should you switch to follow on milk at 6 months?

[Nancy54]

one of my twins has a bottle of formula on an evening. He'll be 6 months next week - should we start giving the follow on? what's the difference?

tia

Afaik "follow on" milk is just marketing gimmick and it isn't necessary to switch if you don't want to!

Formula manufacturers aren't allowed to advertise their "first" milks, so apparently they invented "follow on" milk - which they can advertise.

no you dont have to switch but I did at around 9 months as it was cheaper than the first milk and you get offers on them. I also switched brand as it was cheaper too

No need for follow on milk at all: unless you are a manufacturer seeking to get round the formula advertising ban.

But it might make sense to switch if it's not as expensive. (Now wondering if it's also provided an opportunity to hike the price of original formula).

Can't you use normal milk at 6 months? Genuinely can't remember as those days are a while ago but most of this sort of thing is just marketing talk and new parents are the best targets for anything baby related .

Totally agree, don't use follow on milk, just a marketing ploy. You should always stay on first. Paediatricians always recommend 1st as well.

Ragwort, do you mean cow's milk? If so, then cow's milk shouldn't be used as the "main drink" until babies are 1 year old. You can use it in cooking or as an occasional drink, but breastmilk or formula should still be the main drink.

you can stick with first milk as it is fine for the whole of the first year. As I said i switched due to cost not spurious claims about extra iron/nutrition, etc

If your DCs are older (20+?) then yes, you would remember guidelines that said ordinary milk from 6months.

(Formula is of course simply modified cows milk: if you find old baby care books, you can find recipes for how to modify it yourself at home).

Bad mother alert - I stopped breast feeding at 8 months and my DS was then drinking cow's milk - he is now 12.

Babs - why do doc recommend you stay on first? Is it easier to digest than follow on or something?

Thanks for replies everyone

DS's paediatrician recommended changing to follow on formula at 6 months for the extra iron. Or to give an iron supplement.

I switched only as its cheaper and I could then get advantage points in Boots/club card points in Tesco etc as infant formula is exempt.

For the first year of life it is recommended that babies only have a whey dominant milk, not a casein dominant milk as it is easier for them to digest. First milk is whey dominant, follow on milk is casein dominant.

I am surprised that cow's milk is not recommended for babies under a year - surely if you are weaning then the baby may be eating cereal with milk/pureed veg or pasta with cheese sauce/custard/rice pudding that sort of thing? As far as I remember my DS was just drinking water or cow's milk from 8 months.

Cows milk.is fine in cooking and on cereal.but not as a main drink. Undrr a year and most of their nutrition should still be ftom milk and cows milk doesnt have enough calories or nutrients in it, vitamins etc.

No.need for follow on milk and actually the extra iron in it can make baby constipated.

cows milk is not recommended as the main drink under 1 year as it doesnt have enough iron or vitamins. It is ok to use cows milk in cereal, in foods, etc from 6 months as long as the main drink remains breast/formula milk

p.s. follow on milk didnt constipate my lo's and saved me money

Think there is sone evidence that the extra iron could be detrimental rather than helpful. If dt is bf and has a fairly varied diet, iron levels shouldn't really be a worry unless dt is displaying signs of anaemia.

Ok thanks jjj, That's interesting

If your baby just has one bottle a day, it isn't their main milk so ordinary cow;s milk is fine