Baby Milk for Hospital

[BakewellGin1]

Advised that I need to take milk into hospital...
Which is best in your opinion ?
Also approx how many ?
Thank You

There is very little difference in them, so I’d suggest starting with what you think will be most convenient for you (pre mixed bottles, available locally maybe).
IF (and it’s your call), you did want to try breastfeeding but are nervous about being able to after the birth you could talk to your midwife about hand expressing colostrum before the birth. I had issues with breastfeeding with my first, and may have similar issues this time round so have been ‘harvesting colostrum’ for a few weeks (under guidance from my health team) now and have built up a good supply so I know baby will have at least a few feeds of colostrum as a starting point.

My local Asda sells packs of SMA in the sterilized single-use bottles with teats. I think they're £7 for 6 bottles of about 70ml.

I hope your birth goes smoothly

Check with your hospital but here formula is still available for babies who have a medical need - the only people who have to take formula with them are people who want to feed entirely formula from the get-go. I’m sorry you were unwell last time, it’s very hard to get feeding to work after a rough delivery or (as in my case) baby is in special care. But don’t panic, it wasn’t like that for my second. I’ve recently thrown out two small bottles of out of date aptamil. Nothing wrong with a stash if you need it.

I wonder what the reaction would be if this was a group of men telling a woman she should be breastfeeding without being aware of hers or her baby’s circumstances. Not good, I imagine! We all know that breastmilk is the best option in an ideal world, but it’s not viable for everyone.

OP, I can’t offer much advice I’m afraid, other than that I have also heard the advice to buy whatever brand they sell in your local shop! I hope everything goes a lot more smoothly for you this time, and good luck with whichever feeding option you go with!

Good luck Op

Honestly even if I was thinking of BF....there are posters on here who would put me right off the idea.

Aptamil obviously has a great marketing team!! I used SMA with dd and started on aptamil with dd but switched to Cow and gate ad it was cheaper but had the same manufacturer as Aptamil. Hipp organic seems popular too. All the main brands tend to do newborn starter packs with premade bottles with disposable treats

When people dismiss ff mums feeling judged, I'm going to send them to this post. Outrageous that a woman comes asking for help and gets some patronising, sanctimonious bullshit instead. I'm sure she knows that breastfeeding is an option but she wasn't asking about that

Shut up with all the breastfeed talks! She asked about milk to bring in so FORMULA!!

Not everyone wants to breastfeed so keep your "do gooding" views to yourself! Annoys the hell out of me! Breastfeeding isn't all that, and your baby can be just as happy and healthy on formula.

I am determined to breastfeed, but I will be taking some hipp organic premade bottles into hospital with me just in case I'm physically unable to. You never know what will happen and I'd like to be in control of what my baby is fed. I'll probably also try to hand express and freeze some colostrum in syringes but I've heard varying success rates from people, both with trying to express it and trying to get access to it once you've brought it to the hospital. So the formula is a good back up. The premade bottles seem like the simplest option.

If you intend to breastfeed but you are physically unable to then your hospital should provide some formula - even those with UNICEF Baby Friendly status.

Less than 2% of mothers are physically unable to breastfeed, and in this case the hospital would provide an alternative.

Colostrum is very different to milk, and very different to cows milk formula.

Babies need colostrum at birth and this comes from their mothers, unless in the case of medical emergency I can't see why a mother couldn't provide that.

I had a theatre birth and pp haemorrage and still managed to feed my baby colostrum, I'd had an epidurial so yes giving formula would've been a hell of a lot easier - but why would you give a baby cows milk when you are producing your own milk designed for human babies?

When people dismiss ff mums feeling judged, I'm going to send them to this post. Outrageous that a woman comes asking for help and gets some patronising, sanctimonious bullshit instead. I'm sure she knows that breastfeeding is an option but she wasn't asking about that.

Well said momoia

When people dismiss ff mums feeling judged, I'm going to send them to this post. Outrageous that a woman comes asking for help and gets some patronising, sanctimonious bullshit instead. I'm sure she knows that breastfeeding is an option but she wasn't asking about that

The replies on this thread are fucking rude!

