Smart Sprogs

Tag: Nutrition

  • Save up to £300 per year on baby formula

    Raising children is an expensive business. The most recent ‘Cost of a Child’ report published in 2018 estimated it at an astounding £75,000 from birth to 18 and that’s not including childcare!

    Parents of babies and toddlers are a prime target for designers, manufacturers and retailers. The instinct to provide a much-loved child with the best of everything they could ever need and want is, frankly, mercilessly exploited. 

    The manufacturers of baby formula milk tap into our wish to give their child the highest quality nutrition. Their marketing suggests that their milk is ‘as close to breastmilk’ as it is possible to get and ‘offers the best start in life’. 

    This leads parents to buy expensive formula over what they perceive to be ‘inferior’ budget brands.  I am one of those parents. I try to give the very best to my baby and tend to not buy the cheaper brands.

    But I’m wondering if it’s worth it when it comes to baby formula.

    How much should you spend on baby formula

    There are several brands of baby formula, some fancy some more generic. Your formula budget will depend on the brand you choose.

    Let’s crunch the numbers. We’ve compared a premium brand with a budget brand.

    The prices are from September 2019

    The ‘Premium Brand’

    • Aptamil 1 First baby milk from birth £10.99 for 800g
    • Aptamil Hungry baby milk from birth £10.99 for 800g
    • Aptamil Follow On milk from 6 months £10.99 for 800g
    • Aptamil Growing Up milk from 1-2 years £9.99 for 800g

    The ‘Budget Brand’

    • Sainsbury’s Little Ones First Infant Milk Stage 1 from birth £7.00 for 900g
    • Sainsbury’s Little Ones Follow On milk from 6 months £7.00 for 900g 

    The sums

    The prices look very close to each other, only £4 difference by tub. But if you look at the capacity of the Aptamil tub and the Sainsbury’s tub, you realise that they are not the same size. You get smaller tubs with aptamil.

    For the comparison to be fair we need the price of each brand for the same quantity of formula. So let’s work out the price per kilogram. The Aptamil is £13.7/kg while the Sainsbury’s one is £7.8/kg.

    The Aptamil milk is almost twice as expensive as the Sainsbury formula

    Let’s calculate a budget per year. You’ll need approximately 8kg of formula per month.

    It brings us to a total budget of £656 for a year buying the Aptamil formula compared to £374 if you buy the Sainsbury’s one. That a staggering difference of £282 per year. 

    Is that £282 extra justified? Is the premium formula better?

    What is the best baby formula?

    We often say “you get what you pay for”. Is it the case for the baby formula? Do you get better quality or more nutriments with more expensive baby milk?

    I’m not the only one wondering. Earlier this year, Channel 4 ‘Dispatches’ programme studied the claims made by the makers of baby formula and their investigation was very revealing.

    They asked Shel Banks, an advisor to the NHS on the feeding of infants, to explain which baby formula was ‘best’. She responded with the following statement: 

    “There are very clear European Standard Guidelines on the maximum and minimum level of everything – the proteins, the fats, the carbohydrates – there’s nothing to choose between them in terms of nutrition at all.” 

    So long story short they are all the same.

    The law is very strict in terms of baby formula composition. All the ingredients of proven benefit are the same across all the baby formula in the UK. Any additional ingredients advertised on the packaging have not been proven beneficial. If they were beneficial, the EFSA (The European Food Safety Authority) would amend the law to include it in the mandatory ingredients for baby formula.

    So the question is why are some formulas more expensive than others?

    Is it worth buying expensive formula?

    Most of the lists reviews milk based on the packaging, the ease of opening and how you removed the powder from the tin or tub. Few mentioned the ingredients other than to say they were ‘nutritionally complete’ and it would be illegal to sell a milk that wasn’t so this is not a valid part of the review.

    It seems that ‘big brands’ such as SMA and Aptamil are charging more than supermarket labels like Sainsbury’s ‘Little Ones’ simply because of their bigger marketing and branding budgets. 

    The expensive brands will try and justify the extra cost of their milk by talking about ‘added ingredients’. Aptamil, for example, has packaging which claims it contains “A breastmilk substitute with our unique blend of ingredients’. In fact, the ingredients will be the same as all other milks. The only difference will be slight alterations in proportion. 

    The British Specialist Nutrition Association are the representatives for the formula milk industry. They told the Dispatches investigation that the makers of baby milk can add: “varying levels of ingredients”, “beyond the legal minimum requirements”. 

