6months plus formula?

[MaybBaby]

im conflicted in choice now, after reading some people posting that HV's have said '6 month plus' milk is just a marketing ploy, im really undecided on switching milk. Unless there is a baby event on its no cheaper for me with SMA but im really unsure, should i just stick out the first infant milk and then give cows milk at 1? or are there much more benefits to upgrading to stage 2 milks? im interested in the views of you mummies!

Thanks!
xxx

 

[ke29]

Follow in milk is tailored to babies of 6 months plus, it has extra vitamins in it which compliment a weaning diet. It is also cheaper and open to marketing offers. Alot of people argue that it is a marketing ploy and is the same thing as first milk so there is no point in swapping but if that was the case then people would start their LO's on follow on milk to save money surely!?!?! I never really did understand that argument.

 

[MaybBaby]

now *that* is an interesting point in argument Ke!

 

[Surreygal]

Follow in milk is tailored to babies of 6 months plus, it has extra vitamins in it which compliment a weaning diet. It is also cheaper and open to marketing offers. Alot of people argue that it is a marketing ploy and is the same thing as first milk so there is no point in swapping but if that was the case then people would start their LO's on follow on milk to save money surely!?!?! I never really did understand that argument.

I agree with ke29.

I used follow on for my LO when he turned 6 months for two reasons - the first was because he had been on comfort milk and was over the colic by that point so no longer needed it, and second because my LO was used to the thickness of comfort milk and the FO milk is a bit thicker.

I did try him on first milk again before I totally switched over and it just made him really windy again! I also quite liked the fact it was cheaper than first milk too!!!

 

[bubbles123]

Follow on is only a 'complete' milk when given alongside food. Hence the whole not a breast milk substitute thing. So you want to make sure your LO gets a good varied diet too if you use follow on. It is also a casein dominate milk, as opposed to first milk which is whey dominant. This means that in theory it should be harder for your LO to digest than first milk so they will need to drink less of it to fill them up than they might do if they had first milk. There is no real benefit to follow on over first milk but neither are there any negatives. Either is fine. So go with what you feel is right. Don't be swayed by the marketing though. Vitamins and minerals are much better absorbed from foods rather than fortified milks anyway so a varied diet is always a better goal than relying on a milk.
I stuck with first milk all the way for my son and am unsure as to what to do with my daughter when we get there. If I do swap though it'll only be for the offers etc on follow on as my son was absolutely fine on first milk until we switched to cows milk at one.