What to go on to?

[xxbeckyxx]

I'm thinking I'll probably stop breastfeeding at 6 months (very sad about it but that's life!), so I guess I need to give something else between then and when Lizzie is one?? Any recommendations? Will it be a 'follow-on' milk?
I know nothing about formula so sorry if it's a thick question!
Also, how long will a tin of formula generally last at that age?

 

[Esoames]

Sorry no idea but would be interested to find out xx

 

[kay126]

Hey hun not breastfeeding so don't know best milk to go onto but health visitor told me that babies are fine to stay on stage one for the first year so I would guess stage one because its closest to breast milk? Don't quote me on that though! What I can help with is that currently LO uses a tub of formula every 9 days or so, thata on 4x 7oz bottles a day but he is weaning and has three meals too, if ur not weaning til 6 months u would get through more milk in the beginning so guess u would go through a tub a week or so? Whatever milk u do decide to put LO on I wouldn't buy more than one tub to begin with as some babies don't take to some types of milk so it would be a big waste of money if you stocked up and Lo didn't like it.... hope that helps x

 

[Mamafy]

We have Aptamil First and I highly recommend that, although its defo pricier than some by about

 

[ZMD]

Before we knew Tegan was Lactose intolerant and she was having 1 formula feed a day we used Aptamil But it made her really constipated so we switched to sma gold (she's now on sma Lactose free) we use 2 tins a week But there half the size of normall milk so would use 1 tin hope this helps a little x

 

[inky]

I just carried on breast feeding

At C's 8 month check the HV said I should carry on until he's 2!!

 

[PinkPunch]

We have Aptamil First and I highly recommend that, although its defo pricier than some by about

Same here. Follow on milk is for age 1 and over. I reckon 1 aptimal tub lasts about 2 weeks.

 

[xxbeckyxx]

I just carried on breast feeding

At C's 8 month check the HV said I should carry on until he's 2!!

I wish I could and will defo give it my best shot to go as long as poss but I just can't see it happening tbh

Thanks for all the replies, will defo go for Aptamil to start with and see how we get on!
When I introduce it should I just do a straight swap or should I gradually phase out the breastmilk?

 

[don-don]

Hi,
We have just swapped from prescription formula to normal formula this morning, currently on the second bottle of Aptimal first and going well so far. I have never breast fed chick. So im not sure how you would make the swap from breast to bottle. Soz xxxxxxxxxx

 

[rbryan0205]

gradually phase the formula in or your boobs will kill i phased it in and it still hurt a bit x

 

[Coffeecake]

Hi Becky! If you don't mind me asking, why do you want to stop breastfeeding at 6 months? When you decide to start weaning you can carry on breastfeeding while slowly introducing pureed fruits and veg. You can also pump if you prefer to feed from a bottle.

I'm planning on breastfeeding for one year, exclusively for 6 months and then gradually dropping feeds as I introduce solids. I don't plan on ever using formula, I hope I'm not wrong in thinking this as it's still just an idea. I haven't discussed it with a HV or anything lol.

 

[Minchin]

hey there
I bf til 6 months and stopped cos LO was refusing boob and stuff, it was sad! Would have liked to have done til 1. It was pretty gradual with formula replacing breat milk and no breat pain. We used aptimil too, now moved on to aptimil follow on. We get through a tub a week, it's pretty expensive!!

 

[xxbeckyxx]

Hi Becky! If you don't mind me asking, why do you want to stop breastfeeding at 6 months? When you decide to start weaning you can carry on breastfeeding while slowly introducing pureed fruits and veg. You can also pump if you prefer to feed from a bottle.

I'm planning on breastfeeding for one year, exclusively for 6 months and then gradually dropping feeds as I introduce solids. I don't plan on ever using formula, I hope I'm not wrong in thinking this as it's still just an idea. I haven't discussed it with a HV or anything lol.

