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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Advice from people using formula please

21 replies

mogwai · 05/03/2005 12:37

I'm expecting my first baby and currently stocking up on "baby stuff" to minimise the financial impact when I'm on maternity leave.

Just went to Sainsbury's and was going to get some formula milk but don't really know the difference between SMA and Cow and Gate. Can anyone advice which they found better and how they chose which to use?

Also, do I take some to hospital with me or do they provide it? I'm assuming they provide it, so should I buy the same stuff they have in the hospital?

thanks ladies

OP posts:
alaughingcow · 05/03/2005 12:44

Hi, I breastfed my dd but when switching after 4 months the HV told me that C&G was the closest to breast milk. Didn't research though, I just took her word for it.

Polina · 05/03/2005 12:50

HV told me the same thing and we've found it excellent - however owing to several emergencies we have found that he knocks back sma, C&G and Aptamil with equal gay abandon.

misdee · 05/03/2005 12:54

was told by midwives that Aptimil was the closest to breast milk.

Shell150 · 05/03/2005 12:54

Cow&Gate

SMA

Other kinds just google it
I know hosp here ask me what kind of milk i was using, so they should have what u decided 2 use in hosp

Original poster
mogwai · 05/03/2005 13:15

thanks ladies

I'll get some cow and gate. That's really helpful

OP posts:
HappyMumof2 · 05/03/2005 16:52

Message withdrawn

Mud · 05/03/2005 16:54

I read on another thread that thye're all much the same and this whole 'closer to breastmilk' is the companies advertising to the hvs and midwives so that it gets passed on and aborbed as fact

I used SMA and had no problems

LoubieLou04 · 05/03/2005 17:04

We were advised by MW to check at local shop what they stock and go with that so we could always get it in an emergency coz not good to chop and change.

aloha · 05/03/2005 17:17

I cannot see why it would not be good to chop and change as all formula is very much the same as it has to be by law to meet the required standards.

lockets · 05/03/2005 17:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Shell150 · 05/03/2005 21:11

Chopping and changing can upset their stomach's aloha my dd was sma gold but was V hungry so changed her 2 white which is for hungrier babies it made her badly constipated think it was something to do with it being heavier than gold, needless to say i changed her bk to gold

tiktok · 05/03/2005 23:12

Shell, there's no reason why chopping and changing is harmful in itself - but it is true that some babies seem happier on whey-dominant (eg, Gold) than casein-dominant (eg White)...this is the difference in the protein, which in the White case takes longer to break down. In those cases, obviously, babies should stay on the formula they are most comfortable on. Majority of babies can prob chop and change brands and formulations with no obvious problems.

Fimbo · 05/03/2005 23:22

Hi Mogwai,
I used SMA gold to start with for my ds then changed to SMA white as he was a very hungry baby. He is now 15months and still eats us out of house and home!! Loves cows milk now. My hospital provided all the branded baby milks, they come in little glass bottles with separate pre sterlised teats which you just throw away when finished (bottles are recycled). It was really simple, felt like sneaking in the storecupboard and stealing a couple of boxes of them!! When I had dd (nearly 7) Boots did their own formula which she got on very well with but discovered when had ds they had stopped making it for some reason.

Linnet · 06/03/2005 00:22

With dd1 when I moved her onto forumla I gave her SMA gold, as that is what I remembered my mum using for my brother. Never had a problem.

With dd2 when I moved her onto formula the HV recommended Aptamil as being the best, so she's on that. Never had a problem.

We buy the baby formula from the local health centre where they sell it cheaper than the supermarkets. Ask your Midwife/HV about where you could buy yours from. Also if you qualify for CTC/WTC you can get it at an even more reduced price. AT least you do here I'm assuming that's a nationwide reduction, ask your midwife.

fairycakes · 06/03/2005 00:34

I was advised to use aptamil, and have also since heard people raving about it and various midwives/health visitors etc saying it is the best one. A friend of mine was given sma in the hospital and then advised not to change it as her son had got used to it, and she was really annoyed as she also heard that aptamil was the best.

in my hospital they did provide it in lieele ready made jars that you screwed a disposable teat onto, but it would be worth checking with your midwife what is provided in your hospital and also if they have the milk you want to use as if you decided on one brand you could find that the hospital only provide a different one. good luck. x

fairycakes · 06/03/2005 00:35

Linnet - how do you go about getting formula cheaper if you qualify for wftc/ctc? thanks x

kama · 06/03/2005 00:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Ellbell · 08/03/2005 10:27

My dd was prem/small-for-dates (36 weeks, but only 4lb 12oz) and had to have formula by NGT till my milk came in and I could express for her. I had planned to breastfeed, so didn't have a clue what formula to use when they asked me in the hospital what I wanted. They told me they weren't really 'allowed' to recommend one specific brand, but they also let drop that they give their prem babies Aptimil, so that's what she had. I didn't manage to breastfeed very successfully or for very long (long story, won't go into it here) so at about 6 weeks she was back on Aptimil. No idea whether it's better than any other brand or not, but dd did really well on it, and didn't have problems with constipation etc. (That was later, when she developed a banana obsession ).

Bozza · 08/03/2005 10:32

I think the "hungry babies" formula is more likely to cause constipation than the ordinary one, whichever brand it is. I have never bothered with hungry baby or follow-on for DD. But then she was breast fed until 5 months and then mixed fed so it wasn't her only nourishment. Now that she is nearly 10 months she still has the C&G green milk because to me its more of a drink for her (2 bottles, 1 breastfeed) and she's getting what she needs from her solids.

tjacksonpfc · 08/03/2005 10:33

my daughter started on sma gold she spent a while on sma white to fill her up and then back to the gold she is now on the progress milk and will drink either sma or cow 7 gate it depends which one suites her the best the little one opposite refused all milk in formula kind but now drinks aptimal which is a lot more expensive

Amanda3266 · 08/03/2005 11:04

Just to say that Yes - all the advertising of "closer to breastmilk" etc is for the benefit of us HVs and Midwives. They think if they blind us with science we'll promote their particular brand of milk. All pretty much the same IMO. Slight differences in constitution and you may find your baby is happier on one than another. I struggled for 8 weeks with breastfeeding and then went onto formula and used Cow & Gate (no reason other than that's what the garage had at 3am ) but after a few months I found that DS was much more settled on Farley's.

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