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

@perfectly1mperfect we did pre make bottles for her and had them in a thermos (we were also in the time before you had to make everything from scratch each time)- it was more the whole bit around fully waking up, ensuring the teat was always full of milk to reduce air swallowing, checking how much she drank, washing out the bottle (the smell was quite unpleasant if they weren’t although we did give up on that a few times...), burping her afterwards. To be fair I just find it hard to leave my bed in the middle of the night and like my warm duvet so breastfeeding just works for me as my brain isn’t 100% in the middle of the night .

@raspberry88

do you really believe that breastfeed babies need vitamin d or a multi vitamin??

Please do some research, what do you think mothers did before they popped down to boots to buy formula?

'We have the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world. Why???'

Go back to your first few posts on this thread

Read them

As for your question above

judgmental idiots like YOU attribute to that.

Grim

@Ambs81 I’m afraid you are mistaken. I am EBF my second child and very pro breastfeeding but I need to give DD vitamin drops from birth (specifically vitamin D) as per NHS advice because in Scotland (not sure about the UK) we don’t get enough sunlight to make sufficient vitamin D in breastmilk- you would need to take a very high dose supplement yourself to achieve at sufficient level in your milk. Formula fed babies don’t need it as there is sufficient in formula. I actually know an ebf baby who developed rickets before the updated guidance was rolled out so I’m very aware of this.
www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d/
For the OP, I took in a pack of whichever ready made up bottles they had suitable for a newborn in Asda, think it was aptimil. I haven’t needed them yet but at least I know if I do I’ll be able to easily get more of that brand.

I've never heard of breastfed babies not having reflux, absolute rubbish. I know lots of babies who had reflux and many of them were breastfed including my dc3. Breastfeeding was a nightmare with him tbh with all the meds he was on. My dc4 was ff and it was so much easier to give him his reflux meds. His reflux was nowhere near as bad as dc3's as well.

Should say I’m in Scotland, not sure about the rest of the UK - I am aware Scotland is in the UK

When I breastfeed my baby in public I constantly had ff feeding mothers offering me dramatic tales of how the whole world was stacked against meaning they had to ff

Did this really happen? I’ve been nursing my girls for 16m now (although less when we are out and about these days as they don’t want so much milk) No one has even come to me to chat about their feeding problems, dramatic or not.

If it did happen then all your comment proves is how many women are left feeling terrible sadness and guilt even months later if they feel the need to justify themselves to a complete stranger. That’s really sad.

Oh and I know another breastfed baby with severe silent reflux and two more with reflux. Talking this kind of nonsense just undermines a sensible discussion about what is genuinely best for babies in general or any one baby specifically (not always the same thing).

To be fair I just find it hard to leave my bed in the middle of the night and like my warm duvet so breastfeeding just works for me as my brain isn’t 100% in the middle of the night grin.

😂 I had it set up so that baby, cooler and warmer were all close by because I'm lazy I never tried bf so I suppose I was just used to ff. My brain is never 100%. 😬

Yes, we were given vitamin drops from our HV as she said guidelines have changed and now everywhere north of Manchester (has anyone else heard this?) should have additional vit D for BF babies due to lack of sunlight. Happy to give them though, my LO seems to like the taste.

When I breastfeed my baby in public I constantly had ff feeding mothers offering me dramatic tales of how the whole world was stacked against meaning they had to ff

Of course you did.

@perfectly1mperfect sounds like our set up now, baby close by and minimal getting up (if any 😂). Slowly accepting the fact that my brain is never going to be how it was 😄

Reflux is less common, and less severe in bf babies. That's a fact.

Colic is less common, and less severe in bf babies. That's a fact.

Constipation is less common, and less severe in bf babies. That's a fact.

bf isn't a magic ticket to avoid all these issues, but it does lessen the risk and the severity.

I don’t think Ambs wants a sensible debate with anyone, just keen to state her ‘facts’

Oh go away amb81 etc and get a hobby, you are very boring.

To go back to the original question- Aptamil had the best reputation but have meddled with the formula a great deal. I'd be tempted with Hip organic personally.

This thread is just a rehash of that, women allegedly very happy with their choice yet so defensive!

I think some women are defensive because they feel judged by people like you. They feel genuinely guilty if they were unable to breastfeed and you make them feel worse when they feel vunerable. You should feel ashamed that you make women feel like this.

Then you get people like me. I'm not defensive about my choice at all. I didn't want to breastfeed so I didn't. I don't need to justify it, least of all to some judgemental idiot.

