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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Help - I'm confused about the type of formula to buy!

33 replies

crabby · 23/03/2009 12:44

My DD is 7 months old and I'm heading back to work next month. She is BLWed and not really eating a huge amount yet.

Although i am expressing, the amounts are very variable and I thought I would get in some formula and get her used to it in case of EBM shortage.

I thought Aptamil looked good, but can't figure out whether she needs the first one or the follow on one... Sorry to be dippy

OP posts:
tiggerlovestobounce · 23/03/2009 12:47

Either would be OK. If she is used to BM she might not be very keen on formula though, as apparently is isnt as sweet as BM, so it might be a good idea to try and get her used to it before you need to give it to her.

kw13 · 23/03/2009 12:53

Most people go with the first one (of whatever brand) as there is a view that follow-on doesn't really serve a purpose. I personally went with an organic powdered milk - but suspect that they are all really much of a muchness.

Original poster
crabby · 23/03/2009 13:26

But does any one know what the difference between the two sorts of aptamil is?

OP posts:
tiggerlovestobounce · 23/03/2009 13:30

The follow-on milk can be advertised.

bitofadramaqueen · 23/03/2009 13:31

They're allowed to advertise follow on milk but not milk for 1st six months. Cynical, me?

My ds has aptimal and is still on the first one. Not aware of any reason at all to go onto follow on milk.

tiktok · 23/03/2009 13:41

Follow on is unmodifed - it's casein-dominant (this is the protein content, and follow on - like 'hungry baby' milk is casein, not whey dominant). It also has more iron in it than both first formula and 'hungry' formula. Most healthy babies do not need this extra iron, and in fact it sometimes causes constipation.

There is no reason to buy aptamil brand rather than any other brand - if you think it is markedly better than others, you have been suckered by the marketing

tiktok · 23/03/2009 13:42

An otherwise fully breastfed baby of 8 mths plus who is taking solids prob doesn't need formula anyway - even if the ebm runs out.

Original poster
crabby · 23/03/2009 14:10

Thanks tiktok. She really is only 6months (born at 34 weeks and had an Hb done the other day that was on the low side) so extra iron may be a good idea. What effect will being casein-dominant have?

I heard that Aptamil was sweeter and so more like EBM. More marketing rubbish I guess...

OP posts:
GreenMonkies · 23/03/2009 14:23

You will probably be surprised by how much you can pump once you are back at work. Pumping whilst doing all the feeds (is, whilst you at home with her all day) and pumping whilst you are at work (away from her, when she would normally be feeding) will almost certainly differ. If she is eating solids and will drink water from a cup it won't matter terribley if she's a bit short of ebm, she'll make up for it when you are together. Or, if her nursery/childminder is close enough you could go to her at lunchtime to feed her "direct from the source"! I did this as well as a pumping session midmorning and midafternoon.

Stash as much as you can in the freezer, for your peace of mind if nothing else, and see how you get on when you get back to work.

Original poster
crabby · 23/03/2009 14:53

I will keep on pumping back at work, only I will be on the road quite a lot and so cannot guarentee that I will be near a pump. Hence the desire to get her used to a formula in case rather than because we will need it. Hence desire to know what the differences in milk that tiktok pointed out!

Its hard to get a stock in the freezer as she is also a bottle (+cup+doidy) refuser and so we spend a lot of time throwing away little bits of dribbly milk

OP posts:
chipmonkey · 23/03/2009 14:57

crabby, I was suckered by the marketing surrounding Aptamil, it doesn't help that health professionals at the time told me that it was closer to breastmilk than other formulas which I since found out wasn't true at all. I have heard that it tastes nicer than others but am a bit about that it tastes nothing like my EBM and and I haven't sampled many others.
I am pumping at work too and ds4 has pretty much had 2 4oz bottles a day while I am away from him, I usually pump most of this in work and in one 10 pm session. When I don't have enough I use Nanny goats milk formula which is no longer permitted to be called "infant formula" but I use it as my ds2 responded to Aptamil by getting exzema but had no problems with Nanny. ds4 has been fine on it so far but he doesn't drink very much of it.

chipmonkey · 23/03/2009 15:00

What pump do you use? I have a car adaptor for my double pump which has bailed me out a couple of times!

Original poster
crabby · 23/03/2009 15:10

Not sure that the back of an ambulance (long story) will be very acceptable for pumping!! Or that my colleagues will be impressed

OP posts:
chipmonkey · 23/03/2009 15:12

Well yes, that could be tricky!

tiktok · 23/03/2009 15:23

Not aware that aptamil claims to be 'sweeter' than other milks, but why would it be a good thing??? It could be a bad thing, given that it could mean added sugars....

