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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

To formula feed or not to formula feed ... a one year old?

29 replies

prussell · 01/04/2008 15:07

On another thread I was quite surprised to find that research supports the fact that formula has risks in itself. Having done a fair amount of reading on the subject when I was pregnant, I knew I wanted to bf DS but made this decision on the basis that bm was best and not because formula was bad.

DS is now one year old and I am still bf-ing him but am considering what I should do going forward. He only takes milk twice a day now - first thing in morning, last thing at night - so it is hardly onerous but I am starting to feel that a year is a jolly good stab at bf and wouldn't mind being able to stop now so that DH and I could go away for the odd weekend etc.

My HV (who is incredibly vague and not terribly helpful) says that DS doesn't need milk anymore but that if I do want to give him some, cow's milk will do. Instinctively I am a bit nervous to do that. I'm not sure why - we don't have any major allergies in the family - but so many people seem to be lactose intolerant these days and I thought I would hold off on this until he is was about two.

My solution was therefore to replace these feeds with formula but - having read some of the posts on the other thread - am now having doubts. If DS has had the benefit of bm for the first year is it not ok to go with formula now? Or would it be better to go with cow's milk? Or should I just stick with the bf?

OP posts:

nailpolish · 01/04/2008 15:08

id just go to cows milk

but then i dont worry about all that kind of stuff

ff is such a faff around. and expensive.

JodieG1 · 01/04/2008 15:09

I'd just stick with bf personally. Ds2 is 14 months and still bf, he feeds a lot though and through the night as well.

nailpolish · 01/04/2008 15:11

i meant to say - id go to cows milk, but not stop bf completely

StealthPolarBear · 01/04/2008 15:11

formula is not bad! Plus it's modified cow's milk so (correct me if I'm wrong) then it will have an effect on the lactose intolerant thing.
Personally I am moving my 11mo to cows milk when I go back to work but if I was particularly worried about vits or iron would give formula
You could continue to bf though - at this stage you should be able to spend a night or two away from your DS without it affecting supply, from what I've read

iwouldgoouttonight · 01/04/2008 15:12

Has he had any cow's milk in his food, cheese, etc? If so and he hasn't had any bad reactions he's probably ok to drink it - maybe you could introduce it gradually. DS went straight to cow's milk when he was one - there aren't any lactose allergies in our family, but there are other allergies but DS has been fine so far.

I think your HV is wrong if she says he doesn't need ANY milk - he still needs some, whether cows, formula or breast, as well as his other meals, so he gets enough calcium.

StealthPolarBear · 01/04/2008 15:12

sorry - formula feeding has risks as opposed to breastfeeding.
Formula in itself is not a risky drink iyswim - why on earth should it be?
that's how I understand it anyway

Brangelina · 01/04/2008 15:13

Formula is cow's milk in a highly processed form anyway. The ideal thing would be to stick with the bfeeding and perhaps slowly add cow's milk, and if you do want to give up bfing then gradually replace feeds.

I still bf my little one but on 2x a day, the rest of the time she has cow's milk if she feels like it.

bozza · 01/04/2008 15:13

No reason to introduce formula at 1yo. Either stick with the bf or give him full fat cow's milk. Or are you thinking of some non-cow formula?

StealthPolarBear · 01/04/2008 15:13

Yes I agree HV is wrong - no way could I just cut out milk from DS's diet. The people I know who have give a lot of dairy food in substitute.

BITCAT · 01/04/2008 15:14

The guidelines are cows milk ok at 12mths as a main drink, and your hv is wrong he does need milk to develop strong bones! I'm pretty sure it was at least a pint a day full fat milk, dont quote me on it because it could have changed! Formula is also very expensive and provided he is eating a good healthy varied diet, then he doesnt need it at all..cows milk should be fine. I'm sure he has already eaten something with cows milk in it, yogurts, cheese etc..so if he was lactose intolerant you would probably know by now. Hopefully someone out there with bit more knowledge.

nailpolish · 01/04/2008 15:14

formula isnt risky but its a pain in the arse to make - as opposed to cows milk straight from the fridge

and thats good point about formula being made from cows milk - i forgot about taht

Sidge · 01/04/2008 15:17

I bf'd my DD3 until 13 months then moved her on to cow's milk as a drink - she had had it on cereal etc before then.

