Moving to france with a two month old, worried about formula options HELP?

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cecile

I'm french and was living in Qatar. I gave Nestle to my daughter cos I thought I could find it everywhere. When I went on holiday in France, I found a lots of Nestle formulas but not the exact one I gave her. Beforehand, I did write to Nestle on the website to know which formula corresponded to mine, but never got an answer.
I just picked one that looked similar and never had a problem.
And baby food is safe and good in France. Baby toys are safe and of good quality as well.

Millie

Same brands don't necessarily have the exact same ingredients or recipes from one country to another (for instance Kellog's Special K cereals are and taste completely different on either side of the Atlantic although they bear the same name and packaging).

If it can reassure you, I can guarantee that the French formulas will be healthier (a lot of crap put in the food that is legal in the US is not legal there) and there is a much wider variety of everything there in the stores, so you will have the choice. But in terms of flavor, unfortunately it is hard to know if it will be the same and you will have to try a few and see if your baby likes it.

As a little side joke, I know French mothers who moved to the States and were appalled at the flavor of Gerber baby food and say it deserves its name for "gerber" means "to puke" un French!

lyloo142

Hey there :o)
I do not really agree with what Eclipse pearl said "
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but French formulas are MUCH WORSE than those sold in the U.S. The regulations are much less strict in France and all baby products are full of fillers and sugared up to the hilt"

No, the regulations are not less strict here, especially concerning baby food, now babies can potentially be allergic to everything...and changing milk formula when you have one wich fits your little one, is never so good.
My best advice would be to e-mail NestlÃ© in US and ask them what's the corresponding milk formula name in france .

And by the way, yes HIPP is a very good brand (biological) but it's not necessary to go in germany to find it, you can find it in france too.
And as for the sugar in milk...baby formulas do usually not contain "chemical" sugar, but only lactose (wich is the milk's sugar) and unless the child is allergic to it (very rare allergy) there's no problem.

wife2denizmoi

Check the Nestle web site for suppliers in France. Also to see if that same brand has a different name or packaging in France. Isn't Nestle a French company? I'm sure you will be able to get something there. Take a bunch with you dry. Ship it as checked luggage on the plane or ship it Fedex freight or DHL so that it is delivered right after you arrive. Good luck and have a great time in France!

â™¥JJâ™¥

Breast feed; it's always ready and available.

lulu

Don't worry. We are very pleased to receive you and your little family in France.

Eclipsepearl

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but French formulas are MUCH WORSE than those sold in the U.S. The regulations are much less strict in France and all baby products are full of fillers and sugared up to the hilt.

My son had a *terrible reaction* to every French formula we tried. He could tollerate hypoallergenic ONLY. I ended up driving over to Germany and buying his formula over there. He also tolerated Similac in the States without any problems.

Especially avoid this brand;
http://www.bledina.com/
Their baby food is especially full of crap like starch in the baby food. My son had allergic reactions to it too.

My advice is to bring over an ample supply of your NestlÃ© and then try either hypoallergenic (expensive) or this brand;
http://www.hipp.fr/

Here is the NestlÃ© site in French. I can't find their formulas. All their products are much different over here;
http://www.bebe.nestle.fr/content/alimentation_bebe/ses_produits/NoStep.aspx

NestlÃ© is a Swiss company with a very bad moral business practice history. I participate in the worldwide boycott of its products. Switching brands wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestl%C3%A9_boycott
http://danny.oz.au/BFAG/

I also want to warn you that not all brands of bottles are available here. My son only accepted Playtex, which I had to import from the U.S. Avent is sold here. Especially if you use the bottles with plastic liners. They're rare and the over priced liners don't work as well. No novelty packaging either. You have to use a "formula dispenser" when going out so consider all this too when packing and perhaps bring your own stock.

Once I lost one of my son's bottles. Swear, I was like a rabid dog looking for that thing! I just couldn't afford to lose one so please stock up before leaving. I was not about to start using a bottle brush!

Baby products in general are very poor here. Little choice, bad quality, etc. They sell walkers without rubber stops (required in the U.S.), carseats with only three point seatbelts and toys that wouldn't be acceptable back home.

My advice is bring all you can. All the N. American moms I know bring as much over as possible, even those of us who have been years in France!

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