enough that I compared the ingredients for Aptamil and C&G and there are some minor differences - Aptimal contains Inositol and L-Carnitine whereas C&G contains L-Arginine and beta-carotene.

PickleSarnie · 20/01/2012 21:53

I fell for the aptamil marketing ploy. You can tell that its designed for people who want to breast feed but cant or want to give up. It's what we switched to after bf'ing and it gets at your guilt. You figure if you're going to give them formula then it may well be the best which aptamil MUST be because its the must expensive and its in the most medical looking packet. Hmm

Basically as others have said, they all have to adhere to the same strict rules so I think its just trial and error to find one that suits.

tiktok · 20/01/2012 23:41

It's all marketing.

Why do you think the packaging on different brands is different?

It's to sectorise the market : Aptamil looks classier, sophisticated, posh. Cow&Gate looks brash, colourful and downmarket.

PessimisticMissPiggy · 21/01/2012 09:26

Fish?

Fish?

Fish?

In formula? WTF?

RealLifeIsForWimps · 21/01/2012 09:31

I used HIPP with a bit of Aptimil. As others have pointed out, nutritionally they're all the same, but they do taste different so some babies get on better with some than others.

BertieBotts · 21/01/2012 09:34

Fish oils, like cod liver oil they used to give babies in ye olden days. Yum.

Best way of choosing I've heard is to go for the one which is most easily available in the shop you go to for "emergency" top up shopping.

Aloha31 · 21/01/2012 09:46

Another Hipp fan here.

Sparklingbrook · 21/01/2012 09:55

Are they all much of a muchness price-wise? When DS now 12 was born Aptamil was £6 a box.

PessimisticMissPiggy · 21/01/2012 10:08

Ah, thanks. I had images of powdered fish being in there.

I don't give my DD 8mo fish oil, she might suck a bit of cod once a week though. Are fish oil supplements recommended for bf babies?

er1507 · 21/01/2012 10:09

my dd is 6mo and I still bf except for her bedtime feed when I use aptimil, all midwives and HIV told me it was the better option although I did try cow and gate and dd just would not take it! I started buying the cartons and mixed half Breastmilk with half formula and then over a period of time reduced the Breastmilk. a friend also started giving her dd formula but wasn't sure so she rang aptimil who advised starting on the cartons as they are a bit sweeter than the powder. whatever you choose I think your lo will prob be a little sick after the 1st few feeds as formula is heavier on the stomach than bm.

emeraldex · 21/01/2012 10:20

Hipp organic follow on milk fan here... Since Wednesday.

BertieBotts · 21/01/2012 10:34

No fish supplements not recommended for BF babies... they were trying to replicate some ingredient of BM I think.

Probably stating the obvious, but it should be first milk until 6 months, then you can switch to follow on milk if you wish, but there is no need to.