Is there anything actually wrong with still using formula past 1 year?

[DozyFox]

I'm wondering about the transition to whole milk at 12 months. I know that this is because formula is unnecessary past this age as they're getting their nutrition from food, and it's expensive. But I'm just wondering really, would there actually be a problem if you continued with a little bit of formula in the morning and evening instead of cows milk, other than the wasted money? Breastfeeding is recommended by the WHO until 2 years if possible isn't it - so surely formula is closer to breast milk than normal whole milk is?

It costs a fortune and there's no reason.

Formula is nowhere near BM.

I don't think there's anything wrong with it, no. I think the ideal thing is that they get their nutrition from solids instead. But milk is a comfort thing as much as anything

I know they recommend that it's used for longer for kids who are underweight.

Nothing wrong, children on formula for dietary requirements such as dairy free are often on it longer

Lots of follow on formula milks that you can continue with! Its totally a personal choice, I wish I had continued on a little longer as little one developed slight lactose intolerance and is now on soya milk.

(Please ignore that previous comment comparing BM and Formula and saying BM is nowhere near it. This thread wasn't asking for an opinion on that)

Yeah @ttcchapter1 I agree  and I also know it's expensive... that's why I specifically asked if there's any reason aside from it being expensive 🤣

It was just a curiosity thing really, thanks everyone! When I googled it, it didn't really bring up anything that answered my question other than just saying formula is unnecessary past one year. I know it's unnecessary, I wanted to know if it's actively problematic.

If your worried about transitioning switch to a fortified full fat milk, like super milk. You can start offering 3/4 made up formula with 1/4 cows milk, slowly adjust the ratio until its 100% cows milk. You can definitely take your time doing this and no there is no harm in continuing formula past a year I know plenty of mums that have, so long as you don't delay introducing cows milk all should be fine. I breast feed, I'm currently on baby number 3 and I've used this same method for transitioning with expressed bm & cows milk with my older kids.

(Please ignore that previous comment comparing BM and Formula and saying BM is nowhere near it. This thread wasn't asking for an opinion on that)

She asked if it was closer. I answered, it's not. The whole 'BM until 2' thing is broadly about safe water and mother's antibodies, neither of which formula in the UK has anything to do with. Formula feeding babies is bog standard, no judgement here. But it's not BM.

And follow on milk is a con. The same WHO that suggest extended BF calls them, 'nutritionally dubious'. No thanks.

It’s problematic if you’re giving it in a bottle, yes. Bottles need to be ditched at one as they negatively affect both teeth and speech and language development.

The only thing is that it's recommended babies are weaned off bottles after 1 year old due to potential issues with teeth so if you start swapping out bottles for cups then baby can have formula or cows milk.

 of course formula is closer to breast milk than whole milk is. That's the entire point of formula. Tbh that part was basically a rhetorical question, because I didn't think anyone would dispute that...

Anyway, I don't need judgement or no judgement, because this isn't relevant to me - I was interested purely for curiosity's sake.

That’s interesting about the bottle @YellowTreeHouse. I didn’t even think of the bottle aspect actually.

No judgement, babies don't really need any milk after 1 if they are getting nutrients from food. As adults we don't supplement a poor diet with milk so why would we think babies need whole milk after weaning. But if they like it what's the problem. You don't need to cut them off because they turn 1. The worst part of this as you must already know is being prepared for the Agro you will get by still giving milk and people telling you your a bad mother

Would that Argo just be from putting it a bottle rather than still giving them milk ? I gave expressed milk by sippy cup from around 6 months onwards, I was still offering milk after a year either just breastfeeding or expressing and ģiving in a sippy cup/normal cup ... literally nobody would have known it was breastmilk and not cows milk or formula and no one every said anything about it 🤷‍♀️

Agro* sorry

Was more my point of milk or no milk. Bottle, cup of whatever people will have an opinion. I got told to stop breastfeeding early on, ridiculous , but people won't stop trying to put you down whatever you do

Each to their own.
I looked into this years ago!

I bf til 18 months then used follow on milk for the higher nutritional benefits compared to cows milk. Did this until 3 years old when only offering 1 cup a day.

Friends thought I was mad spending the money but it lasted ages (I used cows milk for day drinks/ cereal) and I liked the idea of extra vitamins (not always found in cows milk/ kids vitamins).

I'm gonna be pretty honest here but I don't think I've experienced nearly half as much judgement as a parent as a lot of people seem to have on here. My choice to breast feed was probably the only thing people had an opinion on but that was only with my first, by baby two and now baby 3 everyone that ever said anything negative came to just expect me to bf and never bring it up and are actually really accommodating/supportive now. No one said anything to me about giving milk past a year, or when I potty trained or how much screen time my kids get... I've always just done my own thing and no one's called me out on any of it, me and my friends all have different parenting styles and made different choices but it's never been discussed ... I'd be mortified telling a mother how to parent her child, as long as they're happy healthy fed etc. I don't care if my friends child still has a soother and wearing Nappies at 3 or still has a bottle of milk at 18 months.

@Thelongnights that's how it should be. I had my first at 20 and even the health visitor was judgemental and actaully nasty, I couldn't please anyone for years whatever I did, good or bad there was always someone to criticise and think I'm doing a bad job, despite raising some lovely children.

It's also potentially problematic in that it's extremely high in carbohydrates, and calorie dense. It's basically a meal in itself and can lead to unnecessary weight gain if continued beyond the necessary age.

I think it's the baby's teeth are the concern. Milk on them is basically a sugar bath so it rots them.