Which formula?

[racheeeee]

Well, after six long months of expressing for my little boy who was never interested in my fantasticly huge, milk filled boobies...I think its time for me to give up. He has done fantastically well on the EBM and is a strapping little boy with thighs that could crush walnuts! But I am exhausted and I think this is causing my milk supply to dwindle...so formula city here we come. It used to be the case that when I tried him on formulas, he would throw up 3-4 hours later HUGE amounts of crap (like fish skeletons, old shopping carts, tramps...) anyway, now that he is being weaned, his stomach seems to be able to handle formula, now I have to find one he wants to eat. I have tried Aptimil, Hipp Organic & SMA Gold...he seems to like SMA Gold (I think the Gold in the names makes it seem BLINGY, so he's into that) So what I want to know, is SMA Gold a good formula for him. Also, the boy is a snacker, he rarely drinks a whole bottle, so how should I handle this with formula? With the EBM, the bottle was okay out for ages...I worry more with formula...I would probably be buying only the ready to feed formula as I worked so bleeding hard with the expressing, I deserve to pour and serve!!!

Anyway, any answers would be appreciated.

DD2 is on SMA gold, dd1 started on cow & gate but ended up on SMA and never had any problems with it.

Aint a clue about formula but I just wanted to say well done for persevering so long with the expressing- you ought to be sooo proud. Bfing is enough, let alone expressing for so long.

ps if it were me at this point I think I would be tempted to go for straight organic cow's milk and make sure he had a bloody good solid diet. I cooked liver for ds today, and imo you can't get better than good home cooked food. They managed befroe formula was invented! hope I don't offend anyone!

Really cows milk?? He isn't so keen on the whole eating thing yet...I find myself shovelling food into his mouth while he cries. He only seems to really like pureed fruits (can you blame him)

I feel great that I expressed for so long, thanks, but I think its time for us to finish...I am KNACKERED. I feel good with my decision, so I know its the right thing to do.

I would stick with formula myself. Their intestines aren't really ready for cows milk until a year (when I say ready, I mean developed enough). Formula is modified to remove the stuff that is the problem for the gut. Early exposure to dairy can lead to problems.

In terms of the "snacking" I would be lead by him. I have theories on the current trend of childhood obesity and following the label on the can.

My DS was bottle fed - I only managed 8 weeks of expressing. You deserve a knighthood!

Forgot to say, you may find that he becomes a little constipated on SMA gold. As he likes it, stick with it but offer him water before and after every feed, especially in summer

Message withdrawn

wow - six months expressing. that's a record as far as i'm concerned - well done! i also switched to formula at 6 months (various reasons - being knachered one of them). I personally used aptimil (for the simple reason that someone recommended it) but if he is happy with sma there would not really seam a reason to change. I think nutrition wise they are all much the same. I never used a bottle that had been out the fridge more than an hour. But you might find some of the snackiness disappears now he is on formual (it did for my ds) as it keeps them fuller longer etc.

Racheeee, yes I would consider it but of course squarer you're right about the dairy intolerances etc...my ds didn't have dairy till 7months as I have a slight intolerance (apparently...don't know how it's meant to affect me...?!) but I was just breast feeding so was able to do this. I'm just against formula but actually don't know why. I think I just find it a tad too synthetically fortified and I'm very old fashioned. I have just replaced one of ds's breastfeeds with cows milk, he's 10months though so that's slightly different.

My whole attitude just comes down to...what did they do before formula was invented? Breast feed for as long as possible, then a good fresh diet. We eat the best, ds has a fantastic diet and I don't think you could get much better. I think you've done so well on the bfing front, just do what you feel is right.

(I do not intend to offend anyone's views. Or change the content of this thread)

Squarer, the advice to give formula for a year and not cows milk is not based on the baby's intestinal maturity - where have you heard that? Formula is skimmed cows milk - the modifications don't include removing anything except the fat and adjusting the protein content a bit to make it easier for young babies to digest. Then they add other stuff to it (read side of packaging for long list!) inc. iron.

Babies aged six months will be able to digest ordinary cows milk (or most of them will be) but the possible problem is that they are not yet established on solids, so if they were to get the vast majority of their calories from ordinary milk, they might miss out on iron and (possibly) some of the extra vitamins added to formula.

A baby who's taking a variety of solids foods and in reasonable quantities is not in this category.

The trouble with any guidance is that it is a one-size-fits-all thing, which does not take into account individual differences.

Ordinary cows milk is cheaper, readily available and less processed than any formula, and some mothers are reassured by this and give it instead of formula after their babies are 6 mths.

Am I confusing digestion with gut maturity? Thought it was all one and the same or at least linked? [straw grasping emoticon]

My point is that the baby's digestion and gut maturity (and I am equating them here! ) is capable of managing ordinary milk by 6 mths (in most cases that is) though thinking it may not be the best form of nutrition is behind the guidance. So the reason for the guidance to hold off giving ordinary milk as a drink is nutritional, only - nothing to do with the maturity of the gut.

I get you. Thanks for clarifying! I had always thought that cows milk was a no-no other than in cooking tbh but then I didn't realise the reasons behind the 1 year thing.
Anyway, how's your welding course going?

Actually I never realised that it was purley a nutritional issue either.

Well, you would have thought after coming up for a couple of years on MN, Id have come across that debate before.