to switch to follow on milk

[buildingafootieteam]

Right I'm not promoting FF dissing BF or anything, I'm weaning ds3 (slowly) from BF to FF as he I very attached to me and I need to get him ready for me not being around when I go back to work by leaving him with DH, DM, MIL etc for a bit. Never used FOM for other DC so no experience with it but in supermarket yesterday I paid €13.49 for first milk. However if I bought the FOM I can get it when it's on special and get points for my shopping etc. Also can get FOM in aldi where I do most of my shopping. Is there a significant difference between the two milks? Am I over thinking things (again)????

[TheCatsMeow]

There's nothing wrong with it, people will insist you should use first milk though.

[Wardrobespierre]

Depends on age.

[Birdsgottafly]

How old is he?

[Wardrobespierre]

The added iron and gubbins can be harsh for a little baby's stomach. If older, as long as it's tolerated then it's fine.

[ghostyslovesheep]

totally depends on his age

[Branleuse]

its all pretty much the same. Follow-on has better special offers, but people are against it for political reasons

[Shirkingfromhome]

Nutritionally first-stage formula is best up until 12 months. Follow-on milk has no nutritional advantage and is not as stringently tested (for sugars, etc.,) as first-stage formula. If your baby is over 12 months then cows milk is recommended above follow-on milk. There's a big campaign against the marketing of follow-on milk (points / discounts). You can read more here if you are interested.

I FF and just used stage 1 until I could switch to cows milk.

[buildingafootieteam]

Sorry thought I put it in OP that he's over 6 months. I'm on unpaid and seriously counting the pennies so that's influencing my decision. Also ds has had 1 formula bottle a day from about 1 month

[Birdsgottafly]

For under 1's the nutrition isn't as good as them being on Stage 1 Formula.

Can't you make a few € savings anywhere else in your budget, for a few months?

[Blueprintorange]

Follow on milk is fine, SMA certainly had the same ingredients as the first stage milk a couple of years ago.

[Branleuse]

just do it. Baby will be absolutely fine. Save your money where you can

[Sleepyfergus]

Could you use for USA for daytime feeds and still BF for first morning feed and night time feeds? I did that with both DC and it was worked fine and not as expensive as switching to formula for all feeds. Then the minute he turns 1, just move into full fat cows milk (blue top).

[Sleepyfergus]

For USA = formula

[Barmaid101]

Follow on milk will be fine, it is almost the same as first milk but just altered ever so slightly to then be allowed to be advertised.

[DisappointedOne]

Wouldn't changing the BF pattern be simpler/cheaper than switching to FF? A friend had a child that just fed more in the evening to compensate for no feeds after early morning when she returned to work. Baby won't suffer if you make the adjustment subtlety a few days at a time.

[carltonscroop]

As he's over six months, go for it as it's likely to be cheaper.

That is the only thing it's got going in its favour.

(It's not so long ago that the guidelines said it was ok to go to cow's milk at 6 months. Though thinking about it, the DC I know who were on those guidelines are now mid/late 20s. Where did all the time go!)

[bumbleymummy]

I was going to say the same as Disappointed. A lot of my friends returned to work while still BF and their babies just changed their feeding pattern. Some of my friends expressed during the day and left a bottle of expressed milk while other babies were happy to just have food and water in a sippy cup during the day and just feed when their mum got home.

[BlackeyedShepherdsbringsheep]

you can feed in the evening. ds managed to keep a supply going by feeding only twice a day. (morning and evening.)for ages. he had formula as well. normal meals for his age.

depending on how old you could try giving the milk in a sippy cup as swapping from bootle to cup is a complete and utter faff.

[tobysmum77]

Yanbu, that's why I switched with dd2. The ingredients were exactly the same with sma, just a little bit more iron as they have less after 6m (some people say this causes constipation but I didn't have a problem).

There is no need to switch but follow on milk is fine for babies older than 6 months

[tinyterrors]

All of mine switched to follow on milk at about 6 months. They were all fine with it. I wanted to switch to follow on milk for the extra iron as by about 6 months their stores of iron start to deplete.

[buildingafootieteam]

Thanks all. It's less the feeding issue and more the needing to start leaving him with other people at this stage and that's why I want to switch. I've tried expressing but I get very little out of it, about 3 oz a night is all, my stock would be gone in no time. Tried all the tricks to go with it too.

[Whatdoidohelp]

No, he needs stage 1. Scrimping to save pennies on formula is not what you should be doing, there must be somewhere else in the budget you save a couple of quid. The nutritional content differs between the stages, do not compromise his health for boots points or a couple of quid.

[DisappointedOne]

No need to switch. Just start leaving him with others for short periods and then extend them by 30 mins at a time. He may be hungry when you get home but you just feed him then.

[TheCatsMeow]

what her baby is over 6 months.

[witsender]

I would just adjust my BF and move onto full fat cows' milk at 12 months plus. FOM is unnecessary.