Hiya It's not that I want to stop breastfeeding, my original plan was to breastfeed till Lizzie was 1, but unfortunately she has been on pretty much constant nursing strikes since she was about 3 months old. She won't latch on, will scream at the boob etc, and it just makes breastfeeding too much of a struggle. She also started gaining weight too slowly for my liking so we pretty much bottle feed now using expressed milk.
However, I am finding it pretty hard trying to express every 4 hours or so and it'll be even harder when I go back to work so I'm thinking ahead if I really feel like I need to go onto formula. I am gonna try my hardest to keep on with the breastmilk but it's knackering!

I'm gonna use this time to just vent a bit about midwives/HV's telling you how easy it is to breastfeed when you're pregnant. I know it's their guidelines or whatever to push 'breast is best', and I'm not disputing that, but I was told the entire way through my pregnancy that breastfeeding was natural, easy, baby would automatically know what to do etc etc.
Lizzie hardly got any food in her first week of life because we both didn't know what we were doing, and I felt such a failure because it was presumed that it would come naturally. I wish I'd been told that actually it's bloody hard work, and lots of women struggle.
When I went to an antenatal class we did the pros and cons of breastfeeding. The midwife spent about 20 minutes on the pros and then just said 'and there's really no cons to breastfeeding' and glossed over the whole thing!
Rant over

 

[kellylou]

Alex has had all formulas going and is on Hipp Organic now as everything else he brought up, follow on milk is for if you are supplementing with weaning and Cow and Gate and Sma do one from 6 months as do Hipp so there is plenty to choose from if you are in the Hipp Baby club you will get sent a pack soon with weaning bits in including a follow on milk.

 

[xxbeckyxx]

Yes I got that pack through the other day Kellylou, put it somewhere without really looking at it, will have to find it lol!

 

[PinkPunch]

Becky I agree with u about what were all told about breastfeeding. This airy fairy image of feeding baby and "bonding" like it's magical... Breastfeeding my first baby was awful. I didn't think my supply was good enough, I cracked and bled and she wanted on me ALL the time. I dreaded her feeds. I somehow lasted 4 months but didn't enjoy it I enjoyed bf my second though but stopped after mastitis.

They really should warn people of the problems they can come across and then people can deal with it and maybe do it for longer. Otherwise ppl think it's only them who are struggling.

 

[xxbeckyxx]

Glad it's not just me PP! I think if it wasn't for this forum I probably would've thought there was something really wrong with me and given up ages ago

 

[GemmGirl]

Hi ladies. Hope you don't mind me butting in. Just wanted to share my experience of breast feeding and formula.
My little boy is now 8 months old. I breast fed him exclusively for only the first 3 months then started to give him the occasional bottle of Aptamil just so I knew he would take it. I was advised on Aptamil as it is closest to breast milk and my lo took it with no problems. After introducing solids at 6 months he started to naturally reduce his breast feeds. By 7 months he was only on 4 feeds a day. (7am, 10.30, 2.30, 7pm). As I am going back to work soon I have now replaced the 2 daytime feeds with 1 bottle of formula. I intend to continue with morning and bedtime bf's for another few months.

I've kind of lost the point of why I'm telling you all this but hope it's helpful

 

[GemmGirl]

Oh and I agree about the pushy midwives with their breast is best campaign. I believe for some mums and babies it just works but in a huge number of cases it is a difficult, painful and traumatic experience and no woman should be made to feel guilty for not doing it!

 

[munchkin1982]

have you though about the combination feeds becky hun - like what gemmgirl is doing? I also do a similar thing... Layla has on boob feed first in morning, then a EBM mid morning, aptamil bottle for lunch (7oz!) then EBM in afternoon and then another 7oz bottle of aptamil before bed. This working really well for her. I was also considering giving up bf @ 6 months but I like the idea of combination feeding at the moment as she's still getting some of the "good stuff" so to speak lol. I have also tried Layla on some baby porridge now which she seems to like and she's had some of that in the mornings for the last 3 days . xx