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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To wonder why anyone buys that 'Growing Up' milk stuff?

358 replies

bubbleymummy · 03/05/2011 18:42

No one expects to get their iron content from milk - you get it from the food you eat alongside it (although you shouldn't really drink milk alongside a meal anyway because calcium inhibits iron absorption) so why would you spend money on this product? Does anyone on MN buy it? If so - why?

OP posts:
FlaminGreatGallah · 06/05/2011 21:05

"Unfortunately I have seen that happen"

My brain put an erroneous "never" in that sentence for some reason!

It must be the lack of meat in my diet Wink

Serenitysutton · 06/05/2011 21:09

I think people should look seriously into iron needs and do so objectively. I find it unlikely that you or your children are getting the rda through diet. It might be wise to consider topping up.

Women need 14-18 mg per day, depending on which countries gov advice you follow. A child of 7-12 months need 11. Now as someone who has low iron levels, but is not affected by it in day to day life (I found out after being rejected for giving blood) i have tried to construct a diet which hits 14mg a day, everyday. I think most people would be surprised te dedication that takes. Plant food does not cut it- the only way to guarentee hitting this everyday is to include fortified cereal (mn sin I believe- isn't homemade next to nothing iron the alternative de jour for this sugary kelloggs controlled nightmare) eggs, and red meat. Spinach, red pepper, have v small amounts in them, making them a waste of food in your eating: iron ratio.

The veggie options which are passable are baked beans, and figs.

Yet There is still huge contraversy and no blanket opinionon how well your body absorbs the iron from food (it's commonly in medical literature that te iron in spinach is next to useless)

a baby need just 3mg less than that, and they will eat far far less in terms of calories and portions. I actually think most people kid themselves if they believe they can get the rdas for vitamins and minerals they should have from diet alone.

However, there is Also a decent argument that you do not need the rdas and there is little scientific evidence to prove they're correct. That however is a different argument to people saying they get all their iron from their diet.

Sirzy · 06/05/2011 21:15

I remember just before DS turned one getting an "iron calculator" through the post from cow and gate. Obviously in an attempt to persuade me the only way he would get enough was with there milk.

I looked at it and realised that he got plenty through his diet (as I knew) and promptly binned it!

FlaminGreatGallah · 06/05/2011 21:25

"Iron Calculator" Shock

How the hell do they purport to measure iron intake in that way?

This thread is doing me no good. I BF for an entire year with no break, really well-intentioned, DS refusing any milk but mine only to end up giving my hard-earned money to C&G and Aptamil Sad

Serenitysutton · 06/05/2011 21:33

Iron calculator. What load of crap.

boysrock · 06/05/2011 21:37

Ah dont worry Flamin. (well you know what I mean)
ds 3 wasn't bf - whole other thread, but everything was done text book style including bLW, he would eat anything and had a lovely varied diet. So refined was his palate he would refuse all baby food.

Then he went into hospital for surgery and it all went to pot. Narrowly avoided the quavers and chocolate diet, but still trying to get back on track a year later. I do wonder if the antibiotics he was on altered his tastebuds. Things he used to like he went off during that period.

bubbleymummy · 06/05/2011 21:48

Serenity, I'm not sure where you are getting your figures from. Here is a chart from the nhs showing that children age 7-12 months need 7.8 mg and children age 1-6 years need less than that (between 6 and 7 mg) so quite a bit less than the 11mg you stated. I think it would be a bit silly if our bodies were incapable of extracting an essential mineral adequately from the food we eat without having to resort to fortified cereals and milk drinks! How on earth did we make it into the 20th century without kellogs and cow and gate?! Hmm

OP posts:
Serenitysutton · 06/05/2011 21:53

Those are from the US gov, and as I mentioned they do vary a bit, and there is a question as to whether any are "right" however I don't buy your argument about getting so very far without fortified food, I'm sure you realise that both adults and children were far more commonly deficent of vitamins in the past? I think it's very odd to claim otherwise. Rickets, scurvy anyone? Let's go back to those days shall we?

bubbleymummy · 06/05/2011 21:55

Serenity, are you really suggesting that mankind has been iron deficient since the Dawn of time until we were able to get iron supplements? Really?

OP posts:
FlaminGreatGallah · 06/05/2011 21:56

Thanks boysrock. LOL at, "so refined was his palate he would refuse all baby food" Grin I don't blame him.