I will always defend anyone who is being wrongly attacked though. Your posts on the first page didn't answer OPs question and were deliberately goady.

A lot of misinformation on this thread.

Breast milk has been scientifically proven to have superior nutritional value and greater health benefits than formula milk. It's just not a case of 'just as good' or 'doesn't matter'.

That said, in many situations the health and nutrition benefits of breastfeeding should be balanced against other factors, such as the mental health of the mother. In many situations breastfeeding will not be best, all things considered.

It is also true that formula companies spend millions marketing a product, convincing women to pay a lot of money for a poor imitation of a resource their body can make for free. They do this by sending a message that formula is easier, healthier, and just as good as breastfeeding. This isn't true.

It's difficult to get the balance right. There is misinformation out there, and the health impacts on tiny babies is significant, so the truth needs to get out there. But there is no benefit to shaming women who have already made the choice and can't go back in time, or woman who had no choice to begin with.

@Rarfy Given you're only two days post c-section, have the midwifes supported you in trying breastfeeding still? I had a c-sec at 37 weeks and couldn't get a drop for days. The hospital told me I had to formula feed or they wouldn't discharge us. I gave formula at the start but I was supported to keep trying breastfeeding and my milk came in later.

It's so much easier to breastfeed in the long run, if you have the right support and information at the start. But hospitals are rubbish. I couldn't have done it without my friend who was a retired midwife there to help me. I hope you're recovering well.

God there's some dicks on this thread.

Op I hope you haven't been offended by those idiots in the breastfeeding brigade.

For what it's worth I used cow and gate from birth and my son has been great on it, no reflux, wind etc.

@Ambs81 you have tried to make some very valid points. I tried the same but gave up in the end. It just became a bashing exercise by another poster, quite awful. It's so sad when I can see you are only offering supportive advice. I mentioned in a comment that I'd ff my first after failing to bf for a variety of reasons. I understand now why I failed. It wasn't that I was unable to just that I had poor advice. I have since gone on to successfully bf two other babies. One until she was 2 and the second is still feeding now at 3. With both I returned to work full time when they were 6 months and managed to continue to feed. Not boasting here...sure it'll be twisted by some to seem that way though! Just trying to give a background to my experience xx

I'd start with the cheapest (C&G I think) and then if that disagrees with baby then try something else (like Aptamil)
They are all much the same and the additionally ingredients are mostly for show they are all essentially the same product.
Only use Hipp or Aldi if you can get them regularly. You don't want to be dependant on shops that are far away, I believe they sell C&G and Aptamil almost everywhere and do the premade bottles so you don't need to worry about sterilising whilst in hospital.

One more, go on the breastfeeding support forum and offer advice there then, where it’ll be wanted! It’d be like me asking for advice on cars and someone telling me all about their motorbike- it doesn’t go down well! If anything you put people off by being so socially unaware!

onemorego2019

Ambs points on the first page were not valid for the question the OP asked. She clearly has her own agenda. Some of her 'facts' are not true. OP wasn't after bf support.

'Ambs81 you have tried to make some very valid points. I tried the same but gave up in the end. It just became a bashing exercise by another poster, quite awful. It's so sad when I can see you are only offering supportive advice.'

I don't think 'Ambs81' has been in the least bit 'supportive' to Op

Just to debunk the whole bf babies don't suffer with colic/reflux thing...

My baby was ebf - great latch, gained weight well from day 1 - still suffered with colic and reflux. Baby couldn't cope with my fast let down. Sometimes I wonder if I would have saved myself a world of stress switching to bottles and formulas.

Cant believe how the op posted for advice and its turned into the tiresome BF v FF debate which is sad. We're all supposed to support eachother and not judge.

Ive both BF and FF and there are pros and cons of both. Everones experiences are different and everyones preferences should be respected. There are so many BF nazis out there who think they are superior to FF mothers which is so unfair.

@Bakewellgin1 if you dont wish to or for other reasons cannot BF, then personally I found the HIPP organic formula to be best after researching as it contains a probiotic which will help babys tummy and be more gentle on their system.
You can get the ready made cartons which might be more convenient to bring in and pour into bottles (rather than making up with cool boiled water and powder) but make sure there is a fridge nearby so you can store any leftover so there is no wastage. Bring in about 12 small cartons and that should be more than enough but have some at home in case someone needs to bring you more if you end up staying in longer for whatever reason.
The cartons may work out a little more expensive but just continue to use the tubs of powder once you get home. If you have a tommee tippee prep machine use that as they are brilliant!
Good luck x