Formula milk question

[clo1992]

Hi ladies

FTM question about formula milk.
I plan on breast feeding but I want to get some powder milk as back up just incase that fails.

What is the difference between aptamil first baby milk formula & aptamil hungry baby milk formula from birth?

Or has anyone any recommendations?

Thank you

You don't need the hungry milk formula - I'd avoid it totally unless medically recommended.

All first milks are v similar as they have to follow strict guidelines. So buy whatever is available in your local shop, brand isn't important.

Hungry baby formulas however, are made to be harder to digest and you might find they upset a little baby's stomach or cause constipation. No need to buy this option really.

Just so you know, Aptamil and cow and gate are the same formulas but apatmil is priced at a premium. If you google it you'll see the info. May just save you a few pennies. 💕

You don’t need a whole tin of powder as back up. Get a ready made bottle for emergency - and cow and gate do them. Which one you choose makes no difference to your baby but cow and gate is more friendly on your purse.

Aptamil and cow and gate are the same formulas but apatmil is priced at a premium. If you google it you'll see the info.

They’re made by the same company in the same factory from what I know - but that doesn’t make them the same. The ingredients will vary somewhat, but is still unlikely to make any difference - all formulas by law contain what is proven to be needed for good development. Aptamil may contain some added extras but they are not proven to have any real impact or benefits for your baby.

You just need first milk not hungry baby. It's made to be 'bulkier' and keeps them fuller for longer but it's got no extra nutrition. Usually constipates them too. It was basically made once people realised putting baby rice into formula to fill 'hungry' babies was bloody dangerous, to give people an alternative to doing that. If your baby is still hungry after a feed then just feed them some more or make a larger volume next feed.

For the early days, when baby feeds tiny amounts pick yourself up a starter pack. No sterilisation needed as they're all sealed and throw away once done. Not a cheap way of feeding long term but great for convenience in the first couple of weeks.

Ignore those posters who will soon be along to tell you that if you plan to breastfeed and buy formula as a back up you'll fail at BF. You can still try to BF as much as you like but it's nice to have a back up plan if its not working out for whatever reason and your baby is squawking at 2am.

Oh yes, I totally agree that it's probably easiest to buy some of the small ready made formula bottles as a just in case. They're all pre-sterilised so no faffing around and no need to invest in anything major!

This is what I mean by a starter pack.

Aldi formula & aptimal are exactly the same also... you can buy aptimal ready starter ones with the teats attached as a back up from asda £8 xx

If you have an Aldi nearby I can recommend their formula. It's dead easy to mix and doesn't foam up. We interchange Aldi with premixed aptamil and it works really well. I tried to breastfeed but it didn't work out, I started supplementing with aptamil in the hospital and used Aldi when we came home.

Hungry baby formula is used by some because they think if they can fill their baby for longer at night then they'll sleep for longer. DS is the definition of a hungry baby and he's never needed it. Midwives don't recommend it because it's just harder for them to digest.

Ok thank you. That's cleared that up I had no idea what the hungry baby bit ment 🙈

I shall grab some of those pre made bottles for back up. Obviously different kind of times at moment which makes popping to shops not easy & planned c section so not sure how mobile I will be.

Thank you :)

Boots sell them too, you could maybe get them delivered.

If you have an Aldi nearby I can recommend their formula. It's dead easy to mix and doesn't foam up. We interchange Aldi with premixed aptamil and it works really well.

@mylittlesandwich
I combination fed and did this too alongside breastfeeding - worked so well, and like you say the aldi formula was much less foamy and I thought it smelled a lot better too!

There are two main types of protein in cows' milk - whey and casein . Whey is the more easily digested. First formulas are whey dominant whereas hungry baby formula is casein dominant. They both contain more or less the same calories but the theory is that as casein is more slowly digested it will keep a baby fuller for longer. However it can cause constipation and in any case newborn babies are meant to feed frequently as they have tiny stomachs. Little and often is best.
Personally, if you want to have formula in, I would buy some of the small cartons or premade bottles of ready made formula, at least until you know what you are doing with feeding in the longer term and if you are continuing with formula, which one you want to stick with. Your baby might not take to the first one you try and you don't want to end up with a cupboard full of big tins of powder each used only a few times. The ready made is probably too expensive for most people to use long term but can be handy at the beginning, plus it is sterile, due to being ultra heat treated, whereas the powder isn't.

Aptamil is identical to cow and gate. Same factory, same company, same everything except aptamil is aimed at middle class people, cow and gate isn't.
That's why aptamil has the fancier packaging.

This is exactly what my health visitor told me, she also said that once you start weaning baby there is no need to buy the different stages of baby milk because the only additional vitamins in the milk are gained via food.
The only reason they make the staged milk is because it's against the law to advertise formula for newborns in the uk but they can advertise the other stages.
In countries where you can advertise formula for newborns they don't have any other stages of milk.