It made her terribly sick and constipated so we had to stop cow's milk and now give her a little formula and lots of other dairy products.

Strictly speaking a child doesn't need milk for strong bones, they need calcium, vitamins A, D and E and other minerals, which you can get from other foods apart from milk.

SmugColditz · 01/04/2008 15:19

I wouldn't give him formula, utterly pointless. (And I havve formula fed mine so not waving any flags here) but it's expensive and a one year old does not need it.

BITCAT · 01/04/2008 15:26

I had this with ds2, making him constipated! I had to stop the milk! He had yogurts and i topped him up with vits..because he wasnt a good eater anyway! But doesnt mean to say all children will be the same, ds1 drunk gallons of milk, was going through 18pints a week and there was only him then! Didnt do him any harm, he still loves milk now and is very strong and healthy rarely gets ill! I would probably be inclined to give a drink of milk before bed and see how it goes.

GColdtimer · 01/04/2008 15:30

agree that formula is pointless and expensive at this age. I would just give him organic cows milk - as someone else said, if you have been giving him dairy products you would know if he was going to have a reaction to it. And formula is based on cows milk anyway.

mears · 01/04/2008 15:34

Definitely no need to give formula.

Milk as a drink is not essential either - you can get enough calcium etc for healthy bones in diet alone.

3 out of 4 of my children hardly drank any milk at all after I stopped BF them. They got enough dairy in breakfast, cheeses, yogurts, puddings etc.

SmugColditz · 01/04/2008 15:44

Ds2 was never one for milk, he has cheeses, yoghurts, milky puddings (chocolate milkshake shoot me shoot me)

StealthPolarBear · 01/04/2008 15:46

I will shoot you colditz, unless you're willing to make one for me?

MaeWest · 01/04/2008 15:49

I started offering DS the odd drink of moojuice when he was 1 (bf completely up until then). He wasn't overly impressed to start with, would take a mouthful and then let it dribble out of his mouth.

Now he drinks it quite happily, likes it cold from the fridge. I still bf in the (early) morning, but have recently started giving him milk in a cup at bedtime as I'm gradually weaning him, he will occasionally ask for it during the day by going to the fridge and whinging. He's 20 months.

StealthPolarBear · 01/04/2008 15:53

That's interesting MW, I tried my DS on moojuice (love the term) the other day, he pulled the "brocolli face" and spat it out! I'm hoping it's just a case of getting him used to it

andiem · 01/04/2008 15:56

defo cow's milk organic if you can ds1 went from bf to cows milk and am planning same for ds2

MaeWest · 01/04/2008 16:08

SPB - I faffed about for ages warming it up, special cups etc, but then one day I gave him it cold and he suddenly got into it. Would drink it out of an old boot I think... Still has to be mama-milk at 4am tho (yawn), at least I get to lie down

Slouchy · 01/04/2008 16:16

This is interesting...my sil has a one year old who eats 'real food' very well indeed. I asked her if she was using cow's milk (moojuice indeed!)the other day, she said no, the advice now is to continue with formula cos of the extra vits etc. I was a bit but left it, after all advice r.e. feeding does change quite frequently.
So there is no need for her to spend yet more £££ on aptimil?

GColdtimer · 01/04/2008 16:17

no need at all, its a marketing myth.

MrsTittleMouse · 01/04/2008 16:17

When DD was one I started giving her regular milk as well as formula. To be honest, milk is the only drink that will do when she wakes up from her nap, so I still happily give her formula at 18 months. It's a lot easier to take a bottle of water and a tub of formula when we're out than to find regular milk/keep it cold from home. Formula also lasts longer, which is an issue for us as we cannot stand full cream (bleugh!) and DD has organic (we don't) so it saves us buying milk that gets spoiled it DD doesn't drink it.
So after all that, the point is that either formula or regular milk are fine and do what is right for you.

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