My baby is due in a few weeks, and I am going to give b.feeding a go, but as a back up would like to buy some baby formula in case it goes wrong, just wondering if anyone knows what the main brands are here in Italy or can recommend the best ones, do you buy them at the local pharmacy or do they stock them in the supermarkets??

As someone who breastfed all three of her daughters (one for almost 3 years), and who is also now working on becoming a La Leche League leader, I implore you to give breastfeeding a shot. It's a very healthy start - nutritionally and emotionally - for your child. The important thing to know is that while breastfeeding is perfectly natural - it is a process and you need to learn how to do it properly. It's not supposed to hurt so please make sure you receive guidance from a certified lactation consultant, midwife or LLL leader in your area. Best of luck! Linda

Our son is on Nidina right now and seems to be doing great. I tried the breastfeeding as well but ended up switching to the formula - I still have no regrets.
Yes breastfeeding is the best if you can do it, but you should not feel pressured by it at all. It seems like now (here anyways) you dont have a choice anymore on weather to breastfeed or not... it is shoved down your throat and if you stop then people think that you are a horrible mother. Again, this is not from everybody and there might be a lot of people who will not criticize a new mom for choosing the formula, but the people that I ran into criticized me badly and non-stop.

Anyways good luck and let us know how everything goes!

Baby formula is available in pharmacies but also at supermarkets. Pharmacies tend to have a slightly different range, they have more types but don't have the cheaper (meant as less costly, not as junky) supermarket brands. Probably, you will be given samples at the hospital, probably the will also be the most costly brands. Try to brestfeed, as others pointed out it's the healthiest way to feed a baby if you have milk, but remeber that putting too much pressure on breastfeeding will stress out both you and your baby, thus decreasing the possibilities to breastfeed and availability of milk. So relax and if you just can't (do not produce enough milk) integrate with formula. Generations of people have grown up on formula, and we are still alie, kicking and if good shape.

Thanks for replies, will buy a tin of Nidina! I tried to b.feed my last baby with no success, I put him to the breast, I screamed with pain, the mw told me he was a biter and brought me a bottle of formula. It seems to be 50, 50 back in the UK, but I agree! I have found over here bottle feeding seems to be shunned upon, even though Im sure every mother has tried their best. I am from a family where bottle feeding is the only method that has been used.. by my cousins, siblings, inlaws, my mum, etc etc. their babies all did just fine.. they say b.feeding is the best start for a baby as it offers protection against viruses etc in the first foremost months of life and I am sure there must be a lot of benefits but I found with all the kids I know who have also been bottle fed, they suffered on average no more ailments or infections than those who were b.fed. Ideally I would like to give my baby the first few days b.feeding milk as this is the milk that is valuable and full of nutrients and protection. But in my family, b. feeding is the thing that is found strange, my parents alone seem to think that offering baby the breast is odd....and I am extremely uncomfortable bfeeding infront of anyone.... anyway I will see how it goes. I really do need to loose some weight after b is born as had quite a large tummy before I got pg. so will def. give it a go!!

I had a baby here in Italy almost 8 months ago (gosh - time flies!). Unfortunately, breast feeding didn't go as well as I hoped, and my Italian is not that good so I was unable to figure out what I or my baby was doing wrong. All the hospital people could say was "lazy boy." So, the hospital recommended he have formula, which he is still on. We use the Aptamil brand, which is also what the peditrician recommended. My son is thriving and happy and healthy - what more could a Mom ask for?

As the others said, give breast feeding a go, and if you can find support in your area, that's great. But, if it doesn't work out, you can feel confident that the formula here is good and that your baby will love you either way!

Best wishes!

I used formula feed with my son - the ones the hospital uses (at least here) are all the expensive brands. I used the Co-op own brand milk which they had just introduced at the time at 9 euros as opposed to the 30 euros I was paying for the pharmacy-bought formula It was fine.

