Switching to Formula, How and What Formula to Use

[Clairemac2004]

My DD is 19 weeks old and I would like to start weaning her onto formula before I return to work as it won't be possible to express milk.

What is the best formula to use and how do I go about weaning her onto it. She can feed from a bottle already so that's not a problem.

Also I'm BF at the moment but occassionally she gets worked up at the breast and won't feed. I think it may be bottle and breast confusion. What is the best teat to use to try and stop this. I currently use the Avent teats.

I found that avent teats and bottles were the best when switching to formula. Tried a couple of other brands and baby seemed to have more wind. My baby used to take about 6 oz per feed so I used to give 3 oz formula and then 3 oz express breast milk (seperately, in 2 bottles).

I gradually increased formula and gave less expressed until just giving formula. Think it took about 2 weeks. I used S.M.A gold and then moved onto the S.M.A for hungrier babies once baby taking 7-8 oz of the gold. Hope this helps.

I gave baby different shaped dummies and teats initially so baby became used to all different shapes in mouth and had no problems with breast confusion. Not sure if this will be helpful but worked for us.

I use Born Free bottles which are free of Bisphenol A. They also have a valve which I think might help prevent wind. A bit fiddly to start with but easy when you are used to them. My DD1 and DS were fed with Avent bottles but got worried about media reports and switched but Born Free when had DD2 - who is the first one to have no colic and has never spat up any milk. (!! - weird I know)

Use Aptamil.

www.babybornfree.co.uk

Mrs B - what were the media reports about Avent bottles?

i used hipp organic as it was the most reasonably priced milk and organic.

formulas are all pretty much of a muchness,

Hi, you should also look at the nuk glass bottles, can be a pain to open up but don't have any of the leaching chemicals that you can get in plastic.

I'd use aptamil.

vote for hipp organic here too, smells like my milk and ds has no problem with the taste after 8months of the real thing.

try the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottles. My ds had them at night when he was in scbu (I fed him during the day) and he really latched on to them like on a breast. Mind you he refuses them now but will take a cup.

I used the tommee tippee closer to nature ones too with dd2. She wouldn't use the Avent ones I used with dd1. I tried SMA but she hated it, went onto cow and gate which she doesn't mind but still fusses with bottles full stop, so will be trying Aptimil on the recommendation of a friend.
Twas easy with dd1 who would take any milk from anywhere!!

At 19wks she shouldn't get confused, she is probably getting frustrated because it comes out faster from a bottle. She has to suck harder at the breast than the bottle.

I use the Tommee Tippee bottles too, with size 1 holes (DS is 23 weeks).

Cow & Gate No 1 milk. My HV said don't use the hungry baby stuff as it makes them constipated!

Reports were about hormone disrupting chemicals leaching into milk when hot fluids were used in plastic bottles. ALso when the bottles get a bit old. Can't do the link thing but if you do a search you'll find it from many sources.

It wasn't just Avent - all plastics that use Bisphenol A - which I think it used to give plastic its clear see through quality. That's why the Born Free ones are a yellowy colour - they don't have it. Glass is safe as far as that is concerned too.