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best formula incase i cant breastfeed

Hello,

I am planning on breast feeding but a friend has suggested I get a couple of the little cartons of ready made formula and a few bottles incase I cant do it in the middle of the night so I have something in to feed the baby with and Paul doesnt have to rush out in a blind panic to find something!

Just wondering if you have any reccommendations. What are the differences between cow and gate, amptamil and sma? Which are the best bottles to use?

I'm hoping I wont need it but thought it better to be safe than sorry!!

Sarah 37+3

Replies

  • I would maybe get 2 bottles and 1 250ml carton of formula. Once opened they will keep in the fridge for 24hours i think (a newborn will drink about 20-60ml then probably about 120ml by 4-6weeks old) but I always used the powder. That is probably all you'll need if you're going to bf. Just as a back up if you are having difficulties at 4am. Most peope don't recommend buying any but I agree with your better safe than sorry. I used Cow & gate but I don't think there is a right/wrong brand. They are all the same stuff really x
  • Hi - I personally think this is a good idea. We didn't do it and I had a lot of trouble BFing in the early days so my DH had to go out in the snow to get some (and of course had no idea what he was doing, lol!). We were soon back to EBF but I just gave the leftover formula to friends who were FF.

    SMA Gold do a pack of little ready made bottles and sterile teats. It's fairly pricey (I think a pack of 12 is about ??14) but you then don't have to buy bottles or faff around with sterilising or making up bottles in the middle of the night - you just keep at room temp and throw away after using. They also come in a convenient amount for newborns (100 ml bottles - you will probably only need 50-70 each feed so one bottle is plenty). Highly recommend if you're hoping to EBF - a really useful backup but expensive enough that you won't be tempted to rely on it!!

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  • i am the other way. i got so stressed with bfing in the first few days (which are very difficult, which is normal) and wanted to send hubby out for formula but he was too tired to drive. so i stuck with it. i have now ebf for 5 months tomorrow!!!

    bfing is difficult at first, but you will have enough milk and it does get better. i would personally go out an get lansinoh lanolin and nipple shields just in case, rather than formula.
  • I should add that Toby has been EBF for over 7 months apart from a few formula feeds in the first couple of weeks - so a bit of FF won't necessarily interfere with BF as long as you are clear about what you want to do.

    But def get lansinoh cream too, that is ESSENTIAL!!

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  • Mummy Mog may I just say thank you for not dissing FF babies. I had an extremely horrid birth with my son and I just couldnt get to grips with BF and have beat myself up for it ever since, So it is always so nice to hear a BF mum with a good thing to say about FF.

    But getting back to the OP question, I again would second what everyone has said and buy the ready made formula. But give BF a go if you can and dont be afraid to ask for help if you find it tricky. I didnt and just gave up! But when we have another one I will not be leaving that hopsital until I am a Latch on Queen, lol!!

    Good luck
  • Thanks for all your opinions and advice ladies
    xx
  • to reiterate what blakey blues mummy said, i asked and asked and asked for help from the mws (eho had to come out to me as i had a hb) and the breastfeeding support, then still had to phone a friend who bf hers unti 2 as i still was struggling one day. have the number for all the helplines there and phone the mws when you need the help. i was all ready to go into hospital to get help with it, but they sent someone out to me instead. i thought baby wasnt getting enough milk and the mw assured me she was and even squeezed me and the colostrum came out for me to see!
  • My milk never came in at all and my baby was admitted into hospital at 3 days old with dehydration because he wasn't getting anything from me. I wish that I had bought some formula so that it was in the house to feed him the minute the mw discovered that I wasn't lactating and he hadn't been getting anything from me. If we had we could have given him a bottle before taking him up to hospital but as it was it was another few hours before he was seen and given a desposable bottle of milk. There was no harm done but would have saved a little stress for me and distress for Jason. We started off with SMA gold and changed to apitmil comfort as he had colic and costipation and he seems to be doing well on it - he's 3 weeks old and takes 8 or 9 150ml bottles a day so he would most likely have needed to be topped up with formula even if my milk had come in.
  • I would say if you are going to get any in you would be better getting the ready made formula to try and I would start with aptimal, I was told by mw (unofficially) that it was the closest to breast milk xx
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