Feeling confused about one year old milk

[listentobirdsong]

Dd has very recently turned one, and has three bottles a day. First thing in the morning she has 7oz, at some point in the afternoon she has 5 or 6 oz, and before bed she has about 6 oz. Dd never goes to sleep on a bottle, but just likes to snuggle up to us as we feed her. She eats a varied diet and three meals a day. She sometimes has a little snack, but it isn't in her routine to always have one. She also has water from a cup throughout the day.

I thought this was totally normal, but after looking online she should apparently only be having 8 - 12 oz of milk (baby centre), and we should have introduced a cup from six months (nhs). I am also on a facebook group, and the other mums said their health visitors told them to put vitamin drops in the milk but we don't do this. We haven't seen our hv since dd was 6 weeks old, and are still waiting to hear back from her about a visit. I feel so stupid like we have been doing it all wrong, and I'm please looking for some advice.

Thank you

We should have introduced a cup for milk I meant to write.

We worried about this at first. 2 children on, I've found they drop milk in their own time. If it's cows milk I'd probably consider putting vitamin drops in as it's not fortified in the way formula is (get them from your go reception, cheaper & recommended). You could try gradually introducing a cup maybe starting with the afternoon one, but tbh if you give her her water in a cup she'll probs be dropping her daytime bottles in coming months so I wouldn't worry too much. My 1st daughter had a 'bedtime bottle' until the age of 2 which we were aware she wasn't 'supposed' to, and we'd periodically try to stop it from about 18mths (always a disaster) and then she just dropped it herself a few months later, no fuss.
My current 20mth old used to have similar amounts of milk as you describe at 1yr but has quietly dropped all but a bedtime feed.

that's just my experience not saying you shouldn't listen to guidelines just sharing that it's not necessarily 'wrong' if your child wants to do a different thing.

*GP reception

Thank you so much for your reply, that's definitely re assured me. I will look into the vitamin drops, as I know it probably sounds silly but I had no idea about this. To be honest I still feel as though dd needs those bottles, she signs for them (we do baby sign) and generally drinks them well. She also eats really well so that isn't a concern for us.

Maximum I was recommended (for DD who could manage 45 oz, yes really, at one point!) was 600ml, which is 20 oz. So you're fine. See this as an example:

www.cambscommunityservices.nhs.uk/docs/default-source/leaflets---health-visiting---april-2015/0214--weaning---hvteams-hunt-area.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Thanks for that sheepy, I really appreciate it. Dd does also have milk in things such as porridge and yoghurt though, so with that added onto the bottles is it classed as too much?

Vitamins were recommended from 6 months to 5 years if they were having less than 500mls of formula as formula is fortified already. Introduce a cup at 6 months for water and aim to phase out bottles by age 1. 300mls (approx 10oz) is recommended from age 1

My boy has turned one recently, he naturally dropped his feeds just before his birthday. So I give him cows milk in his munchkin 360 cup in the morning and a cup at night. He eats a lot though and we give vitamin drops. They don't need as much now especially if the get dairy in their diet. However, I believe they do things when they are ready. I gave him a cup at 10months and it was a complete no go!

You could swap one milk feed into a lidded cup and see how she gets on

Dd was mix fed (breast, espressing and formula), then we went solely onto formula as she refused to drink breast milk. We recently started introducing cows milk, and now she just has that and no formula.

I may try swapping the afternoon bottle for her cup and see how she gets on. Is the reason it's recommended to give a cup instead of a bottle because it's better for their teeth? As obviously if you're breastfeeding you don't have to switch to a cup. I'm struggling to really understand why.

Yes it's to do with milk pooling around the teeth. If she is having cows milk now then vitamins A, C and D are recommended

Okay thanks I wondered if that was why. I didn't know that she needed vitamins as she eats a good and varied diet, but perhaps I should buy some then.

I feel so stupid for not knowing all of this, as I try to learn everything I can to do the best for dd. At the same time I struggled with some post natal anxiety when she was small, so I do my best not to Google things as it can make me worry. Also I've not seen my hv and no friends or family ever mentioned this. I will make some changes and see how dd gets on. Thank you everyone.

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/vitamins-for-children.aspx nhs vitamins advice. Vitamin D is probably most important as it's hard to get enough from food

Thank you, I will pick up some vitamins in the next few days.

My DS was having close to 1L/day for a long time, but he dropped some of the extra milk around 18 months and then the pre-bed drink around 2.5y. Now he's 3.3 and has milk on ver

Crap, hit post accidentally

He has cereal and a cup of milk most days.

They drop it in their own time.

Thank you, I agree with you I think they drop it when they're ready. I want to start giving dd her afternoon milk in a cup, but I won't drop the amount just yet as she seems to need it still.

When we were attempting to wean DD (it was not a happy process), it was only liquid milk that was being counted in the 600ml, so definitely not yoghurt, and I wouldn't worry too much about porridge.

If your DD's diet is good, then ignore this, but my DD's diet at 1 was pretty much only milk (did I mention weaning went badly?!), and we were warned about her iron intake - we switched formula to give her more iron; you can also get it in some multivitamins, but if your DD is eating a reasonable amount of meat/green vegetables, then you don't need to worry at all.

Thank you sheepy, I've been feeling really guilty like I've gotten everything wrong. Thankfully dd is a fantastic eater and will eat pretty much anything put in front of her.

I spoke to dh and he doesn't think the vitamins are necessary, but if the nhs is recommending them I think maybe we should, so we will look into some more.

I'm just unsure how she'll get on drinking milk from a cup, as she's only just really started drinking water from a cup (a big part of the reason I'm reluctant to give her less milk, as I worry about her getting dehydrated)! It's definitely worth introducing though.

vit d supplements are necessary because its difficult to get enough from diet alone hence the nhs advice. adults should get enough from sunlight but as we keep babies covered in suncream and away from direct sunlight as much as poss they don't get enough vit d from sunlight either.

sorry should say adults should get enough from sunlight from April - September

Don't be so hard on yourself. you haven't done anything 'wrong'
at all. You're doing just fine. Sounds like your DD has a good diet; don't worry. Plus your hv should be supporting you; call up and say you haven't had your routine check ups.

One of my DTs wouldn't even touch cow's milk, so just didn't have any milk when she stopped breastfeeding! She ate well, though. I also dont give vitamin drops. I think veg, fruit and sunshine do the trick. May start vitamin d in the winter, though.

I have called up a few days ago about a visit, but haven't heard anything back from her yet. Thank you, I feel a bit better about it now. I just felt guilty as I didn't know that I was doing it 'wrong', especially as I used to work in a nursery and all of the babies still had bottles at dd's age and beyond bought in by parents.

Actually I've just remembered - when I was a nursery assistant we used to have an early years advisor who would visit sometimes. She would actually express shock if ever a baby was feeding themselves from a cup instead of us feeding from a bottle, as it took away from the bonding element.

Very few people I know who bottle feed have ever used a cup instead of a bottle come to think of it. As I said, I'll give it a try with this afternoon's milk.

My DD is 18months and has 4oz in the morning and 6oz at night. These have slowly reduced as she has gotten older. We use the Arla Big Milk for her because it's already fortified with vitamins. She also still has it in a bottle as she will not take milk from a cup. In her eyes cups are for water!

It's hard not to worry with your first but honestly don't be hard on yourself she will be fine on a bottle a bit longer. We brush teeth after milk morning and evening.