SMA, Aptamil or Cow&Gate?

[ShockingB]

I'm planning on breastfeeding and formula feeding at the same time! However I am very nervous about breastfeeding and if my milk doesnt come in I want to make sure I have a plan B in place. I've gone out 5 times now to buy formula for baby and ended up stood in the baby stuff isle staring at all the formulas they sell. I have absolutely no idea which is best. Aptamil is the most expensive one but that doesn't necessarily mean it is the best. I nearly just bought the SMA but then didnt! And Cow and Gate seems to be the cheapest!

On wednsday the health visitor came over and when I asked her she said that SMA is the one that normally causes more problems! . I don't know if I want to buy the Cow&Gate(cheaper) or if I should buy the Aptamil(how do I know it will work for baby anyway?).

Arghhh I just need some advice from other mums cus seriously I am not good at this!

 

[MrsEngland]

Aptamil is the brand where the formula they use is closest to breast milk.

I used cow and gate with my first but we are switching to aptamil with this baby after looking into which is the most like breast milk.

 

[rockstar]

I would personally avoid Sma as heard its very rich an can make baby sicky etc. people I know who have used it have changed after a couple of weeks. I personally use cow and gate and have done for both my girls, without any problems at all. I didn't choose this because of the price, just that when my hubby went to buy some formula hat is what he picked up!!

 

[Flutterly]

Someone has given me a brand new big pack of Cow and Gate so I'm going with that!! Hopefully my boobs will work though

 

[Ktothema]

Like you I was nervous about breastfeeding failing so bought formula. I went of for cow and gate as I recognised the name. When dd was being taken to NICU I was told to choose the formula as they couldn't give advice, and suddenly remembered we'd randomly picked cow and gate so they gave her that. A friend had a similar experience and went for SMA as she'd seen it on the side at the hospital!

Dd gained weight but not enough with cow and gate, and then we went through a long period where she was screaming hungry but wouldn't eat. I was given no help as she was being formula fed. Eventually a family friend who's a GP in Ireland said "change her milk, she's not getting on with the current lot". GP, health visitor and nurse here said no way. I switched because I'd tried everything else. I tried Aptamil and dd went from strength to strength.

Though I know other babies who worked best switching from Aptamil to SMA.

From least to most thick:
Aptamil, hipp, cow and gate, SMA (or caw and gate then hipp)

The advice Ive been given for this one is start with aptamil as its closest to breast milk. Then if baby isn't getting on, try the thicker formulas.

Sorry, long detailed post!

 

[x melanie x]

I'm going with Aptamil if breast feeding goes wrong or when I'm done with it! I used SMA with my previous two sons and experienced some problems with my second son which I now know were due to the milk. That's not to say I won't experience any with Aptamil either! I'm picking Aptamil over Cow & Gate as I understand it's closer to breast milk.

 

[beachlover1]

Aptamil!!!! its the ones they recommend if you wont be breastfeeding whilst in hospital (my hospital couldnt recommend but the MW in the night said to me, off the record, it was the right choice), the babies poos are completely like a BF babies poos on it...the others gave my LO green poos!!! its the least thick, and the one i found made LO least sicky and able to combi feed.

It is the most expensive, but worth it i think.

 

[ShockingB]

Yes, the health visitor said the same, that Aptamil is the closest to breast milk so I might go for that.

 

[bounceyboo]

i got cow and gate first milk, like you i went to buy it loads of times and came away from boots/tesco even more comfused lol id go in thinking id get sma n come out with nothing after asking friends n family members who have kids already they all got on great with cow and gate so im gonna try that first.

 

[phineas]

We used cow and gate with DS and had no probs but I THINK aptamil was only gettin established at that time (less known). When I got bottles by the hosp it was SMA or cow and gate so we choose cow and gate.

I've known babies on both and tbh it just seems to be choose one but don't get boxes of the stuff cause it really depends on how the baby takes to it!

ATM I'm actually not sure whether I'll go for cow and gate again even though we had no trouble with it...hmm time to start my research I suppose!

 

[racheal021106]

i used sma with my little girl and after 3-4 months it made her so sick, she was puking more than she was eating so my HV suggested i change her milk so i did to aptimil and she was fine.
also sma made my little girl very chunky, i kept getting accused of overfeeding her but when i changed her milk her weight slowed down and they eventually said it was down to sma :/ so just going straight to aptimil this time

 

[camerashy]

Ive used sma gold on all in babies and never had. Peoblem

 

[c1403]

Thanks Ladies.... I am planning on breastfeeding most of the time but wanted advise on formula just incase.

x

 

[Bells81]

I used Aptamil with ds2 and it really suited him. I mainly bf him but gave him formula at his 11pm feed and at the time Aptamil was the closet to breast milk hence my choice.

I used SMA with ds1 and he was terribly constipated on it so switched to C&G as that at the time was the next popular brand (Aptamil wasn't really well known). He was much better on this.

Although I plan to hopefully bf this baby, I will still give a formula feed at 11pm and again I have chosen Aptamil. I haven't brought a tub as I will only be doing one feed - I have some ready made cartons in the cupboard and brought the six pack ready to use bottles to put in hospital bag (my hospital doesn't provide formula anymore)

 

[cantthinkof1]

Aptamil is the best, i've tried them all for all 3 babies and found Aptamil to be the best out of the lot. We had to use the easy digestion one for last baby as he didn't digest milk very well. It is a bit more expensive but if you buy the others but have to change then you're wasting what you'e already bought but i've not heard of anyone having to switch from Aptamil to another brand.

 

[ShockingB]

I used Aptamil with ds2 and it really suited him. I mainly bf him but gave him formula at his 11pm feed and at the time Aptamil was the closet to breast milk hence my choice.

Although I plan to hopefully bf this baby, I will still give a formula feed at 11pm and again I have chosen Aptamil.

This is exactly what I want to do!!

 

[ShockingB]

Thank you ladies, I think I will try Aptamil!!

 

[misskat29]

Personally I'd wait till baby arrives before buying, when I put dd on formula I tried aptimal as most had said its closet to breast milk, but dd didn't get on with it, made her burp like an old man, then tried SMA and this made her really sicky, then went on to hipp organic and it suited her. She liked it, wasn't sicky or extra burpy. Still give it to her now at 20months old