FM or Fresh Milk for 12mth old?

fennho

fennho

Registered User
I'm currently still nursing my gal who just turned 1yr old. Lately lots of people kept asking me when am i going to give my gal FM? Of cos, the best is still BM and i'd like to continue nursing her till she's at least 2yr old maybe. But i felt like my supply might be dwindling, and since i direct latch, i dunno how much exactly is she drinking and if it's sufficient for her development. Anyway, if i'd like to supplement, do i need to give her FM or can i give fresh milk? I'm a bit concerned of giving FM aft all the milk scandal scare. My sis kept saying eventually i've to give her cos ALL babies need to drink milk powder eventually cos of the nutrients and vits instead of fresh milk which may not have. Is this true? Anyone did not give FM to their babies at all?
 
once a baby reaches one year old, cow's milk is fine.
and no, not all babies need formula, there are millions in this world that have never tasted it.

if you are feeding your daughter a balanced diet including fruit and veg, then you shouldn't have to worry about the "extra" vitamins in formula. besides, i'm sure that cow's milk has some... if i remember vitamin D is a big one, not to mention calcium.

i, personally, would go from BM to cow's without having to wean from one to another and then have to do it all over again.
i only use/used formula because mine weaned off of BM at 6 months due to my work schedule.
 
my sis went straight from BM to FM just because she was the variety of foods she was giving her children provided the "extra" vitamins that formula has over FM. a lot of HK parents keep their children on formula till 3/4years old though - I'm not sure why myself, perhaps because it ensures that one's child will have "everything" and stay healthy. I think I will go straight to cow's milk though and give her a mixture of food since I'd like her to try different foods and not be a picky eater when she grows up...
 
Cows milk (or goats) has the huge advantage of being a natural food, formula is a highly processed liquid designed to be used if BM is not avaialble or possible to give under the age of 1. I can't think of a reason a baby would need formula over fresh milk after the age of 1. Same as Cara, I weaned my baby onto formula at 7 months only because my supply dwindled when I went back to work. I went onto organic cows milk asap after she turned one.
 
I don't think FM has more added nutrients/vit than fresh milk. I'm sure a good variety of food would be able to provide your little girl with all the necessary nutrients/vitamin.

Like you (you'd aware actually) our girls are of the same age, i'm still BF-ing her & i'm also not sure by ounces how much she drinks per day, just using my gut that she is drinking enough. I'm giving her a variety of food, & for calcium wise i guess yoghurt & cheese, plus i give her a small amount of soya milk diluted with some water once a day, just cause she don't go very well drinking fresh milk on its own, just like me. :)
 
thanks mommies for all your (prompt) inputs! And for putting my mind at ease with my decision on giving her fresh milk directly instead of FM!

Leah
it is comforting to know that there are mommies who actually changed into fresh milk asap once ur baby turns one.

FShah
*wave*. My gal is taking fresh milk for her breakfast with no problem. So i tink i will contd doing so.

My next questions would be:

1) Is my nursing her 3-4 times during the day sufficient?
2) Any recommended meals/ingredients for her solids to ensure she's got all the nutrients covered? Sorry if this sounds really silly, as i've never been a healthy eater myself (gorged myself silly with unhealthy snacks, fast foods, etc) so, in my dark twisted world, i'm always paranoid that i'd unknowingly deprived her of certain vits. Apart from calcium which i know i'm giving her enough (via yoghurt, cheese and fresh milk), what else do we need to ensure them to eat and what are the recommended food to get these vits?

Thanks a lot!
 
At 1 year your baby won't be drinking BM so frequently. Mine drank about 4-5 times/day on ave at 1 year and it slowly decreased over that year to only 1 feed/day. As they get older they are more distracted when out and stop feeding out of the house, and then slolwy it became somthing that was just at naps and bedtime. If you haven't had a supply problem in the past, you likely won't have one now. I never gavemy children formula. What would be the point of starting formula past 1 year? I gave whole fat sow's milk with meals. If your child is eating a variey of foods and vegetables they will get all the minerals and vit they need fdrom their diet, just as an older child and adult does. The only "extra" vitamins I give are VIt D (because I live in Canda, nto necessary in Hong kong). A good rule of thumb for veggies is to try to eat at least 1 green and one yelloe/orange veggy/day.

