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Which formula would you recommend ladies?

*SparklyFairy**SparklyFairy*
in My baby was born in Oct 2010
I'm still EBF/weaning B at the mo - she's having 2 big BF's a day (1st thing and before bed) and approx 2-3 small feeds (mid am, before or after lunch and about 4pm). In the next week or so, i want to start giving her FF for the 'day' feeds (and keep the am/pm 'big' BF's) - i'll prob push the mid am feed to about 12ish and then give the afternoon feed at around 4pm still, before tea.



(I could express and give a bottle but you know what, expressing is a FAF, i've BF for 6 months and i'd quite like to start getting my body back before TTC again in Nov...and that includes getting AF which is staying away due to the amount i'm still BF)



Anyway, i'll stop rambling and get to my point...what formula would you recommend? B is having stage 3 Actimel milk when she has cereal/porridge for breakfast (about 2-3oz) but i was wondering, cuz she's never had formula as a 'feed' - should i start on stage 1 or carry on with stage 3? How much should i give? Also, does anyone recommend other than Actimel?



Ta muchly,



SF xxx

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    *SparklyFairy**SparklyFairy*
    Actimel??? I mean Aptimel! Not giving B the probiotic drinks just yet!
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    SnugglenushSnugglenush
    I don't think it will be a problem starting with stage 3 to be honest - it is pretty much exactly the same thing with a few added vitamins and stuff.

    I'd use the Aptimel seeing as you have been using that already for her cereal.

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    Moomin-mamaMoomin-mama
    On the odd occasion that Biba has taken some formula the only one she has actually drunk is cow and gate - she will have the aptamil in cereal but she cant stand it on its own. Try getting a selection of the ready made cartons to try her with before committing ??10 to a big box of powder.



    Oh and we are giving her the follow on milk mow that she has got past the 6 month mark.



    Good luck with it! xx
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    Dotty_JackieDotty_Jackie
    We use SMA and have had no problems with that, can't really compare to others. Do you know you can use cows milk in the cereal?? They only advise against giving it to them in place of formula as a main drink as it doesn't have the right amount of nutrients, but it's fine to use in food xx
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    Moomin-mamaMoomin-mama
    Ooh thats a good idea dotty jackie, i was going to speak to my HV about when we could start using cows milk - a pint of blue top is a lot cheaper than the cartons!
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    x-plumduff-xx-plumduff-x
    We use cow and gate 1, its exactly the same as aptamil and about ??1 cheaper.
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    angel100angel100
    I use ebm or cows milk in her cereal. I always used aptimel with my first lo but it seems to make C sick so i bought sma follow on milk last week and she seems to be doing quite well (she get it as a drink with her breakfast), although i think i need to stop offering her bf, i keep saying im going to cut back but then i end up feeding her,lol.
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    KouklaMooKouklaMoo
    Firstly I just wanted to say well done for BF for this long SF, you've done brilliantly.

    When I stopped BF Teddy at 4 months I put him onto Aptimil 1 and he's been on that ever since without any problems.

    image
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    Dancing_like_a_MuppetDancing_like_a_Muppet
    hi...



    I also use Aptimil stage 1.....Ive also never had any problems with it.....



    DS down to 2 bottles (8oz's)



    DLAMxxxxx
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    *SparklyFairy**SparklyFairy*
    Thankyou girls for your top advice and tips! Much appreciated (and thanks KM for saying that image ) and i didn't realise that about cows milk (i just thought it was for 12 months and older even tho i just read in my AK book that it's fine - thanks DJ). I think i'll prob go for a stage 3 then...just need her to like having the bottle!!!



