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Original poster

Whole Milk

62 replies

ChinChinPassMeTheGin · 09/10/2019 11:45

Hi mums.

I am a mummy of a 8 and a half month old bundle of joy. I already cook his meals with whole milk and I’m just wondering how and when I start to wean him off formula and onto whole milk for his bottles. X

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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edgeofheaven · 10/10/2019 10:36

@ChinChinPassMeTheGin I wasn't trying to be insulting, apologies. Just that the recommendations are fairly straightforward. Before 12 months breast milk or formula should be the primary milks. After that you can replace partially or completely with whole milk - or not at all. The most important thing is that the baby has a balanced diet - milks after 12 months old are just a supplement no longer main nutrition source.

The only reason I said it's not something to prepare per se is that it will entirely depend on your child. I know a few friends whose toddlers would not touch cow's milk, just didn't like it. So they give yogurt and cheese instead.

@Imicola agree with you, I really don't think all toddlers must have either formula or vitamin supplements to be healthy and that is certainly not universal advice in other countries.

dementedpixie · 10/10/2019 10:52

Think most people could do with a vitamin d supplement especially during the winter months when your body wont make it through the action of sunlight

HumptyDumptyHadAGreatFall · 10/10/2019 11:51

You don't. Just ditch the bottles give him cows milk in a cup once he turns 1 x

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dementedpixie · 10/10/2019 12:02

That might be the way you did it but it's not the only way

Cornflakesncake · 12/10/2019 18:42

@RopeBrick yes I did give an addition vitamin every day to my little one and still do to this day. He has had one cold since he was born over 2 years ago so he has done very well being on normal cows milk from 1 and is a good eater.

Cornflakesncake · 12/10/2019 18:47

'It’s sad but unfortunately I do think the NHS can get stuff like this wrong. It’s totally nuts to switch from formula (That baby is drinking and is perfectly happy with) to cows milk plus a load of supplements when it amounts to the same thing and formula is easier.'

I dont agree with that statement. I gave my ds one multi vitamin a day which had everything in it so it wasnt a load of supplements and he enjoyed cows milk from 1 yrs old much better than formula. I also found it alot easier to give than faffing about with 70 degree water and cooling it and less expensive!

zsazsajuju · 12/10/2019 19:01

@cornflakesncake -how on earth did you get a single vitamin with all that’s in formula- the iron, omega 3, vitamin d, etc? What one did you use? And did you get your toddler to take it? Was it chewable?

My dds are still none too keen on taking pills though they will take chewable vitamins. They did guzzle formula till they were about 5 though. You don’t need to worry too much about prep of formula for a toddler- just use a hot shot from the kettle to sterilise and cold water from the tap.

zsazsajuju · 12/10/2019 19:10

I would say too that it was cheaper to continue to buy formula than specialist vitamins and cows milk but I don’t drink cows milk myself so I would have to buy it specially. They do both now drink cows milk as they eventually got to see it as a “big girl” drink. I give them fortified cows milk (ie that big milk stuff or similar) now and they do get through it. Both are still fussy.

Tbh I drink almond milk which is fortified and recently there was talk of fortifying all milk with vit d at least.

dementedpixie · 12/10/2019 19:37

It's only vitamins A,C and D that needs fortifying alongside cows milk. They should get iron and other nutrients from food, not milk

Cornflakesncake · 13/10/2019 08:11

@zsazsajuju as demented pixie said.

Cornflakesncake · 13/10/2019 08:13

I dont drink whole milk either @zsazsajuju but then again I didnt drink formula either 😂

zsazsajuju · 13/10/2019 08:51

@cornflakesncake no I didn’t drink formula either. Unlike fresh milk tho formula comes in a big tub and which can be stocked up and only goes off after a month or so. More convenient than buying fresh milk just for one person in household who isn’t consistently drinking it. Ime it runs out a lot.

What vitamin are you giving?

