Any parents out there who are using Aptamil 3? They just changed the packaging and, it seems, the contents from g ranules to powder. Anyone else found it hard to dissolve?
The instructions now say the water should be cooled to 40 degrees instead of the 60 degrees it used to be but this results in the powder forming lumps which block the holes in the teat.
Is it just me or has anyone else found the new Aptamil 3 worse than the old one?
Not tried it here, but we used Aptamil for our first child whilst in Germany. They also had different consistencies. The 3rd and 1st stage were granules and the 2nd was powder. Hated the granules as it was very hard to clean the bottles as they always had a slightly greasy texture. I agree that the powder, though less greasy is harder to mix. In the end I ignored the temp instructions and found it mixed better with slightly warmer water and then left it in the fridge for 5 mins to cool.
Funnily enough 2nd child went on milk much sooner... something to do with formula prices here!!!!
We were using aptamil 3 in the UK for our little girl. We switched her onto the swiss stuff a few weeks after arriving and were shocked at the difference. It's much thicker than in the UK (it wouldn't fit through the hole in the teat!) and is much more temperature sensitive. We've found that if it's mixed at anything above 'serving' temperature it gets lumpy and clogs the teat. In the UK you could make it up with very hot water and allow it to cool - no problem.
They changed the packaging in the UK too but no change in the powder itself.
The next one wil be bf for longer at this rate - it's really expensive!
Same here, we were using Aptamil 3 in Holland but after few weeks in Zurich, i had to switch to Milumil because they didn't always have them in our Coop/migros's stock and also now i'm using them for our baby #2 and no problem.
it is a bit cheaper in Germany, I think i have bought them around 7 pounds in Uk, and 10 euro in Holland and Germany!
We used aptamil 3 for our little one, and found the consistencies different depending on where we bought it (travelled around a lot with work). While it was a bit of a pain figuring out if we still had the right stuff, and getting a consistency that went through the nipple of the bottle, we found the little one didn't mind to much. She minded more when we tried to switch to something more convenient for us (easier to mix, but different brand...that was in Spain).
And, there was an earlier post about whether formula was cheaper in Germany...as of January this year (last time I was there), yes...by about 30 %. Other bits (diapers, wipes, pacifiers, etc.) cheaper still.
If you go to Schlecker or Drogerie Müller it costs €9 per box. As stated elsewhere apart from when pampers are 50% off here which happens about 3 times a year they are also much cheaper in Germany. In fact everything apart from petrol, coffee and pasta is cheaper there... That too apparently.
Nestle Beba and Aptamil are about half price, and there are a number of even cheaper milks that have no equivalent in CH.
Another question: When we were still living in Germany both my pediatrician and midwife advised against using a number 3 milk. They said that numer 2 milks can be given until you stop formula feeding, and something along the lines of "nobody needs a milk that fills you up more than a meal". The consensus then was that after the 1st birthday you can safely give the children cow's milk, anyway.
Thanks, Swisskat, I didn't know that. The little fella is getting two solid meals a day plus a bit of yoghurt, bread and whatnot so the milk really is just to give him liquids and "top him up". Maybe I'll go back to Aptamil 2 until he's 12 months old in October and can start on cow's milk.
Not directly relating to the topic, but does anybody know if i can buy "ready to use" liquid formula milk in Switzerland?? (the one that's available in the UK everywhere..) Just finished bf and still new to the formulas.. I have looked in our local Migros and Coop but no luck.. We're planning to go on holiday and would like to buy some for the journey. (we're on Aptamil 2 at the moment)
Nestle Junior has liquid milk formula and its freely available at Coop or Migros. It's quite convenient and if you want to get it slightly cheaper, Mueller is the best option.
my little one is turning one month tomorrow and I am running out of breast milk. We need to start formula very soon. Any recommendations on which would be a good first formula for newborns?
We started with Aptamil pre and continued till baby was 6 months, It is considered the most similar formula to breast milk. He is right now drinking Aptamil 3 but will start Cow milk in a week (1 years old right now)