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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Changing from formula milk to follow on milk

45 replies

lisalisa · 10/11/2011 21:41

How is this best done please? My dd nearly one year's old was BF for about 4 months then moved her on to SMA gold. Musing in the supermarket and picked up a tin of the follow on milk and seeing that it is higher in iron and vitamin D levels decided to move her on to that stage milk which is ok from 6 months.

I know the advice years ago used to be that the follow on milks weren't necessary and that they can manage beautifully on stage 1 milks but I bought it on spec that there was some benefit to be had by moving her on.

I think it also hit a bit of a nerve with me as I am iron and vit d deficient and addressing both factors at the moment so the opportunity to make sure dd is not deficient kind of sold it to me.

How do I make the change though? Just suddently change the milk?

OP posts:
WoTmania · 10/11/2011 21:43

www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2010/08/breastfeeding-q-ask-armadillo.html you might find this an interesting read.

thisisyesterday · 10/11/2011 21:46

if she is one you can just give her cows milk

JiltedJohnsJulie · 10/11/2011 21:47

Personally lisa I wouldn't bother. From 12 months she can have cow's milk anyway so you could just keep to the formula she is happy with till then otherwise you could just be making things harder for yourself.

As for the Vit D and Iron, couldn't you address that by making sure she goes out every day, giving her some baby vitamins and getting her to eat well?

Know that you have already bought it already, would they take it back?

Original poster
lisalisa · 10/11/2011 21:53

"I always find it very confusing when parents use the 6 month guideline to introduce solid foods, and then use foods such as baby rice (irk!) or plain veg - which are from an introduction plan aimed at prematurely weaned infants and offer little nutritionally. "

oh dear oh dear oh dear. I too weaned at 6 months and followed the guidelines to start wtih baby rice and veg and did move her quite slowly thorugh the food groups. Hope I've not done any permenant damage? But really this was health visitor's advice to start weaning with the ubiquitious baby rice etc.

Thanks for the link. Now not sure what to do with the formula milk? Is this a mainstream view or a bit off centrethat you linked ot?

OP posts:
JiltedJohnsJulie · 10/11/2011 21:57

Really interesting article, thanks WoT.

Original poster
lisalisa · 10/11/2011 21:57

Thanks for your responses. JJJ does she need baby vitamins if she gets a reasonably good diet?

Average day

Breakfast
Either scrambled egg and toast and butter and some fruit or cereal such as weetabix and banana. Probably not good source of iron as dairy served too which reduces absorption I think.

Lunch
usually something with chicken or meat such as shepherds pie or baby chicken curry all homemade - don't use packets or jars. Plus veg

Midafternoon. Can get a bit junky, she has humzingers ( all fruit bars) or raisins or a plain biccy.

Supper
If she is tired and fussy we do cream cheese on bread which sh eloves and fruit . If in a better mood sometimes jacket potato and cheese ( she won't eat the skin though as she has no teeth yet! and she doesn't liek baked beans) so its really just mash with cheese or pasta with homemade veggie sauce and cheese

OP posts:
iwanttogetoffnow · 10/11/2011 21:58

I did the same as you. Tried the new one and it turned ugly.

The way i made the change with the twins was a faf but it worked and within a week. I mixed them 1oz new one and 7oz old. Next day 2oz new one 6oz old etc etc.

It worked for us and did the same later with cows milk.
Good luck.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 10/11/2011 22:02

Sadly lisa it seems that your HV is giving out information that isn't evidence based. There is no need for a 6 month old to start on baby rice at all, in fact I wouldn't give it to a baby as it is so low in nutrional value.

If you are really worried about her iron and vit D levels I'd ask the GP for a blood test.

If she isn't showing any symptoms of being iron deficient I'd forget the follow on milk and concentrate on her, and your, diet.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 10/11/2011 22:09

Was suggesting giving the vitamins really so that you wouldn't be concerned about her having low levels of Vit D, obviously she won't need them if she is having a good diet Smile.

Original poster
lisalisa · 10/11/2011 22:13

Oh gawd JJJ. Feel so bad now. I'm not worried about her vit and iron levels - just that beca\use I am deficient that caught my eye on the follow on milk and started feeling a bit guilty that she was still on first stage milk when there may be something " better out there.