If anyone has any breastfeeding questions or concerns, I am more than will ing to help. I am not a La Leche Leader as there are already 3 here in Siena and one is an American so the market per se was filled but I have helped many a mom who thought they couldn't, who had problems, whose children did not latch on properly etc. Have even done this by phone.

I totally understand that some have a hard time with it but it really is best for the child and for the mom (breast feeding lowers the chance of ovarian cancer in the mom!) it also helps the child bond with the mother.

I know the intentions are good but it does annoy me when people ask a simple question about formula that they always get the "breast is best" lecture. I couldn't manage it despite help - yet so many people made me feel guilty for this. The OP says she is going to try it but wants to know which formula to get if it doesn't work out - what's wrong with that? Almost every reply tells her that it's better to breast feed! I think it's a bit condescending.

hello,
i recommend aptamil too, mr first struggled to feed and had to go to hospital.The doctors recommended this as it is the closest taste to breast milk( and i am sure its italian too)
it is healthy that you are being prepared . and rightly so dont feel pressurised by what 'they' say!

It is obvious by now that the breast is best, but only to a certain point I think. For example if the mother comes to the point of not wanting to even see her child because she will start thinking about the pain, or when she is so nervous during the day just dreading when the next feeding will be, than it is not the best thing - if anything it destroys the bonding. This was my case.
Mattia was born as already the biggest baby in the hospital and ate like it too. Even during the montata, he would latch on for 3-4 hours at a time. I had several consultants look and say that he was latched correctly... he just would bite down and never let go no matter what I did. The biting was something that only a month or 2 into the bottle feeding I was able to correct. When he would latch on, I would start screaming and crying due to the pain and would continue crying until almost a half hour after he stopped eating.
Sorry, but I dont think that in cases like these the b-feeding is better at all. I could understand it if the formula were to give us sicknesses, and we would not grow up well - but I think that we all have proof that the formula is fine too.

One thing to remeber is that children are people, although much smaller and with way less experience, and each child has his or her own personality, to the point of having already developed individual food tastes, depending on what you have eaten during pregnacy. Also, each mother and child have their own unique relationship that is totally different from those of other mothers and children. A cretain brand of milk that was perfectly suitable to one child may just not suit yours, the baby may not like its taste and prefer another grand with a slightly different taste, for instance.
Or you may just not need to use formula at all: you may start producing the right amount of milk right away and the child may just latch from the very first moment. The one thing that I suggest is to stick with what works best. If you end up having milk, there is no sense is to breastfeed for just a few days. Those days are, byt the way, the harder ones for breastfeeding, both you and the baby will have to learn how to do it. if after the first few days, breastfeeding goes weel, keep breastfeeding for a few months, until the baby starts getting weaned. This time may also change in relation to how your baby is and how you related to your baby! But breastfeeding is not just precious for the first few days: during the eraly months you will keep giving more than just food to your baby, you will give him or her a peculiar bond as well as lots of health-protecting substance.
Which does not mean that if you end up optiong for the "bibe" the relationship between you and your child will go sour or the child will grow up weak and ill: let's say that breastfeeding provides a little extra that, while not essential for the wealth of both you and your child, is still handy at times.
Also, since at the hospital you will probably be given samples and anyway formula is really easy to buy in supermarkets and pharmacies (in every area there is at least one pharmacy that is open 24-7 or several that take turns to cover that timespan, so you can buy formula even on a Sunday at 4 am if you run out!), ther is no need to stock up now, especially since tha brand you buy may just not be the one that your baby will like best.

Finally, the same rules apply to about anything: even more than follow the rules written down by a certain group of people or gurus, you may see what works best with your child and you. Listen to all of the advices you hear, but be ready to forge your own unique relationship with baby.

By the way, breastfeeding is not necessarly something that you must do in public. If you are uneasy with brastfeeding in public, just don't. brastfeeding does not necessarly mean feeding on request (you can breastfeed at fixed hours or bottle feed on request as well!), and even if you end up breastfeeding on request, or if the moment to breastfeed according a fixed schedule comes out when you are out, just go into a bar and ask to use the toilet, or bring a scarf with you to cover yourself and your child while you breastfeed.