Casein is 'tougher' protein than whey, and takes longer to digest...supposedly. I have no idea if this would be a good thing or a bad thing! The marketing stuff says whey dominant is 'better' as breastmilk is whey dominant, but we are comparing bovine whey with human whey, so they are hardly the same.

Any healthcare prof. who says aptamil is closer to breastmilk than other formulas has been suckered as well, and they should hang their heads in shame! The only people who will have told them this are the manufacturers as there are no independent comparisons of branded formula milks available to them (or anyone else).

Original poster
crabby · 23/03/2009 15:31

Thank you again, but in your opinion, if I were to buy some formula, should I just go for any old first baby formula? I do know there is no right answer, I was just planning to go to the supermarket now and don't want to stand in front of the milks gawping...

OP posts:
tiktok · 23/03/2009 15:45

crabby, you ask for my opinion - well, I don't see any evidence that one brand is better or worse than any other and I still wonder if your baby actually needs formula....so, the answer to your question, in my opinion, would be 'yes'

Original poster
crabby · 23/03/2009 15:55

So what would you feed her - I promise I'm not trying to be difficult, just have a very independent 6 month corrected gestational age who will not be spoon fed, is getting to grips very slowly with BLW, who is a bottle refuser and only just taking small amounts from a doidy cup which coupled with my difficulty in expressing in general on mat leave and infrequent expressing potential when I go back to work... ARRRGGGHHH! What to do???

OP posts:
tiktok · 23/03/2009 16:18

crabby - you have to decide for yourself
Plenty of info already on the thread to help you....or you can ask your HV.

Seona1973 · 23/03/2009 16:39

I used sma gold and sma progress(follow on) milk for dd and aptamil first milk and cow and gate follow on milk with ds. I moved to cow and gate as I found out was made by the same manufacturers of aptamil but was a bit cheaper. The follow on milk tends to be cheaper too and you can get clubcard points/boots points on it too unlike the first milks that cannot be promoted. If you want a formula with less stuff added to it (like prebiotics, fish oils, etc) then you could try Hipp organic (which is also one of the cheapest ones).

You could also buy a few small cartons of several of the milks and see if she has a preference for any of them - although I dont think Hipp does the cartons.

kingprawnjalfrezi · 23/03/2009 17:04

I'm still bf 7mnth ds but have given the odd bottle of formula - did exactly as you suggest seona and give premade cartons as they are easy to transport and you don't have to worry about how long a box of powder has been opened if you are not using is often. I also switch between brands - ds doesn't seem to notice and I think its ridiculous that you become attached to one brand.

chipmonkey · 23/03/2009 18:55

crabby, ds3 was a 32 weeker and tbh, I would be inclined to go for a whey-based first formula. If it were me in your position I would probably go for Aptamil as although they all advertise, Cow and Gate and SMA ads annoy me more than Aptamil ads ( even though the Aptamil ad is annoying enough!) And agree with others that cartons would be less wasteful.

GreenMonkies · 23/03/2009 19:39

Crabby, if you would be pumping in the back of an ambulance then I presume you work for the NHS, who, whilst not being as family friendly as they make themselves out to be, can be guilted/coerced into making sure you get expressing breaks for your comfort if nothing else. If you get mastitis from not being able to pump you may have to take time off work, and they don't want that, do they? So perhaps there does need to be some kind of arrangment made, start talking to them now, get your union rep and health and safety link person involved. There are all kinds of laws and policies set out to protect and support working breastfeeding mothers. Make the most of them!!

charitygirl · 23/03/2009 19:49

Crabby - am in EXACTLY the same position as you, except that my DS teases us by ocassionally taking a bottle. But not normally.

We tried him on Aptimil (from a carton) 1st milk yesterday - he was outraged and adamant about not taking it. Have got Cow & Gate and Sma cartons to try too, though am not hopeful (will try and wait til he's really hungry).

He's not taking many solids yet via BLW - I am going to try and express but I work for a small org and I just can't thimk where i'll do it!

I have bf exclusively for 6 months and don;t regret it AT ALL but I wish he'd take formula - he'll be on his own at my parents in just under 2 weeks!

Just to say...you're not alone!

lucysnowe · 23/03/2009 20:04

Aptimil is the most expensive so you look poshest in the shop. So I would go for that one.