I have dd a bottle on the second night in hospital as she was obviously hungry and wouldn’t sleep unless psychically on my breast, and my nipples were so sore I was in tears. I also had a haemmorage during labour and lost a load of blood, I needed a full baby so I could sleep. Got some judgements?

@Ambs81 if only it was that simple. There are so many other factors which impact breastfeeding not just being physically unable to.

When people dismiss ff mums feeling judged, I'm going to send them to this post. Outrageous that a woman comes asking for help and gets some patronising, sanctimonious bullshit instead. I'm sure she knows that breastfeeding is an option but she wasn't asking about that.

Well said @momomia 👏🏼

I didn't breastfeed, because I simply didn't want too! DD1 is extremely healthy and DD2 will be FF as well when she arrives! I'll be using SMA OP!

OP, ignore the holier than thou idiots on here. When i was pregnant with my son, I looked into a little (wasn't sure about breastfeeding) and Hipp Organic seemed to be more gentle of stomachs as far as o could tell from advice on the internet. Plus we use organic dairy at home so seemed like a good choice for us. I breastfed for 6 weeks then switched to formula, and my son was fine on Hipp.

I'm pregnant again and intend to BF for longer this time, but have still got a few ready made bottles of Hipp Organic just in case or for top ups. No shame in it.

However, it seems all babies take to different formulas so perhaps just see how you get on with one then go from there?

The premade (with teats) bottles are the best - I used Cow and Gate. I brought in 12.

I second regarding the unnecessary breast feeding comments. I plan (hope to) breast feed and worked as a neonatal nurse but I still get that FED IS BEST. And informed is also best - not dismissing FF questions with unhelpful BF comments. I'm considering getting some formula in just in case - Apatamil was the most popular when I worked on the neonatal ward but that was a few years ago and we didnt recommend any specific brand. Im tempted hy Hippo Organoc but that could be down to thrir good marketing. Good luck OP. X

If your primary concern if making the healthiest choice for your newborn and you, you should breastfeed - and the only thing you need to do this is your breasts.
marketing teams have done a great job of labelling up what is essentially coffee mate and selling it to mothers as an alternative to colostrum and breastmilk.
I have nothing against ff, I gave my baby formula at 6 months so I could return to work, and coontined breastfeeding at night etc.
The charity I work for support mothers literally on the breadline - they often can't afford nappies, yet we are having to provide them with formula because they have been conditioned to think this is what babies need, and at the first sign of trouble in establishing feeding they are giving babies formula- and dont have the confidence, knowledge or support to persevere.
No other mammals give their babies another animals breastmilk, its bizarre that we have not just created such a product as last resort but now actually convinced ourselves that it is totally normal, and a choice we think we should all be entitled too.

It was a longtime ago but when I switched to food / formula etc a mate advised Aptamil because of the long chain fatty acids another poster up thread has already mentioned . Be reassured that a baby can digest any formula on the market - another poster up thread has commented that they cannot .

No other mammals give their babies another animals breastmilk

They do! There's been documented reports of animals "adopting" other species.

my daughter was born prematurely, so she had to have breast milk (I didn't intend to breastfeed, but she it was either mine or donor milk) but when she was weaned from breastmilk and onto formula at about 6 weeks old we used aptamil and never changed from that brand!

good luck op!

Why does another woman's choice annoy people so much??

Thanks everyone.

I was undecided last time round, however due to my circumstances baby was formula fed and stayed that way.. I'm undecided this time but want to have the reassurance that Im prepared as have been advised hospital does not provide milk. I understand some feel and research has shown breast feeding is better and if people can/want to then great, however my son hasnt suffered from not being breast fed so I will be happy either way.

Aptimal does seem to be a popular choice so that may be the one.

Thanks again

I FF from birth.

Bought a huge tub of powder for at home and bought the same brand, premade ones for hospital. Bought two boxes.