formula milk for a 3 year old?

8 replies

Lorien · 12/08/2003 15:52

My ds1 (nearly 3) has taken to wanting a bottle of formula milk to go to bed with, because ds2 (11 months) has one. As ds2 will be switching over to fresh cows milk soon, and we've had lots of changes at home in recent weeks, I;ve been a bit lax and given in to ds3's constant moaning for a bottle of formula milk. And now I'm wondering if:
1: The 6-12 month formula milk is OK for a nearly 3-year-old?
2: Whether I should get ds1 some formula milk for his age (We live in Malaysia where the supermarkets are stuffed to the gills with powdered milk for kids)
3: Or, of course whether I should put my foot down now and say NO MORE formula milk, when ds2 is still having his?
All wise guidance gratefully accepted....

OP posts:

aloha · 12/08/2003 16:36

If he wants it and you don't mind the hassle of making it, then it certainly won't do him any harm. Don't bother getting anything special for him. If it makes your life a lot easier to give him a bottle for now, I'd do it, personally. He'll grow out of it eventually. The only worry for me is teeth. Does he actually take the bottle to bed? If so maybe change it to a bedtime bottle then brush his teeth as milk is very sweet.

tinyfeet · 12/08/2003 16:39

A friend of mine asked me to ask our DD's doctor the same question. She said that there's nothing 'wrong' with formula, but it is more expensive than cow's milk, and also, your children should get used to drinking cow's milk after age 1. Don't know the situation in Malaysia.

aloha · 12/08/2003 16:58

SoupDragon · 12/08/2003 17:45

You could probably palm him off with cows milk instead of formula. I would imagine he'd be happy with it if it came in a bottle.

aloha · 12/08/2003 17:51

Didn't think of that, but I bet you're right Soupy.

Original poster

Lorien · 14/08/2003 04:00

Thanks for the support! Ds1 doesn't actually take the bottle into bed and does brush his teeth before he gets into bed, so I'll stop worrying about that one now I think about it more carefully, I think that my main fear was what exactly was in the formula milk. There's another thread running at the moment which is talking about formula and information about it. Mears (I think) explained how 0-6 month and 6-12 month formula milks are different and I was wondering if 6-12 month formula had certain things in it that are no good for older kids like too much iron or something like that.
Anyway, thanks for putting my mind at rest.

OP posts:

eidsvold · 14/08/2003 18:42

my dd has a formula milk that is made for children from 6 months to 2 years old so perhaps that might be more suitable for both - milupa forward - not sure if you can get it in malaysia.....

if he wants if give it to him... it is only one at night rather than all through the day.

aloha · 14/08/2003 19:09

Lorien, believe me, there is nothing in formula milk that could possibly harm a child - otherwise they couldn't sell it! The so called follow-on milks have more iron, but if you child eats normally there's no need to buy anything different. Relax - and try the cow's milk. I bet he just wants the bottle really.

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