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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

changing formula-but which one to go for?

19 replies

jaybird · 06/05/2005 10:17

my 10MO has been extremely constipated since i gave up BF at 6MO. he is on lactulose but it has no effect and i've just been seen by a homeopath who suggested that as SMA progress is a cows milk formula he may have a reaction to it causing his constipation. i have no idea what to switch to though as all of my friends use SMA with no probs. anyone use anything else which may be gentler?

OP posts:
chipmonkey · 06/05/2005 10:36

Jaybird, is he on the gold or the white? Does he drink water?

Original poster
jaybird · 06/05/2005 10:42

he's on the follow on milk - progress. he drinks water with his meals (about 6ozs a day) but point blank refuses it when offered at any other time. i know that this is probably contributing to his problem but can't get any liquid into him other than at mealtimes.

OP posts:
NotQuiteCockney · 06/05/2005 10:43

I don't know about formula, but adding more water to his diet would help, as would prune juice or similar.

melsy · 06/05/2005 10:57

I gave aptamil , as one of the closest to breast milk & quite gentle.I mixed fed in early days. It even smells ok , which many of the others dont. . It seems to be v gentle and dd was rarely constipated. If so a tablspoon of ornage juice in lot of water seemed to help.

tiktok · 06/05/2005 10:58

jaybird, the extra iron in all follow-ons gives rise to this very well-known and quite common problem - just switch to regular formula instead.

chipmonkey · 06/05/2005 11:00

jaybird, I would change to a "first" milk, like Aptamil first. They don't need a follow-on milk as such and it may be that its too much for his digestive system, particularly after breastmilk which is very gentle.

Original poster
jaybird · 06/05/2005 11:03

hadn't thought about the iron tiktok. the only thing is, as well as being constipated, he is an incredibly fussy eater and won't take anything from a spoon. i have to rely on finger foods, fresh fruit and the like, but i swear that most of it ends up on the floor and not in his tummy. this is why i give the follow on milk, just to be sure he is getting the vitamins as i can't be sure he gets them from food. but i think you're right - when he was on normal SMA, i don't think the prob was as bad. may try aptamil, although when i was trying to get him on the bottle, this was the milk he would reject and then throw up, so kind of puts me off a bit, although i'm sure it wasn't related.

OP posts:
tiktok · 06/05/2005 12:23

Read about how follow on is a marketing con in the archives, jaybird! It's all promotion and hype. Babies can have first stage milk for as long as they want.

nailpolish · 06/05/2005 12:29

hi, just lurking here, hope you dont mind, so tiktok are you saying that the extra iron in followon milk can contribute to constipation?

id never thought of that, thanks,

basketcase · 06/05/2005 12:49

We used aptimil and at 1yr switched to Aptimil follow on green box. Was great, no constipation or other problems and happy to swap as it is slightly cheaper bottle per bottle (I did the sums, know the scoops are bigger but still works out cheaper..) it is full of iron and I have fussy children so it is comforting they are getting the extra dose. Also pleased to take advantage of the vouchers and occasional promotion such as BOGOF now and again. I know people go on and on about the scandalous promotions and naughty milk companies for daring to make their brand more attractive to mums but FGS we are all adults and should be treated as such. It is a joke to think that a 20p off offer on a box of follow on will corrupt us. After al, this is the same company who is making the first milks so if you are unhappy about the morals of follow on milks and wish to avoid those companies, why still buy their other products who I am 100% sure would do promotional offers in a blink of an eye if the govt. changed the law.
Sorry, starting to rant - to get back on thread, we use Aptimil and would recommend it to anyone. DD1 tried SMA gold and didn?t get on with it at all, happy to have swapped.

tillykins · 06/05/2005 12:51

We used aptimil but never went on to the follow on stuff, and the baby was fine on it - and he'd had reflux so I assume it must be gentle on tummies

Chandra · 06/05/2005 12:52

DS suffer formconsitipation since very young, so far the more gentle formula had been aptamil. We forgot about constipation until we introduced cows milk sometime ago . Wish they sell the 3rd stage aptamil here...

geogteach · 06/05/2005 13:49

Jaybird this sounds just like my DD, the constipation and the finger food thing, she is now off cows milk all together (she is a bit older though) and constipation has gone and she eats much better. Think DS2 is going the same way, just off the breast and very constipated he is nearly 7 months and on Aptimil so not sure what i'm going to try next.

Original poster
jaybird · 06/05/2005 16:13

thanks guys - aptamil seems to be the one to try. have just been out and bought some sma first milk, but am still a tad paranoid about the vitamins he'll be missing out on. also just collected a remedy of sulphur from the homeopath. he starts this on sunday so hopefully we should see some improvement.

OP posts:
tiktok · 07/05/2005 00:12

basketcase, you don't understand the objection......no one is against cheap formula. The law states any price reductions should be permanent, and special offers are not permitted on first stage milks. They are on follow on.

The concern is that price cuts induce mothers to use formula without them being able to make a realistic budgetary choice.

tiktok · 07/05/2005 00:15

What vitamins, jaybird? The vitamin content in follow on is the same as in first milks, AFAIK - all brands have added Vitamin D for instance. Check the ingredients on the pack if you are worried.

nailpolish - yes, too much added iron in anyone's diet can cause constipation (can't remember how - will check tomorrow). If you have ever had iron gabs yourself you might have noticed this effect

chipmonkey · 07/05/2005 00:30

BTw Jaybird, ds2 seemed to have an allergy to formula so i bf him for 13 months. When i had to give formula (which wasn't very often, I'[m a champion pumper!!) I gave him Nanny goats milk formula. We had no problems with it.

nailpolish · 08/05/2005 21:51

tiktok yes i remember it well when pg and taking these enormous iron tabs!

jaybird i have just spoken to my cousin whose wee boy sounds a bit like yours, and she gives him Milumil, sort of same as Aptimil, the difference i dont know, but gentler.

she buys it from her doctors surgery, but she says she can also get it in boots

Chandra · 08/05/2005 22:38

Well, if aptamil first and follow on are exactly the same but you can get the former cheaper (a pound less in most offers) what's the problem of using a follow on formula once your baby is older than 6m???? Is not poison is it? Aptamil follow on milk was fine for DS, he only started experiencing constipation again when we introduced cows milk (don't have a clue of how much iron they add to it, but surely nobody complain so much about it...)

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