Switching from formula to whole cows milk - is cows milk not as good?

[LoveYouForeverMyBaby]

Dc is 1 and I have started giving her whole cows milk instead of formula, should I give her growing up milk instead? Have read up on cows milk and apparently it's harder to digest and not as nutritionally good a formula. Should I keep giving formula?

Was thinking of giving formula in a morning and bedtime bottle, and cows milk in the day as a drink.

[LoveYouForeverMyBaby]

I read its harder for babies to digest and might not provide them with enough vitamins...should I continue with formula for now? When should I make the switch?

[YDdraigGoch]

How old is she?

[Tee2072]

Follow on milk is a con. Cow's milk is fine.

[worldgonecrazy]

Follow on milk is definitely a con - just look at how it is only sold and advertised in those countries which ban formula advertising for first milks.

If your child is having a balanced diet then they don't need any milk at all. However, if your child likes cows milk there is no reason not to give it.

The follow-on advertising is very good - look at how mums have been fooled into thinking their child will get iron deficiency if they don't give toddler or follow-on milk. It's all a huge con.

[LoveYouForeverMyBaby]

She's 1...shes a poor eater though. Shall I switch to just cows milk then?

This will probably make me sound stupid but on the tin it says its nutritionally superior to cows milk. If its a con how can they say that?

[NotQuintAtAllOhNo]

It may simply have more calories and fat.....
Or they could have added iron? (which is a total con as iron is not absorbed with calcium)

Just go for cows milk.

[BertieBotts]

Cow's milk is fine.

Definitely don't bother with growing up milk because it's full of sugar.

If you're worried about her food intake you could give vitamin drops or chewable vitamins :) And bear in mind LOTS of 1 year olds are rubbish eaters, I read somewhere that it's a protective thing because they're starting to walk and be independent (in the stone age this would mean potentially wandering a little way away from the "herd" so it protected them from picking up random foods which they'd have no way of knowing whether were safe or not) - I think it was in here? www.amazon.co.uk/My-Child-Wont-Eat-mealtimes/dp/1780660057?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Agree with the others, cows milk is fine from 12 months and its actually what the NHS recommend. She needs 300ml a day, including any milk used in cooking.

The baby milk manufacturers would love us to think that cows milk isn't good enough and toddlers need follow on or toddler milk but there is some evidence that these can impair development.

The NHS also recommend vitamins for all children under 5.

My child won't eat is a great book, would seriously recommend having a read

[goodiegoodieyumyum]

My son is one , I do not live in the UK but the pediatrician told me I should give him formula once I stop breastfeeding as he is very thin and does not put weight on easily. Formula provides extra iron which apparently he needs as he is very underweight, easier I think than giving vitamins to a baby. My feeling is that I am not a doctor she is so she should know what she is talking about.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

goodie if you are concerned about your baby's weight and iron consumption then I would seriously recommend continuing bfing and upping your feeds if possible. The iron in BM is much easier for the baby to digest than in formula.

The advice your Paed has given may be specific to your baby or your region but WHO recommend bfing for a minimum of two years for all babies and here in the uk the NHS recommend stopping formula at 12 months if the baby is ff and continuing with bfing if that's what you are doing.

[LoveYouForeverMyBaby]

So is it just growing up milk that's full of sugar or is follow on bad also?

I'm worried about switching entirely from formula to cows as I am worried it will be a bit of a sho to her digestive system and harder to digest. I'm also worried she won't be enough iron, calcium and calories as she is a poor eater.

If I switched entirely to cows milk I won't see a drop in her weight will I?

[Trazzletoes]

I would have thought she would get enough calcium from the recommended amount of cow's milk...

You can switch slowly as they taste very different. Drop the formula by an ounce every so often and top it up with cows milk.

I really don't think you need to worry so much about the vitamins. It's recommended you give her vitamin drops anyway. You can also spend a FORTUNE on formula and its totally unnecessary. Money down the drain.

[Trazzletoes]

I don't think she should lose weight either, no.

[LoveYouForeverMyBaby]

Thank you.

[Iggly]

worldgonecrazy, one year olds do need milk still.

If you're worried about the shock to her system then try gradually switching.

Cows milk is generally hard to digest but most of us are used to it.

[IDontDoIroning]

It's a con. How do you think the human race survived before companies started to invent things to meet a need people never even new they had - like follow on milk.
Milk is not nutritionally a great source if iron - human bm is adapted to meet the needs of a baby with no other food source, but once they wean other food sources provide these nutrients.
Toddlers have been drinking cows milk for hundreds of years. Don't waste your money. Get some vitamin drops or chewy vitamins instead if you are worried.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Now she is one, you don't have to offer the milk an hour before solids, so you may find that as her milk reduces to 300ml a day, her solid intake will creep up.

