Any websites that compare the best “ready to feed” newborn milk (in a sterilised bottle) for me to take to hospital incase I don’t have any milk due to c section.

[BoyMumToBe34]

kendamil organic or aptamil advanced or any others

To be honest I would go for a brand you know you can easily buy locally.
If baby ends up formula fed you want to be able to easily get it from your local supermarket/chemist.
Not all shops sell all brands.

I agree with @Needmorelego. They are very similar and I don’t think any differences are big enough to stress about trying to find a specific one. I did the same as you are planning and went with Hipp organic, purely because one of my friends recommended it, but after I started using it more regularly to supplement breastfeeds (my DD has issues with weight gain), being able to get it locally was a godsend. It’s hard not to overthink every little detail when you want the absolute best for your little one, but this is one thing I honestly wouldn’t worry about too much. Best of luck with your impending arrival!

As above, make sure you can easily buy it as switching brands can upset their stomachs. If you haven't already, I'd also recommend harvesting some colostrum for the early days.

Definitely one you can easily get. Mine had the sma one until we realised he had CMPA

First Steps Nutrition has excellent independent info on formula.

It can be harder to establish bf post section but there's no reason you won't be able to. If you'd like to bf I would recommend an antenatal class on it and asking your midwife about antenatal expressing.

This might help but you will see it clearly states they all have to meet the same very strict guidelines. Don't overthink it. Find your nearest corner shop and look for what they have in stock not just for newborn but the next stage too. Post CS, I mix fed until weaning when both DC helpfully went on bottle strike. The newborn premixed ones are dead handy in the hospital but rapidly become too small.

www.which.co.uk/reviews/formula-milk/article/best-baby-formula-milk-brands-and-expert-buying-advice-a2Y9F1B5aBgM?source_code=911CTJ&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=generic&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21397118637&gbraid=0AAAAADoAS40Lcd5F8Q9ewLc4BBH2c0lc9&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8NOxoM-DkQMVhJRQBh3m-hG1EAAYAiAAEgK16PD_BwE

but there's no reason you won't be able to.

Absolutely untrue. Lots of women are unable to breastfeed, for a range of reasons. Please don't set new mums up for a fall.

Actually, the narrative that "lots of women can't breastfeed and you should have formula handy" is setting women up to fail.

Establishing breastfeeding is work and requires a lot of effort and, sadly, skilled support is woefully lacking but the vast, vast majority of women can breastfeed.

There are lots of myths about "not producing enough" or "tongue ties" and "allergies" which are usually covering for "noone told me babies cluster feeding" or "I didn't know babies would wake in the night for this long" or "I don't know any other feeding position but this one hurts". Of course, these things can be very difficult realities for some people but they are in the minority.

Formula milk is so easily available that if you truly find you can't breastfeed then you can go and get some in minutes. But you wouldn't tell someone trying to run a marathon or climb a mountain that "it's okay. Lots of people are unfit. You can just stop now. Have a donut" would be unthinkable. You'd encourage them and support them and wish them well. Please do the same for breastfeeding mothers and babies.

I totally agree with everything you say, and absolutely support women who breastfeed. I'm simply asking that we don't state untrue things.

You're setting yourself up to fail if you take formula with you.

I had a c section too, a pretty horrific experience at that. Baby and I were separated for 7 hours post surgery.

My baby never had an ounce of formula as i brought syringes with colostrum with me. It took 7 days for my milk to come in properly. Babies can feed on colostrum in the meantime. Yes, hard work for you.

But all good things take some work, especially when we want the best for our babies.

Statistically, it's extremely rare for a woman to not be able to breastfeed.

Rubbish. It’s not setting yourself up to fail! It’s being proactive not reactive. It’s organisation and sensible to take formula in case you need it. It doesn’t diminish effort to breastfeed if you really want to it’s just an appropriate alternative if you can’t.

You wouldn’t have milk on day 1 anyway, you will have colostrum and your milk will come in around day 3. C section shouldn’t impact your ability to bf (I had two and bf after both with no issue).

