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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Most Nutritious Formula Milk?

35 replies

Lex123 · 31/08/2006 13:11

I have grudgingly had to switch to formula feeding at 6 weeks and am anxious to know if all the formulas are the same or if there is one that stands out as having less nasties in it?

Thanks for the advice!

OP posts:
suejonez · 31/08/2006 13:15

I'm planning to ues Hipp organic - no idea if its any better but I'm a sucker for anything with the word organic in it.

hunkermunker · 31/08/2006 13:16

Lex, why have you had to switch? Don't go into it if it's too upsetting though. Hope you get the answers you need!

kiskidee · 31/08/2006 13:17

all formulas have to measure up to certain strict guidelines. any other claims companies make of how 'better' their formula is has not been backed up by any independent study as far as some very wise mners know. choose the one that you always can find nearest to you on a cold wet night.
if your baby settles with it, then job done.

that said, do you mind sharing with us why you 'grudgingly had to switch'?

Original poster
Lex123 · 31/08/2006 13:25

Thanks for the quick answers!

I was wondering which ones have the least unnecessary fats and sugars. I too would usually go for Organic as I eat organic but I have suspicions that it could be a marketing ploy when talking about formulas? I have been using Aptamil with no probs but want to make sure I am giving the best available, so hard to tell, as you say, no studies seem to be available to compare the ingredients.

I'm Still doing one or 2 breastfeeds a day for as long as possible so hopefully that will help a bit.

My reasons for giving up? Three bouts of mastitis in 5 weeks ( or one bout that didn't go away with 2 courses of antibitotics) left me totally zonked and in a right state. Overall I decided it would be best for all to bottle feed as I couldn't go on like that and I wanted to give my best to baby not see feeding time as a chore. I am feeling better physically but guilt-ridden...

OP posts:
tiktok · 31/08/2006 13:28

The other thing to think about is to choose a brand and a formulation that's been around a while, so you at least have the 'tried and tested' aspect covered, though as the manufacturers often change the ingredients and still brand the milk in the same way, I am not sure which brand actually has been around in an identical form for any length of time....maybe your HV might know, though be aware that they are targetted for promotional activity by the manufacturers!

There may be some way you can avoid switching if you don't want to - if you want to share more info, feel free!

MrsBadger · 31/08/2006 13:34

I know it sounds silly but, all other nutritional criteria being equal, see if you can get one that you can bear the taste/smell of - the smell as you open some brands of powder just makes me want to gag, which I can't see making for relaxed happy feeding times.
(I hear Hipp Organic is quite tasty though)

tiktok · 31/08/2006 13:37

X-posted, Lex.

Yep, repeated mastitis is horrible and debilitating. Some studies suggest that high doses of a/bs given over a longer period are mopre effective at keeping it away.

If you do stop, you will need to do so very gradually, to avoid getting mastitis 'on the way out' as it were. If you want to talk over your options and your feelings about stopping/continuing, then a call to one of the vol. orgs might help....they won't tell you what to feel and what not to feel , but they will listen and understand.

Interesting that brands of formula are marketed as being 'better' than other brands because of additional ingredients, when it might well be a better ploy to say 'nothing added' to appeal to those mothers who are suspicious of foodstuffs with additives. Having said that, most brands are pretty much the same with regard to the amount of fats and sugars, but the fat content does indeed come from different sources (ie not just the cow)...though whether you would get a manufacturer to say precisely what their recipe is, I don't know.

Original poster
Lex123 · 31/08/2006 13:48

Thanks all
I'm gradually stopping as you suggest and aimed to be off the breast by today but as long as there's milk there I feel like I might carry on doing 1 or 2 bfs a day - do you think it's worthwhile?

OP posts:
Tatties · 31/08/2006 13:50

I would say if you want to Lex it's definitely still worth doing a couple of bf a day.

Pamina3 · 31/08/2006 13:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Lex123 · 31/08/2006 13:54

thanks - and do you know what exactly is organic about them? do you notice any advantages? (hard I know) I am cynical about the manufacturers jumping on the band wagon and there not actually being any benefits..I guess the answer is the same as with anything, what do you think?

OP posts:
oliveoil · 31/08/2006 13:55

I used Aptamil, purple one for dd1 and I think the blue one for dd2.

