From breastfeeing to formula or cows milk
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Topic: From breastfeeing to formula or cows milk
Posted By: pepsi
Subject: From breastfeeing to formula or cows milk
Date Posted: 28 April 2007 at 11:44am
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Hi Ladies,
Just interested to know what others may have done in terms of weaning. I am currently still breastfeeding Alyssa (9 months old), but am thinking of trying to start weaning soon in preparation for my return to work. It has been suggested that rather than weaning now, I wait until she is a year old so that I can go straight to cows milk rather than formula. Just as a note, we have no history or dairy allergies in the family. Has anyone else done this? I mean, I always assumed everyone goes through a formula stage so it never occurred to me to skip that part. Would she be missing anything by not having any formula? |
Replies:
Posted By: Glow
Date Posted: 28 April 2007 at 1:00pm
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Im not much help b/c i didnt breastfeed & only did the formula to cows milk when my DS was 2.
Personally i'd do formula first b/c of the lack of iron, vitamins & other minerals in cows milk. But thats just me. ------------- Mummy of Two Boys B: 2004 K: 2007 |
Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 28 April 2007 at 1:09pm
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Hi Pepsi, yep I have taken two girls from BM to cow's milk and water. Hannah was 11 1/2 mos and Briona was 10 1/2, which is perhaps a little early but she had no probs. The girls went straight onto sippy cup at that point. It is ok for a 10-12mo to live off cow's milk, water, and whatever food you are giving them because they will get most of their nutrients at that stage from their food. Hannah actually wasn't too keen on milk at first, she basically went from BM to water but she obviously survived off that and her weight never dipped. I guess she must have filled up on food.
What generally happens with babies who go from BM to cows' milk, is that they don't usually have a before bed drink, most of their drinks are at (5) mealtimes. Makes it a whole lot easier to skip formula, and easier on the pocket too! -------------  |
Posted By: Glow
Date Posted: 28 April 2007 at 1:33pm
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http://www.naturalchild.org/guest/linda_folden_palmer.html - The Dangers of cows milk
You may find the read interesting, made me think twice about my own consumption of cows milk. ------------- Mummy of Two Boys B: 2004 K: 2007 |
Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 28 April 2007 at 2:00pm
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Hmmm I think most people know that too much cows' milk is not so good. But the same argument has been used (by the same author) against formula as well.
I went and got Hannah's baby book for an example of foods she was eating at Alyssa's age - at 10mos Hannah was having about 6 feeds per day, finger food (soft veges) and crackers. She had just stopped having chunky purees at 9mos, preferring veges she could pick up to eat. By 11mos she was having 2 feeds a day (the rest was water and food and up to one-half cup of milk each day) and I dropped her night feed without any fuss. Two weeks later I dropped her morning feed, she would ask for it but I'd get straight up and offer breakfast or read a story and she'd get distracted - which was proof for me that it was a habit for her, not a need. ------------- |
Posted By: emmaohara
Date Posted: 28 April 2007 at 6:26pm
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I weaned Ben at 9 mths but put him on formula even though my plunket nurse said he could go on cows milk.
I think the formula has more goodness in it especially the Gold types with the fish oils in  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: pepsi
Date Posted: 28 April 2007 at 6:48pm
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Thanks for your comments so far, I'm still not sure what to do but glad to hear you have actually done it and it worked out fine busymum :) If I do decide on going to cows milk and no formula in between I will just keep breastfeeding until she is 1.
One good thing is that Alyssa loves water and has been having it for months, although I restrict it to mealtimes just to wash down the food. She's still only eating pureed food so not sure if she might be missing any vitamins or things from some of the chunkier foods or finger foods that she doesn't want yet? Just a question about formula...if I was to start up on this, would I begin with the starter stuff since she has never had it before, or do I go straight to the "follow on" stuff? |
Posted By: AlyAyde
Date Posted: 28 April 2007 at 7:01pm
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I switched Alyssa straight from BF to cows milk. Started the gradual change at 12 months. Something to think about too is that your Alyssa might not like formula because of the taste, where as cows milk is an easy change.
You would go straight to the follow on formula if you did start it. Get some free samples first if your going to try it otherwise it will be a waste of a tin if she doesnt like it. ummm what else. Oh yeah dont fall for the adds about toddler formula either. Yes it does have extra vitamins etc etc but if she is having a good varied diet then she wont need any of the stuff thats in the toddler formula. Mind you after saying that i have read stuff lately where something like 50% of nz children have low iron. All the best ------------- Jayde 25/12/04 Alyssa 08/04/03 http://Alyayde.bebo.com |
Posted By: Glow
Date Posted: 28 April 2007 at 7:27pm
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Id get the "follow on" formula which is for babies 6mnths+
Also found this you may like to read?!? http://www.mothering.com/sections/experts/palmer-archive.html#cowsmilk - Formula should continue till 18mnths ------------- Mummy of Two Boys B: 2004 K: 2007 |
Posted By: pepsi
Date Posted: 28 April 2007 at 7:58pm
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Hehe Thanks again ladies - This info is very helpful :)
one more question...what sort of cows milk? Dark blue, light blue, trim, xtra?...Does it matter? |
Posted By: EllenMumof2
Date Posted: 28 April 2007 at 7:59pm
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maddy has been on formula since she was very young i have just started indoucing cows milk instead of formula and she seems to like it i and i found a cows milk that was good for 1 to 3 year olds called JUNIOR made by meadow fresh which is design for toddlers from1 -3 years old. -------------  
 
Kalem 6! |
Posted By: EllenMumof2
Date Posted: 28 April 2007 at 8:00pm
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Dark blue till they are 2 my plunket nurse said -------------
Kalem 6! |
Posted By: Glow
Date Posted: 28 April 2007 at 8:04pm
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That junior stuff is good or i just use dark blue mainly b/c of price. ------------- Mummy of Two Boys B: 2004 K: 2007 |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 28 April 2007 at 8:09pm
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Yep, the dark blue is recommended for kids under 5, and the Anchor Megamilk or Meadowfresh Junior milk is also fortified especially for wee ones.
