Baby formula feeding

[MotherOfDragons2]

I'm a new mum and been searching around on baby feeding. There seems to be a lot of advice on breast feeding but not many on formula feeding. Breast feeding is best for babies but this may not always be possible.

Is there any brands you can recommend me for formula feeding? I have seen a few like Tommee Tippee and the UneeQbaby Formula kettle.

Any thoughts on these?

I used aptimel for both children and Mam bottles as you could sterilise them in the microwave

Saves a bulky sterilising cluttering your worktop

Have you got any other particular questions? X

Hi MummyofTwo,

Did you use any formula makers? things that help at early hours in the morning. Using a conventional kettle has been very tough as it takes forever to prepare!

I combine feed but I use Hipp Organic formula and a Tommee Tippee perfect prep machine! It is an absolute life saver! Perfect temp bottle made in under 2 minutes!

I also use MAM bottles with size 1 teat as the tommee tippee ones came out too fast for my baby and it choked him.

With DD1 I started on Aptimel before switching to SMA and used a Perfect prep machine with MAM bottles.

With DD2, I'll be doing the same, apart from starting on SMA.

Simply put there is more on breastfeeding because there is more to say. All first stage infant milks are basically the same, legally they have to contain the same basic nutritional components. Anything that tries to tell you differently is clever advertising and there is NO evidence base supporting any of the extra fancy things they might put in. So essentially think about cost and practicality. What does your corner shop stock for if you run out accidentally? Remember first milk is all you need for the first year of life, follow on milks are a big con.

Things like the perfect prep are not recommended officially because of concerns that the hot shot of water may not be enough to kill the bacteria in the formula powder. Formula is not sterile and can't be as treatment in a factory setting would kill the nutrients so it is important to make it with water at 70c. Do you have the baby buddy app? It is a good information source and supported by the NHS. There is a good video on there in the postnatal bit that explains making up feeds.

I used SMA milk and tommee tippee bottles. My sterilizer held 4 bottles so I would make 4 bottles at a time, chill them, then store in the fridge. Bottles were then warmed to room temp for drinking.

I use cow and gate with MAM bottles and the Perfecf Prep machine. Makes life so much easier!

The thing is different babies prefer different bottles/get on better with different formulas.

For example both of mine were ff. My oldest we used Cow and Gate formula, Avent bottles and he liked Mam dummies.

My second had Aptamil formula, Tommee Tippee bottles and Tommee Tippee dummies because they all suited him better.

Despite people saying all formulas are the same (which is true in a sense that they have very strict vitamin, mineral and macronutrient content guideline) you may need to try a different one if your baby doesn’t take well to one. I really wanted to use the Aptamil Profutura formula and stuck with it for months but it turns out it was the cause of my very sicky baby. I switched to Hipp organic and he was fine.

Also ignore feeding guidelines printed on the box - you should feed your baby as often as they want and not be worrying if they take more or less than the box says. I personally find it’s best to feed little and often, but you need to go by your baby’s hunger cues :)

DD didn't get on with TT bottles at all and had horrendous colic with them - even their anti-colic bottles. We switched to MAM and she was better within 24 hours - they sterilise in the microwave too so no need for a steriliser.

We also have a perfect prep machine, which is hands down the best thing we bought (second hand after BF failed and we were sick of waiting for bottles to warm up / cool down). Makes a bottle at the right temp in 2 minutes.

DD is on SMA first milk formula - during the colic weeks she was on SMA Comfort.

Perfect Prep machine is our best baby buy ever. I cannot fathom life without it.

We used cow & gate and Phillips bottles as they came with our steriliser.

You may have to change formula depending on what your baby needs. I had to switch to anti reflux formula from normal formula so don’t buy more than one tin at a time as I made this mistake!

Mam bottle - aptamil - tommee tippee perfect prep were what we used last time, fully planning to do the same this time!