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Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Baby milk advice

83 replies

ExcitedA3 · 08/07/2015 20:37

Hi, still have 15 weeks to go but I'm thinking about milk already! I want to be prepared. I'm going to use the cartoned milk for various reasons but just wondered which brand people use and which one they would recommend? Thanks in advance!

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JiltedJohnsJulie · 08/07/2015 21:37

Apple if you want a back up, much better to put the numbers for the Bfing Helpline into your phone, and ring them at the first sign of trouble. Finding out where your local Bfing Support Groups are, and going while you are still pg is a good plan too and you might find Preparing to Bf on Kellymom helpful.

Excited sorry for going off topic Smile

Appleblossom82 · 08/07/2015 21:41

Thanks jilted but im more of the idea that is it works it works and if it doesnt i will just ff. Have already witnessed new mums being pressurised/guilted re breastfeeding and its not something im interested in being subjected to. I do appreciate the advice though.

AbbeyRoadCrossing · 08/07/2015 21:42

As others have said the law is really strict on newborn formula so the ingredients are pretty much the same across the brands.

For warming - it depends on your baby. DS has always had his straight out of the fridge and has never been bothered about having it warm

ExcitedA3 · 08/07/2015 21:42

I'll check that jilted. I meant take it out and put in a sterilised bottle and just leave it to warm up to room temp. I thought it was 2 hours but I might be wrong! Smile

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ExcitedA3 · 08/07/2015 21:45

Ah so they had it cold pretty much... I honestly didn't realise that you could do that. You get told so many things! My sister never heated my niece and nephews feeds up and it was so much easier to keep up to! So I kind of wanted to do that - feed it at room temp. Didn't realise you could do it straight out of the fridge!

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Coastingit · 08/07/2015 21:45

I don't warm the bottles with my overnight flask system - only take the chill off.

Tbh it's sterilising bottles that is the most faff when formula feeding, and you don't escape that by using premade.

I find it easier to take an insulated bottle bag with a bottle of milk if I'm going out - to do a carton / small bottle is actually quite fiddly and you need somewhere to wash hands properly to do it, whereas a bottle, kept cold by the insulated bag, is super easy. The guidelines are that the bottle is ok for 2 hours out of the fridge (but I go up to a max of 3 if using the insulated bag as it is kept cool) but only an hour after baby has drunk from it.

Coastingit · 08/07/2015 21:46

Not advisory to feed straight from fridge - harder for them to digest. Fine if you get a baby with guts of steel but most don't, not fair to give them more to cope with. Especially when they are new and struggle to moderate their body temp.

Cockbollocks · 08/07/2015 21:48

I'm loving your optimism on having an hour to allow the bottle to reach room temperature. Is this your first?

Disclaimer, I'm not trying to be snippy/clever/smug i am mentioning this in the nicest possible way!!

blacktreaclecat · 08/07/2015 21:48

I was always very keen on following the guidelines to the letter so used ready made for ages, kept open cartons in the fridge and warmed by standing in hot water. Then I moved to powder and made each bottle fresh each time. We used cartons out and about and on the odd occasion DS screamed for a bottle (he never did this really).
Perfect prep looks so much less faff and you can still use cartons out and about.
I never wanted to bf really either, the thought makes my stomach turn. It's up to you, either way is fine.

Coastingit · 08/07/2015 21:49

Haha yes Cockbollocks, I was thinking that ConfusedGrin

Coastingit · 08/07/2015 21:51

And it will take a LOT longer than 5 weeks for your baby to be taking 200ml. Mine is ten weeks and only taking 120.

Tangoandcreditcards · 08/07/2015 21:51

Perfect Prep is amazing once you're onto bigger feeds. In the early days we used Cow & Gate little bottles and then the big 1litre ones. DS drank it fridge-cold, we never once warmed it/brought it back to room temp. He had tiny feeds so we did ready-made for maybe 3 months. (I couldn't find anything to tell me a health reason not to give it cold, and I looked!).

We used Cow & Gate for 6 mo, but DS was v sicky. We switched to Aptimil in case it was the formula, but he still was sicky. Weirdly he always sicked up a formula feed but never cows milk (once he started having it). Maybe he just didn't get on with it. (I don't think it's typical, and he was never grumpy about it, it was just a messy year!)

