Formula vs cows milk?

[kirstybumx3]

Which is better for my LO?
He has aptamil anti reflux but I am beginning to wean him onto cows milk.
But it's got me wondering, do I need to? Why?
Which is better for him?

He was premature, had a phase of slow/no weight gain and has vitamin drops.
So should I be keeping him on formula because of the extra nutrients or is cows milk better for him now?

He has three meals a day and has a nice balanced diet, and will eat snacks inbetween.

Any advice would be appreciated. I hope my post makes sense!

 

[missk1989]

If he is eating a varied healthy diet hen there is no need for formula. Apparently some brands have less calcium and more sugar than cows milk and it is obviously alot more expensive.

 

[sillysapling]

You should talk to your baby's doctor. Formula can just be insurance that your child is getting rounded nutrition- and there's a lot of situations where it's better to keep formula in the diet (maybe half formula half cows milk or something) than to totally wean at 12 months. Kids with allergies or digestive problems, for example.

If you're fully confident that your baby is getting a totally rounded diet, go with cow's milk (you honestly don't even really need cow's milk, if he's getting the nutrients in it in other foods). Also, one advantage of formula is that your supply can't dry up- so if your baby's diet or health takes a downturn, you can always re-add it.

Our 13 mo who was born at term still takes at least 6 oz of formula a day in the night bottle (we've tried weaning from it, if we give 2 oz- he wakes up 3 times) and add more if he has a really bad solids day.

If he is eating a varied healthy diet hen there is no need for formula. Apparently some brands have less calcium and more sugar than cows milk and it is obviously alot more expensive.

Breast milk has far more sugar than cow's milk, babies need more sugar than is in cow's milk, every GOOD formula has extra sugar added for that reason. Sugar is not evil, it's a biological necessity, the problem is that culturally we take in far more excess. Formula also has more fat than cow's milk, but the added fat in good formula is the good fats- which, again, are biologically needed (as always, in moderation). Most formulas also have DHA in them, which most of us do not get enough of in our diets and so you'll need to make sure there's extra.

 

[Rato]

Which is better for my LO?
He has aptamil anti reflux but I am beginning to wean him onto cows milk.
But it's got me wondering, do I need to? Why?
Which is better for him?

He was premature, had a phase of slow/no weight gain and has vitamin drops.
So should I be keeping him on formula because of the extra nutrients or is cows milk better for him now?

He has three meals a day and has a nice balanced diet, and will eat snacks inbetween.

Any advice would be appreciated. I hope my post makes sense!

Hi! From my experience: cow's milk is best!!
My daughter would not go near formula - I tried different brands, types etc. but she just would not drink it. It was either breastmilk or nothing, so I tried cow's milk at 5 months and she took to it really well. I was still breastfeeding her sometimes but complementing it with the cow's milk. She has had no problems whatsoever. The only thing the health visitor said was to complement her diet with a vitamin complex which I did from 8 months onwards but she rarely ever takes her recommended daily dose anyway (as she doesn't like it) - and yet she's very tall for her age (she's 10 months now) and is on percentile 50 for weight, also very well developed in terms of motor and communication skills, so to be honest if you're LO likes cow's milk just go for it. Less added preservatives, E numbers etc. and as long as he has a balanced diet you can rest assured he'll be OK. I think formula feeding companies play up on mother's fears., but I can guarantee you that if he wasn't getting enough (for whatever reason) he'd be demanding food to complement his needs. As long as you give him homemade meals, no packed or ready made food, low sugar diet with plenty of vegetables and fruit I reckon he'll be just fine!
All the best!

 

[MindUtopia]

It's really up to what you feel is right for your situation, but there's no advantage to using formula over cow's milk nutritionally, as long as your LO has a healthy diet, particularly if he's taking vitamin drops. If you do plan to continue to use formula, it's advisable to switch to a toddler milk after 1 in order to get the proper calories and nutrients (as the other milks, including reflux milk as far as I'm aware, are designed for babies under 1). Personally, we switched to cow's milk and it was the best decision. My daughter likes cow's milk much more (formula is disgusting tasting, so no surprise!), it's cheaper and easier. I don't have to plan ahead and bring formula with me when we go out. She can just have a cup of milk which I can get from anywhere. And I don't have to plan to buy anything extra at the store, as we drink whole milk anyway. For us, I just hated the hassle of formula and I feel like she isn't going to drink formula until she's 40, so I would have had to make the switch to cow's milk at some point. There really was no good reason to wait, from my perspective. She eats a healthy, varied diet and also take a vitamin supplement with added iron and vitamin D among other things.