Which formula to use??

[littleem]

i am currently pregnant with my first child and have decided to bottle feed, went shopping yesterday to look but didnt realise how many different types their were, any ideas???

 

[Becky&Willow]

Well i was advised on aptmil as it was closest to breast milk but to be honest they are all as good as each other aptmil is the most expensive, it depends on your peronal choice and what your baby likes if i was to advise i woud say aptmil but the decision is yours hunny.

 

[Rachel]

I used cow & gate with Nathan since he was born and have never had a problem

Will use cow & gate again with this baby if breastfeeding dosen't work out.

They are all just as good as each other though

 

[kalia]

Although I am planning on breast feeding, I thought this was an interesting question and as I am a bit bored I thought I would research for you. Well, it was indeed an eye opener!! There are a lot of people very militant about breast feeding out there

I cannot find anything about brand comparisons, presumably as this might count as advertising It looks like if you can't or won't breast feed for any reason there is very little in the way of support and advice out there, which is awful! Lots of people can't breast feed for medical reasons or others. I can't believe how little information is out there, especially given that half of the mother in the UK bottle feed there baby after 6 weeks (from what I could gather from many websites).

So, rant over, here is the only useful information I have found so far. It's from the government's eatwell website:

Infant formula

* Cows' milk infant formulas are the alternative to breast milk unless you have been advised otherwise by your health professional. You should continue to give your baby formula milk until he or she is at least a year old. Once your baby is six months old you can give follow-on milks, but this change isn't necessary.
* Hydrolysed protein infant formulas might be prescribed by your GP if your baby has an allergy to cows' milk.
* Only use soya-based infant formulas on the advice of your GP or health visitor. Babies who are allergic to cows' milk may also be allergic to soya.
* Goats' milk infant formulas and follow-on formulas based on goats' milk protein are not suitable for babies, and have not been approved for use in Europe.

 

[kalia]

OK, I've found something!
http://www.idfa.org.uk/bm_formula_compo ... harts.aspx
The whole website seems to be very good at trying to advise those who will bottle feed.

 

[Gemma & Jake]

I chose to use SMA Gold purely because my Mum used it for all of her children. I never had any problems with it and it is quite good because they also sell it in sachets and ready made cartons which are handy if you are out for the day or if you are going away on holiday. I don't think it really matters which brand you use though. If you buy one and your baby doesn't get on with it then you can always change brands.

 

[sarah113]

Ive always used SMA with all mine

 

[littleem]

Thank you for your replys i'm sure i'l just go and pick one and see how they get on with it when they are born.

 

[Bee]

I'm planning on breastfeeding but I have bught some ready made cartons just in case. I decided on apitmal

maybe buy the cartons and see how u get on the buy a tin of powder once u find the suitable one

 

[Natural mamma]

When i used to top up from the breast when they were 6months + i used the hipp organic one.....

 

[chrystaltips]

Aptamil is recommended by the Royal College of Midwives as it is the closest to breast milk.

 

[leckershell]

I picked SMA because my mum had given it to me and my brother (in addition to breastfeeding).

I then moved to Cow and Gate because SMA Gold was giving him a bit of constipation and Snuggle wrote a post saying the same and others suggested Cow and Gate, which has since been a lot better.

I didn't pick Farleys because I just didn't know anything about it, and I didn't pick Aptamil because I heard it can make a lot of babies quite sicky and I've only previously heard bad things about it. Aptamil would have been my very last choice to be honest, but different things work for different babies. Just try any one of them - you'll soon know if it doesn't agree with them - and if it's not working out try another, and if it's fine then stick with it changing milks can upset a baby though so try and stick with one for a bit unless you know it's not working for you.

 

[MissThing]

We started with Aptamil, it made Daniel quite sicky and constipated, moved to Aptamil Easy Digest, still constipated, moved to Cow & Gate comfort-and I am sooo pleased! Works perfectly! Poos are like clock.

 

[Redshoes]

All formula's are basically the same. What isn't, is your LO may have a preference but until they're here you won't know it I would suggest looking online at them all, deciding on one, and then being prepared to change if it doesn't agree with your LO We started on SMA when Isaac was tiny, then moved to Cow & Gate, then moved to HiPP, don't feel you have to settle for one or another. No formula is 'most like' breast milk as its derived from animals and soya, there is just whats 'most suitable' for your LO

 

[trixipaws]

i didnt give formula until melissa was nearly 6 months, but iv tried sma and aptamil and she seems to like both, and had no ill effects from either. she was an older baby tho, tiny ones can be more sensitive to different types i think?