Cows Milk..Confused!

[Tinkerisdead]

My Dd is 9 months and so I envisaged starting her on cows milk at 12 months. She already has cows milk to make up her cereal and yogurts/cheese etc.

Every single one of my friends with babies (about 5 of them) still have their 1+ babies on formula. Some babies refuse anything but formula but 1 friend advised me that she was told by the GP that she had to either use 1+ follow on formula or give vitamins each day.

So, if I give cows milk, am i meant to slip her a halib Orange too then?? Im really confused. I know that formula has more iron but am i really destined to be using formula for the next few years?

So long as she's eating a balanced diet she doesn't need vits. Forumla post 1 year is a ploy by the formula companies tomakemoremoney out of you. She'llbe fine with ordinary cows milk from 1

There's no reason to give 1+/formula after 12 months, they should be fully weaned by this age and recieve all the nutrients from the food. Ignore them

DD has been on cows milk since she turned one. AFAIK as long as they are having a varied diet, they don't need extra vitamins. Maybe your friends are getting sucked in by all those adverts for follow-on milk.

oops x-posts...sorry

Thats exactly what I thought, it felt like a ploy to suck worried parents into a money trap. Great, i'll stick to the iron rich food and the whole milk goodness then!

is there any reason why i can start intorducing it as a drink in addition to her formula/food before 12 months? The other friends kids all refuse cows milk as they dont like the taste. i assume allergies arent an issue if i already add it to her cereal? and the iron is still being provided by formula and food.

My HV said it was fine for me to give dd the odd drink of cows milk before 12 months. She's had cows milk on cereal etc since 6 months. I'm going back to work when she's 11 months old, and am hoping she'll have cows milk while away from me to save the faff of expressing (she'll only be properly away from me one day a fortnight, so it won't be that much cows milk anyway).

DS is 11 months and has cow's milk three days a week at nursery - just one feed a day, he's still breastfed morning and night on those days, and fully the rest of the week. HV said that would be fine. He's taken to it well and drinks it (with help) from a doidy cup.

Vitamin drops are recommended for all children from six months. If they're on formula they get the vitamins in that. It's up to you whether you feel you need to give them though, and how confident you feel in their diets.