Follow on Formulas, can someone please explain any advantages?!

[violetsmile]

Hi all, not sure if this has already been done (or whether I'm the only thickie who doesn't know!) but what are the advantages of follow in milks?

My ds is 10 months old. He has been on Farley's First milk since 3 weeks old. I never moved him on to second milk as I was advised by my health visitor that it may make him even more windy and have tummy troubles (he was a windy little thing anyway!). Anyway, it kept him satisfied until going on solids so I never even thought about changing it. He eats solids well and is now has 3 bottles a day.

I was buying formula yesterday out with my friend and her 18 month old ds and when I picked up the first milk she seemed horrified and asked why the hell he was still on first milk! I told her it says on the packet that it's for use up to 12 months but she kept banging on about follow on milk and how much better it is for them from 6 months. Now I'm unsure whether to ditch the first milk and change to follow on milk. Are there really that many advantages of changing it?

There isn't any. The manufacturers invented it to get round the restrictions on advertising formula milk. If he's happy on first milk, then keep him on that till you're ready to move to cows milk

Oh thank you! I only noticed yeaterday when out shopping that most people wih older babies were buying follow on mils or at least stage 2 milks. I'd never even thought about it before and felt a bit daft when my friend seemed so shocked! She made it sound like I was malnourishing him or something!

Yep, it's a complete con.

Started off in Asia I noticed before seeing it on the shelves here. At least here it's not advertised in the manner of it makes your baby really intelligent

none at all.....as cmot said, it only exists to get round the ban on advertising infant milks.

You can start giving him cow's milk in a couple of months anyway, whereas your friend, who is obviously beguiled by the marketing men, will probably still be shelling out for follow on or "growing up" milk!

Yes she is lackadaisycal! She still gives him it in the morning and before bed, I will stick with the first milk and move onto full fat cows milk in a couple of months and save my money. I still feel a bit thick though as I didn't even realise there was a ban on advertising infant formulas, I just always wondered why on the SMA adverts it only shows the Follow On Milk tins! Thanks all.

Follow on formula is supposed to contain more iron. However I believe it is not in a particularly digestible form. It made dd2 incredibly constipated.

Sorry that totally failed to answer your question! Don't think there are any real advantages and actually at my post-natal group the (fairly sensible)HV said there was absolutely no advantage to it and it was a marketing ploy!

I did use it as it was a bit cheaper than the first milks - I also switched brands from aptamil to cow and gate as it was also cheaper (I am stingy!!). In a couple of months your lo can have cows milk so no point in changing now. First milk is fine for the first year anyway.

The only advantage is a tin tends to be cheaper.