Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Infant feeding

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

Original poster

How important is daily milk intake for the under 1s?

71 replies

EvanMom · 21/04/2004 12:06

I have recently posted about weaning my 8 month old off the breast. I have now found something else to worry about .

If my 8 month old has two breast feeds a day morning and night (no idea how much milk he takes) and then small amounts of formula milk and water from a cup during the day (he loves sipping water from a cup, but not so keen on taking formula) then he is not really having four good feeds a day. How important is it that he has at least a pint of formula a day? I doubt ds is getting that.

OP posts:
Clarinet60 · 26/04/2004 16:04

I've been looking for a better sausage. Where do you get them, Aloha?

motherinferior · 26/04/2004 16:14

You can get the HB ones in Sainsbury's, the little ones, and cook them from frozen too. DP cooks them all the time for dd1.

wilbur · 26/04/2004 17:01

Alamel - it may have been something I said on an allergy thread about delaying cow's milk until 18 months. I have been advised by an immunologist to keep ds and dd off cow's milk until they are at least one and preferably 18 months, but this is all cow's milk products so formula or follow-on made from cow's milk would be no good either. In ds's case once I stopped b'feeding he had soya formula (not recommended unless you are advised to use it, I think) and dd has had some soya as well as the goat's formula that robinw mentioned. But this is because we have a huge allergy risk in my family, inc. cow's milk allergy and so it's much more of an issue. Personally, I can't wait to throw out the formula and just use milk!

StripyMouse · 26/04/2004 20:37

My DD is coming up to 6 months and is bottle fed (Milupa) - she loves drinking milk and would happily not bother with food and just drink milk if I let her. So, when she is 6 months, do I keep her on the Milupa first, switch to the follow on as it is cheaper and might be a little bit beneficial or do I start using cows milk? I am really confused and the HV just tells me to do what I am happy with...not much use there.

kiwisbird · 26/04/2004 20:41

you should not use cows milk as main drink from 6 mths but you can from 12 months. This discussion is saying that there is no need to switch from formula to follow on. IT is a con to advertise formaul milk and brands without breaching advertising laws protecting baby food...

Hennypenny · 27/04/2004 00:08

As this is about follow on milk, I will put in my tupp'worth!

My DS complains/crys for a bottle, but will not cry for his breakfast/dinner/tea?????

7 months old

0700 Milk 7oz
0930 Readybrek/weetabix
1030 Milk 4 oz
1230 Dinner (something in a jar)
1430 Sleep 30 minutes
1530 More milk (3/6oz) depends on baby)
1630 Breadsticks/toast
1730 somthing in a jar
1800 Bath & emmerdale & milk
1910 thank God he has finally gone and I can drink a glass of wine now. Sod emmerdale, but watch Corrie & Stenders. Am also worrying that everyone in the entire Universe has gone to bed. Perhaps when I go back to work, I will go to bed at 9pm. God, I must admit I cannot sleep so early.

Hennypenny · 27/04/2004 00:10

His milk is SMA white. Do any of you know whether it's safe to give 7 mth old liver?

robinw · 27/04/2004 06:36

message withdrawn

robinw · 27/04/2004 07:28

message withdrawn

robinw · 27/04/2004 07:35

message withdrawn

Lisa78 · 27/04/2004 12:54

have I got this right then? DS2 is almost six months and is on Aptamil first. I don't need to switch to the 6m+ Aptamil forward then, since he is happy on aptamil first?
He is eating a selection of home mushed fruit and vegetables at the moment, for breakfast and tea, and a jar or tin of something veggy based for lunch, so I am assuming he is getting a good mix of nutrients from that? Am I right?

kiwisbird · 27/04/2004 21:10

jaysus Henny I hope so as my dd had liver at 7 mths! And she loves it still ten months later!

ScotsBird · 27/04/2004 22:16

Lisa78, my dd is 8mths and last month I changed from breastfeeding to Aptamil First (she has been taking the odd bottle of Aptamil all along). Like you I feed her assorted mushy veg, and have started to drop milk feeds which I am roughly replacing with cheese and yoghurt in meals. Am not going to use Aptamil Forward stuff as dont think there's any point.

boingyzebra · 27/04/2004 22:29

Er, Kiwisbird, that is not what Mears and Tiktok are saying. Near as I can tell, Mears and Tiktok are saying that cow's milk is perfectly ok as main drink from 8 months old.

bunnyrabbit · 28/04/2004 08:36

Don't wish to talk for other people hear, but I was under the impression that cows milk should not be given as a drink until 12 months.