    This is a weak argument for charging up to £4 more for a smaller size of tub. In reality should Aptamil contain an extra ingredient, such as Omega 3, which is proven to be beneficial to babies then the law states it must be added to all the other formula milks on the market too. 

    This extra ingredients have not been proven beneficial and therefore probably useless. Purchasing these formula with extra ingredient is a waste of money.

    Baby formula marketing forbidden in the UK

    Advertising “first infant formula” is not authorised in the UK. You’ll never see an advertisement for formulas that substitute breast milk. Breast Milk Action explain the law in details.

    To try to circumvent the law, formula companies advertise their follow-on milk for babies 6 months and older trying to hook you with their fallacious arguments their formula is better. Implying their formula will make your baby a ballerina or a maths genius, I’m sure you know exactly which advertisement I’m referring to.

    Their strategy relies on brand recognition. If you know that brand and you think their follow-on milk is the best for your baby, then you’ll think their first infant milk is also the best. It’s their way to persuade you to buy their first infant formula they can’t advertise.

    The social, safety and economic impact of expensive formula

    The cost of formula milk and the suggestion that ‘expensive is best’ can have a huge impact on families. These groups are particularly vulnerable. 

    • Low income families.
    • Single parents. 
    • Parents of twins or triplets. 
    • Parents of both babies and toddlers. 
    • Parents of babies with allergies or digestive issues. 

    At the UNICEF Baby Friendly Conference in 2018 an All- Party Parliamentary Group on Infant Feeding and Inequality discussed concerns over the cost and marketing of baby formula.

    • Poverty caused by the cost of formula milk. 
    • Parents not feeding themselves so they can afford to feed their babies and toddlers. 
    • Unsafe practises such as the watering down of formula to make it last longer, adding cereal to feeds or skipping feeds. 
    • The unfair and misleading marketing campaigns of certain formula brands. 

    The following commitments were made:

    • The UK should ban the advertising of breastmilk substitutes to the public. 
    • Public Heath communications are required to make plain to parents that there are no significant nutritional differences between each brand of formula. 
    • Research into the unsafe formula feeding practises needs to occur urgently to provide a solution. 
    • The impact of the cost of formula milk to a family should be considered at all stages of the health and social care, welfare, immigration and benefits system. 

    Save your money, buy the cheap formula

    To sum up, when choosing a brand of formula milk for your baby or toddler pay little attention to the brand and marketing nonsense that they throw at you via advertising and packaging and instead consider:

    • The age of your baby. 
    • Your baby’s nutritional needs such as difficulty with digestion and allergies. 
    • The price. 
    • Minimal packaging. 

  • Ultimate guide to expressing your milk like a pro

    A premature baby or they are not able to suck, you want to go back to work or simply need to take a break … a breast pump can be a valuable ally for any mother who wants to continue breastfeeding their baby.

    Follow these tips to achieve and maintain optimal milk production.

    Table of Contents

    When can you start expressing your milk?

    From day one. I’m not going to lie the first three / four days after birth are complicated, the extraction of colostrum with a breast pump is not done well. It is necessary to wait for the rise of milk.

    The breast pump can then be useful for babies born before term or low weights that do not always have the energy to suck. With a breast pump, you’ll be able to stimulate lactation so that your baby makes less effort to suck the milk out, and reduce the duration of their breastfeeding sessions, at least the first two weeks.

    Which breast pump to choose?

    Electric pumps, manual pumps, double pumps…There are many models of breast pumps, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. 

    Electric breast pumps are the most used as they are the most efficient in terms of lactation. The latest generation of breast pumps even offer a double or simple pumping, they are at once small, silent and painless.

    As for manual breast pumps, they can be a little tedious, because you have to pump the milk by hand, but they have the merit of being quiet, light and compact.

    In any case, the most important thing is to find the pump that best suits your needs, your living environment, your milk production, the needs of your infant and your budget. Our guide on the best breast pumps should allow you to choose the one that suits you best.

    Could my baby end up preferring the bottle to my boob?

    It can be a thought that scares you if you intend to keep breastfeeding directly from the source.

    Long story short, it’s highly unlikely. 

    On the contrary when your baby grows they might start refusing the bottle. They won’t want to take the bottle and not the boob, while he is in contact with your breasts still full of milk.