Diana, I completely agree that there are reasons where the breast is not best. Everyone needs to be abe to do what they feel is best for their family. I am sorry if what I said was taken as if I was pushing breastfeeding only.

np I think that it is ok to push the bfeeding, which is what you were doing. I just dont agree with some other people who push it too much and criticize people who cant do it.

You are right.

I meant to say something earlier though and spaced (couldn't sleep last night so was up at 4 and my brain still hasn't started functioning!).

In the US, formula companies send free samples to pregnant women with the premise that at least if you need it you will have it. This is great in a sense but at the same time, for a mom who isn't having difficulties or is having some but they could be worked through, having that formula sitting on the shelf is tempting. I always just try to help moms get to the 6 week point as this is what is the most important. I had a heck of a time with my second child, she did not want my milk and she never slept. I went 6 months, basically forcing her to take my milk, because I felt I had too (this of course added to the stress, added to her not wanting my milk and her not sleeping). I ended up pumping and she did take the bottle that way so I guess it was just being held too close with very large boobies that bothered her. I pumped for another 6 months.

So, my only advice is that, if baby latches on in the hospital and you want to breast feed, don't buy the formula unless you have to. IF baby doesn't latch on and you want to breast feed, contact a La Leche Leader (you can find them in the English Yellow Pages), if baby latches on but you decide that breastfeeding isn't for you, get the formula or try pumping.

Joanne - I forgot to tell you that you'll want to use the ogligominerale bottled water to make the formula. Just look on the labels - about 1/2 of them are ogligominerale.

I forgot about the water bit too AJ- the waters that are ok for the baby also have a little picture or something and they say that they are good to be mixed with the formula for babies. There are I think 2 or 3 brands out there right now.

Hello everyone! My name is Arturo and I am new to the group. This is my first message.

Our babies are now both past their "baby formula days", but I vividly recall all the problems we had when traveling with them between the US and Europe, as every country seems to have its own favourite brands of baby milk and, sadly, its own marketing issues.

Back in those days Mellin was the only brand in Italy that was sold in supermarkets, while you had to get to the nearest pharmacy to get any of the other brands, at significantly higher prices.

Indeed baby formula in Italy is so overpriced that more and more young parents organize themselves to order their formula in bulk from Germany or France. There is even a website of a German company who has an English section to handle orders from abroad. Hope that this info will be useful to you.

Best regards to all,
Arturo.

Another brand I have noticed recently is Hipp organic. I used this with my daughter and found it very good. It was in Esselunga.

If you have to use formula, then Enfamil is the best brand, as it contains DHA, an omega 3 necessary for brain development. Other formula brands do not contain it. You can't get it in the supermarket. You will have to ask for it at the pharmacy.

The whole idea that "breast is best" but formula is "okay" is language that formula manufacturers have encouraged us to believe. The truth is that breastmilk is "normal" and what nature intended. Formula is deficient. Unfortunately, our families, our health system and our culture don't exactly make it easy for us mothers to breastfeed.

quote:

Originally posted by Caroline in Rome:
If you have to use formula, then Enfamil is the best brand, as it contains DHA, an omega 3 necessary for brain development.

I had no idea that was available here, or I would have suggested it too. I used Enfamil with Lipil for my second child and never had a problem. I tried to breastfeed her, but she was a pirana who attacked my nipples, the second she was born! Trying to breastfeed a baby when you're in so much pain is horrible. I was very upset, as I breastfed my first child until she was 9 months old and just expected things to go the same way. But, it didn't, so she got formula. I can say one thing for sure. She slept through the night waaaaaaay faster than my first child. For that alone, formula is great!
Breast feeding is very beneficial for both mother and child, but it is so restricting (you can't be away from baby too long, or your boobs will leak )and time consuming.

But yeah, I've managed to fall off track and compare breast V. formula, sorry. I agree with the Enfamil formula.