I planned to breastfeed exclusively. I’d read everything, attended the antenatal classes, and felt prepared. What I hadn’t prepared for was that my milk supply in the first two weeks would be insufficient for my daughter’s needs — she was feeding constantly, not settling between feeds, losing weight rather than gaining it, and both of us were exhausted in a way that went beyond the normal exhaustion of a newborn. My midwife suggested combination feeding: continuing to breastfeed while supplementing with formula.
That conversation was one of the most important of those early weeks. Aptamil Advanced 1 was the formula we chose, and it made an immediate and significant difference to my daughter’s feeding, her digestion, and her sleep — and consequently to mine.
The Decision to Combination Feed
The decision to supplement with formula was not one I made easily. I felt guilty about it in the way that many new mothers do — the pressure to breastfeed exclusively is significant, and the suggestion that you might not be able to feels like a personal failure rather than a physiological reality. My midwife was clear and practical: my daughter needed more milk than I was producing, and the priority was her nutrition and growth. The method of delivery was secondary.
Once I’d made the decision, the question was which formula to use. I wanted something that was as close to breast milk as possible in nutritional composition, that would be gentle on my daughter’s digestion, and that came from a brand with a strong research and development background in infant nutrition.
Why I Chose Aptamil Advanced 1
The Aptamil Advanced 1 First Infant Milk is Aptamil’s premium first infant formula, designed for newborns from birth. Aptamil is one of the most research-backed infant formula brands available — the company has been developing infant nutrition for decades and the Advanced range represents their most sophisticated formulation, with a nutrient profile designed to support infant development across multiple dimensions.
The Advanced formulation includes a blend of nutrients that supports brain development, immune function, and digestive health — the three areas I was most focused on as a new parent. The 800g tin is the practical size for regular use: large enough to last a meaningful period without constant reordering, but not so large that it becomes unwieldy to handle with one hand while holding a baby with the other.
The First Week of Combination Feeding
The change was noticeable within the first two days. My daughter was getting enough milk — the combination of breastfeeding and formula top-ups meant she was satisfied after feeds rather than immediately hungry again. She started settling between feeds. She started sleeping in longer stretches. By the end of the first week she had regained her birth weight, which had been the immediate clinical concern.
Her digestion also settled quickly. I’d been worried about introducing formula causing digestive discomfort — wind, constipation, or unsettled behaviour — but none of those things happened. She took to the formula without any apparent difficulty, which I attribute partly to the formulation and partly to the fact that we introduced it gradually alongside breastfeeding rather than switching abruptly.
The Sleep
I want to be careful here about what I attribute to the formula and what I attribute to other factors. Babies sleep more when they’re adequately fed, and my daughter was not adequately fed in the first two weeks. When she started getting enough milk — through the combination of breastfeeding and Aptamil Advanced 1 — she started sleeping better. Whether that was the formula specifically or simply adequate nutrition generally, I can’t say with certainty. What I can say is that the change in her sleep coincided exactly with the introduction of combination feeding, and the difference was significant.
I was sleeping in four-hour stretches by the end of the second week of combination feeding. That might not sound like much, but after two weeks of feeding every hour and a half, four hours felt like a full night’s sleep. I was a different person. I could think clearly, make decisions, and be present for my daughter in a way that I hadn’t been able to manage when I was running on no sleep.
Six Months On
My daughter is now six months old. She’s been combination fed since week two and is thriving — on the right centile for her weight and height, meeting her developmental milestones, and a generally happy and settled baby. My breastfeeding supply improved over the following weeks as my body adjusted, and I’ve been able to gradually reduce the formula top-ups as my supply increased. We’re now predominantly breastfeeding with occasional formula top-ups when needed.
The guilt I felt in those early days about not being able to breastfeed exclusively has been replaced by something much more useful: the knowledge that combination feeding was the right decision for my daughter and for me, and that the formula I chose supported her nutrition effectively through a critical period of her development.
Where to Find It
The Aptamil Advanced 1 First Infant Milk 800g is available in the Baby Formula and Baby & Toddler Food collections, within the broader Nursing & Feeding and Baby & Toddler ranges.
If you’re in the position I was in — breastfeeding isn’t working as you’d planned, your baby isn’t getting enough, and you’re exhausted and guilty and not sure what to do — I’d encourage you to talk to your midwife or health visitor about combination feeding before you reach the point of crisis. The priority is your baby’s nutrition and your own wellbeing. Both of those things matter. Aptamil Advanced 1 supported both of them for us, and I’m grateful for it.
— Claire Ashworth, first-time mother, six-month combination feeding veteran, and now the person who tells every new parent she meets that fed is best, however that feeding happens
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