    If it’s the case and you want to give him a bottle, it is then preferable that the bottle is given by someone else than yourself, even more efficient if it’s a third person external to your household.

    Our advice to get to an optimal milk production?

    Drawing milk frequently sends a strong signal to the body so that it produces more milk … The more often you empty your breasts, the more milk they will produce.

    From birth to the fourth day

    If you can, draw milk within 6 hours after delivery. Use a hospital breast pump at the beginning to produce a lot of milk. You’ll produce a little colostrum at the beginning

    As soon as possible, pull 8 to 10 times every day. This is the number of times your baby would be breastfeeding each day. In any case, the more you shoot each day, the more milk you will produce. The opposite is also true, the less you shoot and the less milk you produce.

    If you can, use a double pump. It will save you time and boost production faster.

    Pull your milk for at least 10 to 20 minutes then finish by massaging your breasts by hand. Use the cushion to harvest the milk that will come out thanks to the manual massage.

    To increase milk production, try to draw your milk at least twice between 1am and 6am. In the early hours of the morning, the level of hormones that produce milk increases!

    From day 4 to maximum production

    At the end of the 4th day, you should almost reach an optimal level by making the following changes:

    Draw your milk longer, try keep pumping 2 minutes after the last drop of milk or until your breasts feel completely empty.

    Focus on the total number of pumping each day (8 to 10 times every 24 hours) rather than the time between each draw (every 2 to 3 hours). However you should not let more than 5 hours go by without drawing your milk for the first two weeks of your baby’s life.

    Maintain an optimal level

    When you reach the 750 ml to 1L daily level, you’ve reached your goal! Most mums can now draw less times while maintaining this volume of production. 

    My advice for this phase:

    1. Keep a rhythm that gives 750 ml to 1L of milk per day
    2. To maintain your maximum production level, you must try to sleep more. The majority of mothers draw milk before going to bed and then in the morning when they wake up … Try to do the same and analyze if it does not cause clogging or if it does not diminish your milk production
    3. Draw your milk for a shorter time. Generally, 10 to 15 minutes are enough.
    4. Once a week, total the milk you have shot in the last 24 hours. Write it down and compare weekly to see if your level is holding up or not.

    How to avoid being out of stock?

    Nothing will ever replace your baby sucking, it’s always more effective than a breast pump. To fill a bottle of 200 ml, it is necessary to pump at least two or three times.

    So it becomes a question of organization. If you’re going to rely more heavily on bootle feeding, you should start to freeze your milk. Just freeze it in small amounts (60/70 ml), making sure to record the date, the milk can be kept for four months in the freezer and 48 hours in the refrigerator.

    If you do it regularly, you’re sure to always have some milk available for the days you can’t breastfeed. 

    Increase milk supply

    If you need to increase milk production, the faster you work, the sooner you will have results. Here are some things to try:

    1. Pull your milk more often, 8 to 12 times every 24 hours
    2. Pull your milk longer, wait a few minutes after the last drop of milk has flowed
    3. Make sure the cushion for your nipple still fits, the size may change over time
    4. Massage your breasts before and during pumping
    5. Finish drawing your milk by hand

    Stop expressing milk

    When you have decided to quit drawing milk, it is important to remember to go step by step. Follow these tips for a safe stop:

    1. Skip an expressing session and leave 2 to 3 days for your body to adapt and skip an extra session. In the end, you should only keep the first and last pumping of the day before stopping completely.
    2. Keep the same number of prints, but draw less milk. For example, if each draw gave you 120 mL of milk, stop now at 90 mL. Allow two or three days for your body to adjust and then lower again. After a while, you will not feel the need to draw your milk.

    Remember that in the “weaning” phase, if your breasts are too full, just pull what you need to make you feel good again. Leaving your breasts too full can expose you to pain and infection.

    I can not get my milk, who can help me?

    Don’t get too hard on yourself. There’s got to be a solution.

    Try to pump your other breast while breastfeeding. If you need to express your milk without breastfeeding, try looking at baby pictures while doing it.

    If none of it works, ask your GP for advice. You can also find a lactation consultant here.

    Finally there are also some women that sell their milk online. It’s kind of a last resort solution but it could solve your problem.

    If you need to talk we’re here. Message us, comment here and we’ll try to help you and share our experience as best as we can.

