The Weaning Thread

Chattastrophe!

If formula-feeding, when should you switch to follow-on milk? I had it in my head that it was from six months, but I was looking at an SMA tin in the shop today and it said from when they start solids ... he's four months old now, I'm planning on starting with solids in the next few days.

Roesy

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

If formula-feeding, when should you switch to follow-on milk? I had it in my head that it was from six months, but I was looking at an SMA tin in the shop today and it said from when they start solids ... he's four months old now, I'm planning on starting with solids in the next few days.

It was my understanding that you didn't need to change to follow on milk. It does contain more iron alright and your babies iron stores do start to decrease after 6 months but the first milk and a good diet should be good enough. This is what we were told in our antenatal class.

Xdancer

I think you can change to the follow on milk at 6 months, but most people I know (myself included) used formula until 12 months and then went to cow's milk.

Chattastrophe!

Roesy wrote: »

It was my understanding that you didn't need to change to follow on milk. It does contain more iron alright and your babies iron stores do start to decrease after 6 months but the first milk and a good diet should be good enough. This is what we were told in our antenatal class.

So did you go straight to cow's milk at six months?

Chattastrophe!

Xdancer wrote: »

I think you can change to the follow on milk at 6 months, but most people I know (myself included) used formula until 12 months and then went to cow's milk.

That's what I'm planning to do, just wondering if I should actually be switching to the follow-on milk now instead, or is there any reason not to.

Roesy

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

So did you go straight to cow's milk at six months?

No, cows milk is suitable for cooking after six months but they shouldn't be having it as the main drink until the age of one. I have to stick to an anti reflux formula but the majority of people I know just used the same formula all through the first year. Can't remember what it's called because my baby is on anti reflux since I gave up breast feeding. Is it just the no.1 milk maybe?

nikpmup

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

That's what I'm planning to do, just wondering if I should actually be switching to the follow-on milk now instead, or is there any reason not to.

Isn't the follow on milk just marketing? As in, the companies aren't allowed advertise formula for under 6mths so they developed, and can advertise, follow on milk? That was my understanding of it (I could have that wrong though, I frequently am !) I'm half thinking of switching him to the follow on purely because it's sometimes on offer and the ready made bottles are more easily available in the follow on than the first milk (my local Spar always has the red SMA but rarely has the yellow; at weekends I buy litre bottles of the stuff so I don't have to make bottles - how sad is it that that's now considered treating myself )
I use cows milk in his breakfast cereal in the last few weeks (I tried it when he was just gone 6mths and I don't think it sat well with him, but he seems okay with it now, as well as yogurt, cheese etc) His bottles are still formula but he gets a sippy cup of water with meals (not that he drinks much of it; most of it goes down his chin!) I'd be in no rush to start weaning - it's so much more complicated than a bottle every few hours :P

Nead21

nikpmup wrote: »

Isn't the follow on milk just marketing? As in, the companies aren't allowed advertise formula for under 6mths so they developed, and can advertise, follow on milk? That was my understanding of it

That's exactly what I think about follow on milk!
I exclusively bf until I went back to work, then introduced Aptimal 1 during the day and continued feeding him myself in the morning and at night until he was around 9 months. I just gradually switched over to cow's milk over the course of about a week when he turned 1.

I think as a poster previously said, once their diet is good when they are eating, then breastmilk/formula should be sufficient.

Chattastrophe!

What's the reason you wouldn't introduce follow-on milk? Roesy makes perfect sense for you when you're using the special formula, but in general, what would the disadvantage be? Is it more expensive or something?

nikpmup I think you're right about holding off on weaning. I hadn't been planning on considering it so soon, but he's been waking up looking for a feed at 3/4am the past couple of nights, after sleeping through for ages. But I think I'm going to just try and squeeze in an extra feed or two during the day and see how that goes. Could just be a growth spurt!

By the way I do the same with the readymade bottles!

cant26

I believe follow on milk is actually cheaper than stage one, it can also be included in special offers in supermarkets where stage one can not. I chose to stick with stage one as I the follow on milk can cause constipation and as others said as long as the baby has a healthy diet there is no need for it.

nikpmup

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

What's the reason you wouldn't introduce follow-on milk? Roesy makes perfect sense for you when you're using the special formula, but in general, what would the disadvantage be? Is it more expensive or something?

nikpmup I think you're right about holding off on weaning. I hadn't been planning on considering it so soon, but he's been waking up looking for a feed at 3/4am the past couple of nights, after sleeping through for ages. But I think I'm going to just try and squeeze in an extra feed or two during the day and see how that goes. Could just be a growth spurt!

By the way I do the same with the readymade bottles!

I want to read the ingredients and nutrient levels on the follow on before I decide. I'm happy enough with him on the stage one, but as cant26 says, it's sometimes on offer. If it has the same igredients then I might switch.

Give the extra feed during the day a go before starting solids, see if that works. Or you could try a dream feed? Lift him gently from the cot and slip a bottle in his mouth without waking him, just before you go to bed? I know that works well for some people.

Chattastrophe!

Yep we already do the dream-feed!

I'm such a stinge, the fact that the follow-on milk is cheaper sometimes is what's swaying me towards it. Don't need to decide for another while yet anyways.