If it was me and I wasn't dealing with allergies I'd go straight to cows milk. As long as Alyssa is having a varied diet she will be getting plenty of nutrients. It doesn't matter whether she is eating pureed food or finger foods, they all have the same nutrients (ie. pureed carrot vs carrot sticks). I'm inclined to agree with Maria that toddler formulas are a great sales ploy, the same as the "junior" juice boxes that are ridiculously expensive and essentially just standard juice watered down. So you pay more to get watery juice than you do to get straight juice. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Glow
Date Posted: 28 April 2007 at 8:17pm
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Theres toddler & toddler Gold. Which ones are sales Ploys? Or are they both? I was under the imppression the gold was *all sh#t* & yes way more expensive than the regular stuff. ------------- Mummy of Two Boys B: 2004 K: 2007 |
Posted By: AuntieSarah
Date Posted: 28 April 2007 at 8:40pm
| Just be careful switching won't you, my nephew had an anaphylactic reaction to his first bottle of formula, and there's no family history of allergies on either side. |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 28 April 2007 at 9:10pm
Both. They do have extra vitamins and fish oils etc., but nothing that bubs can't get from a varied diet supplemented with cows milk. And the difference between standard and Gold with the infant formulas is that one is casein dominant and one is whey (not sure which as my kids have never been able to have them) so I presume it's the same with the toddler formulas? ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Glow wrote:Posted By: Glow
Date Posted: 29 April 2007 at 7:16am
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We have a varied diet & only used toddler formula as a "vitamin" drink. Comes back to the cow thing again-milk loaded with hormones etc but no iron & vitamins. IMO.
Makes me wonder how 50% of nz kids lack in iron??!! ------------- Mummy of Two Boys B: 2004 K: 2007 |
Posted By: meow
Date Posted: 29 April 2007 at 8:22am
Didn't read your article but have to say as a breastfeeding mum, wtf?? I don't agree with that. At one year, food is more important than milk, kids should be getting their nutrition from that instead of milk. I would rather make sure that enough vitamins etc are coming from food than an artificial source. We switched to cows milk at just over 1 year, I too made a gradual change and by 13.5 months Ella was drinking cows milk. We decided to continue giving her a night time drink though, and put the cows milk in a bottle, so that dad could have special time with her. She stopped using the bottle at 20 months (and she only ever had it at night). ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Glow
Date Posted: 29 April 2007 at 10:19am
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Most definitely food is more important than "milk"!!! We dont use it as a "food" or to substitute a 'complete' diet, its a drink.
Formula is closer to breast milk, than cows milk. ------------- Mummy of Two Boys B: 2004 K: 2007 |
Posted By: SMoody
Date Posted: 29 April 2007 at 7:52pm
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To the original question. I think it depends on your kids diet. If they eat enough fruit and veggies you can go with full cream milk. No skim milk or low fat at all.
If you are a bit worried about their diet and they are a bit picky maybe formula is the way to go. I still BF but started using formula for her porridge in the morning instead of the cowsmilk on advice from the dr. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 29 April 2007 at 7:58pm
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The closest formula to breastmilk is goats milk, apparently it is easier to digest and has a similar composition to breastmilk (altho I would guess without the antibody benefits of breastmilk). But most kids who are allergic to cows milk are also allergic to goats.
When Maya was smaller and I was weaning her from breastmilk to formula for health reasons her paed told me that the nutritional component of breastmilk ceases to be sufficient for bubs growth from around 7 mths. So that it's important to get extra iron and vitamins thru food and use the breastmilk to supplement that. So in theory babies if babies that are breastfed can thrive on the nutrients in their solid foods then bottle fed babies can do the same supplemented with straight cows milk (from 12 months). I don't even know if I'm making sense. And this is purely based on research not experience as none of my kids have been able to have standard formulas (or cows milk for that matter  )
Edited to try and un-ramble my rambling  ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Nic01
Date Posted: 30 April 2007 at 10:18am
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How often do you breastfeed during the day? I just started by dropping feeds. I think by the time Matthew was 9 months, he was getting breastfed first thing in the morning, once in the afternoon & once before bedtime. By the time he was 10 months, he'd dropped the afternoon feed. I didn't supplement him with formula at all. It meant it was easy to keep breastfeeding him while I was working as I breastfed him before I went to work & then before he went to bed. We did that until he was about 12 1/2 months. Then I just replaced his morning breastfeed with a sippy cup of either cows milk or toddler milk. We kept breastfeeding at night for a bit longer until he would only sit still for less than a minute & I decided that he just really wasn't interested. So now I give him a cup of milk in the evenings too. Not that he tends to drink much of it! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: megrac
Date Posted: 30 April 2007 at 1:16pm
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yes i went form bf to cows milk dark blue little ones need the fat to develop their brains till thay are about 2 or 3 years old. 9 months i would still bf before and afther work and suplmemt with formular during the day nothing wrong with having best of both worlds your milk suply soon gets use to the change start on the weekend so that milk suply can ajust by the start of work. just an idear on how i would aproach it. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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