As a Parenting Coach, Katie Hilton has worked alongside hundreds of parents. We asked her to tell us a little bit more about her experience with formula products and what’s important. Here’s what she had to say.
Of course, I am frequently asked about formula feeding and often my answer has always been one of the very well-known brands available on the market. It wasn’t until I discovered Kendamil that I really understood the difference between formulas readily available on the market and the truth left me feeling shocked, disappointed and somewhat frustrated that my profession had been prevented me from learning this information to ensure we were providing safe and effective care in the best interests of the families we work with.
You see, what I’ve learnt since the time I started working with Kendamil is the importance of feeding a baby with a full cream (whole milk) formula. All formulas available on the market currently use skimmed milk, mainly done to reduce company costs, but research has demonstrated that full cream milk offers numerous benefits to a baby. The full cream content also has a more natural and sweeter taste which means it is more easily accepted by babies and makes the transition to cow’s milk seamless at 12 months of age. Our whole milk is sourced locally from farms throughout Cumbria and Lancashire, and used to produce Kendamil in the the Lake District - so it really is 'British-Made'! As the only British baby milk and thanks to their strong heritage and support of local dairy farmers, the Kendamil range is the only formula range to be awarded with the ‘Red Tractor’ accreditation.
When I first started working with Kendamil, I had a little knowledge around palm oil. I’m ashamed to say my knowledge was mainly from my school-age son who often came home from school telling me stories of the devastating effects on the environment of harvesting palm oil. So, when the Kendamil team filled me in on the facts of palm oil consumption, I was truly shocked. Palm oil is typically considered a controversial oil for environmental and other reasons. More than 50% of the goods we use today, including some baby milk brands, contain palm oil, which is worrying considering the amount of feeds a newborn baby has over a 24-hour period.
This information truly shocked me and it made me want to share the message far and wide with the parenting community, promoting the story of the Kendamil range and their ’No Palm Oil‘ message – to me, it’s vitally important that parents understand why this is so key when selecting an baby milk for their baby. The range is also vegetarian friendly and allergy-free (as its omega-3 and omega-6 come directly from pure marine algae as opposed to fish oils). Through using pure marine algae to provide the omega-3 and omega-6 it also provides a much purer quality of product. Whilst it does cost more to produce formula with these nutrients, it’s refreshing to see that Kendamil chose to go this route to provide a better quality of formula for babies.
This same ethos runs through the entire Kendamil range, from their baby milks, both in standard and organic, to their cereals and weaning foods which includes a gluten free option, natural fruits and sweet + savoury options.
If you’d like to find out more or buy online, click here to see the full product range.
Important Notice: Breastfeeding is best. Kendamil Follow-on milk is only for babies over 6 months, and should be used as part of a mixed diet. Please talk to your Healthcare Professional.
