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?

Zzzz- re my "interpretation" of the advice, this is the advice-

Wait until your baby is a year old before giving her cow's milk as a main drink.

"It's fine to use a little cow's milk in your baby's food once she's started on solids. Yoghurt and mild cheese are also fine to feed your baby from six months. But cow's milk as her main drink will leave her short of important nutrients before she's one year old".

It seems very clear to me and not requiring "interpretation".

If I come across as aggressive zzzz it is because you are sharing your entirely wrong approach as though it is just as good, when in fact it is not.
If you can find me one thread of advice which suggests that drinking cows milk at 6 months is better than formula then I'll be delighted to read it.
I am utterly gobsmacked by your words and suggest you discuss your views with your health visitor and see what they think.

Zzzzz you're wrong. Any milk feeds under one should be breastmilk or formula. Cooking with a little cows milk is wholly different to pouring four ounces into a bottle.

Op don't bother with follow on milk - it's a marketing con to enable formula companies to advertise.

zzzz breast milk and formula are food and babies are still heavily reliant on these feeds at the age of the OPs baby. The bottle of formula she gives her baby before bed is a feed. Cows milk is a drink, not food. So it would essentially be dropping a feed, though forgive me if I'm wrong?

Agree we all do things differently but personally I would be hesitant to give a whole cup of cows milk to an under 1 if lots of research has shown it can do more harm than good and is not best for the baby. As a first time mum and not much idea about what im doing, I've been given a lot of dodgy, nonsensical yet well meaning advice and found that guidelines sometimes help me see the woods from the trees. It doesn't mean I follow it to the letter, does anyone?

Zzzzz, your responses are strange. You are accusing others of being outraged and angry, yet responding sarcastically and unpleasantly, with a side order of passive aggression. It's not nice :(

You have not reinformed yourself and half-remembered factoids are being presented by you which only serve to confuse and annoy.

There was never guidance in the seventies to start solids at six weeks. Some parents may have done it, and some hcps might have suggested it, but it was never official guidance. That's just an example of the stuff you are coming out with!!

OP, stick with the first stage formula you and your baby are happy with.

Zzzzz, the OP didn't ask about cows milk. She was wondering about whether to switch to follow on. It's you and only you that has suggested cows milk, and I've never heard of that being recommended, only actively discouraged for a variety of reasons.
Just because you don't like formula provides no reason why cows milk would be more suitable for a 6 month old baby.
They may give it with a large spoon of sugar in other countries, but why on earth would anyone think that would be good for an infant?

Thank goodness for the voices of reason on here!!

There are so many reasons why cows milk as a drink is wholly unsuitable at 6 months old. It's not about conformity or doing as you're told- it's about doing the best for your baby based on solid medical advice.

I totally agree- stick to stage 1 until 1 and then switch to whole cows milk (if your baby is eating well- if not stick at stage 1 a bit longer).

I'd be interested to know why you think the majority would agree with you zzzz. I've never heard of anyone giving cows milk as a drink to a 6 month old.

Most of the world doesn't follow NHS guidelines, no, but equally I don't think most of the world gives babies a bottle of cows milk at six months either...

Yes cook, doing as zzz suggests would essentially be dropping a feed. Something you'd want to be careful doing with a baby of that age, since they may not be having a great deal of solid food and in any case, they need to be getting most of their nutrition from breast milk and/or formula whilst under one. I mean, it might be ok to drop a feed at six months, but you'd want to check with a clinician first. It's rather young to be dropping milk feeds.