For those who formula feed, when will/did you move on to follow-on milk?

[susan_1981]

I know on the packaging it says from 6 months, but just wondering when you are starting (or started if you already have). Did you do it bang on 6 months or wait a little longer - or earlier even? x

 

[Amy2701]

I started bang on 6 months. Lily didn't notice a difference. X

 

[fannyadams]

I didn't. Stayed on 1st milk as was told not to change x

 

[tinytabby]

The books I've read all say there's no point in it. First milk is fine after 6 months.

 

[babyblog]

I changed at 6 months, follow on milk is cheaper

 

[Pielette]

I didn't change, just swapped to cow's milk at 12 months.

 

[Jennifurball]

Bang on 6 months for us but only cos we had enough to use up of the old stuff.

 

[Saphira]

From 6 months on we gave a mixture of both - first milk through the day and follow on for her bedtime bottle and sometimes midnight snack. The pediatrician recommended it this way and said as long as she's full off first milk it isn't necessary to completely switch to follow on milk but I wanted to give it at night for a fuller feel and because it has some extra iron from my understanding.

 

[susan_1981]

I'm thinking I'll probably move on to follow-on at 6 months. As a previous poster said above, it's quite a bit cheaper

 

[MrsKyliePaton]

I've stayed on first milk, is there any difference? I never used follow on milk with my first xx

 

[weewdy]

I swapped over at 6months. She never noticed a difference!

 

[Mummy_to_be87]

I moved her onto follow on milk when she was 7 months as she still had to use up a few cartons of stage 1 milk

 

[starstarstar]

I swapped at 6 months and LO got badly constipated to the point we had to take her to the doctors. They told me that the only reason follow on milk was created was so the companies can advertise as they aren't legally allowed to advertise 1st milk. Changed back to 1st milk and LO is back to normal x

 

[beth_terri]

Never. Totally unnecessary for a child on a healthy diet of food and milk. We stuck on first milk until my eldest was on cows milk and will do the same this time.

 

[kwood]

We switched at 6 months. I know it's not necessary but it is cheaper and we are on a tight budget so any savings helps.

 

[scottiejunior]

Well I moved my little girl on to follow on last week and she suddenly started waking through the night. (She has slept through since 8 weeks) yesterday I put her back on hungry baby after speaking to quite a few people and she slept through 12 hours.

I've been told that follow on milk is basically a gimmick and we don't need to change milks.

 

[erikab922]

We never changed - I know it's cheaper but my midwives and GP said not to use it because it's got more sugar in it and it's not necessary to make the switch. But out of everyone I know whose LOs now use formula, I'm the only one who stayed with the first milk.

 

[susan_1981]

Well I moved my little girl on to follow on last week and she suddenly started waking through the night. (She has slept through since 8 weeks) yesterday I put her back on hungry baby after speaking to quite a few people and she slept through 12 hours.

I've been told that follow on milk is basically a gimmick and we don't need to change milks.

Oh that's interesting. I'm going to switch to follow on when LO is 6 months as it is cheaper and I could do with saving every penny I have at the moment, but if he stops sleeping through the night, then no two ways about it, he will go back on to hungry baby milk!

 

[re10]

We never changed - I know it's cheaper but my midwives and GP said not to use it because it's got more sugar in it and it's not necessary to make the switch. But out of everyone I know whose LOs now use formula, I'm the only one who stayed with the first milk.

My HV's said they do this so that at one year our little ones wont like the taste of cows milk because its not sweet enough so we'll have to buy their toddler milk too! Grrrr! Follow on milk isn't actually cheaper where I shop, I know you can earn points on it though.

 

[summer rain]

Follow on milk was invented in the mid-80s so a while before first stage formula advertising was made illegal. However the only reason they still make it is due to that. Follow on was originally introduced as in those days guidelines said it was fine to switch to cows' milk at 6 months so the follow on was meant to be less nutritious than the first milk but more so than cows' milk. A bit like toddler milk is nowadays. Consequently follow on milk does lack some vitamins and has a different whey-casein ratio than first milk, it also contains excessive amounts of iron which are unnecessary and only a small amount of it is absorbed. Xx

ETA:I replied to this thread when it was in baby club and had no idea it would be moved here so if this is inappropriate please remove my post. Thank you.