Zogthebiggestdragon · 08/07/2015 21:54

I used the premade cartons for MONTHS after PFB was born. After spending weeks and weeks and weeks warming bottles to the perfect temperature while she was screaming for milk, I started bunging them in the microwave to warm up to room temperature. As others have said, the advice is not to use a microwave because of hot spots, but if you aren't heating it much then all you would get would be a slightly warmer spot. I decided to take the risk.

The great thing about the cartons is you can keep some handy with a sterilised bottle anywhere in the house, and feed them without even having to stand up. (I kept some on the coffee table in the living room).

A friend had the great idea of giving all bottles at room temp except the last one before bedtime, which they warmed up. I don't know if it made any difference, but a very easy way to introduce a bedtime routine with a warmer bottle!

I used Aptimel, widely available. I only chose this because it's what we were given in hospital and we decided to stick with it.

If you get your shopping delivered note that I often didn't get the full number of bottles from Tesco as it would have used up their inventory. So once you've decided on a brand that the baby is happy with, get a stock in so you aren't at risk of running out. I also once got Hungry Baby delivered by mistake, so worth checking.

Tangoandcreditcards · 08/07/2015 21:55

coastingit is that true about cold formula being harder to digest? I couldn't find anything other than anecdotal board-chat on the subject.

DS sicked equally perfect-prep warm, fridge cold and room temp... So I suppose it was all equally hard for him! Grin

ExcitedA3 · 08/07/2015 21:55

As mentioned in my first post yes this is my first... And by the way, saying you're not meant to be smug in a message doesn't mean that you're not... Also using Confused is very patronising...

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JiltedJohnsJulie · 08/07/2015 21:58

apple was not, by any means, wanting to put pressure on you. Not interested in doing that at all.

With my first I was very much, iif bfing works we'll do that and if not, we won't.

Just simply wanted to offer an alternative to the "having some formula in as a back up". All the evidence says that if you do that, bfing is more likely to fail and if you go to a bfing group before lo arrives, it's more likely to succeed.

Whatever you do though is entirely upto you Smile

AbbeyRoadCrossing · 08/07/2015 21:58

The hospital never warmed DS's prem baby formula so that's why I carried on with that really as I just continued with the same routine. Didn't realise guidelines had changed, sorry

Coastingit · 08/07/2015 22:04

Oh come on OP. I've given several posts on here to advise and help you - you call me patronising? I'm off. Good luck making that baby wait an hour for his feed.

Cockbollocks · 08/07/2015 22:05

Was absolutely not trying to be smug and I missed that in your original post.

The only advice I can give you is try not to plan too much and when your baby is here do whatever you need to make your life easier, lots of good tips on here you may find useful when the time comes.

All my babies fed entirely different and knowing all the things suggested above really helped.

Appleblossom82 · 08/07/2015 22:05

No i didnt mean you were jilted but already been spoken to very sternly about bf by mw and nct lady and im only in second tri Hmm. This means im not keen on discussing problems with them when the time comes.

Really dont fancy a 'communal feeding sesh' which is what i envisage a breast feeding group to be!

Cockbollocks · 08/07/2015 22:06

*differently

ExcitedA3 · 08/07/2015 22:07

Please tell me when I said I was going to wait an hour to give him his feed? I think you are misreading my posts! I was asking for helpful advice which initially you did give. And I thanked you for that.. But using silly faces?! Come on...

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ExcitedA3 · 08/07/2015 22:08

I was just going off guidelines on the side of the cartons for amounts and trying to figure out the best way to minimise wastage but still use cartons. I've had lots of very helpful advice. Thank you to everyone x

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Appleblossom82 · 08/07/2015 22:10

I suppose im not that keen on bf either but feel i should give it a go. Only going to do a few weeks max.

Anyway, feel like im hijacking your thread op. Sorry. Just refreshing to hear someone say this is the approach they are taking.

CultureSucksDownWords · 08/07/2015 22:11

We used the little Aptamil cartons for a short while and you just have to accept a random amount of wastage. Things will invariably not go to plan, and it's one of those things that I found I just had to not worry about.

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