Feeding FAQ: 4-6 months – Other

Question – Switch to cows milk or follow-on formula?

My son is 13 months and I am still giving him stage one formula (birth to six months). This is because I was breast-feeding up to eight months and then just gave the 7pm feed as a formula feed up to twelve months.

Now my son has:

7am – Breast-feed then breakfast
11:30/12pm – Lunch
2:30pm – 6 oz formula
5/5:30pm – Dinner
7pm – 8 oz formula

He usually sleeps until 6:30am. I was planning on keeping him on formula stage one until 18 months and then switching to cows milk – does this sound OK or should I be doing it sooner or should I be switching to a next stage formula ? Any advice appreciated.

Answer:

There’s no harm in giving your son formula until he is 18 months. However, so long as they are eating well, there’s also no harm and a lot of money to be saved by switching to cows milk now that he is over the age of one. If you do choose formula, I would suggest you switch to the follow-on type as it is higher in iron – which can be lacking if your son does not have a great appetite – and in a number of other nutrients.

It’s difficult to know how much breast milk/formula your son is drinking as one feed is a breast-feed, however you will probably be able to judge how much breast milk you are producing. Keep in mind that the guideline for daily milk/formula intake at this age is 350 to 500 ml (12 to 17 oz) including milk used in cereal, yoghurt, cheese and other dairy foods. As your son has 14 oz formula plus a breast-feed each day in addition to other dairy foods, I suspect he may be over the suggested amount. This is not uncommon, but the problem is that too much milk/formula can reduce your son’s intake of solid foods providing other nutrients. Now your son is over that age of one it is a good time to aim for a more adult eating pattern – this will probably decrease your son’s demand for milk. I’d suggest offering a nutritious snack at afternoon tea, followed by a smaller drink. As it is also about four hours between breakfast and lunch, you could consider a small snack for morning tea. You might also reduce the amount of formula offered; you’ll probably find his appetite for solid foods will naturally increase. Another option is to offer drinks of water. Making the change from a bottle to a cup, if you have not done so already, often leads to a reduction in formula/milk intake.

One last thing – congratulation for continuing breast-feeding until beyond the age of one. Many women believe that it’s not possible to continue successfully once you are down to one or two feeds a day, but in my personal experience and that of a few other friends, it can be done. I suspect some women’s bodies may adapt to this better than others, though.