Can I give both cows milk & growing up milk?

[NewMummyx]

Hello,

My daughter is 13 months & takes growing up milk with her porridge on a morning & then has a bottle before bed. (Sometimes wants one in afternoon)

I'm wondering if I can use cows milk in her porridge just for ease & then growing up milk for her bottles as I've been told it has more nutritions ?

Also does anyone have any tips on baby taking milk from cup? She takes water fine but will only take milk from a bottle. Does this matter to much?

Thanks so much x

Just for some balance DD who is now 15 months went from a mix of BF and formula to cow's milk only and it had a really bad effect on her. She isn't allergic but I think it's slightly intolerant when it's in a large quantity (cup or bottle before bed) she started waking in the night screaming and doing horrible poos, seemed to just affect her badly. She has 6oz before bed - 4oz growing up forumla milk and 2oz cow's. Absolutely fine.

Also just to say, formula after 12 months is notably cheaper and works out exactly the same price as cow's milk for us.

Lol at emp. Of course I gave them food. But, as small humans, they also drink. So I gave them formula as they liked it and it is very nutritious.

They should be getting the majority of their nutrients from food after the age of 1 so not that much need for overpriced overhyped formula milk. Toddler milk is very sweet and often flavoured with vanilla too

Also emp NHS advises a multi vitamin for kids under 5. If you don’t give them formula ofc (as it has multi vitamin built in). It’s all very well to say they should get nutrition from their food- maybe your toddler eats their veggies, mine were fussy little monsters.

Lettuce that weird that you gave your children a vitamin pill and cows milk instead of just giving them formula. Did you actually change them from formula to cows milk?

I suppose the tailored to our needs bit is cos cows milk isn’t. It’s for baby cows. I personally don’t drink it so don’t have a big attachment to it (although I do love cheese). And obviously objectively formula is much better for your kid. So can’t understand why you would actively switch your kid to cows milk. Or be all self righteous about it. But each to their own, I suppose. Of course there are worse things you could feed your kid than cows milk. But there are better things too (formula obviously).

Demented what brand are you talking about? That’s not true in the uk as far as I am aware in respect of any mainstream brands. The follow on milk basically has slightly less proteins to make them less full. It’s not any more expensive than cows milk (particularly as for me I don’t drink cows milk so I am not buying it anyway) and the formula can be made when needed.

It’s not so much hyped either- just manufactured to have all the nutrients you need! Really as simple as that. I cannot understand all this weird hostility to formula. Do you actively go out of your way to avoid giving your child any other drink or food that’s good for them? It’s not like it’s some superfood with tenuous science to support it. It’s like a big liquid multi vitamin. I’d probably drink it myself but it tastes ghastly.

It is overhyped and was only invented to get round the ban on advertising first infant formula. Mine got cows milk from age 1 as advised by the nhs

www.which.co.uk/reviews/formula-milk/article/choosing-the-right-formula-milk/toddler-formula-milk

What a lot of pro follow on milk posters all in a row.

If follow on milk existed when my Dc were young I wasn't aware of it and don't know anyone who gave their toddlers extra vitamins routinely so tbh I can't help but think that it is a marketing con. Is there any scientific evidence that young children now are any healthier that previous generations due to this type of milk?

Lol at emp. Of course I gave them food. But, as small humans, they also drink. So I gave them formula as they liked it and it is very nutritious.

Lol?

If you have then food you would be providing the nutrition they needed.

Lol at you being a formula worshiper.

zsazsajuju - both the department of health and WHO state follow on milk is not required. The NHS also reports that there is no evidence to suggest the extra "nutrition" they provide benefits children in anyway. Why do you think you know better?

Never heard of growing up milk.

By the time they're on sausage rolls and kitkats they're getting all the vitamins they need

weird that you gave your children a vitamin pill and cows milk instead of just giving them formula. This is not weird at all, it’s what’s recommended by the NHS. Have a read of vitamins for children and Drinks and Cups for Children.