In the 90s 2000s the hospital supplied the milk in the bottles you just helped yourself to them.

hi. I’m a maternity night nanny

You are wise to think about this as I’ve found some mums have struggled to bf after a cs

a cs is major surgery and milk can take a while to come in for some

my fav milk is either hipp as organic and def helps with grunting

or the most basic of milks so no added anything to them as babies can digest easier

so

sma or cow and gate

I tend to avoid aptimil as has added stuff which some babies don’t like

"I ask that we don't state untrue things"

Then let's not state that "lots of women are unable to breastfeed". Lots of women are not supported to breastfeed but the vast majority of women are able to.

I’m now 7m post partum.

I took in the 6 pack of ready made aptimil bottles 70cl and it included 6 sterile disposable teats that screw on.

I wanted to breastfeed but I went in with little hope due to it not working out with my first.

First baby: he was born 5 weeks early and I wasn’t prepared, wouldn’t latch due to being too young and no one helped me. After my csection he was taken away to scbu so I didn’t see him for 15+ hrs and we had no immediate bonding time. I did pump on day 2 though to provide any milk I could to supplement with the formula he was given. Hospital provided the pump on the ward. By day 3 milk was in and by day 5 I was getting a good amount for him. By day 8 he was fully on breastmilk bottles rather than half formula/breastmilk. I managed to pump for 5 weeks until I couldn’t ’keep up’ and then he switched fully to formula. I had no support or knowledge on pace feeding or cluster feeding when pumping.

Baby 2: I had a csection again only this time I was full term and I didn’t have preeclampsia. After the csection in recovery they placed my baby to latch and she did! I will say it’s not obvious that anything is coming out, by day 2 I didn’t feel milk or anything (colostrum isn’t noticeable), however my baby wasn’t crying. By day 3 my milk came in. So trust that your baby is being fed. I had doubts but it was ok.

From day 2 until week 9 every feed was painful for me. My experience is not normal my baby had a tight tongue tie so to feed she chomped. It was cut on day 8 after midwives were very helpful in pushing it through to be cut. It took her weeks though to learn how to feed properly. From week 9 onwards until now 7 months pp it has been pain free (apart from one or two moments). I mentally quit about 40 times, I guess I continued because 1) she was very content, 2) I had feeding support this time from the hospital, 3) I was determined after last time not working out.

I think if she had been my first I would have listened to people saying ‘just give her a bottle’ ‘you’ve done well but it’s probably time to stop now’ etc. I’m so glad I continued.

I threw the 5 bottles of aptimil in the bin yesterday due to going out of date. I had planned to give them away but lost track of time. I say 5 because on week 2 I reached a low point and offered her a bottle, she took 15ml and refused it. I also have a sealed tub of powdered formula in the cupboard I made DH go and buy in the early weeks due to the pain.

Good luck. I hope it all goes well for you. Go in with no expectations, take all the help you can get. If you are unsure ask a midwife for help. Especially if you need them to pass you your baby or if you are unsure about position and latch etc. Your nipples will likely get really sore in the first week or two which is normal, it’s because it’s a new sensation. Buy some lanolin nipple cream I think I got lansinoh. I also tried silver cups but they didn’t help me. Oh a great item is medela cups, they are just plastic that can sit in your bra, these helped my nipples from touching anything and also caught some milk that would have leaked. I stored the bits of milk in the fridge and after 2 days I ended up with a small bottles worth. Can be helpful to freeze or give baby if you plan to introduce bottles.

We did introduce a bottle to DD at 3 weeks old, she has one bottle of pumped milk in the evening from DH. It helped me in the early weeks to have a bit of a break with painful feeds. I pumped at the same time though so didn’t fully get a break. I still do this each evening now with no regrets and DH loves giving her that bottle. We held off for the first three weeks though as a minimum to make sure she was cluster feeding/increasing the supply.