My understanding is that it is OK to give first milk until 12 months, rather than switching to a follow on milk.

Incidentally, I think I'm correct in saying that if your reducing milk, you should definetely make sure there is enough protein in their diet to replace it.

BR

elliott · 28/04/2004 12:59

BR you're right that standard advice is that cow's milk should not be given as a main drink before 12 months. As I understand it, the main reason for this is that it is lower in iron than either breastmilk or formula. howver, cow's milk is not poison, and iron can be obtained from a variety of dietary sources, so I imagine it is probably possible for a baby to get enough iron without drinking either breastmilk or formula. Not being a dietician though I don't know enough about how good (i.e. iron rich) the babies' diet would need to be to get away with this safely.
I think in the examples where it was suggested that cow's milk could be offered as a drink at this age, this was mainly in the context of continuing some breastfeeds and possibly also some formula on cereal etc.
Correct me if I've got this wrong - I know you will

bunnyrabbit · 28/04/2004 13:43

Well.. not sure about this still but am sure that your baby can (and should if possible) get all the iron they need from food ie. a balanced diet (assuming they will eat!!). Hence why those 'in the know' say that follow on milk is a con. Your baby shouldn't need the extra iron. Pretty sure that there isn't any added in iron in first formula milks.

Will wait for an expert (mears, tiktok) to confirm this and to comment on the question of whether you should leave cows milk as a drink until 12 months.

BR

muddaofsuburbia · 28/04/2004 13:55

Here's a story from the BBC on when to give cow's milk to babies.

As I thought, it's ok from 6 months mixed in with other foods, but not suitable as a main drink until at least 12 months.

Although there's an interesting point at the end of the article about who actually funds these studies

miserlyzebra · 28/04/2004 15:59

Mears and Tiktok have already said that formula is unnecessary after 8 months.
Mears "Babies do not actually need milk enriched with iron and the biggest con of all is follow-on milk. "
Tiktok: "There is no evidence it [follow-on milk] has any benefits over regular doorstep milk beyond the ages of about 8 months."

Clarinet60 · 28/04/2004 16:54

thanks robinw, I'll try scotch eggs. I hadn't thought of those.

elliott · 28/04/2004 20:31

There is definitely iron in first formula milk.
Much though I respect mears and tiktok surely there is a risk of iron deficiency between 6 and 12 months if the diet is inadequate? Presumably this is the reason for the recommendation - as a safety net for those babies who don't have a great diet. Or do we think that its all come about as a result of formula manufacturers lobbying policy makers? (quite plausible - but then there are big vested interests pushing cow's milk too).
Not trying to stir here, genuinely interested and I don't know the literature on iron deficiency and older babies.

aloha · 28/04/2004 21:35

Milk is important as a good source of calcium. If your child doesn't drink any milk it might be a good idea to supplement with liquid calcium supplement. Studies show that children who don't drink milk or eat dairy produce do not have such strong bones.

miserlyzebra · 29/04/2004 07:39

Apparently Mears and Tiktok both disagree with the official advice, Elliott. But I don't think they're saying "no milk", just no need for milk with iron in it.

yankiegirl · 29/04/2004 08:46

There isn't any iron in first formula milk, as the baby has absorbed enough store of iron from their mommy to last 4 - 6 months (thus why some women get anemic in pregnancy). After this time the baby needs to get their iron in their diet - if they don;t eat well follow-on milk is a good way to get it into them. Vitamins need to be taken with caution as too much of any vitamin can be very dangerous and cause health problems.

It is also important for babies to have milk to ensure they don't develope an intolerance to lactose, as I did when I was younger and could not have any dairy products for 6 years due to illness.

kiwisbird · 29/04/2004 08:48

The scepticism is widely based on the knowledge of how iron is absorbed, simply that diary is the biggest inhibitor of iron absorption which can explain why 6-12 month babies can suffer iron deficiency, the bonus of continued breastfeeding allows easily and quickly absrobed iron althought the specific quantities are less. But more absorbable...
It's the same a calcium enriched water or skimmed milk, calcium is absorbed on fat molecules...
To boost iron absorbtiop a small amount of orange juice after a meal containing the iron can help and not taking dairy for 1-2 hours afterwards, obv with 6-12 month old baby virtually impossible to avoid dairy for that long!
I spent a long time looking at iron absorption being anaemic myself...