1st Timer needs advise re: best formula to use

[SpringChicken]

Sorry, i know there have probably been hundreds of threads about this already but i didn't look!

I am expected our first baby in July - have decided that i will be bottle feeding the baby but am a bit unsure of the for's and against's with different type's of milk.

I know there are lots of options, SMA, Cow & Gate etc etc but just wondered how you go about choosing which formula to use?

Any idea's welcome

Thanks

I have bottle fed all of my kids. For some reason (i don't know why) i just did not want to breastfeed. DD1 had SMA, DD2 was prem and i offered to express some milk but they said it wasn't needed, and DS3 had SMA then Farleys and then Omneo Comfort which suited him best. My mom works as an health care assistant on a maternity ward and some women get themselves really worked up about it and feel really pressured to bf.

I am using SMA white for my dd and it seems good. I started on Farleys but that made her poo really revolting and the SMA seems to suit her much better!

message withdrawn

Could you be any more antagonistic RobinW???

For the record i never mentioned the word "bullying " either.

Sorry Long post!!

SC I've got 2 kids and done both!! 1st time around I had a prem baby and had to bottle feed as she was tube fed for far to long (different subject) I did express for nearly 4 months!! In the end I had to take drugs to try to increase my supply of milk as I struggled to get more than 30mls a time. When I finally gave up expressing I was so happy!! I used SMA (I think!) and I used mum2ela's tip on taking bottles of water at room temp, and adding powder as I went. DD1 never had warmed milk The cartons wouldn't hav worked for us as she was still only taking about 4oz per feed!! and I think 5 yrs ago weren't around.

I found bottle feeding fine as far as portability went due to the mixing up of feeds as I went. This meant I took bottles with water and a small 3 section box wherever I went. ALso at night there was no faffing of warming bottles and stuff. I used to put a bottle of water and the ready measured powder by my bed ready to go. Also bear in mind your dh can get his fill of feeding - just make sure the ones he is involved with are night-time feeds!! I still did this until dd1 was 13 months, so we were well used to the routine and tbh it was not much of a faff.

However 2nd time around I decided I had to try bf (I was disappointed 1st time not to be able to try), I found it unbelievably painful for the first 3 - 4 weeks, I got engorged breasts, cracked nipples and I used to cry before every feed!! No wonder the poor baby was pushed into a 3 - 4 hr routine within weeks!! However once I had sorted out the nipples (breast shields) and the engorement (savoy cabbage leaves in the bra), I did 'enjoy' breast-feeding. I was fine about feeding wherever and didn't have that as an issue. However I mixed fed from about 3 or 4 weeks. I gave a bottle of expressed milk at about 10 days, simply to relieve the pain of my boobs and give my nipples a chance to heal. I then gave a bottle every so often. By 5 weeks I wanted to go back to the gywm so started leaving her with a bottle. After this she had one bottle feed a day, I used cartons for ease and it was only one so not to expensive. I went back to work when she was about 6 months and I continued mixed feeding (feeding at night) until she gave up at 8 months). Also Mothercare did great bottles that steamed one at a time in the microwave. You put a bit of water in the bottle itself and it took about a minute. Great for mixed feeding.

Overall it is your choice, personally I would try to bf first, then mix feed if I prefered, however I fed a prem baby by bottle and still have no problem there. Do what is right for you, bottle feeding is not much hassle if you get things set up for you.

Good Luck!

I had to log off last night and I wanted to stay around to defend my post. I am at work now so have to be quick but here goes:

Firstly let me say I agree that breast is best for baby and you if it works for you. I agree that all the advice re giving breast feeding a go was delivered in a very kind and gentle way with very good intention. I certainly wasn't accusing anyone of bullying. I also agree that if the advice given helps SC to give breastfeeding a go then great.

I just think it is hard for bottle feeders to ask for advice sometimes for fear of being questioned as to why they aren't breast feeding. I know I was reluctant when my baby was very young to let on that I was bottle feeding rather than breast fed - completely my issue I know but it wasn't helped by some of the posts I have seen on Mumsnet.