Think I'll ditch the tin and go back to first stage then!

OP posts:
JiltedJohnsJulie · 10/11/2011 22:14

You'd only be making more work for yourself anyway Smile.

Grainger · 10/11/2011 22:18

Is the 6 months+ stuff not basically the same as the newborn, only they are able to offer discounts on it and you can earn tesco/nectar/boots points on it? As official advice is to bf until 6 months you can't be rewarded for buying formula. Milk nazis.

woahthere · 10/11/2011 22:20

there is no benefit to follow on milk whatsoever, follow on milk is something that the formula companies made up so that they could advertise their brand to encourage people to buy formula milk (as in from little babies). Its a big made up scam so the fat formual cats can make lots of money. If you are worried about iron levels then do the obvious and give more meat/lentils/green vegetables. Do not give at the same time as milk as the iron will be less effectively absorbed. Formula companies promote how much iron their milk has in it because they know this is something that Mums start to worry about around the 6 month mark (because we have been led to believe it is a problem when it is not). It is a crock of shit and completely unnecessary. Also re the baby rice, dont beat yourself up about it, you only did what you thought was right as we all do but it is true that baby rice is utterly pointless. It offers so little nutritionally. All it will do is replace your baby's normal milk feed, and whilst formula has its faults it offers more than baby rice. In fact, there is no real need for 'baby' food at all. Save your money and offer what you have at dinner time (assuming you have a reasonably healthy diet). And also, no no no to extra vitamins if she has a healthy diet, everyone seems to think that extra vitamins are good and will do no harm but actually , more than being a pointless waste of money, excess vitamiins can be harmful to the liver. I cannot wait for the day when health visitors start actually reading factual information and giving proper advice, I mean obviously there are some amazing ones, but the ones that recommend baby rice etc really piss me off.

iwanttogetoffnow · 10/11/2011 22:21

Sorry i was only concentrating on how to change the milk.

thisisyesterday · 10/11/2011 22:23

lisalisa... if your baby is a year old you don't need first stage formula. you don't need any formula at all!
she can have cows milk

woahthere · 10/11/2011 22:23

cross post...babes, never feel guilty for wanting the best for your baby! It is so great that you are asking questions, and given facts you can make decisions, you are obviously a very caring Mummy who wants the best for her baby!

WoTmania · 10/11/2011 22:27

sorry to have posted the link and run but you've had the vitamin and 'baby' rice Qs answered :)

BlackSwan · 10/11/2011 22:46

Sodium levels in cows milk are apparently quite high & depending where you live on the planet, cows milk can contain radiation. We use follow on - has more nutritional value than cows milk.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 10/11/2011 22:48

That's interesting Black. Have you got any links on the benefits of follow on compared to cow's milk?

InvaderZim · 10/11/2011 22:56

Follow on is MADE from cow's milk, and generally you don't know where that milk is from, when instead the OP could buy British organic milk if she cared about... radiation. Radiation, really?

BlackSwan · 10/11/2011 22:58

There's not much nutritional value in cows milk. Here's something re the salt intake point: www.healthenclave.com/news/your-baby-consuming-too-much-salt-1177.html

"A study performed by researchers from Bristol University and Nutricia Ltd. (a division of the Danone food company) has suggested that as many as 7 out of 10 babies were consuming too much salt in their diets. One of the most shocking statements to come out of the 18 year old study was that giving cow?s milk to babies is a health risk as it contains as much as four times the amount of salt than breast milk or formula."

BlackSwan · 10/11/2011 23:00

Found this interesting.

www.nytimes.com/2011/03/31/us/31milk.html

WoTmania · 10/11/2011 23:03

the salt thing is interesting but the radiation levels - what is the main ingredient in follow on and formula milk? Cow's milk. So the radiation thing won't matter because it's all the same stuff from the same cows.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 10/11/2011 23:04

So the research is done by a Danone company. Don't know if you are aware but Danone own Cow and Gate. Now I wonder why they wouldn't want you to swap from formula or follow on to cow's mllk.

WoTmania · 10/11/2011 23:06

For the health of babies all over the world JJJ Grin