This booklet is available online and was recetnly done so it is up to date. If you scroll down and click on the "healthy eating and active living for 1 to 5 year olds" you will find it. Hope it helps

http://www.healthyalberta.com/Documents/HEAL_1_to_5_Year_Old_2008.pdf
 
Can you give some suggestions of best organic cow's milk to buy at the market? Holle?

what other liquids should 1 year olds be drinking? my son turned 1 last month and he still drinks formula and water.
 
diluted fruit juice is ok.... they really don't need undiluted as it is VERY sweet and unnecessary.

ps>babymommy... did you mean WHOLE COW'S milk or Sow's milk as you wrote?


that's another thing i forgot to mention... if you do use cow's milk, DO NOT give skim milk... give whole milk.
 
We use Pura fresh milk from Australia. As mentioned above use WHOLE (full fat) milk, not skim or reduced fat milk. If you're buying Pura then it's the dark blue container (available pretty much everywhere, though sometimes out of stock). The organic milks are VERY expensive and we've never bothered buying them.
 
i can't afford organic...
i must also confess.... i still give my 2 year old formula...simply because it's cheaper. i had a hard time changing my older one to fresh milk and it's kind of put me off trying my daughter, who is DEEPLY attached to her formula.
 
If you are still breastfeeding three to four times a day then you baby doesn't NEED to have any other milk - fresh cow's milk or formula. However, fresh milk is an easy food source for a toddler if they like it. But if they don't it isn't necessary.

Generally the recommendations for milk are over stated in our society. Yes milk is required in the first five years but not in the quantities that we give it. The amount of milk you give while breastfeeding is fine for your daughter's milk requirements.

Remember that the amount of milk you make is the amount your daughter drinks. If she drinks more one day then you make more. Don't even think that you don't have enough or that your supply is dwindling.

The only way for your supply to drop is if you stop breastfeeding and then if you want it to bounce back all you need to do is breastfeed more.

Remember it takes about 42 days (6 weeks) for you to loose your milk after the last breastfeed once your supply is well established.

Mothers often think their supply is dwindling as the baby gets older because they no longer feel full. If you want that full feeling again try stopping feeding for 24 hours and you'll get it back but if you keep feeding three or four times a day you may never feel full again - but still have loads of milk.

None of my child had formula. The two girls liked cow's milk and after about 18 months would drink that when we went out. The two boys didn't like it and so would drink apple juice and water when we went out. Jacob even had apple juice on cereals when he was two because he didn't like cow's milk (and I wasn't prepared to express my milk just for his breakfast) although I was happy to breastfeed him after he'd eaten.

Best wishes,
SARAH
 
Currently my 14 month old has full fat pura milk. He did have formula between 7 months and 13 months however, this was just because I had to wean him earlier than I had intended due to his terrible biting habit. If I hadn't weaned early I would have kept him on breastmilk until 12 months or so and then given him full fat cows milk.

I think that the OP is in a great position. Being able to breast feed for 12 months is a fabulous achievement and means that your baby will never need processed formula! Don't listen to anyone who tells you your 12 month old needs formula for the added vits - that is what a good healthy diet is for! Unfortunately, the formula companies have big marketing budgets whereas the breast feeding support networks don't.
 
I started to introduce regular Kowloon Dairy/Nestle cow's milk to both my kids sometime after their first b'day.
For all the talk that FM is better for your kids than BM or cow's milk and it will make them brilliant, I felt uneasy about feeding something to them so artificial. If I don't understand half of the ingredients, I don't trust it!
 
My little girl is 20 months and is still breastfed, albeit, mostly for comfort. I'm also planning to breastfeed her until around 2 years old. She's never had formula. Like others have said, past 1 year babies don't need formula, they don't even need regular milk if they don't like it; it's just a form of calcium and lots of Mums give it in other forms like; yoghurt, cheese etc. The benefit of continuing to breastfeed past 1 is that BM continues to provide the child with the same immunological protection as it did when they were small babies, as well as being able to provide a treasured source of comfort.

You don't need to worry what amount your toddler is drinking at the breast. Trust your toddler that he'll take what he wants and needs. Past 1 I like to think as BM as the supplement to solids so as long as they're eating a reasonable varied diet of meat, fish, veg, fruit, dairy (not necessarily milk) or even if you struggle getting veg down them, as long as they eat fruit; they'll be absolutely fine.
 
We use Clover organic whole milk from park n shop, or if it's out of stock, the Australian Pura whole fat milk as everyone has written about above.
 
The formula ads with children dressed in graduation gowns or as piano prodigies make me mad. The manufacturers wouldn't get away with quite so blatant marketing of follow-on milk in other countries.
 
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