[BabyZ]

DD is just under 13 mths (11 mths corrected) and we still have her on Bellamy's stage 2 formula. She has 3 meals a day and 3 x 240ml of formula.

Not sure if we should start her on Bellamy's stage 3 or just give her cow's milk instead?

What did you do with your prem at 12 mths? Continue on with formula or go straight onto cow's milk? Are there any health benefits in keeping prems on formula longer?

Thanks

[mummacat]

OP I am doing the research on the same thing. DS2 is 15 months (13 months corrected) and I am returning to work so I need to wean him off his lunch time feed and I am unsure if I should wean to cows milk or to formula.

Everything I was reading recommended the Bliss website, who are a premature baby charity in the UK.

http://www.bliss.org.uk/help-for-families/...-drinks-beyond/

They state

"Babies taking baby formula milk should continue this until 15 to 18 months and then change to whole (full fat) cows’ milk"

I am going to try formula to start off with and see how DS2 tolerates it. I also have a pead appointment at the end of February so I will double check with him as well.

I would love to hear what other Mum's have done and what worked (I breastfeed DS1 until 22 months due to work only being 2 minutes from childcare and he would not wean at all, I have changed jobs and it is not possible to do this with DS2)

[Madnesscraves]

I'd recommend seeing your GP about this. My DD was 1month prem, but I switched her to cows milk at one with no issues. But that was after consulting my GP about this.

[knottygirl]

both my boys went from breastmilk to cows milk at 9-10 months. they used to raise babys on cows milk once. unless there is a know allergy, there is no issue. its all just whats the latest trend, plus the formula companys pay for all this so called research that cows milk before 12 months is wrong. Exact same as how they used to pay for research that breastmilk is bad in the 60's. The formula companys just want to make money. I felt much better giving my kids fresh whole unprocessed cows milk (except pasturising) than i did giving then a powdered highly processed byproduct of cheese production, essentially made from milk anyway.

[Bek+3]

My 13 month old 32 weeker is fully BF but I don't plan to wean him on to any milk, just water. In my opinion, cows milk is completely unnecessary in a child's diet. We seem to load kids to the eye balls with it but a few serves of other calcium rich foods is enough. My prem has always been anemic too and cows milk lowers the ability for iron to absorb.

I've never given cows milk to any of my kids though as a drink. Like I said, completely unnecessary when water is enough.

[handsfull]

My DDs were born 13 weeks early so were on breastmilk until 9 months. I switched to Karicare and we kept on their formula (toddler stage 3) until they were at least 2.

They were eating very well and had adequate water but I thought why not. It was cut down to 1-2 cups a day but just wanted to ensure they were getting all the nutrients they needed. They also had normal milk a bit in cereal etc.

Didn't hurt them in the least.

[Bek+3]

I felt much better giving my kids fresh whole unprocessed cows milk (except pasturising) than i did giving then a powdered highly processed byproduct of cheese production, essentially made from milk anyway.

Milk is homogonised too so it's actually highly processed!! When we do buy milk for cooking and cereal, we choose the available unhomogonised option. They homogonise it because it looks nicer but it's completely unnatural. I heard someone from the Heart Foundation once speak about this on talk back radio a few years ago. Apparently he had been campaigning for years to stop homoginisation of milk because it was believed to block arteries and cause heart disease. To date I don't think the manufacturers have paid any attention to the research and the public none the wiser.

Anyway... sorry to go off track.

[aphraell]

My DD was 7 weeks preemie and still can't handle much straight cows mil, although nothing to suggest that it is connected with being preemie.

She was BF/EBM till 3 months, then part BF/EBM and part formula (goats) until 11 months when she self weaned. We tried introducing cows milk at that time but she was very unsettled, bloated, stomach pains and caused ear infections etc.

Now at 20 months she still has one bottle of 3/4 strength formala (organic goat) and only vey little other cows dairy. She can tolerate A2 milk a bit better than normal milk so thats what she has on her cereal. She very rarely has cheese or yoghurt so we just make sure she gets her calcium intake form other sources We are slowly watering down her one bottle of formula and I don't plan on replacing it with a bottle of milk.

This post has been edited by aphraell: 18/01/2013, 08:50 AM

[knottygirl]

Milk is homogonised too so it's actually highly processed!! When we do buy milk for cooking and cereal, we choose the available unhomogonised option. They homogonise it because it looks nicer but it's completely unnatural. I heard someone from the Heart Foundation once speak about this on talk back radio a few years ago. Apparently he had been campaigning for years to stop homoginisation of milk because it was believed to block arteries and cause heart disease. To date I don't think the manufacturers have paid any attention to the research and the public none the wiser.

Anyway... sorry to go off track.

homogninised milk is not the same as processed formula. they basically just break apart the larger fat molecules so they all mix in better. they arent adding anything or taking anything away. baby formula is very highly processed.

i dont see how that could possibly be linked to blocked arterys, which is caused from high chloesterol.

If he was campaigning and nothing was being done its probably because of lack of evidence or poor research techniques.

it happens all the time. Someone does some poorly devised research using improper techniques or too small sample size, and gets some sensational result. Then many many people attempt to replicate the result using proper scientific studys ect and find the first study incorrect. But millions of sheep that just google stuff and believe everything that is written on the internet must be true cultivate these crazy thoughts.

I read a study once someone posted on facebook about how bad and dangerous milk from the supermarket is, how it has no nutritional value, and that pasturising in particular was bad and removed all the goodness. It recommended that people drink unpasturised milk (even pregnant women), which can be bought from farms under the name of 'bath milk' as its illegal to sell unpasturised milk for human consumption.

100's of years of research and hard work and you get silly small minded people believing stuff because someone posted it on a webpage so it must be true.

[knottygirl]

and as far as me thinking baby formula is processed and unhealthy, thats not based on me just googling crap and believing it, i actually did a study a uni on a baby formula factory which looked at the production steps.