Does anyone else use 'growing up milk' for their toddlers? I have a question about it...

[Olive1987]

Firstly I know growing up milk is a marketing con but my 2 1/2 year old will not drink cows milk, my fault I know, as it doesn't taste like vanilla.

Anyway...

We still make it up by boiling the kettle and then putting the power in when it's cooled down. He only drinks it at room temp anyway (won't drink it warm). So my question is, does it make a difference to make it up with tap water? Could we use tap water instead of cooled boiled water?

Thanks in advance

[MrsTerryPratchett]

Good, easy advice which says boiled water to drink under 6 months, always boil water to heat up formula.

[Olive1987]

I think that's where my confusion was. He has never ever drank warm milk, even from birth. At first he had cow and gate ready made poured straight into his bottle at room temp. So because he wasn't ever drinking warm milk we just made up about 3 bottles and let them sit untill he was ready for a feed, then we would add the powder. I guess I thought using the boiled water was so the feed was warm, for most babies that drink milk warm. I didn't know about bacteria In formula. I thought boiled water as it's sterile. But obviously now I don't sterilise anymore I wondered what the difference was between cooled boiled water and tap water.
Big wooops.

[OooOooTheMonkey]

I have just moved DD onto cows milk as she is nearly 1 (and I ran out of formula!)
Not follow on milk, first milk. Here's what I did after she could have tap water.
Put 2oz of boiling water in a bottle. Add 6 scoops of powder. Shake.
In a separate bottle, put 4oz of tap water in and pour over the boiling water / formula. Shake again. Job done! This is safe with follow on too, I think I would still use the boiling water in case of the campylobacter or whatever it is bugs that may or not be in the box. Tap water is fine but I just wouldn't risk it without the boiling water part if that makes sense.

[leekandpotato]

Have never understood the need for growing up milk.
Seems an waste of money to be. if eating a healthy diet why would you need it?

what is it for?

[MrsTerryPratchett]

It's for making money leek

[OooOooTheMonkey]

Leek I think the OPs DC won't have cows milk so she is giving growing up milk in place of that.
Although at 2.5 maybe it doesn't matter so much as long as they're having enough yoghurt and cheese?

[OooOooTheMonkey]

I am so happy to have stopped buying formula. £10 a tub!
Going through lots of cows milk now though. Feel like I'm forever in tesco buying more!

[plumnc]

You could try mixing the formula with cows milk and gradually reduce the amount of formula?

[plumnc]

Made up formula mixed w milk obvs

[Olive1987]

There's absolutely no need for growing up milk and I know that, it's just that he loves his milk and won't drink cows milk. Tubs are £7.99 and last about 2 weeks. He eats a lot of yoghurt/ cheese etc. so doesn't actually need the milk it's just his routine now, milk first thing and last thing at night.
The health visitor told me to gradually mix cows milk with his formula, adding more cows milk each time and less formula.
And then she said id have to start him on vitamins because he might not get all the vitamins which were in the formula. I find that a bit strange...

[batmanandrobin]

why not try a milk shake to get him used to cows milk? is nesquik still about?

I've never used tap water myself but dc's immune system should b strong enough at 2.6yo? if dc is healthy? i thought newborns used boiling water to kill germs (as pp have said) whereas that's not necessary now.

try it couple of days and see what happens? as long as your water isn't hard water?

[AriaBanjo]

Nesquik is very sugary.

I would gradually add more cows milk to the formula milk until it becomes all cows milk!

[Havingabeer]

Tap water has been treated with chlorine so is fine for children that age. Is probably even better than bottles as more restrictions are on tap water with regards to minerals in it