Stage 2 formula milk shortage

[rountree]

Hi, has anyone noticed there is a shortage of stage 2 formula milk? My son has been on aldi's mamia stage 2 but they seem to have run out of stock, I've been to 3 local aldi stores but they don't have any and so I went to asda but they had no stage 2 formula milk at all, the shelf was bare! Does anyone know what's going on and what we can do? What other milk can I give my 19 month old? The reason he still drinks stage 2 milk is because sometimes he doesn't have a varied diet for all sorts of reasons, namely he refuses foods sometimes so this way he has his vitamins and minerals. Thanks everyone!

The heath visitor told me follow on milks are a load of tripe and it's all the same. So can you just give him stage 1 milk? Xx

If he’s 19 months give him cows milk and a vitamin tablet!

Regular full fat cows milk and give vitamin drops or gummy chews. Not only easier but cheaper too.

Stage 2 milk is good for babies 6-12 months if you want to save money compared to stage 1 but it’s nothing but a load of marketing nonsense for toddlers.

If you’re really insistent though you could give him literally any stage 2 or stage 3 milk you can find. It won’t cause problems in the way that changing a milk can when they’re newborn.

Thank you I might try that, I did wonder if I could but I wasn't sure.

This is correct. By law, anything that is found to be beneficial has to be included in formula therefore you only ever need to buy stage 1, follow on milk is a con

Thank you for this, how do i give him cow's milk? He is used to having a bottle in the morning before breakfast, a bottle at nap time and then a bottle at night time. He does have cow's milk in his cereal and he does drink it plain and straight from a cup but it's the comfort thing isn't it. Do I warm it up and put it in his bottle? It won't be sweet though will it like formula milk?

Thanks for this, how do i give him cow's milk? Do I warm it up and sweeten it? Thanks

If it’s super sweet probably better to make that change now. If you think he would order cows milk warm then warm it (be careful in the microwave as it does warm liquids unevenly). Don’t be tempted to sweeten the cows milk, it’s sweet enough naturally.

At this age you want to be aiming to get him off off a bottle as they are not great for dental development. Preferably a straw cup or open cup. If it's for comfort then warming the milk up may help but don't sweeten it, he should be working on getting used to the less sweet taste of cows milk. The high sugar content of follow on milks is one of the reasons they are discouraged in favour of cows milk.

I wouldn’t sweeten it, especially if he is having it at night. Warm normal milk for his bottle, or get stage 1 milk if you would prefer to give formula. If you are worried about vitamins then get him the vitamin liquid supplement and give him a spoonful of that.

Why not speak to your health visitor?. Mine is great and had a team that helps answer questions about weaning and nutrition etc

Sweeten it at first to get him to drink it then taper off the sugar so by the end of the week there’s no sugar. I had to do that to get my eldest to take the cmpa formula

I cut the vitamin gummies up at that age.

You can warm it if you like, you don’t sweeten it and at that age he shouldn’t be having any bottles at all because they’re terrible for teeth.

You should speak to your HV for advice, you sound a little confused about what is normal/healthy

As soon as my kids were eating a decent amount of solid food they went straight onto cows milk

I couldn't afford to keep buying formula.
All 6 foot healthy young men now 😁

Thank you, I don't know why they don't have any in the shops, what's going on? I can't be the only person to notice it

The ONLY reason any formula other than first stage exists is so that it can be advertised. So use newborn or another type of milk.

Perhaps use it as the time to cut down on bottles altogether?

If he is consuming vast amounts of formula he won't be hungry for food.

Thank you, yes that’s what we’re thinking too. How would you suggest is the best way to make the transition from formula to cow’s milk? I’ve read about doing a gradual wean but not sure how it works.

I didn’t know that, thanks I’m just surprised they don’t have any in the shops it’s crazy. I can only seem to find stage 1

Thanks, do I sweeten it with sugar or honey and how much?

God, don't bloody sweeten cows milk! No wonder your child doesn't want to eat if they're guzzling formula all day!

Just pour some cows milk in a baby bottle and hand it to your child as normal. If they drink it, good. If they don't drink it then they don't drink it.

I don’t really have one, the one I’ve got has never met my son and the previous one only met him once before we moved. He’s adopted so I keep asking his foster carers but I just wondered on other peoples advice

No do not sweeten it all.

You do 70% formula 30% cows milk for 3 days then 50/50 for 3 days or so then 30% formula and 70% cows milk for a few days then just cows milk.

Then work on just offering a cup of milk morning and post nap rather than a bottle even if it's some sort of training cup.

Yes I did wonder, I’ve thought it was strange sweetening it. Thank you I will give it a go. He doesn’t guzzle milk all day, just has 2-3 bottles a day