Can I stop formula 10.5 months

[Teddy198]

I know people will say talk to a professional… but just wanted to see if anyone has any advice too.

I’ve been phasing out breast feeding for my now 10.5 month old (gradually for a couple of months as I’m now back at work and didn’t want to pump) he is now having 3 feeds a day - two are formula and one breastfeed before bed and if he wakes in the night.

he eats a tonne of food… 3 meals a day and anything he can get his hands on. we actually weaned him early around 4 months as the doctor said he was ready and he definitely was. Slowly of course but he was eating a fair bit by 6 months. He eats a good varied diet I think… home cooked food. He’s a big boy

anyhow, do you think I could get him on cows milk now? Perhaps just one feed to begin with. And keep the evening breastfeed.

Im probably being over the top but since the formula brand I used had that toxic recall I just think I’d rather forget using formula. My rationale is he’s not far off 12 months (as recommended to have formula until) and he must be getting a lot of nutrients from all the food he’s eating plus breastfeeding in evening and night. if it weren’t for the recent recall I’d just continue with formula but I just don’t think he needs it

so I guess what I’m saying is I can buy one more lot of formula and slowly swap out one feed, then another over the next 2 months

woukd like to see what people think. And please bear in mind it’s all because of the recent issue with the formula. Otherwise I’d just continue. And I’m not going to faff around changing formula either

TIA!

Well you totally disregarded all of the evidence and advice regarding not introducing food before six months to protect from damage to their underdeveloped guts which is only apparent in adulthood, so I'm sure you'll also just stop the formula despite milk (formula or breast milk) needed as their main source of nutrition before they turn one. So you just do you.

I'd keep the formula going

I would keep the child on formula. You can slowly move towards cows milk after 1. I personally waited till 18 month. We all have gut issues and intolerance in my family and I was advised to wait. There's a link between early introduction of cows milk and allergies as well as gut and kidney issues.

I am 100% sure your GP didn’t advise you to wean at four months old!

Okay thanks! This formula thing just freaked me out hence why I’m looking into it all

yes it’s true I went to A&E for suspected measles when he was around 4 months and the children’s doctor asked me if I was feeding him she said I could start giving him things to eat. I wouldn’t have done it otherwise

No I’m not disregarding that’s why I’m asking. And yes it was 4.5 months the doctor said I could give him food I’m not lying.

Pretty poor advise from the doc tbh unless there was a medical reason which there doesn't seem to be. But it's done now.
the formula recall would freak me out also.

I only bottle fed early on in the first two months or so, after that my son was exclusively breast fed. I'm pretty sure that by 10.5 months he was having cows milk because I don't think I was breast feeding by then and I never went back to bottles.

Yes he was 4.5 months. It was the doctor on the children’s a&e ward… I mean when I say weaning it was more things to bite on and play with to begin with. I wasnt ramming spoons of food down his mouth

I’ve actually had advice from my GP and a paediatrician about this for different reasons. DD has CMPA and is still not fully settled on her prescription formula. As she’s 9 months I was advised she likely wouldn’t accept the next stage of prescription formulas as they don’t taste great so was advised I could wean her off the formula and onto a milk alternative (oat milk in her case) with vitamins as long as her diet was good. I was told to do this after the 10.5 month mark on the basis she would only be 6 weeks off 1.

However I wouldn’t rush to replace formula if your LO is settled on it and thriving. I understand your worry about some being recalled but as long as the brand your using isn’t involved I would try not worry too much and stick as you are. For what it’s worth I didn’t wean my eldest two off formula until they were over 12 months and have only taken advice on it with my third because of her particular issues and it wouldn’t be my first choice to wean her off it early.

Yes but when you look at advice it does say they are ready when they can sit up and show an interest in food. 6 months is the norm but every baby is different. My instincts told me to give him something to gnaw on but I didn’t want to just in case. So I was pleased when the doctor said I could give it a go.

Thanks, no me either I wouldn’t have even thought about it if it hadn’t been for the recall! Thanks I’ll stick to the formula and will speak to a doctor or health visitor in the meantime

We gave some cows milk to drink from about 11 months but baby was still having several BFs within 24 hours and she wouldn't drink formula when I was at work, whereas she would have some cows milk (only small quantities, like 100ml a day). You don't want to be swapping formula quantities for equivalent amount of cows milk, ideally you phase down the formula quantity and offer only small cows milk amounts.