It lacks essential vitamins and minerals (eg no iron).. Nobody worried about iron intake until Follow On/Growing Up Milk was introduced to get around the ban on advertising infant formula and they came up with the advert where they focused specifically on iron intake.

You’re right to say that cows milk has very little or no iron but children after one should be getting all the iron they need from a varied diet. Have a read of Eating Well for 1 to 4 Year Olds, a practical guide.

Also, if you give iron, ie the added iron in Follow On/Growing Up Milk to babies and children who do don’t need it, it can lead to developmental delays.

If you are worried that your child might be anaemic, it’s much better to get their iron levels checked by a GP.

There’s always so much craziness on mumsnet about “formula companies and I think you might be confusing craziness with information and education.

Some people on here seem to be unaware that formula milk is just cows milk which is heavily processed. It does have certain vitamins added in but they can get that from food/vitamin pills anyway.

Zsazsa as a pp has mentioned FORMULA IS COWS MILK with vitamins and sugar added. I'd rather skip the sugar and the hassle of making it up and give her cows milk and a multivitamin. It's not weird at all. Personally I think it's weird that you gave your kids baby milk until 5

And yes I did formula feed until 1.

It’s all very well to say they should get nutrition from their food- maybe your toddler eats their veggies, mine were fussy little monsters.. You do realise that the fussiness could be directly linked to giving them Follow On or Growing Up Milk don’t you?

Some studies have shown that unnecessary iron supplementation can suppress the appetite in some children, whilst in others in can increase the appetite. There also seems to be a some research that would suggest that in those where it increases appetite, this has a direct link to a higher risk of obesity later in life.

I would not give iron fortified milk based on research quoted by @JiltedJohnsJulie . There is evidence that excessive iron supplementation can potentially have negative consequences on toddler development.

However, there are also studies (supported by randomised control trials) that some follow-up formulas reduce risk of respiratory infections and diarrhoea. Some paediatricians in the US now recommend keeping children on formula until they are 2:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24843061

I moved DD to cow milk when she was 16 months old because (1) I knew she was having a balanced healthy diet and (2) I did not particularly worry about colds and infections. However I do not agree with the widely spread (but largely unfounded) view that all growing up milks are a con. There are specific circumstances when follow-on formulas can be useful.

Winter whilst I’m not doubting the accuracy of the research, it was sponsored by Mead Johnson Nutrition who’s brands include Enfamil and Enfakid which is a formula specially marked to parent of pre-schoolers and young children.

Most toddlers are used to drinking it and enjoy it. Why would you not give them it?

Nope. Most toddlers I know, including 3 of my own are not used to drinking it and have never had follow on milk.that sounds very much like 'everyone else is doing it'

I wouldn't give it to my dc as its expensive, unnecessarily sweet, a faff to make up. When I can just use a multivitamin drop and cows milk (full fat)

There are other foods/drinks I don't give my children. Jusg because it is so old in a shop doesn't mean you have to give it to your child you know!

My DS loves his formula so cup in the morning cup at bedtime
During the day he has food with cow's milk and also drinks it sometimes

His diet is crap so hoping the formula makes up for some of the shortcomings

DD was breastfed so she had breastmilk and cow's milk no problem

...it was sponsored by Mead Johnson Nutrition...

I am afraid no government funded or independent organisation can afford to sponsor research on follow-on formula - they will be immediately accused of selling their soul to the devil. The study might not be independent but it has been based on a randomised controlled trial (which is considered a golden standard of clinical research) so, in my opinion, its findings are definitely worth some consideration.

I’ve just read the abstract again Winter and it does seem to say that diarrhoea reduces if you feed follow on ads no group reported diarrhoea. Also, it doesn’t seem to mention how many children were in each group. I could be wrong though.

Cross posted with you there.

You are right, @JiltedJohnsJulie - final findings only related to respiratory infections and use of antibiotics. There was no proven link to diarrhoea (that was my mistake).

Here is the link to the full article:

pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/133/6/e1533

"Figures and data" tab shows that half of the children were in the control group and half were having follow-on formula.