Best formula? (UK)

[LJ88]

Hi all my first time posting in this section! im only in my 1st trimester (approx 8weeks-1st baby) but in an attempt to keep the financial impact aslow as possible me and OH have started buying a couple of bits each week (nappies etc).

For several reason medical and personal I won't be breast feeding after birth. And so we wanted to start buying a tub of formula each week. But there's sooo many!
I wondered if anybody had an opinion as to what one(s) is best? I'm in the UK so don't know if we have the same brands as The US? The 2 big ones I've seen are aptamil and SMA

Amy help appreciated!

 

[LJ88]

Was going to delete this as I think it's better suited in another forum but can't see how? :-/

 

[pinkbump2011]

I honestly wouldn't buy so much milk incase baby doesn't take to it. Each baby is different. Can you not put the money aside each week instead? Last time I used SMA and I had a reflux baby so ended up using reflux
Milk. But this time I'm going to try aptamil. I remember leaving the hospital and having to buy milk on the way home as I hadn't bought any earlier (plus baby was early) so maybe one tin is a good idea x

 

[Rosie06]

I wouldn't buy milk before maybe one tub for 1st couple of days main reason being it may not agree with your LO like pp said incase of reflux etc, I used cow and gate with DD and if I end up ff again that would be my first choice again, in all honestly there is not an awful lot of difference between the different formulas, main reasons for choosing cow and gate were its what my mum used for me and my siblings and it was the cheapest at the time! instead of buying the formula could what about getting one of the supermarkets cards where you can load them with money to spend at a later time I had one with asda think they are meant as a xmas savings card but im pretty sure you can use them any time so you would still be spreading the cost but not physically buying and the money is there when you need it x

 

[magicwhisper]

personally my mum used sma with all 3 of us so i will try that first but as far as i can tell they are all good

 

[littlesteph]

I wouldn't buy to much formula in advance. your best of waiting until the 3rd tri before buying any.
formula differs baby to baby, what one baby gets on with another might not, so I would recommend buying the small ready to feed cartons that places like Tesco and Asda do.
things like theses to start of with till you found something baby likes
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Search/Default.aspx?searchBox=ready+to+feed&newSort=true

 

[sopho30]

i used aptimil with my 1st , she did really well . I have bought one tub ready and have the little prepared bottles for hospital incase i cant breast feed....

 

[Jin]

I agree. Dont buy too much. My son had reflux and severe constipation and could only tolerate comfort milk. SMA did not suit him at all but my daughter was fine with it. Different babies tolerate different things. But I can tell you that sma is prone to cause cobnstipation in babies and that Aptamil is the closeset formula to breast milk. I'm hoping to bf this time but if it doesn't work out will be trying aptamil first this time.

 

[Bonnie11]

As the others said, deffo don't waste your money on a ton of stuff that baby might not agree with. Start off with one brand and see how you go, they are all pretty much the same. Cow and gate and aptamil are made by the same company, sma are good too. It's really up to you but start with a brand that is readily available to you, and also start them on powdered version not te ready made stuff. Babies can get a taste for the ready made and it can get quite ££ if they refuse powdered!

 

[kanga]

I've always thought of SMA as the thickest, cow &gate as the middle ground, and aptimil as the thinnest/runniest. Your baby will lead you in which is best for them. As for the formulas themselves, they are all much of a muchness, ie extremely similar. The same nutrients and make up. The thicker the milk, the more whey it has in it. The thicker the milk, the more chance of making your baby constipated (so go to a thinner milk if you have a constipated baby).

 

[Pearls18]

I was always told apatamil is the closest to breast milk (no idea why I wonder if it's because of what the PP says about it being the the thinnest) so as a BFer I used that when we started combi feeding at 6 months, it was the most expensive but DS always got on with it. I've heard of people having to try different formulas and even sometimes needing a special prescription one etc so like the others say I would instead start a "formula fund" setting money aside rather than stocking up just in case for whatever reason you have to change brand.

