When do you use 6 month + milk ?

[Shell001]

Hi,

Ive just started using formula milk and DS is now taking a few feeds with it atfer bf for 7 months and wondered should i be using stage 3 milk for 6 months + babies ? I know it has more iron in for babies but is it ok to just change to ? there is stage 2 for hungry babies ?

[tiktok]

Follow on milk is a marketing ploy, Shell. If your baby is happy on the stuff you are using, no reason to change.

[manuka]

I think the hungry baby formula can cause some babies to get upset tummy. Iron is important at this age for brain development. At least that's what my sister told me, she's a paediatrician. I used the 6month when dd was 6months but I'd been formula feeding her anyway. it's ok to switch to that one I'm sure your ds will be fine especially if same brand as one you already use.

[williamsmummy]

I agree with tiktot, you are meant to start weaning at 6 months because of lowering iron stores.

[Lomond]

I was told to keep DD on 1st milk as it is better for them. They should be getting enough iron if they start to get a varied diet. A lot of the follow on milks are just thicker.

[tiktok]

No, follow on milks are not thicker. Calorie content per 100 ml is the same. There is rather less fat in the follow on, and more sugar. The difference between follow on and standard formula is the extra iron - most of which is excreted out.

Interesting that many mothers think follow on is 'thicker' - not sure where that idea comes from.

If a baby is moving on to solids throughout the second half of the first year, and continues to have breastmilk, or standard infant formula, he will have enough iron for his needs.

Sticking the to same brand of follow on as standard formula makes no difference.

Follow on became available when manufacturers became unable (because of legislation) to advertise formula direct to mothers. Follow on is allowed to be advertised, and every ad you see for follow on is a de facto ad for standard formula - hence the similarity in name, packaging, logo and so on.

Use it if you want to, but your baby will be no better off.

[Lomond]

I was under the impression that follow on milks were thicker, maybe I mean hungry baby milks?

[Shell001]

Well i tried him on a carton and seemed to not like so sticking with old .. it smelt sweeter ?

Im bf still and weaning slowly .. so make sure i try the green veg more ..

[tiktok]

Hungry baby milks are not thicker, either, Lomond! 'Hungry' milks are the same calorie value as 'first' milks, too.

The protein in 'hungry' milks is less modified so it takes longer to digest, that's all.

[tiktok]

Should add....'supposedly' takes longer to digest. I don't think there are any studies on this.

[gagarin]

The only reason for the follow on milks as far as I can see is for the extra iron - which would only be needed if your baby was nearly one and only having fruit and milk?

Basically it's milk companies cashing in on parents wanting to do the "right thing" for their children.

[SoupSledgon]

"The only reason for the follow on milks as far as I can see is for the extra iron"

No, the only reason for follow on milks is for the formula companies to evade the advertising rules on baby milks.

As TikTok said, most of this extra iron is excreted out, not absorbed.

[gagarin]

Tiktok/soup

Have you got a reference for the iron being excreted thingy? Is this only if a baby has full iron stores? Or even if there is borderline anaemia in a toddler perhaps?

[Poohbah]

Never, if everyone stopped using it, they would take it off the market and stop advertising it to lure unsuspecting mothers into using formula by advertising it.

[tiktok]

gagarin - here's a reference from NHS Direct which explains how little of the iron in follow on is actually used by the baby.

[girlfrommars]

Tiktok, could you look here please

Sorry for the Hijack and if you've already seen this.

[gagarin]

Thanks!