The other think that did get to me was the dedication of SC's husband was being questioned and rolled in with all men. I know of a few saintly husbands who share the night feeds, I know there are many more who don't (including mine ) but I just felt "give the man a break". He hasn't even got his baby yet!

Finally - like Angeliz I ummed and arred all day as to whether to post because I love mumsnet and don't want to alienate myself. I don't post that much but when I do I always get great advice.

have only skimmed - so forgive me if this has already been said - but breastfeeding actually reduces your risk of getting breast cancer! that's as well as it being free, doesn't need mixing or heating, helps the immune system, reduces respiratory admissions to hospital in first 7 years of life....
as well as giving dd2's nursery my expressed milk, I also mix up a few ml's of aptamil..guess which one she drinks???

I wish I previewed my posts - sorry for complete lack of punctuation.

Can I say I ummed and arred as well Lamin because I knew the breastfeding mafia comment was going to appear and I also did not want to put pressure on SpringChicken. However, SC did not seem upset about the posts referring to breastfeeding so I added a post as well.
The difference here is SC is a first time mum who has no experience of BF but believes she won't want to do it. I have met many mums like that who change their minds once the baby is born. After delivery we do not ask mums how they are going to feed. Their babies are placed skin-to-skin with them and as the baby starts rooting around they are asked if they would like assistance to breastfeed. They either say yes or an emphatic no. Sometimes those that say yes had not planned to do so but are drawn to the baby's search for the nipple. Despite thinking that they did not want to feed they have been pleasantly surprised by the feeling of wanting to try it. Other mums have planned to breastfeed and can't stand the sensation after one feed. For those mums who request a bottle there is no big issue. They are asked what brand they want which brings us back to the main question. There is no best brand of milk other than breastmilk I am afraid. You cannot always assume that women who chose to bottlefeed from the outset know that. However, if they do possess all the information they can make an informed choice.
I do not condemn anyone for bottlefeeding at all and get annoyed with inferences from some that breastfeeding supporters will not listen.
I think the only people to feel comfortable about posting about feeding issues are the mixed feeders who have a foot in each camp

dinosaur - you obviously missed the last rammy about that one The link is here

dinosaur, don't beat yourself up about eczema, both my dd's have been exclusively breastfed for 5 and 6 months (dd1 carried on till just before she was 2) and both have had some eczema/dry skin. dd1's eczema got loads better when I stopped taking her swimming!

My DS1 has eczema which he developed after starting solids at 23 weeks. Up till then he was breastfed and had juice. He never had any formula at all. I didn't know anything about exclusive feeding when I had him. The only one I exclusively fed till 6 months is my youngest. Neiher she or the other 2 boys have eczema. Some children will develop it without it being related to formula. I personally never used, nor wanted to use formula for a variety of reasons. As has ofetn been said before, you make choices on the available information you have at the time. You must never crticise yourself for it. And I agree dinosaur - do not feel bad about it. The eczema may have nothing to do with the formula.

dinosaur - out of 7 of us in my NCT class the two babies with eczema are the only two who are exclusively breastfed? weird? They were both on IV antibiotics when they were born though ....

oh dinosaur, that sounds awful, I feel so lucky that dd1 only had mild eczema which didn't look nice, but hardly ever bled or really bothered her that much.

He's 8 months old. The dermatologist said to my friend that she thought that was probably the case with her baby. The antibiotics wiped out his natural resistance so then his baby skin didn't have any natural barriers to irritants. Awful really - but she didn't have any choice about the IV as I am sure you didn't.

exactly the same scenario with my friend - I must go and do some work now. Only my second day back from maternity leave!

dinosaur, you will never know, and it is just as likely not to have been that bottle...it's impossible to avoid "what if" though, isn't it?

dd2 had quite bad eczema when she was little - never knew what started that either but had a few possibilities to beat myself over the head with - but she pretty much grew out of it by the end of primary school. Hope your ds does too.

My last 2 babies had IV antibiotics from birth and do not have eczema. Did anyone use baby bubblebath/soap in the first 2 weeks? That is known to contribute to eczema.