Use any support you can, any advice. It really helped hearing people say how well I was doing. When sleep deprived and recovering from surgery and birth it is easy to doubt yourself and wonder if it’s worth continuing. What I would say is someone still has to get up those 4-15 times in the night to offer a bottle, someone still has to change and hold them and it would likely be you. After the first 4 weeks I have found breastfeeding a lot easier than bottle feeding. No faffing warming bottles when out, sterilising, cleaning. I could feed her within seconds if she was inconsolable. With bottle feeding I would warm the readymade up or make the powder milk so it would take 2-5 minutes of her crying whilst balancing containers. It’s not that hard though. Oh and the best part is knowing I have her milk, I can’t accidentally leave her bag with milk in on the side (I did that once for my son) and have to drive back home. I don’t have to worry if I have enough sterile bottles, to find more hot water (most cafes will help you if you explain) or if I broke down did I have enough.

Ultimately don’t put any pressure on yourself. But do ask for any help especially in the early days and weeks. If it doesn’t work out just know that you tried. You have alternatives but just give it a go and you might be surprised like I was.

Also so sorry for the essay. On a tangent at 4am in the morning. Apparently all of them are the same. In the hospital scbu they gave him sma readymade and he was fine with that. I used cow and gate readymade for my son from 4 weeks onwards when transitioning him and that worked well. This time I just bought aptimil for an initial starter box. I would have switched to cow& gate or tried kendamil though.

DS got constipated on powdered c&g, we eventually settled on mamia powder for in the house and c&g readymade for going out. Every baby is different though.

It’s very normal for milk to come in a few days after childbirth, whether vaginal or c section. It’s a misconception that many people have that it’s only happens to those who have a c section.

For the first few days, your baby will feed off colostrum and getting the technique right to express some can be tricky. Luckily after I had my son a midwife showed me so I did that until my milk came through so it’s not an issue if you haven’t express colostrum already.

But to answer your question, I had bottles of ready made Aptamil advanced with the teat attached as a back up.

What weird logic. By your own admission breastfeeding is difficult and support can be lacking…. Meaning that women can’t. “Can’t” doesn’t just mean physiologically unable to, it means - mental health damaged due to lack of sleep, can’t seem to get the hang of it, wasn’t shown how, baby’s not getting enough food and losing weight. All have the same outcome.
why the assumption that people advocating formula don’t with breastfeeding mums well? Of course we do. You do you, just don’t sneer at the rest of us who genuinely find it difficult.
fed is best.

Oh and OP, just ask your hospital what they stock. The majority of them have some, they just don’t advertise that fact.

These little ones with the teats are brilliant…

https://www.boots.com/cow-and-gate-1-first-milk-starter-pack-ready-to-feed-6x70ml-10175041?affwin&utm_source=easyfundraising-57434&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=Boots+-+Loyalty&utm_term=&utm_content=&sv1=affiliate&sv_campaign_id=57434&awc=2041_1763876150_22fa071c5c273ada660ec43281dfae0a&sn=1

One formula is as good as the next, unless your baby ends up with allergies.
Regard breastfeeding, having a c-section doesn't mean you won't be able to breastfeed, far from it, but you will have more abdominal pain than with a vaginal birth, placing a cushion or pillow over that area made such a difference for me. Even if you can get some colostrum into your baby at the start, that would be doing brilliantly. Good luck with everything, a step at a time, be kind to yourself.

When it comes to best 'fed is best' isn't actually true, because we know that breastfeeding is actually best (for the majority of babies). However, formula isn't bad just because it's not quite as good as breastfeeding (for the majority of babies), and millions of us have done perfectly well on it (bottle feeding was encouraged when I was born). I'd advise even breastfeeding mothers to do the odd feed in a bottle (expressed or formula), because there may be a situation where you suddenly need to (and it saves the screaming baby not taking the bottle), or it allows dad/someone else to do one feed to allow you to sleep or whatever. Maternity services in general are lacking in many parts of the UK, and breastfeeding support just isn't there - that doesn't mean it's not important though, even a few days of breastfeeding is good in the early days.

Happy to amen "lots" to "some" if you prefer. The fact remains is that it is untrue to state that there's no reason why women can't breastfeed. That's demonstrably untrue.

Well said.