  • The best breast pumps that won’t drive you crazy

    Manual pumps

    Electric pumps

    Pregnancy, birth and the early post-natal phase are pretty much all about feeling uncomfortable, sore and full of aches. Of course, your precious bundle makes it all worth it but wouldn’t it be nice just to feel a little less niggled by multiple parts of your own body. That’s why you need a breast pump that doesn’t drive you insane.

    Every breastfeeding mother has her own lifestyle and a unique attitude towards breastfeeding. Choosing the best breast pump for you will depend on how you want to breastfeed your baby and how often you plan to feed it with a bottle.

    Do I really need a breast pump?

    • Are you planning on going back to work?
    • Do you need to relieve breasts that are heavy and sore from too much milk?
    • Do you want your partner, children or parents to help feed your newborn?
    • Is there a need to boost your milk supply or store some milk?
    • Is your baby enable to not suck or eat directly from your breast?
    • Do you want to give breast milk to your child, but you do not want to breastfeed?
    • Are you the parent of twins?

    If you answered yes to at least one of these question then you should consider a breast pump. You can’t be expected to breastfeed permanently and be with your baby 24 hours a day. If you want to continue giving your baby breast milk, a breast pump is a very effective way to maintain good milk production.

    Having the right kit, such as a breast pump, oodles of breast pads, gallons of nipple cream and a nifty drop-cup bra to hand will make the first weeks much easier.

    What is the best breast pump?

    You could read breast pump reviews all day, every day and still feel confused about the right choice for you. It’s such a personal product as all bodies, boobs, women and babies are different.

    I’ve selected the best breast pumps and tried to gather as much info as possible to help you choose the one that will fit you the best.

    Manual breast pumps

    The Pros

    • Cheaper. A good choice if you know it’s only for occasional use.
    • Light, compact and quiet. Ideal if you’re out and about a lot with another child or going back to work. The Haakaa breast pump is one piece, super lightweight and will fit in a handbag.
    • Easier to use than electric on full breasts.

    The Cons

    • Pumping can tire hands and wrists so choose one with an ergonomic handle like the Mam manual breast pump.
    • You need hands to pump and hands to stop a toddler licking the cat.
    • Slower to produce milk.
    • May take time to learn the best rhythm to pump. A pump with ‘two phases’ one for initial pumping, the other for established milk flow.

    Electric Breast Pumps

    The Pros

    • Less effort. The cup is placed on the breast by you and then the machine takes over. No hand tiring pumping or fiddling with the suction controls.
    • Faster more productive expression. Electric breast pump reviews will consistently tell you how much quicker they are. Parents with more than one child will find this invaluable. Yay! Extra Peppa Pig time with the three-year-old.
    • More settings and adjustability to suit all boobs, any soreness and different levels of milk supply.
    • Choice. Spend more and enjoy extra clever features.

    The Cons

    • Significantly more expensive, even for the basic models.
    • Noisier and less discreet. May disturb a baby feeding on the other breast.
    • Cleaning and sterilising are more of a faff with extra bits and pieces to drop or lose.
    • Usually bigger and heavier than manual pumps.

    What about a double electric breast pump?

    Many designs of electric breast pumps will offer a double pump version. The benefits of expressing from both boobs at the same time far outweigh the slight indignity and your new found sympathy with dairy cows.

    • More effective, faster milk production.
    • The milk produced has higher energy content when a double pump is used.
    • Thorough drainage of the breast which leads to an increase in supply and higher quality milk.

    Tips to draw your milk

    Breast feeding is an emotive subject for many new parents. If you’re planning on trying to breast feed your new baby you’ll need support, patience and time.

    If you are breastfeeding mainly:

    Draw your milk in the morning. This is the time of day when you have the most milk.

    Draw your milk between each breastfeed, either 30 to 60 minutes after or at least one hour before. This will leave enough milk for the baby to feed.

    If you’re exclusively using a breast pump to feed your baby:

    Try to draw your milk 8 to 10 times a day, every 3 hours or so. Normal production of breast milk is 750ml to 1L every 24 hours.

    Once you have reached maximum milk production, try to maintain a pace that allows you to reach that 1L every day.

    Every mum and every baby is different. So you have to what’s best for both of you. If you want more tips we’ve written the ultimate guide to expressing your milk with all our tips and advice to do it like a pro.

    Feeding your baby is a mother’s most natural and strongest instinct. It’s about choosing what makes YOU and YOUR baby happy and healthy. Breast, bottle, mixed feeding, electric breast pump, manual breast pump or hand expression are all perfectly wonderful ways to nourish your child.