Should I switch to follow-on milk?

[lechatnoir]

DS2 (just over 7mths) is exclusively formula fed and I am in the early stages of BLW but he's still just playing so eating very little. With this in mind, should I switch to follow-on milk? He currently has Hipp Organic stage 1 in vast vast quantities

LCN

I really wouldn't tbh. Follow-on milk is just a marketing ploy.

Have you asked your health visitor about this? I only used formula for my eldest dd from about 4 months old so I'm struggling to remember here but I'm pretty sure you could get formula for hungrier babies, probably better than follow-on milk for a 7 month old. I would worry that formula intended for 12 months and up won't have the right nutritional balance for a younger child.

I really think that follow on was designed for three reasons:

1. Because it can be advertised thus getting over the ban on milk for babies under 6 months

2. To encourage bf mothers to switch once they've done their 6 months because follow-on has all those lovely vits that their pathetic bm doesn't (see Aptimil adverts)

3. To try to stretch the selling of formula out for as long as possible - logical progression from stage 2 to stage 3 milks.

Stick with the Hipp if DS2 likes it. It's got everything he needs

Nah follow on milk is just a ploy to get around advertising laws. Not necessary in your average, healthy baby.

And hungry baby milk isn't offering more either, it's just harder to digest so stretches the time between feeds.

Stick with whatever milk you're using.

gaelicsheep call me a cynic but that was my first thought too

Haven't really got a HV well at least not one I've seen since DS2 was 10 days old . I'm not so bothered about the quantity as I assume he's just hungry, but I was wondering about things like iron levels especially as he's barely eating any solids.

There's a limit to how much iron a baby can absorb and the vast quantities they put in follow on milk one, cannot be absorbed anyway and two, more than likely cause constipation in many babies.

It's normal for them to not take much solids at first and there's no reason to change the milk you are giving. You can stick a lorry load of iron in formula if you want, won't make the baby absorb any more than it is able to. It's all just clever advertising.

Cool thanks will stick with current formula .
LCN