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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Original poster

Why not give formula after 12 months?

55 replies

MeringueCloud · 19/12/2020 21:49

What is the actual reason that they recommend that you replace formula with full fat cows milk at 12 months? Is it to save money? They have the same calorie and fat content, but full fat milk has more protein. Formula has more added vitamins and minerals.
Or is it just because of teeth/not using a bottle?

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 19/12/2020 21:56

Because they should get their nutrients from food, not milk after the age of 1. From 1 year they only need the equivalent of 300/350mls and doesn't need to be in drink form e.g. can have cheese, yoghurt, milk in cereal, etc

supersonicginandtonic · 19/12/2020 22:07

My 18 month old still has formula. The growing up milk. She has a beaker before going to sleep. She does not like cows milk. She has milk then sleeps 13 hours. I am not changing that. Especially not with another on the way.

Original poster
MeringueCloud · 19/12/2020 22:30

@dementedpixie

Because they should get their nutrients from food, not milk after the age of 1. From 1 year they only need the equivalent of 300/350mls and doesn't need to be in drink form e.g. can have cheese, yoghurt, milk in cereal, etc
Yes ,but the HV said to swap formula for full fat milk and give vitamin D supplement.
OP posts:
Original poster
MeringueCloud · 19/12/2020 22:30

@supersonicginandtonic

My 18 month old still has formula. The growing up milk. She has a beaker before going to sleep. She does not like cows milk. She has milk then sleeps 13 hours. I am not changing that. Especially not with another on the way.
I wouldn't either :)
OP posts:
limpolo · 19/12/2020 22:33

Why would you give formula if you could give cows milk? It's fresh & cheaper.

soworried321 · 19/12/2020 22:33

We switched to Arla big milk.
Cows milk but fortified with lots of vitamins.

dementedpixie · 19/12/2020 22:35

I did swap to full fat cows milk age 1. Formula isn't required after that. Its vitamins A,C and D that you should supplement from 6 months to age 5 if taking less than 500mls of formula.

GingerScallop · 19/12/2020 22:36

I think because they have vitamins and minerals from other sources so you can switch to cheaper and easier (no prep) milk. It's not a must that you switch to cow milk

Original poster
MeringueCloud · 19/12/2020 22:43

@limpolo

Why would you give formula if you could give cows milk? It's fresh & cheaper.
Well, I suppose because my baby likes it and it contains more minerals and vitamins. I was just wondering if HVs recommend that you swap to save you money and make life easier, or if there's another reason.
OP posts:
Original poster
MeringueCloud · 19/12/2020 22:44

Those of you that swapped at 12 months do you give vitamin D supplements as well?

OP posts:
Ohalrightthen · 19/12/2020 22:48

...everyone should be taking a vitamin D supplement. You and your kid included.

CayrolBaaaskin · 19/12/2020 22:49

It’s just dogma - there’s no good scientific reason. Formula is better for kids than cows milk as it’s tailored for their needs and has vitamins and minerals added. Cows milk is tailored for the needs of baby cows. I gave my dds formula until they wouldn’t drink it anymore. I don’t drink cows milk (lapsed vegan and don’t like the taste) so just as easy to give dds formula.

I find it totally weird that my friend (who is a former HV and now works in health policy in the NHS) was super critical of me giving dds formula when 2/3 etc. All the usual stuff about “formula companies“ etc Yet it was the healthiest thing they ate by far (v fussy) and she had nothing to say about biscuits etc (in fact she was doling them out).

EsmeeMerlin · 19/12/2020 22:52

I switched as soon as I could, cow’s milk is cheaper and he was eating a healthy varied diet by one year old. We also got rid of the bottles.

My son is 2 now and has vitamin D as does the whole family.

CayrolBaaaskin · 19/12/2020 22:52

Also why would you give fucking vitamin pills and cows milk when you could give them it all in one drink that they already like and drink? My dds are super fussy too and made a big thing even of taking gummy vitamins.

The only thing I wish is that I’d started them on Aldi brand formula. They had a taste for the expensive stuff and it was too late to switch.

CayrolBaaaskin · 19/12/2020 22:54

Whose toddler is getting a healthy varied diet? Mine screamed blue murder if I took a vegetable anywhere near them.

dementedpixie · 19/12/2020 22:54

If they were taking under 500mls of formula (and it should be less that that over age 1) then they would need to take extra vitamins anyway

CayrolBaaaskin · 19/12/2020 22:55

Also I don’t know if cows milk is necessarily cheaper. Formula is certainly much healthier for young kids. I give them that “big milk” now with the gruffalo as it has iron and vit d added.

CayrolBaaaskin · 19/12/2020 22:57

@soworried321 - yes Arla Big Milk is what I give them now. But it doesn’t have as much vitamins and minerals as formula (I think just iron and vit d) so formula is better if they’ll drink it.

ChristmasTreeFairy5000 · 19/12/2020 22:59

I don't know how true it is, but I was told the follow on milks had more sugar in them than cows milk.

I suppose its about what suits you. Buying cows milk is cheaper and logistically easier than making up formula.

I was always told not to let them have a bottle past 12 months. DS1 still had a bottle at 18 months and DS2 still used his until 14 months. They both flat refused to drink any kind of milk out of anything than a baby bottle and as a result stopped drinking milke until they were around two years old!

CayrolBaaaskin · 19/12/2020 23:01

I honestly think oldest was 4 when she stopped drinking formula (younger was younger as she wanted to be like sis). She guzzled down a bottle in the morning and at night which was all good as far as I’m concerned.

CayrolBaaaskin · 19/12/2020 23:02

@ChristmasTreeFairy5000 - it’s not true that any uk formula mills have any sugar added. They only sugar they have is naturally occurring milk sugar.

CayrolBaaaskin · 19/12/2020 23:07

I do think it’s concerning that the NHS recons you give your children an inferior food out of dogma. Could you imagine them doing that with any other food?

Having children has really made me much more sceptical of the NHS. Tbf it’s not the drs more the HV, midwives and policy people.

Countdowntonothing · 19/12/2020 23:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

VictoriasCousin · 19/12/2020 23:58

My DS started getting both really full (refusing solids a lot) and really fat at around 15 months off formula. Switched to cows milk and he started eating better and got slimmer. His dietary needs had changed. I'm not sure his caloric input changed though, but the content did. I've never seen it so pointedly

Original poster
MeringueCloud · 20/12/2020 00:42

@VictoriasCousin

My DS started getting both really full (refusing solids a lot) and really fat at around 15 months off formula. Switched to cows milk and he started eating better and got slimmer. His dietary needs had changed. I'm not sure his caloric input changed though, but the content did. I've never seen it so pointedly
How strange! They have the same amount of calories and fat. But I suppose the composition is different.
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