 

[Celesse]

I was always told apatamil is the closest to breast milk (no idea why I wonder if it's because of what the PP says about it being the the thinnest) so as a BFer I used that when we started combi feeding at 6 months, it was the most expensive but DS always got on with it. I've heard of people having to try different formulas and even sometimes needing a special prescription one etc so like the others say I would instead start a "formula fund" setting money aside rather than stocking up just in case for whatever reason you have to change brand.

That is because a while ago aptamil had an advertising campaign where they implied that Aptamil is closest to breastmilk. It isn't- all formulas are the same in "how close" they are to breastmilk. They got told off. Unfortunately to myth stuck.

 

[Pearls18]

I was always told apatamil is the closest to breast milk (no idea why I wonder if it's because of what the PP says about it being the the thinnest) so as a BFer I used that when we started combi feeding at 6 months, it was the most expensive but DS always got on with it. I've heard of people having to try different formulas and even sometimes needing a special prescription one etc so like the others say I would instead start a "formula fund" setting money aside rather than stocking up just in case for whatever reason you have to change brand.

That is because a while ago aptamil had an advertising campaign where they implied that Aptamil is closest to breastmilk. It isn't- all formulas are the same in "how close" they are to breastmilk. They got told off. Unfortunately to myth stuck.

Lol that's typical, the damage done, I should have known, thanks for the info as it was the most expensive! I breast fed anyway but did start using formula after 6 months ad hoc if I needed the odd feed for babysitting etc as I stopped being able to (although wasn't really trying hard either) express, so will remember this for next time

 

[T8ty]

We used hipp organic milk it was brill as my daughter just seemed to throw up aptamil.

 

[Celesse]

I was always told apatamil is the closest to breast milk (no idea why I wonder if it's because of what the PP says about it being the the thinnest) so as a BFer I used that when we started combi feeding at 6 months, it was the most expensive but DS always got on with it. I've heard of people having to try different formulas and even sometimes needing a special prescription one etc so like the others say I would instead start a "formula fund" setting money aside rather than stocking up just in case for whatever reason you have to change brand.

That is because a while ago aptamil had an advertising campaign where they implied that Aptamil is closest to breastmilk. It isn't- all formulas are the same in "how close" they are to breastmilk. They got told off. Unfortunately to myth stuck.

Lol that's typical, the damage done, I should have known, thanks for the info as it was the most expensive! I breast fed anyway but did start using formula after 6 months ad hoc if I needed the odd feed for babysitting etc as I stopped being able to (although wasn't really trying hard either) express, so will remember this for next time

I did the same when DD was born. Middle of the night in hospital, starving baby and asked what I wanted to feed her. Remembered that "Aptamil was closest to breast milk" and went for that. I was only months later when I was doing my peer support training and spending too much time on breastfeeding forums when I discovered it wasn't the case.

I hated expressing and gave a nightly bottle + ad hoc bottles from 4 months. I used Hipp for combi feeding. Main reason was the packet size. A normal tub of formula needs to be used in 4 weeks. Hipp comes in 2 sachets which are smaller than a full tub and need to be used within 3 weeks. I'd never finish a tub before the 4 weeks was up, but 3 weeks was just about right to finish the hipp sachets.

This is probably a bit OT from the OP. ...sorry. DD had only Aptamil when she was little, but DS had both SMA and Aptamil and Hipp and was fine with all of them. I know its not the case with all babies so I wouldn't buy in bulk until you know what your baby likes and is suited to.

Don't worry about missing out on any special offers by only buying when baby is here. Formula companies are not allowed to promote milk aimed at babies under 6 months in any way. So no discounts, BOGOF, special purchase... they are not even allowed to give club card points.

 

[T8ty]

Same reason as above for using hipp as the bags are really handy!

 

[Hooblet]

We used Hipp organic with my LO as he had reflux and it seemed to agree with him the most.