QUICK POLL, IF YOU BOTTLE-FED ......... NOT FOR A ROW, GENUINELY INTERESTED!

[lissielou]

if you ff, did you choose to because of packaging?
advertising?
logos?
and if not, why not?

[custy]

i didn't chose to ff becuase of packaging

the type of fomula i chose to formula feed with was probably something to do with advertising as it seemed to be the most brand used by everyone.

[Tigana]

I FF because I was crap at BF. So I expressed and FF for 4 months, then ran out of BM so went to full time FF!

The type of formula I chose was simply the one that was in stock in my local corner shop for those panicky "crap! run out of milk" moments.

[ElenyaTuesday]

Wow, I'm so impressed by everyone's recall - I can't remember what brand of formula ds1 had or why I chose it (probably price, though, knowing me)!!! (ds2 was on special stuff).

Are they allowed to advertise formula? I thought it was only that 6-month-plus stuff that was advertised?

[AitchTwoOh]

mix fed ,chose aptamil because it said 'closer to bm' and because the doc had recommended it. i did occasionally look wistfully at the C&G organic because it had a prettier box, so yes, i am an idiot.

[Iklboo]

I FF after 8 weeks because I had to - medication etc interfered with milk & DS was going hungry.
DH chose formula cos he ran out at 10pm to a 24 hour supermarket to get some cos I was crying, DS was crying, DH was almost crying....chose it because it was closest to hand when he ran in.
Bugger all to do with packaging/advertising etc

[meowmix]

DS couldn't bf so no choice. initially used sma as thats what the hospital had (he was surprisingly early and i was unprepared) and then swapped to aptamil because of prebiotics and ingredients.

[LucyJones]

I used sma gold and I agree with urbandryad that I only used it because it was the only one I had heard of and everyone else I knew used it. So i guess their subtle advertising campaign works very well!!

[lissielou]

bewilderbeast, i meant did the ads/packaging affect your decision to ff rather than bf.

interestingly sma is the most popular because its the most popular! i dont remember ANY sma ads and it seems that advertising actually has v little to do with the choice of brand

[gess]

I bottlefed ds3 because I couldn;t breastfeed him successfully (having previously fed ds1 and ds2 for over 3 years in total).

I used various formulas. One made him constipated, so I fiddled around a bit with them. My favourite (and prob best for ds3) was nanny- not sure its still available. did hear goats milk was being removed.

[Olihan]

Ds1 had to be given formula for 24 hours when he was 10 days old ( I was having a radioactive scan) so the mws asked me which one I wanted to give him out of SMA, C&G and Aptamil. I didn't have a clue but she said SMA tends to make them sickier so I chose C&G as I couldn't remember the other one she'd said.

I kept giving him C&G when the bf went wrong because I knew he was okay on it.

[NineUnlikelyTales]

We were in hospital for ages and when DS would not latch on the MW said 'SMA Gold or Farley's?'. I had no idea what to choose because my mum breastfed us and I assumed I would do the same, so I never looked into it.

Looking back, I think I chose the SMA Gold because it had the word 'Gold' in it, and as far as I was concerned Farley's made rusks not milk. Not exactly an informed decision, but given the state I was in at the time, it makes some sort of sense I suppose.

[cleaninglady]

tried bf with dd - but ended up with formula - sma gold at the time but only because the local toys r us had it in ready made up litre cartons with ds didnt even try to bf went straight to formula but chose aptimil as midwife recommended it and i tried to read up a bit beforehand about what would be the best of a bad lot ! aptimil appealed due to pre biotics statements etc etc i must admit!!

[cleaninglady]

oh and i ff ds because i just didnt want to try bf again - i didnt enjoy it for the short time i attempted it with dd and no one really encouraged it anyway - ff was "easier" for us as a family.

[ChocolateTeapot]

Dispatched DH in desperation with DD and he came back with SMA. Didn't ask him why, just shouted at him to hurry up and work out how to make up a bottle so poor DD could get something inside her.

With DS I started with Cow & Gate as had to take what was going in the hospital, hadn't taken any formula as was hoping b/feeding would work out. Once we were home I swapped at some point to Aptamil as I wanted one with prebiotics in which I don't think the C&G had at the time.

I can't even really remember what the cartons or tins or whatever they were looked like now.

[exbury]

Nope - not affected by packaging - never planned to FF DS, but did because he clamped his jaw and refused to BF until even the MW suggested we tried a bottle. He thrived, so was pre-disposed to it with DD. Choice of milk was influenced by MW for DS and I chose the same for DD because it worked for him.

[LieselVentouse]

I FF cause I couldnt BF - I dont think people are that stupid as to be fooled by marketing

[annieapple7]

I chose Aptamil because the hospital midwife said they used it and it was the closest to breastmilk. Ha! They all say that!
Baby had a top up feed in hospital because mu milk had not come in; breast fed for 8 weeks then used Aptamil because I used SMA gold for DS1 and DS2 and it made DS2 very constipated.
Aptamil poos yellow and soft. Lovely.
And now use Aptamil 2 for hungry babies at night and she sleeps thorugh (with 11pm dream feed) at 11 weeks.
Hurrah!

[LieselVentouse]

I will use Aptamil this time cause Ive heard its much better than SMA

[AitchTwoOh]

liesel, i'm not getting at you but that is hysterical. where have you heard that aptamil is better?

[moondog]

Interesting..
How do hospitals choose what to stock then as it seems they don't stock the full range of brands avaialble?

[WeaselMum]

My choice to ff had nothing whatsoever to do with packaging, marketing etc. DP bought a ready made carton of Aptamil because that's what was available in the local shop.

[tiktok]

Hospitals used to get their formula free, and you usually just had one brand to choose from. Obviously, it was beneficial to the manufacturers to get into hospitals, as what mothers start on there, is what they usually choose afterwards, and it was worth their while to donate it, and even to pay hospitals to take it as an exclusive deal.

Then legislation came in (I think it was European, but not sure) that put paid to that - freebie deals were thereafter anti-competitive, and formula reps had to negotiate a commercial deal, with no one allowed to have exclusivity.

So it's common for many maternity units to offer two brands (SMA and C&G) with Aptamil used in the SCBU - I don't know why, but you can bet your bottom dollar infant health will have nothing to do with it.

If Aptamil is so blinkin wonderful, then why are its special ingredients not added to all formulas? Why should only some babies benefit from it? Surely, other formulas are inadequate....

[LieselVentouse]

Er, not that hysterical Im just going by what Annieapple said.

[moondog]

But aren't there more brands than that Tiktok?
If so,where are they.
And very good point about if it being so great,why can't all babies have it??
(Sorry,not trying to divert from original thread question.)

[chirpygirl]

Before DD was born I was not sure how BFing would go and wanted to have milk in the house so I bought SMA gold as it was the only one I had really heard mentioned.
This is undoubtedly because of the advertising, whether I was aware of it or not, otherwise why would I have ever heard of it?!