Advice on starting to mix feed 6 month old

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  lilo-52874

  Apr 15, 2009 4:34PM

  Hi,
  
  I have just started giving my 6 1/2 month old 2 bottles of fm, one in the afternoon and now (first time tonight) her bedtime feed.
  She was weaned onto solids about 5 1/2 months and is now on 3 meals a day and bfeeds when she wants (not that many now!)
  
  She doesn't like taking from a cup and during the afternoon takes her bottle ok but her bedtime bottle we struggled a little. I would just keep trying a cup and bottle. This is what i'm planning on doing and hopefully eventually it want bother her.
  
  I also use follow on milk. I was the same as you but then remembered with my other two daughters, who were both ff they went onto follow on milk at 6months.
  She seems ok on it.
  Hopes this helps?
  )

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  Sunflower81

  Apr 15, 2009 4:46PM

  Not sure whether I can really offer any advice, but I introduced formula at just over 6 months so I can tell you what I tried. My HV advised I should use first stage milk as follow on milk can be a bit heavy for a baby who's only been breast fed, and first milk is OK until 1 - I think other people have gone straight to follow on milk and been fine though - I also think follow on milk is a bit of a marketing ploy for companies to get around not being able to advertise first stage milk, so I dont really believe in it, but that's just my opinion.
  I went for the afternoon feed first, as that's when I'd be most likely to be out (and we never mastered public feeding!!). My little boy was used to taking EBM from a bottle about once a week, but introducing formula didn't go as smoothly as I'd hoped! He cried as if we were trying to poison him when we first tried it, we tried hubby giving it to him so he couldn't smell my milk, a beaker in case he was expecting EBM from the bottle - in the end he went without his afternoon feed, woke up at dinner time hungry and I offered formula rather than food and he took it - then I gave him his dinner. It was hard at the time, I only persevered because I wouldn't be able to breastfeed when I went back to work - but the struggles did only last a few days, and were much better after a couple - he opens his mouth as soon as he sees a bottle now!
  I can't really offer much advice with the beaker - I could do with some myself! Have tried milk in a beaker a few times with little success. The last few days (he's 9 months now) I've started giving a beaker of formula with breakfast (he'd usually have a beaker of water), and he'll drink a couple of ounces - hoping this will increase over time as he gets used to it, then we can phase out a bottle (replacing it with a beaker).
  Sorry if this isn't any help, I seem to've gone on a bit!

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  babybear

  Apr 16, 2009 4:13PM

  Hi i just also want to add that when i was going to introduce formula to my lo at 6 months (i changed my mind in the end!) my hv also advised that it was better to introduce 1st stage milk before introducing follow on milk as its hungry baby milk with the extra iron so may be a bit to heavy for the babies tummy compared to the bm they were having- but im sure there are many babies out there who have taken to follow on milk fine. Just thought id mention xx

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