My DS was on prophylactic antibiotics for his first year unnecessarily (prescribed before he was even born) because the doctors assumed that I would not be BF. Probably due to my working-class origins Hmm

Sounds like your son had the same sort of reaction to a trauma wrt food that mine did post-MMR. He ate everything before it and I was so quietly proud of myself making him his food. No ready-made meat and spaghetti for him, DH and I would go to the butchers and source the best minced meat we could find and I'd batch-cook. I didn't make my own pasta though, shame on me.

You might like to have a look at the book I linked to. As I've said, it won't tell you anything you haven't already thought of but it's so comforting to read.

Hope your DS goes from strength to strength from now on Smile

Serenitysutton · 06/05/2011 21:59

Be interesting to see where I said that. Or of course maybe you're just trying to change my posts to something you feel you can ridicule...

boysrock · 06/05/2011 22:02

Thanks. I'll have a look at that. He is getting better at eating but getting fruit or veg in him is challenging.

bubbleymummy · 06/05/2011 22:04

' I actually think most people kid themselves if they believe they can get the rdas for vitamins and minerals they should have from diet alone.'

' I'm sure you realise that both adults and children were far more commonly deficent of vitamins in the past? '

So before vitamin/iron supplements became available were we or were we not able to get our vitamin and mineral requirements from food? If we werent then surely that would mean that we were all deficient? I don't want to be accused of twisting your words so maybe you can just clarify them for me.

OP posts:
Serenitysutton · 06/05/2011 22:09

Mostly. More commonly. That's not everyone, is it?

Maybe, by today's RDAs every single person 30 years ago was iron deficient. I can't know, you can't know, it's foolish to pretend otherwise.

Serenitysutton · 06/05/2011 22:12

Although I can't actually be bothered to discuss it any further. Add up the iron in your childs diet and see if their getting 8,9,11 Mgs a day. Chances are they're not, you're only kidding yourself and about that I care not a jot. I do think it's unkind, arrogent and patronising to deride others in this manner for what they choose to feed their children, so that's why it's worth pointing out the holes in your argument. If you all get your iron, good on you.

baskingseals · 06/05/2011 22:14

think growing up milk is a great idea
if you don't - don't buy it

FlaminGreatGallah · 06/05/2011 22:25

This was the first reply to the OP:

usualsuspect Tue 03-May-11 18:43:49
Because its their choice?

Interesting discussion but that sums it up pretty well I think Grin

bubbleymummy · 06/05/2011 22:28

Why are you so defensive when I point out the holes in yours? If you weren't saying that most of us were iron deficient before the supplements came along then you must agree that it is possible to get everything you need from food. If you don't think that then you are suggesting that mankind has survived despite being deficient in an essential mineral since the beginning of time. I'm just trying to figure out what your argument is here - it's a bit confusing!

OP posts:
FlaminGreatGallah · 06/05/2011 22:35

Have you seen this take on formula advertising OP? It's pretty good.

Much better than this formula ad.

Serenitysutton · 06/05/2011 22:41

I'm not defensive. What do you mean by everything? Your RDA? Give me an example of a days food you eat and we'll see if you hit your 14mg. Or a sample of your childs, and we'll see if they hit 8.

I don't get my rda of iron. There is nothing wrong with me; you'd never know. So how do you know people throughout time hit theirs?

If it's possible to get all you need through diet why they need for supps i.e folic acid in pregnancy? It's because we have more information and knowledge now, not becAuse our bodies suddenly need it's. Millions of women went through pregnancy without folic acid, so why bother taking it now?

baskingseals · 06/05/2011 22:48

it's not first milk you know bubbleymummy
it's from a year up

it is possible to bf and ff at the same time
it's not helpful to deride other people's choices about how they feed their children.

usualsuspect · 06/05/2011 22:54

bubblymummyhas a not so hidden agenda

RitaMorgan · 06/05/2011 22:56

When on earth did iron become this huge issue anyway?

A few years ago we weren't all panicking about our child's iron intake Confused

Serenitysutton · 06/05/2011 23:01

Flaming great gallah that is the cheesiest, least amusing cringest crap I've read in a long time. I am actually blushing at it's cringyness.

FlaminGreatGallah · 06/05/2011 23:07

Not a Rick Astley fan then Serenity?