Formula for newborns

[GeorgiexXx]

I'm going to be a first time mum and I'm going to give breast feeding a go. But I want to get some formula just in case I need it. Any recommendations for newborns?

I think the general recommendation is that you don't if you intend breast feeding. Everything you need is in your bra. If in a moment of crisis you need formula you can send someone / go yourself out to any 24 hr supermarket and purchase what you need.

They are all nutritionally the same. What does your local shop sell? Use that.

nobody will recommend one as they are not allowed but virtually everyone (I know) uses Aptamil, I think its been better at middle class advertising :) I can't remember what the third one is but cow and gate is foul (again, in my opinion) and makes their poo stink. ultimately I suspect they are much.

I'm not sure you need to bother tbh if you are planning on giving bf a go. if you have any issues. the baby is early, won't feed etc, they'll give you whichever formula you request at the hospital as a bit to go home with so you normally have time to establish bf or decide if you want to mix feed etc.

of a muchness

If you feel you need to have formula in the house ready, then I would suggest the ready made "starter packs" you can get that have disposable teats included. You just screw the teat onto the bottle and that's all you need. All the "first" infant formulas are fundamentally the same, as the contents are proscribed by law.

If breastfeeding really doesn't work out then you can get powdered formula and all the supplies you might need from any decent 24 hour supermarket.

I would also suggest lining up in advance any support you might need for breastfeeding eg lactation consultants, breastfeeding drop ins, tongue tie experts to diagnose and snip etc. Just in case you need extra support.

Aptamil do a little pack of 6 sterilised bottles, teats and milk for £7.99, you can get it in Boots and it's worth having just in case things don't go to plan. It took me 5 days to get bf established and these came in really handy when everything was a bit stressful (and my DS is now bf apart from 1 ff a day at night, it is possible).

Most brands do a starter pack of little bottles with ready-sterilised teats, specially designed for newborns. 3ozs or so. Aptimil is more expensive but o different to any of the other brands so don't waste your money.

Thanks for the advice. I want to bf but not sure what to expect so want to be prepared just in case it doesn't work out.

I am also expecting my first and have done as many pp have suggested. Very much hoping to breastfeed but 'just in case' have bought the aptamil 6 pack of ready to use bottles/ teats. My theory being that if I got too much then I'd be more likely to use it. I've not packed them in my hospital bag though as you shouldn't be discharged until feeding is established and if I can't bf then the hospital have a supply of bottles.

Hipp organic- if you get a carton of each milk and sniff them all you'll know why! They are all much if a muchness but hipp doesn't smell as bad as the others.

I tried to BF so had nothing in. By night three I was in Hell, so sent dh out first thing to tescos for bottles, steriliser and milk. We used SMA but simply because thats what he chose off the shelf.

This time round Ive got a couple of boxes of mini SMA bottles and teats to take into the hospital but I am going ti attempt to feed colostrum whilst in then swap to formula after a couple of days.

Oh and try not to fall for any "closest to breastmilk" shite. The only thing similar to your breastmilk is another womans breastmilk

We used Hipp, it's cheaper for a start. Don't fall for the talk about Aptamil being more like breastmilk, it's an advertising ploy. They're all much of a muchness.

I'm bf ds2 and found it took at least a week for my nipples to not hurt, and at week 4 I'm only just feeling like my milk is really establishing itself so be prepared for things to take time!

Cow and gate, it was the cheapest and they are all almost the same. God forbid you don't manage breast feeding that couple of £ a tin adds up quickly

We used SMA starter packs. Definitely worth throwing a few in the hospital bag (hospitals stopped supplying them a few years ago) and having some at home for peace of mind at least.

Personally I found Hipp Organic really unpleasant smelling. Quite upsetting as I'd planned to exclusively breastfeed too.

my sister had a baby a couple of weeks ago and yheybsupplied formula (the baby was early) - she could choose from apatamil sma or cow and gate and they gave her some to take home. she is now bottle feeding ebm.

What I did last time was buy some bottles suitable for feeding a breastfed baby expressed milk, as I was planning on breastfeeding so figured they'd come in handy eventually, and I assumed they would ok for feeding a baby formula in an emergency as well. They sterilised in the microwave. I figured I'd send someone out for formula if needed.

My thinking was that lots of places like corner shops and petrol stations sell formula but not many sell decent bottles. There are lots of 24 hour supermarkets around this time though that I could send DP to in an emergency.

Forago, hospitals do still provide formula to premature babies and poorly babies that may need it. A lot (all?) don't provide it generally to mothers who have had a normal delivery and a well baby.

I had a choice of formula in hospital. I think aptimil is giving my baby stinky farts. Midwife thinks cow and gate is heavier.

Hi Op,

I used these for the first couple days at home. I also took a pack ino hospital. But I breastfeed in hospital before moving onto formula. Made it so much easier.

www.boots.com/en/Aptamil-First-Milk-Starter-Pack-6-x-70ml_1480929/

Then I moved onto

www.boots.com/en/Aptamil-1-Comfort-Milk-900g_857274/

But you can also use this

www.boots.com/en/Aptamil-1-First-Milk-900g_17693/?cm_mmc=pla--google--PLAs-_-Boots+Shopping+-+Aptamil

On the whole they are pretty much the same. However C&G and Aptimel (sp?) are 100% identical - made with exactly the same ingredients/amounts, in the same factory, by the same parent company, who sells them under two brands (one being the cheapest on the market, the other the most expensive), to get a larger market share. - You can find all this on their packaging (which are layed out differently so it takes a while to match all the info up), they also admitted they were identical back in 2012? (might have been 13), when there was a supply issue and it was really hard to get hold of either but the told parents to swap between their two brands as they were 100%identical, so wouldnt cause any problems like swapping wwith other brands may.

This time I'll be having some in the house in case it doesn't go to plan.

Last time my milk didn't come in for 6 days - lots of reasons & if you have a relatively trouble free birth, this is unlikely to happen to you. We had a bottle but nothing to put in it & needed it on a Sunday night when all the 24hr supermarkets were shut!

I'd have a bottle and a couple if ready made cartons in the house, just in case you need it. It's pretty irrelevant which brand as I'm sure they're much of a muchness, but middle class advertising won out on me & we used Aptamil!

We used Sma, I hadn't given it any thought other than knowing I didn't want to bf then in the hospital the mw asked which brand I wanted and sma was the first that came into my head. Dd seemed to like it and drank 4oz in one go when I was only meant to give her two!

Check whether your hospital provide it or not, I'm pregnant with dc2 and last week at my 12 week scan there were notices up saying they no longer provide it and ask Mums to provide their own bottles and formula, I'm going to take a couple of bottles of ready made in as it'll be easier and smaller than a tin of powder.

I have a few packs if the ready made bottles SMA, all my kids had SMA and no problems