(Disclaimer: This article does not endorse any milk brand.)
Even before my little girl was born, I already knew what infant formula to give her. (Of course, I also knew I would breastfeed her but being a working and traveling mother who was due to go back to work three months after delivery, I had to have an alternative from breastfeeding. I breastfed for 4 months. I wanted to do it longer but my milk just dried up because I was traveling too much even pumping my breasts was not enough to stimulate them to produce more milk.)
My husband was extremely allergic to cow’s milk as a baby. His mother almost lost him to diarrhea when he was a newborn because she could not breastfeed him and he could not take any infant formula, not even soy-based milk. Until they finally found fresh goat’s milk from a local farm. When his stool finally became solid after being given fresh goat’s milk, his mother professed she almost ate his poo in extreme happiness!
And so I took no chances in my little Simone. I knew even before she was born that I would give her soy-based infant formula or at least hypo-allergenic milk especially because I, too, suffered from milk intolerance when I was a kid.
As with any other hospital and doctor, Thomson Medical Center — the hospital in Singapore where I delivered — and the pediatrician recommended by my OB-GYNE who checked on Simone when she was born promoted breastfeeding. But my baby’s paediatrician knows, too, that I would need ‘support’. When we were discussing infant formulas, I told him about my husband’s ‘milk history’ and he immediately agreed with me to put my Simone in hypo-allergenic milk until she turns one-year old so we don’t have to go through “poo nightmares”.
The nurses in Thomson gave us 10 free single-serve, pre-mixed sterilised NAN HA bottles when we went home. One very nice local nurse told my husband, my mother, and I that those bottles will help us during the most difficult nights. Indeed, they did! They were our saviour during those nights when none of us could wake up long enough to make a bottle of milk for our baby due to tiredness and lack of sleep or during those times when she would wail and could not wait for us to make her a bottle of milk! Of course, the 10 bottles supported by breastfeeding did not last long, we eventually had to make her milk on our own. Too bad, those pre-mixed bottles are not available commercially (because they were too convenient, they promoted formula feeding too well).
Simone adapted to NAN HA instantly. She did not have any loose bowel movement nor constipation so we just continued giving it to her. The only issue we had with NAN HA was that her poo was really smelly and dark. The paediatrician told me it was normal. Although already convinced with the pedia’s explanation, I still searched for some answers over the internet reading Mums’ forums. True enough, they, too, attested to the dark and smelly poo caused by NAN HA. The milk brand is also more expensive (at S$39-S$42 per 900 g) than other non-HA brands but what is a few dollars per can compared to the hundreds of dollars I could have spent on doctor and hospital bills if she proved to be allergic to regular cow’s milk?!
When she turned six months, I just moved her to the next stage of NAN HA which is NAN HA 2. The dark and smelly poo remained the same. The only advantage was it was a few dollars cheaper (@ S$36-S$38 per 900 g) compared to Stage 1. Well, of course, as with all other milk brands, Stage 2 is always cheaper than Stage 1 and the price of milk per can becomes cheaper as the child grows older.
When she was about to turn 1 yo, I considered taking her out of hypoallergenic milk. Her tummy, after all, was a lot stronger and I was braver to experiment on other milks. The reason for taking her out of HA milk is simple, I believe in the fact that the best way to cure allergies is to help the body get immuned to the factor contributing allergic reactions e.g. eating shrimps when you’re allergic to shrimps (but, beware, I am not referring to extreme cases here!). That way, introducing it in small quantities to your body regularly would eventually lead to your body getting used to it. That’s how I got over my milk intolerance. I consumed more dairy products before I eventually forced myself to drink milk regularly. I had to bear the frequent trips to the toilet at first but it brought me reward later on. Now, I can drink any type of milk!
I thought with my line of job (I am into market research and one of the product categories I regularly work on is infant formula and growing up milk), it would be a tough one choosing the right growing-up milk (GUM) for my one-year-old. I’ve heard so many testimonials from REAL mothers I have interviewed for work. They all have valid reasons in choosing their milk brand for their toddlers. Some tried but caused constipation or diarrhea in their kids. Some Mums were looking for brain benefits so their kid will be smart. Some changed brands because their previous brand had a contamination problem. Some chose their brand because of its price. And some chose their brand because it is the one they see most often in TV adverts.
But I only had one criterion in choosing — NO NEGATIVES! That’s it! All I needed to know was that the growing-up milk brand I would give my Simone don’t have major negative feedbacks from the hundreds of Mums I’ve talked to across Asia.
And so, I gave her GAIN IQ for 1-3 yo. The only ‘negative’ I heard about Gain was that it is sweet and true enough, my kiddo developed yellow spots on her teeth because of, according to her dentist, presence of sugar in her milk. She also had constipation for a week while she was adjusting to her new milk. It was a pain seeing her face turn red whenever she had difficulty passing motion but my doctor-friend told me to put more water than the prescribed amount of water per scoop of milk for one week. Eventually, her system accepted the new milk and the rest was a breeze.
Please don’t ask me what nutrient Gain contains because I wouldn’t know. I didn’t, and up to now, still don’t check the label. Then only thing I check is the expiry date on can. I believe that all milks are created equal and that the nutrients they emphasise are just but a mere marketing technique.
Price was not an issue. Although there were lots of other milk brands that cost a lot less than Gain, I am willing to pay more for my daughter’s milk. I save on other stuff but not on my kiddo’s milk.
I also considered the fact that Gain was easily available everywhere I went; in lots of stores both in Singapore and in the Philippines where we shuttle back and forth. I had huge problems with NAN HA before when we went to Manila for a vacation. My Dad had to go to every Mercury Drug store he could find just to look for NAN HA. It turned out the stocks were running out because Nestle was about to change its packaging and they were just finishing off the last few inventories of the old packaging. Good thing, Gain, which also changed its packaging was continuously available everywhere.
At 16 months, Simone is consuming fresh milk (she prefers cold milk) and chocolate UHT milk (her favourite “Kaki!” for Nestle Chuckie) along with her Gain. Of course, she eats more solid food. I’ve “down-sized” from buying the 1.8 kg which used to last for 1 week to buying 900g now that I’ve noticed she consumes her Gain less often. Once, her big can of milk was not yet finished even after three weeks(!) which eventually staled the milk. I had to throw the remaining milk powder which was a waste. Now, the 900g lasts for 5 days.
Will I change milk when Simone reaches 3 yo (the manufacturers’ next defined stage of milk)? Yes. Most likely, I will switch to giving her fresh milk even before she reaches 3 yo.
So, for other Mums out there who are considering on the milk brand to give your baby, all I can advise is: research, ask questions from your health practitioners and fellow ‘more experienced’ Mums, and, of course, follow your heart which I did. After all, you know BEST what to give your child.
