Is follow on milk a gimmick?

[Amy_J]

You could just use the first stage forumla until lo is a year old..thats what i did.

 

[redbear]

I thought it was six months too! A year seems a bit much... it wouldnt fill them would it? xx

 

[Kbex]

Sorry I have confused everyone! Thought you meant toddler milk. Advice is from 1 year you can give cows milk as drink. From 6 months can only give it in food. If you didn't want to use follow in formula just keep with first stage, which I did, or keep bfing. After 6 months the amount of milk feeds decreases as food intake increases. Sure it was only
Morning and night from around 10 months if not before x

 

[littlemiss83]

Yeah, you use normal first milk until LO is 12 months (but as kbex said you can use cows milk it in food from 6mo) After a year its the follow on milk.

I still duno what to do, i've changed so much with new LO compared to first (the way you make bottles up & also with 1st u stopped sterilising at 6mo, now this!) but they say you need to keep sterilising until u dont use formula coz of the bacteria...I wonder if same goes for follow on.

I think i'll save the money when LO is 12 months & buy loads of fruit/veg healthy food instead.

 

[Constantstar]

Owens on stage 3 cow and gate 6 + months milk now , all
I now is they put good ingredients in there to make him healthy x

 

[Maria1977]

I think the follow on milk at 6 months is a bit of a gimmick as they aren't allowed to advertise the first stage due to the government backing BFing only! Which is so stupid imo, but anyways, when you check the ingredients they're not really that different. So I guess that the companies have got round the anti-first stage by promoting a follow-on milk at 6 months to get themselves noticed.

I've read and heard HVs say that there is no need to swap from stage 1 to follow on. I guess the main advantage is that you can get tesco and boots points for follow on and also use points to buy them and get coupons, whereas stage 1 is treated as though it doesn't exist

Is that why stage one formula is never on offer? It gets my goat lol

Yep! The government likes to pretend it doesn't exist for the sake of promoting BFing. Which gets my goat too. I know I BF but there are alot of mums who don't and who can't and by trying to deny FF isn't going to change that, it just makes people feel worse.

Rah rage lol

 

[Maria1977]

HVs and GPs reccomend staying with stage 1 until 12 monhts rather than follow on.

Cows milk isn't recommended until 12 months just because of intolerances and conditions such as eczema and also because it has been shown to increase the chances of developing diabetes later in life, if there is a family history already.

It doesn't have as much iron as formula or breastmilk and doesn't have as much nutrients in either.

 

[Lulu_Laroo]

It's ok to use cows milk rather than formula in their meals from 6 months (i.e cereal) but not as a main drink. I'll be keeping Poppy on her stage 1 Aptamil until she's 1, but Ive been using a dash of full fat cows milk with her porridge in the mornings.

 

[redbear]

TBH i think a lot of it is bollocks- they change the guidelines so often!

 

[DW1978]

We put Lennon straight on cows milk but I can't remember whether it was at 6 months or 1 year - he will be 6 in a few weeks so it was a long time ago!

Sent from my HTC Wildfire using Tapatalk

 

[lewisca]

Both the boys went on cows milk at 1 never bothered with follow on milks !!! Although might from 6 mths if it's on offer!! Lol didnt know bout the sterilising either !!! Thought it was still 6 mths ! Xxx

 

[redbear]

I would think you wouldn't bother sterilising at 6 month plus because they are at the age where they will be shoving all sorts in there mouth no matter how much you try stop them, crawling then sucking fingers etc... there is only so much you can do really. xx

 

[lewisca]

Your right redbear I stopped sterilising at 6 mths with the boys so will probably do the same with Rhea xx