    SF xxx
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    junior jjunior j
    was just wondering the same question as im still ebf alongside weaning, most folk i talk too say stage 1 but the hv said stage 2, i take it the differnce in stages is more vitamins etc?

    its all confusing! good point though to buy the small cartons before getting a big box!



    i really need to get on the case of getting ds weaned off my boobs i feel it will never happen and not quite sure how to go about it, should i introduce formula to day milk feeds to start with?



    also are you going to go straight into using cups rather than bottles?



    ta la
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    Happy-Mrs-SHappy-Mrs-S
    I kept saying I was going to start replacing BF for FF but when it came to it I never did! For 2 weeks now I've been giving a FF mid afternoon and am using stage 3 aptimel - it's going well although she only takes about 4oz. She seems to have dropped her mid morning feed herself so now I'm just giving a BF first thing in the morning and bedtime. It felt strange at first but now it's just normal and I'm going to swap the early morning feed this week. I can't bear to switch the bedtime feed to formula though yet as I love that one!! xx
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    *SparklyFairy**SparklyFairy*
    HappyMrsS - i want to keep the bedtime feed for as long as possible, til she's about 1 and until we start TTC again. I love that feed too. The am feed i'm usually half asleep still, lol! I think i'll drop that one when she's about 9 months old and i go back to work - we just won't have the time in the morning.



    jemcol - i think it is to do with vitamins but i wasn't sure if stage 1 would be slightly easier for B to tolerate at first. I'm doing the transition to bottle for the 2 daytime feeds although i'm not sure how well she'll take to the bottle cuz she's never been a big fan (she much prefers a cup!).



    SF x
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    angel100angel100
    SF ive gave up trying to get C to take a bottle, she wont even have a teat in her mouth now, she is getting there with her sippy cup, she now takes about an ounce of milk out of it, not much i know but better than nothing and im hoping she will start taking a bit more as i drop feeds.



    can i just ask, i take it at their age its ok to start dropping feeds in place of meals, i still keep offering the same bf, she is still having early morning, mid morning (10am), lunch (not on a meal yet),3pmish, and bedtime, she doesnt get a feed with her dinner but now and again she does have one about 6.30pm if she is really hungry. I feel i need to start getting my body back a bit and to be honest i think when she feeds at 10am and 6.30pm its just a nurse coz she is tired. Sorry to gatecrash your post sf.xx
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    *SparklyFairy**SparklyFairy*
    Don't be daft Angel, i don't mind image



    C's BF's are very similar to B's but i've noticed recently that the morning and night feeds are her main, 'proper' feeds and the remaining 3 are just snacks or she wants it prior to a nap as a comfort thing. This is why i want to get her to take 2 bigger feeds (i can also keep an eye on how many oz's she's taking that way). I think C will start dropping her feeds naturally - as she eats more, she'll take less.



    As for the cup - i really think B is going to point blank refuse a bottle so i'm relying on her TT cup! She didn't have a clue with the cup for weeks then all of a sudden she was like 'eureka, i know what i'm doing' and takes a good 3-4oz of water from it so i know she can do it.



    SF x
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    angel100angel100
    Thanks hun, yeah C feeds well first thing and bedtime, her 3pm one is ok and the others are just 5mins (although she s also still up through the night), im going to introduce lunch tomorrow and then go from there. Im back at work at the end of june so want her off the breast during the day completely as well, hopefully i an drop down to 3 feeds over the next couple of weeks then after that start giving her the cup at 3pm instead of a feed, she does take milk in her breakfast along with a bout an ounce of milk to drink and she has a yogurt after dinner so hopefully with her 2 big feeds she is getting enough milk, i think my mw says about a pint a day, its hard to know when you dont know what they are taking from you.xx
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    *SparklyFairy**SparklyFairy*
    How much is a pint? I know they need to have about 20oz milk/dairy a day so if i can get about 10oz from FF and the rest from BF/dairy in her food then i'll be happy. I fret about how much she has from BF but i think they take more than we realise (and manage to express)...i've decided i'm going to grate cheese on food if all else fails, lol!! xxx
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    angel100angel100
    lol, yeah 1 pint about 20oz. Im not sure how much a bf baby take, its hard to know, My niece takes a 7oz bottle in the morning and the same at night so if they are taking that much thats about 14oz is go with so i think a feed at 3pm and maybe a yogurt and some cheese would do the trick. Im going to see hv today so going to speak to her about it.xxx
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    jumpingzebrajumpingzebra
    Weve just switched to hipp organic first milk. Weve been using aptamil but its so expensive and lo is always so sick so i thought i'd try hipp first milk as it ??6.99 and is organic but have all the same ingredients as aptamil. My friend uses this and she combination feeds.



    Was going to change to follow on but lo gets 3 good meals a day and has alot of meat/veg etc and doesnt need fattening up.



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