Milk isn't fortified like the formula, you are right, but most of the iron in follow on and toddler milk just comes out the other end as its so hard to digest. If iron and calcium are really a concern she would be displaying signs of deficiency now. Its much better to make sure these are included in her diet. Salmon and sardines are great sources of calcium and red meat and cheese for iron, but there are so many others .

Was going to suggest swapping over by an ounce at a time too, but see its already been suggested .

Here's the NHS information on milk and here's the NHS information on vitamin drops. Personally, I think its better to try to follow the NHS guidelines if you can.

Being worried about iron and calcium is a huge con. The formula companies have run some very clever advertising campaigns to convince parents that their children will be at risk if you don't buy their follow on milk or toddler milk, but in fact the evidence is quite the contrary. As I mentioned earlier giving follow on milk can impair the development of your child, have a look at this.

If you are worried that she eats little can you tell us what milk and food she typically has in a day? Its just that it can be very subjective and I've seen threads on here where the Mum is worried about their 1yo not eating enough but they were actually eating more than my 5yo .

[goodiegoodieyumyum]

Jilted John, I am not too concerned about my ds's weight I was the same as a baby, although he has gone from being in the 90th percentile to the 25th in twelve months and really is not putting a lot of weight on. I live in the Netherlands and children see the nurse and pediatrician regularly until they are 4, you can't just decide not to go.

Two reasons why I want to stop breastfeeding or least drop feeds during the day one ds bites my nipples hard (it really hurts) after his finishes, two I have bad allergies and can't take either my allergy medication or sinus medication whilst breast feeding, two years of sore eyes, sore headand generally feeling crap is enough.

I was only able to breast feed my dd for three months so being able to do it for a year with ds is amazing, I would like to be able to continue to give him a morning and night feed, he still has four feeds a day, sometimes five.

[LoveYouForeverMyBaby]

jilted thank you so much for your informed and reassuring post.

I will definetly get vitamin drops now.

Here is what lo will have on an average day now:

7am 150mls growing up milk - switch to cows?
9am breakfast of porridge or museli with fruit and toast
11am 200mls cows milk
1pmeg baked potato with cheese and broccoli, homemade fish pie, homemade lasagne soup sandwichetc - only a v.v.small amount is eaten though maybe 2-3 mouthfuls
3pm banana and yoghurt
5pm dinner similar type food to lunch
7pm 150-200mls growing up milk - switch to cows?

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Love think she isn't that interested in the food as she is having so much milk, she is well over the daily recommended amout before she even sits down to try lunch . Toddler milk and follow on can be constipating, which in itself can suppress the appetite too. Here's what I'd do:

7am 150ml cows milk in a beaker

8am breakfast. Ready brek with fruit is good as you can make it up with cows milk and it is fortified.

10am Snack, anything will do really. Philly, breadstick and grapes. Strawberries, biscuit, banana, raisins. Whatever you have in and water to drink.

12ish Lunch

After nap another snack

5pm dinner

7pm 150ml cows milk.

All times are obviously approximate and you can move them according to what you are doing and DDs snack times . Does she need milk to make her nap? If so, stop the morning milk and offer breakfast earlier and then offer the milk after her lunch.

goodie think you've done really, really well to get to 12 months. Has the Paed got any idea why DS is putting on weight at a slow rate?. Have they given you any information on stopping biting too?

Here in the UK, HCPs often wrongly tell mothers they can't take certain medications when they are bfing. We have the BFN drugsline which is very good. Have you done your own research into your allergy drugs or is there somewhere you can check?

Didn't mean to undermine you btw, just wanted to point out that the advice you were given on formula is probably specific to your baby due to the problems you are experiencing and that formula isn't the best option for every baby after 12 months .

[goodiegoodieyumyum]

Jilted, it is hard to get medication at the best time in the Netherlands, things you can buy over the counter in the UK are banned here, the doctor looked up both the internet and her book before prescribing me nasal spray, but I find it is not very effective, he only started biting me recently and I didn't think to mention it to doctor when I saw her two weeks ago he did draw blood yesterday. Going to keep BF until at least Jan as we are going to Australia and feel its the easiest thing to do whilst on holiday.

My brother and I were both under weight as children,my mum certainly had problems with me putting on weight. He ate very well when he started on solids but now is becoming very fussy, not sure if that is down to him having a bad cold, he won't even eat banana or yoghurt at the moment

[Lillyaan]

If child is having a balanced diet she does not really need formula and definately not next level formula. If she likes to have formula as a last feed do so but start reducing the amount and increasing her solid foods. If giving cows milk (liquid food without growth nutrients) never give as a drink during the night.