The baby formula aisle at the supermarket can be an intimidating spot for a new parent. Unii’s Baby Feeding Expert, lactation consultant Wendy Lever, IBCLC, is here to guide you! She gives this advice on the new episode of Unii Babies with Dr. Saranya: “So the really important thing to know is if an ingredient in a formula has been proven through research to be of benefit to a baby. Legislation actually changes that every single brand of formula must now contain that ingredient, which kind of makes sense if we know that this ingredient is good for a baby. How could we in good conscience let it not be there in one of the formulas, which actually means that all formulas are much, much more similar to each other than the marketing would have you believe?”

So the priciest isn’t the best? “Buying the brand leader is basically paying for the marketing budget that convinced you to buy the brand leader. They're very similar products. I would personally stick with stage one the whole way through. Stage two formula is an invention, a marketing invention, essentially. There is a World Health Organization agreement not to market breastmilk substitutes to vulnerable parents, to not try and convince them away from breastfeeding.”

“It's seen as predatory. And the formula companies agreed to this and then came up with a brilliant loophole. They invented stage two formula, and stage two formula is aimed at 6 to 12 month old babies and can now be marketed as what they call a complementary food, i.e., like a solid. So if you ever pay attention to ads for formulas, you'll notice it's always got the number two on the ad.”

“Now, as a mum or a potential mum, you would never have noticed that in the advertising. So it's just a genius loophole. But actually, that product is much less strictly regulated. So if I were formula feeding, I would give stage one till they're 12 months, and from 12 months onwards, they actually don't need any formula.”

So, there you have it: There’s no need to pay more for the brand leader, and you should give Stage One only until your baby is a year old.

Watch Unii’s Baby Feeding Journey with Wendy Lever, IBCLC.

Catch a new episode of the Unii Babies podcast with Dr. Saranya every Friday.

Unii Babies is created and owned by London-based family wellbeing educational platform Unii.com, which offers hundreds of episodes of expert-led video courses and a library of medically reviewed articles devoted to improving both baby and child health and your parenting journey. We can also have your parenting questions expertly answered. Contact us with what you want to know, and you may see one of our experts discuss it on our podcast or Unii.com: Because Family Matters.

This podcast is for reference and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice and should not be relied upon as such. Specific medical advice about your specific circumstances should always be sought separately before taking or deciding not to take any action.

Unii’s Baby Feeding Expert: "THIS is how to choose the right baby formula."

Unii’s Baby Feeding Expert: "THIS is how to choose the right baby formula."