Hi! I'm Lisa, married to Ben and mother to Elinor, born May 2005. Enjoying being a new mum! I'm a...
Hi! I'm Lisa, married to Ben and mother to Elinor, born May 2005. Enjoying being a new mum! I'm a web/graphic designer and work from home. I enjoy shopping, movies, reading and spending time with my family.
Member since:14.02.2006
Reviews:13
Members who trust:4
After a week of disastrous breastfeeding I made the decision to gradually move over to formula. I had no idea which brands were good so I took the advice of a relative and went for SMA.
I started with SMA gold. I was still expressing for baby so she was having some breastfeeds and some formula feeds. I was so afraid she wouldn't like the formula, but thankfully she hardly seemed to notice. She loved the bottle and loved the milk. It also filled her up for longer which was great. After trying to breastfeed almost constantly, it was nice to have a bit of a break when
I knew she was full up and wouldn't be needing a feed for another couple of hours.
TYPES OF SMA FORMULA =====================
You can use SMA Gold from birth. It is a whey-based infant milk which is very close to breastmilk. It is suitable to use in addition to breastfeeds, which is what I did before moving completely to formula.
There are other types: SMA White - a casein (curd) based milk which is suitable for hungrier babies. SMA Progress - suitable from 6 months, has extra iron and nutrients to complement a varied weaning diet. SMA Staydown - helps babies with reflux keep their milk down. SMA Wysoy - for babies with lactose intolerance. SMA LF - clinically lactose free formula for babies with lactose intolerance, diarrhoea, or colic. SMA High Energy - for babies who need help with growth - has extra calories, proteins and nutrients.
PRICE AND AVAILABILITY =====================
The price for SMA Gold is about £6.19 and SMA Progress £5.70. The other types are slightly more expensive but may be available on prescription as well.
You can get SMA Gold and Progress from supermarkets, Boots, chemists, and even some petrol stations. I have never had trouble finding it.
SMA formula also comes in handy travel size pouches so you can make up feeds on the go. They are also available to ready-to-drink cartons.
MAKING UP THE FORMULA =======================
You fill the bottles with boiled water and wait about 40 minutes for the water to cool. You then add scoops of formula (the scoop spoon comes with the tin). You add one scoop for every ounce of water in the bottle - so 6 scoops for a 6oz bottle. This then makes up a feed which is about 6.7oz altogether, as when you add the formula it bumps up the amount in the bottle.
You test the temperature of the milk on your wrist and can then give straight to baby.
I make up feeds the night before and put them in the fridge. When baby needs a feed, I fill a bowl with boiling water and place the bottle in the bowl. It warms up in a few minutes and is ready for baby.
You can't keep feeds in the fridge longer than 24 hours. Once a feed has been warmed up, it is only good for an hour, which is usually plenty of time for baby to drink the bottle.
HELP ON THE TIN ===============
The actual tins of SMA gold have all the information and instructions you need to use it. They have a chart of how much your baby should be drinking, though it clearly says this is just a guide and you shouldn't worry if your baby has more or less.
There are clear instructions on how to make up the bottles and other necessary pieces of information.
The phone numbers for SMA are also on the tin.
A BRAND YOU CAN TRUST ======================
I called SMA once after finding a tiny black 'seed' in the formula tin (it looked like a seed). I was worried and called SMA. I got through to a person immediately and explained to her what I had found. They sent me a freepost envelope and told me to return the tin and the piece that I had found.
They kept in contact with me and after about a week I recieved a letter which stated that the piece was just a bit of formula that had been a bit overcooked. They said it was not dangerous at all and baby would not have suffered or even noticed. They were tremendously sorry and sent me two free tins of SMA. Since then, I have not found such a thing again and I go through about 2 tins every 3 weeks.
I was very impressed at the customer service. They were very polite and didn't treat me like a complaining customer but were very respectful.
OVERALL =========
I am very pleased with my decision to go with SMA Gold. My daughter has loved it and it can always comfort her. She has not suffered tummyaches or such and has not seemed to have suffered from lack of breastmilk. I highly recommend SMA.
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Good review! I can't believe you only go through two tins every three weeks!! Oliver is on hungry baby milk and goes through one tin every five days!!! Kat x
me_and_my_teddybear 23.02.2006 11:34
Excellent review. We seen to have both pick SMA for our babies and I have also done a review Great stuff Em xxx
Advantages: Convenience initially for parents Disadvantages: Not sterile, can cause gastroentiritis, ear infections, respiratory problems, obesity, lower IQ, no immunity to other diseases, lack of hormones and growth factors. Time off work with sick baby.
juliepulie 07.03.2007 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of SMA Milk
Feb 22nd, 2006
very helpful by (100%):