Lol at demented pixie - young children often don’t eat what they should. Fortified milk makes sure they have the nutrients they need. I don’t see the issue.

zsazsajuju · 13/10/2019 08:55

in any event, cows milk is a nutritionally inferior food to formula and no need to rush to give it. No one “should” be drinking cows milk, lots of people don’t and formula is better for young children (and adults too but it tastes rank so drinking it myself would be a step too far).

dementedpixie · 13/10/2019 08:58

Maybe you were filling your children up with formula milk when they should have been eating solid foods. From age 1 they only need 350mls per day and that includes milk in cereal and other dairy products so they need very little milk as a drink. Fill them up with milk and they wont eat anything else

edgeofheaven · 13/10/2019 09:04

@zsazsajuju both cows milk and formula are inferior compared to a balanced diet of real food, which is what children older than 12 months should be eating. Neither is essential! Do you work for the dairy lobby or Nestle or something?

zsazsajuju · 13/10/2019 09:09

Or maybe you have the dogmatic and harmful agenda we were talking about earlier on the thread demented pixie. They were of course like many young children eating appropriate amounts of food and having formula as a drink in the morning and evening. But young children (and many older children and adults) don’t eat a perfectly balanced diet. But at the same time proper nutrition is essential to their development. So no need to swap their formula for something else unless they want.

zsazsajuju · 13/10/2019 09:13

@edgeofheaven - seems unlikely I would work for the dairy lobby when I’m saying no need to drink milk and that I don’t. Wouldn’t be a very effective marketing strategy.

As for nestle- well I love smarties but they’re not good for you.

I object to the silly anti formula dogma is all.

hazeyjane · 13/10/2019 09:22

Having worked with a few children who barely eat anything at 3, because they drink so much formula, and plain refuse milk or milk substitutes....I'd tend to recommend switching from formula to whole milk (or dairy free substitute) around 1 (unless there are dietary issues which mean including a fortified food/drink is mecessary).

Formula is also very sweet, and as children get older they go through phases where it gets more tricky to get over some of those entrenched tastes.

I think try some whole milk on its own, when nearer to 1, and see whether they take to it (My dds did...my ds didn't!) and go from there.

dementedpixie · 13/10/2019 09:23

Still easier to open a bottle of cows milk and pour rather than faff about with kettles, measuring powder, etc. There really isn't need for formula after 1 year. You've been sucked in by marketing if you think its required

zsazsajuju · 13/10/2019 09:31

@hazeyjane formula is not sweet (at least none of the main ones sold in the uk are). That’s a total myth. Try it.

Formula is not more filling than cows milk (the follow on milks are designed to be less filling and are cheaper). Also most toddlers drink it mainly at night so it’s not an issue.

No one is suggesting that young children only drink formula but it’s a healthy drink and better for them than cows milk.

What you are saying has no basis in science or nutrition. As I said above, it’s sad that the NHS are so obsessed with anti formula dogma that they are giving out advice like this.

zsazsajuju · 13/10/2019 09:38

@dementedpixie - formula is healthier objectively speaking. That’s not “marketing” it’s fact. It has a whole load of things cows milk doesn’t.

It’s no more “faff” making formula than making a cup of tea. And much easier than trying going a trip to the supermarket with two young kids to get milk as we’ve run out.

What weird stuff on this thread. As I said the only thing I was criticized for giving my toddlers was formula. Yet it was probably the healthiest thing they ate.

hazeyjane · 13/10/2019 10:22

zsazsajuju
I haven't got an anti formula agenda, I gave all 3 of my children formula, with one of them needing a fortified milk for longer, due to medical needs. I work with children and have had lots of involvement with dieticians due to my son's needs. I know you say that the views on this thread are wierd but in all honesty, the majority of views I have heard about weaning, milk and the nutrition of small children, have been similar to mine.

Oh and I have tasted Formula, it is definitely sweet (as is breast milk)!

dementedpixie · 13/10/2019 10:24

I am not anti formula either as both mine were formula fed. I just dont believe they need it after age 1 in most instances.

sewinginscotland · 13/10/2019 14:22

To go back on topic, I started mixing cow's milk with his bottles at 11.5 months. At 12 months, I've started giving him a cup of cow's milk with his afternoon snack but he doesn't drink it very well (he's not good at a cup, despite having them for water since 6mo). I need to brave putting cow's milk in his evening bottle to see if he'll take it!

I don't know anyone that kept their child on formula past the recommended 12 months, just in case you get a skewed view from the other PPs.

zsazsajuju · 13/10/2019 14:57

@dementedpixie as I’ve already linked the NHS advises vitamin supplements for children under 5 if they are not getting formula. No one is claiming formula is “necessary” after 1 but otherwise you will have to give additional vitamin supplements and get your toddler to take them. Or you could just keep giving them formula that they are drinking already and which is far superior nutritionally than cows milk. I did the latter. Many others do and I really can’t see why you would be in any hurry to stop formula at 1 year old.

And it’s really not sweet, it tastes rank!

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