They are all a much of a muchness imo.

If I were you, I would try and stick at the breastfeeding, it is soooooooooooo much easier for nightfeeds than staggering around warming up a bottle.

When I dropped feeding in the day, I still did some at night for this very reason.

Pamina3 · 31/08/2006 14:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

kayzed · 31/08/2006 14:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tiktok · 31/08/2006 14:46

Lex, you could call the customer information line at the various manufacturers and ask them how the formula is organic...I think from what I understand that Pamina is along the right lines, and it's to do with how the cows are fed.

Original poster
Lex123 · 31/08/2006 16:52

cool - thanks for the help
I might try the organic route it seems to be worth it, that is, along with some bf when poss!

cheers again

OP posts:
sophiewd · 31/08/2006 17:12

We used Coa nd Gate. Started on SMA but heard that it can cause digestion pron=blems and our DD certainly was a lot better when we seitched. Organic by the way means that the grass has not been treated with any artifical chemicals to aid growth of grass and are given organically grown silage, fedd and supplements. Cows have not been fed any cheap feed with ground up bone meal in them since the late 1980's.

bugpurple · 31/08/2006 19:39

hi there,

iam a new mum to a week old boy who was a big one at 9ib 5oz, i had to put him onto bottle feeding after 5 days as i couldnt keep up with his demands - he is now feeding every 2-4 hours on demand, is this normal? i often get a 4 break through the night but thats the longest - should you feed your baby on demand at this stage and what is the norm? any advise would be appreciated.

thanks

sophiewd · 31/08/2006 19:46

Hi Bugpurple. Our 7 month is our one and only. She fed on demand every 3-4 hours for the first few weeks and went 4-5 hours during the night and she gradually went longer between feeds but it was her own decision. We got quite perceptive at what she wanted when she wanted and she gradually increased her hours between feeds. We also found that as she got older she drank less and less at certain ones and more at other times so we just altered the feeding pattern to suit her, she has always been a good dleeper and by 8 weeks she had a bottle at 11pm and then went through until 5-6 am. We just went with the flow.

cleaninglady · 31/08/2006 19:47

bugpurple - sounds completely normal with how your baby is feeding. I have two lo's both over 9lbs and formula fed for various reasons and at that age about 4 hours between feeds is good. you are advised to feed on demand but to be honest with my ds i fed him every 3 hours during the day usually before he wanted it himself and then he started to go longer in the night between feeds as i had "filled him up" during the day! good luck! oh re the original post - aptamil was the one i was most comfortable with - had off the record advice from a health professional friend and was happy with it for ds (sma for oldest child dd but as previous post i have concerns about digestion) HTH

LaDiDaDi · 31/08/2006 20:56

Lex I'm mix feeding dd with Cow and Gate which she is fine with. I've been mix feeding since she came home from scbu, so for over 12 weeks now. I'm happy that she is still getting breastmilk but I've started to take domperidone to boost my supply a little.

Don't feel guilty about introducing formula, only you know what is best for your lo and your family . Hope you are feeling better after the mastitis.

bugpurple · 31/08/2006 21:09

hi there

thanks, i was starting to feel i was doing something wrong, some people seem to have the view that you must let them cry for a while, but at 1 week old that seems nuts to me, i am hoping he will just get better as he gets older, especially with the night feeds. Iam feeding him sma gold as the mo, one suggestion was to move him onto sma white?

kiskidee · 31/08/2006 21:12

is he vomiting/windy, etc etc on what he's drinking now? i say if it ain't broke don't fix it.

Mum2FunkyDude · 31/08/2006 21:15

I chose Aptamil, because it contains pre-biotics (I'm sure it will be in others too) DS was on SMA and it constipated him, the Aptamil worked a charm!

Mojomummy · 31/08/2006 21:25

I used Hipp organic ( from about 7mths, just for one bottle a day) & I would use it again.

Bugpurple, the recommedation these days is to stay away from the SMA whites or hungrier baby milk until,at the earliest 4+ months.Agree feeding sounds normal. My Dd (6 weeks old) is (bf) every 1.5 - 2 hours, then has a sleep from about 8pm ish to 12-1am, then goes to 3 hr until 7-8am. HTH

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