When do you start 'Follow On' milk??

Roosteroo · #1 (**permalink**) 22-10-09, 19:35

Hi there,
I'm just wondering when or indeed if, you need to go to Follow On milk, my LO (5.5mths) is on C&G number 1, and I've started to wean him, all the adverts say from 6mths to use Follow on, but C&G number one says from birth to 12 months... confused! Does it have something else in it? Or is it just so the companies are allowed to advertise as they aren't allowed to advertise birth+ formula...
Thanks in advance
x x x

rachaelmae · #2 (**permalink**) 22-10-09, 19:43

yep they cant advertise formula for newborns so they try to get you to think your baby needs a follow on milk... i wouldnt bother stick with whatever formula your using... they have cows milk from 12months anyways (well they can do if they will drink the stuff!)

x

Roosteroo · #3 (**permalink**) 22-10-09, 20:10

So there's no real need for follow on?
x

rachaelmae · #4 (**permalink**) 22-10-09, 20:20

nope its all an advertising gimmickx

mrsharvey · #5 (**permalink**) 22-10-09, 20:59

totally agree with RM, even my HV said it's a gimmick, stick with the same formula hun x

JulieBannon · #6 (**permalink**) 22-10-09, 21:01

i esp like the advert with the huge sippy cup saying that a toddler has to drink "this" much milk to get enough iron but only 2 small cups of follow on milk. dont they know iron comes in food too?

LittleMissMe · #7 (**permalink**) 22-10-09, 21:16

Agree with the others. Imogens paediatrician told me the same-just a gimmick totally not necessary xxxxxxx

Ellie H · #8 (**permalink**) 22-10-09, 22:35

As above, it's just a gimick. No need to change to stage 2 or follow on. Just stick with it and swap to cows milk at 12 months.

Roosteroo · #9 (**permalink**) 23-10-09, 10:00

Thanks ladies.
I think that its a bit of a shame that in order to advertise these companies have introduced an unecessary product, because of the governments opinion on how I should feed MY baby!
Breast wasn't best for us and I still feel an immense amount of guilt about how I put me and my LO through the stress of it because thats what had been drummed into me, antenatal classes claim to offer you all the options and info you need, but not one offered advice on bottlefeeding, because they weren't allowed. We tried for 2 weeks to no avail, to the point when it wasn't doing either of us any good to feel that way anymore, tbh i didn't enjoy those first weeks because I couldn't feed my baby and I dredded him waking for a feed because we were both suffering. The moment we switched to bottle was the best decision we had made.
I think the way formula is advertised needs looking at, everywhere you look you see breast is best etc,and formula is a breast milk 'substitute' but why cant they let us make up our own minds, vunerable new mums and babies don't need that pressure!

Don't know where that all came from!! feel better for getting it out though!!

It may help someone

xxxxxxxxx

LittleMissMe · #10 (**permalink**) 23-10-09, 14:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roosteroo

Thanks ladies.
I think that its a bit of a shame that in order to advertise these companies have introduced an unecessary product, because of the governments opinion on how I should feed MY baby!
Breast wasn't best for us and I still feel an immense amount of guilt about how I put me and my LO through the stress of it because thats what had been drummed into me, antenatal classes claim to offer you all the options and info you need, but not one offered advice on bottlefeeding, because they weren't allowed. We tried for 2 weeks to no avail, to the point when it wasn't doing either of us any good to feel that way anymore, tbh i didn't enjoy those first weeks because I couldn't feed my baby and I dredded him waking for a feed because we were both suffering. The moment we switched to bottle was the best decision we had made.
I think the way formula is advertised needs looking at, everywhere you look you see breast is best etc,and formula is a breast milk 'substitute' but why cant they let us make up our own minds, vunerable new mums and babies don't need that pressure!

Don't know where that all came from!! feel better for getting it out though!!

It may help someone

xxxxxxxxx

the reason it isn't advertised is to try to make breastfeeding the "norm" as opposed to mums immediatley reaching for formula. If breastfeeding was the norm then I personally think alot more mums would be able to do it and for longer as there isn't the immediate stress and worry about it if you're not thinking about what you "should"/"shouldn't" be doing according to other people.

I personally have been made to feel bad about bf ing my babies as opposed to formula as formula is what all of my family and friends used-one of my aunts actually said "that old bf ing is a load of balls"-she's irish and very opinionated!!!