transition from first infant milk to follow on milk

[Volleyhang]

I am BF-ing all day and evening, then give half a bottle of formula some nights before she goes to bed, to my 6mo.

Is it now okay to give her half a bottle of the follow on milk (6months plus) instead of the first infant milk before she goes to bed?

Don't think that I need a face... maybe a would help with that?

Yes, formula is gentler than cow's milk because it has been processed to be so. There is no reason why the OP can't substitute with cow's milk if she wants. I wouldn't, as it can be harsh on the stomach and why risk it when the current formula is tolerated well?

What exactly do you mean by "harsh" on the stomach, and that formula is "gentler" than cows milk?

It's milk. Formula is made from cows milk in the first place isn't it? Might have a slightly different nutritional make up but as pp says, as a night time drink it's not going to make much difference. They can have it from 6 months. It's not going to damage or even affect the stomach in any way.

Formula is not the same as cow's milk. A quick read of the ingredients will tell you that.

It's made by processing cow's milk, breaking it down into it's constituent parts, then reconstituting only the parts that are required with a whole host of other ingredients. Cow's milk as it comes has too many salts in it, the wrong balance of vitamins, minerals, proteins and fat etc etc. so yes, it can be harder to digest and cause stomach upsets.

I thought babies shouldn't have cows milk as a drink until they're 1?
The whole thing is confusing, I've been wondering whether to move DS onto follow on milk as he's still on first milk at nearly 8 months, I have one friend telling me I should do and another telling me not to bother. No idea what to do. Is follow on the same or with extra vitamins?

No they don't. Cheese, yoghurt, butter etc are all processed, fermented etc to some extent so are usually better tolerated than cow's milk etc. The NHS advice is not to give cow's milk as a main drink, but it can be used in cooking, on cereal etc.

Even when they are 12 months the recommendation is to give around 300ml of milk a day, and that is only because it is a good source of calcium.

I would just be wary of giving a bottle of cow's milk to a 6 month old who has barely started to eat solids. There's no need to change from the current formula to follow on either as previously explained.

Cow's milk shouldn't be given as a "main drink" until 12 months. So, if you want to, you could give one drink of cow's milk on top of breastfeeding or formula as long as it wasn't replacing them and becoming their "main drink".

Follow on milk has a slightly different make up than first infant formula and more iron. Some babies find the different make up harder to digest, and some find the extra iron problematic which can cause constipation. The NHS advice is that there are no benefits to follow on milk, and that first infant formula should be used till 12 months then you can swap to cow's milk, around 300 ml a day.

Thanks for that culture :)
Every piece of advice I get contradicts the last! My gut feeling was to stick on first milk but my friend was like this when I said I hadnt put him on follow on yet.
ds just has water as a drink, he was having constipation issues when he started weaning but it's getting better as he's getting better at using his water cup. so I wouldn't want to replace his water drink with cows milk for that reason.

Zzzz the advice hasn't changed at all and you're giving out advice here that is totally wrong. At 6 months you can use cows milk in food but it shouldn't be a main drink until 12 months. Follow on is unnecessary but stick to stage 1 until 1.

I think some parents get excited about reaching a new "stage", and follow on milk, then toddler milk meets that need for the parent.

My general advice would be to take friends comments with a large pinch of salt, and then do your own research. The NHS website has got good pages about infant feeding, weaning, drinks for children etc etc.

I'm sure my friend means well, she gave her twins follow on and swears they slept better etc. I think purely because it's on sale people think you should use it, but as Nhs are saying not to bother I'm starting to think it really is just so the formula companies can advertise it. It doesn't half make it confusing though when you're in the baby aisle of boots in a sleep deprived baby brain haze wondering what the hell to buy and what your baby should be drinking/eating now!

Also the toddler milk threw me - what's supposed to be the difference with that one? If you switch to cows milk at 1 surely there is no need for it at all?

You're right, there's no need for toddler milk. It's another marketing ploy/product to increase sales. It's got more sugars in it than cow's milk, and you can achieve the same level of vitamins/minerals by giving a daily multivitamin.

Zzzzz that last feed IS a substitute for bfeeding! I think your notion that because she feeds all day the odd cup of cows milk won't matter is very very strange and certainly contrary to any advice I've ever seen.

But at that feed the OP would be replacing bfeeding with cows milk wouldn't she. That feed would be a replacement, and that baby would not therefore be having a feed that was suitable at 6 months old. I have a 9 year old and a 9 month old. The advice in the intervening years has remained the same and it's sensible to me. Formula or bfeeding (with additional vitamin drops if this is the choice) until 1 when solid food will be fully established and milk becomes a drink, not a meal, thus rendering the vitamins, iron etc less necessary in milk.

But zzzzz, the OP gives half a bottle of formula before bed, so this is a feed, not a drink. The baby wouldn't get the same quantity of calories and nutrients from cows milk than from formula or a breastfeed.
The last bottle DS has before bed is biggest bottle he has, and it lasts him until the morning, so cows milk just wouldn't fill him.

Zzzzz- the link you posted stated that ff babies don't need vitamin drops-

"Babies who are fed infant formula don't need vitamin drops if they are having 500ml (about a pint) of formula or more a day. This is because formula is already fortified with the vitamins they need"

Which is what I said.
And really, there is a right and a wrong here and I'm sorry but you're wrong.

By the way, the advice on tea, Ribena etc in bottles most certainly has not changed. This is not something I would ever consider doing with my children. Some people however don't follow the advice and, zzzz, you are clearly one of them.