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Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Infant feeding

Follow on milk for portion size

12 replies

TheHandsOfNeilBuchanan · 20/06/2019 05:44

DS is combi fed, if we're at home or somewhere facilities allow he breast feeds and has solid foods, I use ready made formula if it's more convenient when out and about our if I'm on a kit day and he's with DH. He has four feeds a day morning and evening are always longish breast feeds, the two in between he has food and either breast feeds or has formula, this is also in preparation for me to go back to work as pumping has never worked for me. He is weaning well, has a good appetite and I haven't found a food he won't eat yet (home made mashes/purées plus finger foods) and we've had no constipation or diarrhea issues.
He has 240mls when he has formula, we use Hipp organic and the ready made comes in 200ml bottles so I'm often throwing 160mls away, the follow on milk comes in 250ml bottles. I know follow on milk isn't necessary but is it worse? It would be much easier and cheaper to use one bottle of follow on ready made when needed rather than two of first stage and waste a lot. I've considered powder but if I've got time and facilities to make it up I'd be in a situation where I'd just breast feed anyway.

OP posts:

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Soontobe60 · 20/06/2019 06:03

You do know that follow on milk is just a con don't you?
Manufacturers are not allowed to advertise formula milk for babies, but they can advertise follow on milk. So it's been designed to avoid the no Advertising rule. The formulation is the same for both products, but the price is often way higher.
OP, you haven't said how old your baby is. Also, is there a reason why your dp can't make up bottles when you're at work? Will the baby still be having a bottle in the day time when in childcare once you return to work? My GS did when he went to nursery so my DD sent in made up bottles which they put in the fridge and then warmed up when he had them.

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kidsmakesomuchwashing · 20/06/2019 06:28

Follow on milk is a con but on the plus side I have £300 of boots advantage card points that can't be used on 1st formula, so I'm happy to spend them on follow on milk to bring my milk bill down!

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dementedpixie · 20/06/2019 06:39

If your baby is over 6 months then follow on milk is fine to use. I did switch to it around 9 months as it was cheaper than first milk and you could get offers on it

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LaurenSarah22 · 20/06/2019 06:43

I use follow on milk for my 7 month old, its higher in iron also

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TheHandsOfNeilBuchanan · 20/06/2019 06:46

DH could make them up when at home, it's more for out and about. He will be going to nursery, and will be logged after by grandparents when I'm back at work so it's what's easiest for them too. At the moment he has two or three bottles a week so we wouldn't get through a box of powder before it needed to be thrown out, the rest of the time he breast feeds. Again I realise it's a 'con' and not necessary as I said in my OP, except it isn't when I'm currently using two 80p bottles of first formula rather than one 89p bottle of follow on. All I want to know is, is it different in that I'd need to change it gradually, or is it thicker and more likely to constipate etc. DS is seven months.

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TheHandsOfNeilBuchanan · 20/06/2019 06:47

I'm not going back to work until he's 11 months.

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dementedpixie · 20/06/2019 06:52

I don't remember it being thicker and mine didn't get constipated. All you can do is try it and see if he is ok with it

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mundaneflounder · 20/06/2019 06:59

It's exactly the same OP.

We went to hipp follow on milk for similar reasons. It was fine :) they actually stopped doing the ready made hipp first milk cartons for a while. We had no choice but to buy follow on if we wanted hipp. So we did 🤷. I didn't feel particularly conned!

Obviously we know that it isn't strictly necessary. But it's more than fine to switch.

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TheCuriousSofa · 25/06/2019 13:43

It's only a 'con' if you think you're buying something different from what you are. If you're just looking for a more convenient size pack then it's the perfect solution. You don't want different, you want the same but differently proportioned. That's what you'll be getting. Winner.

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ColaFreezePop · 25/06/2019 21:12

At least 2 brands of follow on milk in Asda have been on special for a while so it is cheaper than number one milk.

The iron is a mute point as the calcium means the majority of it isn't absorbed. (If you ever had iron deficiency anaemia you would be aware of this.)

In regards to throwing ready made milk away - pour the amount you need into a feeding bottle, reseal it and store the rest in the fridge. The bottles/cartons last 2 days in a fridge once opened.

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dementedpixie · 25/06/2019 21:20

The small bottles/ cartons last 24 hours in the fridge after opening.

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TheHandsOfNeilBuchanan · 25/06/2019 23:10

DH tried him with it today when out he drank it fine, it looked a different colour though and he was a bit sick about an hour or so later, I was at work on a kit day and DH was out with him. He's really not a sicky baby but it was very warm and muggy here today, despite DHs best efforts and plenty of water to drink throughout the day, he was quite sweaty by the time they got home, and he hasn't had his usual length of naps. So I'm not sure if it was the milk or just tiredness, plus heat. It was only about a spoonful it's just not usual for him.