Thought I’d add reply from HV if anyone comes across this post and finds it useful! (See paragraph below) so my conclusion is I’ll up his dairy intake via food and see if I can drop a formula feed.
Also up yours to the people who tried to make me feel like a bad mum and thanks to those who replied to me with useful info / their own experiences

HV response
I canm completly understand that you are nervous of the formula, Cows milk is not recommended as a full drink untilo one year.
Your little on is getting a good amount of milk at this age you can cut one of the formula feeds out, and as long as he is having good dairy such as cheese yoghurts this will be fine, he can also have cows milk on cereal and this counts towards the allowance as well.

Why have you decided to try and up his dairy from diet in order to drop a formula bottle? That's not what she's said at all.

She's said: No, you can't swap formula for cow's milk. Make sure that the dairy in his diet is from cheese, yoghurt and milk on cereal - not milk to drink. If he's not hungry and doesn't need the formula you can drop a feed.

She has not said to try and cram him full of cheese so that you can avoid using formula. This pretty much confirms to me that you misinterpreted the earlier "recommendation" to wean early.

Did you miss the fact the child’s Doctor recommended starting weaning at 4 months?
Current standard recommendation in France is to start between 4 and 5 months - apparently this helps reduce the incidence of food allergies.

My health visitor explained to me that cows milk is advised only after the age of 12 months because of the amount of salt in milk. It was news to me but I’m taking her advice because it’s the right thing to do. The amount of cows milk you’d need to give to replace the amount of formula I imagine would be far too much before 12 months.

Some of the replies here are a bit overdramatic. 6 months for starting solids is the advice not because of gut maturity but because by 6 months they should be sitting independently with good head control and should have lost their tongue thrust reflex, all which dramatically reduces the risk of choking.

Tapering down on formula at this age absolutely fine especially if you’re still breastfeeding.
A lot of babies naturally want less formula or breastmilk as they come to prefer solids.

You don’t need to substitute cows milk, but they do need a vitamin d supplement if they’re getting less than 500ml of formula and ideally iron and dha supplements too.

This. When my first was born in the 90s it was 3 months to start weaning by 2000s it was 4 months. If a baby is hungry I don't see why you can't start if a Dr says it's okay before 6 months.
But wouldn't use cows milk for drinking until 1 year

You’re not making any sense. The OP has perfectly understood her HV’s suggestions, and has made no mention of ‘cramming’ her baby full of anything

And it’s not unusual for doctors to recommend early weaning, FYI; I’m a doctor and I come across it all the time. The general feeding guidelines are just that - for the general population, and not necessarily applicable to each and every situation.

My first a few years ago switched to cows milk at 10 months, and even then only sips. I had stopped breastfeeding and they just weren’t interested in lots of milk from a bottle. As long as they’re eating well it’s fine. Obviously 12 months isn’t a magic number, it’s a sliding scale depending on the child.

Egg and peanut allergies specifically. Although, it doesn’t make any appreciable difference whether you introduce at 4 or 6 months.
The studies done on early introduction of allergens compared children who had been introduced to allergens at 4-6 months against children who had been introduced to allergens at the previously recommended age of 3 years old.

Yes I’m not going to remove a feed Willy nilly. I’m going to give more dairy in food and see if I can eliminate a feed. As per what the HV said. I did go back to her at the time to clarify and I did not misinterpret what she said. not going to let the poor kid starve if he wants a milk feed. I just want to gradually take out one feed which is likely to happen soon probably anyway as it will eventually with all babies! I understand now that I can’t replace a feed with cows milk. The poor kid is going to be fine 😀

The Doctor was lovely, she said he was very developmentally ready. And I was pleased as instincts told me he was ready but I was waiting for around the 6 month mark. He enjoyed sitting with us at meal times and trying things. I don’t think they ingest much to begin with when it’s BLW

Yes, mine were born in the 2000s and the advice was to wean from 4 months. On the advice of my GP and Health Nurse DD was weaned at 11 weeks. Out of her siblings she has the most robust digestive system and literally eats everything and favours healthy foods. She is also my only child who loves cows milk.