Stop the formula or not?

Executive Member Joined: Apr 07 2010 Posts: 257

HI Girls

My son is 15 months and is on formula, he has about 4 or 5 bottles a day, I was thinking of taking him off formula all together and only giving him water. Do you think he will lose the nutrients that are in the milk or do I just continue till he is ready to stop?

Thanks Wink

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Posted: Wed, May 12 2010, 5:36 am Post subject: re: Stop the formula or not?

Why not move him to real milk (full fat)? When I asked my kids' pediatrician, he didn't see any reason to keep them on formula rather than milk beyond one year. However, he did say that they shouldn't be getting more than about 24 ounces of milk a day. Anything beyond that should be water.

Silver Member Joined: Sep 03 2007 Posts: 631

ditto! formula is expensive and milk is good for kids. totally ditch the formula and go with the milk!

Posted: Wed, May 12 2010, 8:25 am Post subject: re: Stop the formula or not?

Definitely stop the formula especially as he's having 4-5 bottles a day - my 6 month old only has 4 bottles. By age one they should have halved that and only be having a bottle in the morning and one in the evening. Why swich to water? Switch to dairy products, whole milk, cottage, cheese, yogurt etc. Formula is important to a non nursing baby, but a toddler needs to be getting nutrients and calories from food. Formula just fills them up and curbs their appetites.

Diamond Member Joined: May 24 2007 Posts: 4658

but does milk have the vitamins that formula has?
my son age 21 months has 2-4 bottles a day of formula - he eats tons but loves the formula

I was thinking of trying milk but I figured the formula is probably more healthy.

Executive Member Joined: Apr 07 2010 Posts: 257

so that was my question e1234. Im worried that there is more vitamins in formula than milk?

Moderator Joined: Mar 29 2005 Posts: 18387

It's a marketing thing. Many babies have stopped nursing by that time, and don't start on formula. Nutrition should be gotten from food at this point. If he eats decently, no need to give vitamins and minerals via a bottle other than regular whole milk.
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Diamond Member Joined: May 24 2007 Posts: 4658

I think forumla is more healthy

milk is probably cheaper but if he likes the formula and I it's healthy then I'm going to keep him on it.
eventually I assume he'll wean himself.

Moderator Joined: Mar 29 2005 Posts: 18387

It's not healthy for someone to get an excess of vitamins and minerals. Too much iron, for example, is linked to Parkinson's. Too much folic acid is linked to colon cancer. When a full day's of nutrition is drunk AND also obtained through food, it's not healthier.

As I said, it's a marketing thing. We are mislead into believing formula is this amazing healthy thing. It's not better to be on formula than to get nutrition through food past 1.

Posted: Wed, May 12 2010, 11:33 am Post subject:

Moderator Joined: Mar 29 2005 Posts: 18387

I didn't say it causes. I said is linked to. It means there is suspicion of an association. One study means nothing alone -- are there 10 studies disproving it? Or none other done?

All I'm saying, and any health professional will agree with, is that excess of vitamins is not a good thing.

Diamond Member Joined: May 24 2007 Posts: 4658

ok but in my case when my older kids are such bad eaters I feel like if he's getting a little more it will only help him. He eats 1 big meal a day and then snacks and has a bottle by the babysitter and one before he goes to sleep. The real problem is when he needs a bottle in the middle of the night -- that he's too old for and getting to fat.

Moderator Joined: Mar 29 2005 Posts: 18387

I wonder if he would eat better if he wasn't filling up on drinking.

Posted: Wed, May 12 2010, 1:10 pm Post subject: re: Stop the formula or not?

Formula is made much sweeter than milk, so that of course the children like it more and then the parents have to keep forking out for formula. The reason that formula is healthier for infants than cow's milk is because the babies stomach isn't yet mature enough to handle pure cows milk, so formula is given instead, but it's certainly not healthier for older children. Toddlers and children who drink formula don't eat or eat very little because formular is tastier/sweeter and fills them up.

Diamond Member Joined: May 24 2007 Posts: 4658

Moderator Joined: Mar 29 2005 Posts: 18387

He very likely is getting fat from the formula, and the sugar in it...
Have you tried getting him to take regular milk in the bottle?

Executive Member Joined: Oct 29 2009 Posts: 368

What does your pediatrician say? He'll be able to see from the charts if your baby is starting to go up on the curve because he's both eating and drinking formula. Also, it could be that he's only eating one full meal a day because he's getting full on formula. At his age, he should be eating 3 meals plus healthy snacks.

Executive Member Joined: Apr 07 2010 Posts: 257

So im on day 3 of no formula and one bottle of milk and the rest water. We have had some screaming nights, but it will get easier......right??? LOL

Posted: Sun, May 16 2010, 8:58 am Post subject:

my daughter is the same age and still takes 4 bottles about of 120ml of formula but this is the only calcium she has so I was told not to stop it.

Executive Member Joined: Apr 07 2010 Posts: 257

you need to listen to your doctor, they know best LOL