What formula did you choose and why?

[IVFdreams2021]

Hi,

I'm hoping to breastfeed/mix feed but want to have some formula in the house just encase.

What formula did you use and why? How to you choose one? I'm so confused!

The best advice we had was to buy whatever is available in your nearest shop so that if you run out unexpectedly, it's easy to acquire more at 3am!

Then think about whether you want to use premade when you are out and about - not all brands offer premade but I've found it to be really useful having a stash in the changing bag (we were mix feeding and DD had a formula top up after each breastfeed).

Choose one that is stocked by your closest shop. Honestly they are all much of a muchness and practically the same.

I wanted to use hipp or kendamil but we introduced formula when DD was in NICU and they didn't have those brands in the hospital. In the end, we chose cow & gate because the hospital had it, they had it in our local supermarket, and it came in premade bottles.

I wouldn't use SMA as I don't agree with Nestle giving out formula in deprived countries with unclean water. I would probably use Cow and Gate - it's owned by the same company as Aptamil and is very similar, just Aptamil is marketed as a more expensive formula and Cow and Gate as cheaper. And Cow and Gate is sold in most shops, as pps have mentioned!

They all have to have the same fundamental ingredients by law. Companies can add extra ingredients, but if any are shown to be actively beneficial (by independent scientific research) then they would be added to the legally required ingredients for all formulas.

So, other than that, it's really just personal choice. I'd go for the one that is most easily available to you in your local shops, and comes in the format that you'd most likely use eg. small ready made bottles/cartons, large ready made bottles, powder tubs.

First child I used aptamil as I had read it was a generally standard formula for babies without any reflux etc. Also widely available.

Second child was paramilitary purely out of habit.

Third child I was given cow and gate in hospital when she was first born so I just carried on with that.

HiPP Organic.

It was the cheapest at the time (oddly enough) and I liked that it came in foil pouches rather than a tin.

I picked cow and gate for no particular reason except that it was marginally the cheapest. They are pretty much all the same anyway unless it's a speciality /prescription one.

I went with HIPP when we needed to top up with DS. I avoided SMA as I boycott Nestlé for the same reason as a poster mentioned above. (The Baby Milk Action website has more info on this is anyone is interested).
I hadn't thought of what a previous poster said about bearing in mind what you are able to get easily and locally but that's really smart.

Cow and gate purely because that’s what he was given in hospital (I had some complications so it was not me giving it to him) he seemed to do fine on it so never changed it. Also used this for ds2 and planning to for DD1 when she arrives. They are all much of a muchness so I’d just choose what you can easily get in your local supermarket.

Kendamil. They have clever marketing around the fact they use full cream milk and no palm oil, and they also don't use fish oil as a source of dha so it smells much better imho. It's probably all just marketing though!! My first was v happy on it, now expecting twins so am assuming I'll be needing some help again!

Aptamil because it was what he was given in hospital and our local shop stocked it. I wanted to switch to Hipp but because he had feeding issues early on, I was very anxious about it and decided to just stick with what we knew worked.

They're all much the same, really. Legally they have to be.

@MarmaladeToastAndAMarmaladeCat

Cow and gate purely because that’s what he was given in hospital (I had some complications so it was not me giving it to him) he seemed to do fine on it so never changed it. Also used this for ds2 and planning to for DD1 when she arrives. They are all much of a muchness so I’d just choose what you can easily get in your local supermarket.

Me too. Baby wouldn't latch so on day two I caved and asked for formula so we could be allowed home. It seemed to agree with her so carried on. I have heard Kendamil is a nightmare to get hold of.

Aptamil, Cow & Gate and Aldi formula are all the same, they're just marketed differently!

I moved onto Hipp because my dd had reflux.