Thanks for all the info!

nikpmup

Dream feeding didn't really work for me, he'd lie back down and his reflux would start up and he'd wake crying :-/

Chattastrophe!

Well I was just in buying nappies, saw the big tins of follow-on milk for just €7.49! :eek: Couldn't resist buying a tin, even though we won't start using it for a while. That's a serious saving over six months (if of course it ends up suiting him.)

nikpmup

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

Well I was just in buying nappies, saw the big tins of follow-on milk for just €7.49! :eek: Couldn't resist buying a tin, even though we won't start using it for a while. That's a serious saving over six months (if of course it ends up suiting him.)

Where was that, I might stock up Was it SMA?

Chattastrophe!

nikpmup wrote: »

Where was that, I might stock up Was it SMA?

Healthwise in Sligo, I'll grab a few tins for you next time I'm down if you want! Yup SMA. The pharmacist said they usually have it at that price there!

nikpmup

Ah, thought it couldn't have been De Blanch Little chemists are always the best for those type of things cheap.

Gonna try scrambled eggs for him for lunch. Didn't go well the last time, but I'll try again, I'd love it if he ate eggs!

yellow hen

nikpmup wrote: »

Ah, thought it couldn't have been De Blanch Little chemists are always the best for those type of things cheap.

Gonna try scrambled eggs for him for lunch. Didn't go well the last time, but I'll try again, I'd love it if he ate eggs!

The texture of scrambled is what they generally dislike. You would probably have better luck, hard boiling an egg and then mashing it with unsalted butter, a little milk and a bit of bread. the bread soaks up the milk and the whole thing becomes very soft and yummy. Try it and you wont be disappointed

How Strange

I gave our daughter chunks of hard boiled egg from 8 months. She loves it but she hates scrambled egg and omelettes. I guess it is the texture. I'm not too fond of scrambled egg myself.

yellow hen

How Strange wrote: »

I gave our daughter chunks of hard boiled egg from 8 months. She loves it but she hates scrambled egg and omelettes. I guess it is the texture. I'm not too fond of scrambled egg myself.

Wouldn't be the biggest scrambled egg fan either although I adore eggs. The 'guggy in a cup' is something my mam used to give us when we were babies and I adored it (right up until I was about 10 )

You were braver than me with the chunks... my guy is terrible with finger food..most ends up on the floor! I don't mind the mess so much but I always feel that he hasn't had enough to eat.

nikpmup

I love scrambled eggs, my OH makes them lovely and creamy, but they're probably a bit undercooked for the little man. Used to love egg in a cup too, mashed with butter, mmmm!

How Strange

How much ends on the floor depends on how hungry/interested she is. If she likes it our floor stays clean. She's now taken to dropping good over the high chair and saying oh o. I still love guggy egg!

Xdancer

The only way my daughter would ever eat egg for me was scrambled. She wouldn't (and still won't) touch them any other way. The odd time she ate french toast for me, but not often.

kandr10

Egg in a cup is one of my all time favourite foods! Also my husbands so we regularly have it for breakfast!

Suucee

My mouth is watering now for egg in the cup. Love it.

LO will only eat scrambled egg/egg in the cup. Will not touch a boiled egg. Had it maybe once but wouldnt touch it after that. Try it every so often but she wont budge.

With my daughter i switched to red lid sma at 6 months as thought i was supposed to change. Only when i bought it did i realise it was cheaper. She had no probs with it so i just continued with it untill we moved to cows milk at 1.

yellow hen

I gave pineapple chunks to my 14 month old today and he adored them. As it's a citrus fruit, I googled (afterwards!) if it was ok for him to have it and the jury was out. What did you guys do?

How Strange

What's wrong with citrus fruit? I give my 1 year orange all the time. I didn't know it was a no-no. I gave my son strawberries before 1 year and later found out they're highly allergic so you shouldn't give them too young. He loved them though!

kandr10

Is it not better to introduce the foods that are high on the allergen list early? Again its all internet science so its hard to filter out facts from garbage.

yellow hen

I think citrus fruits can be a bit tough on their tummys (tummies?) so you (apparently) should introduce them with caution. Anyway, no major problems last night so he went off to creche with a fruit bowl of pineapple and grapes.

Suucee

yellow hen wrote: »

I think citrus fruits can be a bit tough on their tummys (tummies?) so you (apparently) should introduce them with caution. Anyway, no major problems last night so he went off to creche with a fruit bowl of pineapple and grapes.

Am so jealous. I still cant get my 2 yr old to eat fruit. Tried her with pineapple resently too and she took it from my hand and put it down. Wouldnt even put it in her mouth. I put a piece in my mouth then put it up to hers but no. It has to be a texture thing as she loves puree fruit. We have tried so many times yo get her to try it in its proper form but nope but any concoction of fruut puree she will eat. (Current batch is strawberries, pears, apples and bananas) We dont even bother removing the skins of apples or pears.

She asked me for a banana the other morning and i was delighted. Opened it handed it to her and off she ran into the sitting room. I snook in and see her taking a bite. (Had a quiet yippee) but waited and waited and she wouldnt have anymore. She went around with it for ages in her hand. I even asked "are you eating your banana) but she didnt try anymore. But hey she tried it. I eventually had to take it away whrn it started going brown.