Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Infant feeding

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

Flip

Original poster

Formula Milk - Step 3

10 replies

LuckySalem · 23/06/2008 22:07

Hi all,

My DD will be 6 months next week and i've gotta go shopping to get her some more formual tomorrow.

When should I actually start using the follow on milk? As she'll be 26 weeks next week but not actually 6 months till 16th July. If that makes sense.

Do I start when she is 26 weeks or when she is 6 months?
Also do you give them the same amount as the 2nd milk or less?

OP posts:

Seona1973 · 23/06/2008 22:15

I didnt switch till ds was about 9 months (I tried at 6 months - 26 weeks (which is exactly 6 months btw) - but he got unsettled so I went back to the hungry milk for a bit longer) I only switched because it was slightly cheaper rather than the marketing spin about the extra iron, etc. Your lo will also do perfectly fine on their current milk as it is suitable till 1 year anyway at which point they can drink cows milk.

p.s. I gave the same amount as he took of the milk he was on.

penona · 23/06/2008 22:16

Hi there
Have you talked to your health visitor at all? Mine suggested that the follow on milks weren't that different from the initial milks, so no need to change. They do need more iron after 6 mths as their initial stores dwindle, but they can get that from food as well as fortified milk (eg from beef).
I moved mine onto the follow on milk at 9 mths, as I was nervous about how they might react to it, and I was right - they both got nappy rash and were quite 'possetty' on the different milk. So they are still on the stage 1 milk now (at 12 months). Some of the other mums I know found the same thing - so don't be in a rush to change milks!

After 6 months I started to reduce mine down to 3 x 7oz feeds a day, and moved onto 3 food meals too. But did it gradually, so by 9 mths they ate 3 full meals and 3 7oz bottles.

Hope that helps!

TeaDr1nker · 23/06/2008 22:18

Hi the book 0 to 5 that you should have got from your HV also says that follow on milk is a bit of a con, but FWIW, i just put LO onto follow on milk at 6 months and fortunately didn't have any adverse reactions.

Original poster

LuckySalem · 23/06/2008 22:19

Cheers all,

I don't ask my HV much these days as she's not very helpful.
I didn't think they could stay on the 2nd milk after 6 months (I really should read the cartons better)
At the moment DD is having 5 8oz feeds along with some mashed fruit in the morning. (I gave her a banana to eat the other day and it went EVERYWHERE!! )

I assumed that 26 weeks was the same but DP keeps raving on about how she won't be 6 months till the 16th cos she was born on the 16th - so..... lol

OP posts:

Original poster

LuckySalem · 23/06/2008 22:19

teadr1nker - I got no book. hmmm, maybe i'll have to speak to the HV now then! Lol

OP posts:

lackaDAISYcal · 23/06/2008 22:25

Second that you should talk to your HV as I have always been told that there is absolutely no need to give your LO follow on milk and the first or second milk is fine until a year of age and then you can go straight onto Cow's milk. Apparently follow on milks were only devised by the formula manufacturers to get round the ban on advertising infant (under 6mo) formula.

As far as I'm aware the only difference is that it has more iron in it, but it isn't in an easily digestible form and can make them more constipated.

It shows what a good job the formula companies advertising does though if you thought that you needed to go onto follow on milk after six months!

Original poster

LuckySalem · 23/06/2008 22:28

Yeh - Proves how good it is. Well I know that DD has trouble now and then with the 2nd milk so I think i'll just stick to this if it can make them constipated.

OP posts:

hayley2u · 23/06/2008 22:29

well it says on the cow and gate i think 6 months, iv just bought it for dd but heard someone on a thread say they should only really stay on the 1 st unless they are underweight which my dd is not , so i dont know whether to put her back on 2 too

Original poster

LuckySalem · 23/06/2008 22:30

DD is definatly not underweight!! lol. Fatty... I think i'll stick to 2nd milk.

OP posts:

penona · 23/06/2008 22:39

I have a box of 1st milk and a box of follow on.... they are pretty much the same calorie content per 100ml, so makes no difference that way. The mineral content of the follow on is fractionally higher, but not alot. Otherwise they don't seem any different nutritionally, but they do have very different ingredients (if that makes sense).
My HV also said it was all a marketing con, but the follow on milk apparently is harder to digest so they feel fuller for longer... which I didn't want as was struggling to get mine to eat 3 meals a day anyway. Hence staying on the first milk.

Flip