Toddler formula

So I keep seeing the same toddler formula ad on tv. The general idea I get from the ad is that breastfeeding is best for the first year (so this may have been determined from my own pov), but then it says something about when it's time to move on from breastfeeding then toddler formula/milk is best.

Here's my question though, has anyone breastfed for 12mths, then moved onto toddler formula?
I'm not judging, but it occurred to me the last time I saw it, it was funny marketing in that after breastfeeding my girls for 12mths, moving onto a formula wasn't something that I gave any thought, let alone considered. Just curious

Every time I see that ad I think the same thing.

I didn't bf DS for a number of reasons so he was on formula but when he got to 12months and was looking at the next formula I asked the gp and she said just to go to cow milk.

Yeah, seems unlikely that a Breastfeeding Mum would be inclined to go the formula option at 12 months, it's an odd pitch for the add isn't it. I suspect they are trying to keep the BFers onside to acknowledge Breastfeeding is best to 12 months. There are tight guidelines around formula adds though aren't there?

Although having said that I've heard quite a few mums talk up the nutrients of toddler formula for iron intake etc. I always feel the need (and often do) to point out all the natural sources of iron rather that paying for unnecessary formula.

This ad annoys me every time I see it, but for a different reason. It states that
9 out of 10 mums would recommend it to other mums which makes it sound like 9 out of 10 babies use the particular formula. It should mention that this is only out of mums who formula feed at that particular age which is going to be way less than 9 out of 10 babies.

the guidelines are actually pretty loose and the current government recently scrapped the advisory panel that are supposed to oversee compliance with the MAIF agreement (a voluntary agreement between manufacturers and importers regarding the marketing of breastmilk substitutes). So we have no one overseeing whether companies stick to a voluntary agreement...not ideal

The MAIF agreement stipulates that infant formula can't be advertised, so they advertise toddler formula instead...only they use babies that look much younger than 12months old, and phrases like 'when you decide to move on from breastmilk' (because who goes from breastmilk to, you know, FOOD) in the hope of maintaining breastmilk substitutes as a normal thing to feed babies and also building brand awareness - they know a large portion of babies under 12mths are given formula at some point so they want women to think of their specific brand when they go to the shop to buy it.

They aren't allowed to advertise formula for babies under 12 months. By saying "when it's time to move on from breastfeeding" I feel they're actually being a bit vague - that could be three months, 6 months, 12 months, whenever. They're also putting in your mind that when you finish breastfeeding, you use formula. It's just something I accepted before getting pregnant, after breastfeeding you just give your toddler formula. The advertising works, especially if you don't do any research about it.

In reality, toddler formula is not needed, they can have cow/goat/whatever milk. But how else is a formula company going to advertise to parents? So they create the toddler formula so that they can advertise, they compare it to breastmilk - based on breastmilk, next best thing etc - and tell you it's what your child needs to be healthy when they're not breastfeeding, whatever age they are.

I know people who's kids actually did move onto toddler formula. I'm pretty sure none of them were breast fed by that stage, but people thought of that as the next step.

I'm pretty sure toddler formula wasn't around, or at least wasn't advertised when I had my oldest, so moving straight to cows milk was normal for me. And my younger 2 bf til 2.

My ff son 2.5 still has formula he refuses normal milk mainly because dd started having a few formula bottles a day from 6 months and he insists he has the same but he has never liked normal milk I don't care really it's only $10 a month for a tin

Milk from other species isn't a necessary part of the diet anyway. It is absolutely just underhanded advertising for infant formula. The message that this is what you use after breast milk is aimed squarely at mothers of young babies, just as much as mothers of toddlers.
There's milk in cans aimed at 10 year olds, for goodness sake. It's all about money, that's it.

My GP told me that there is nothing in toddler formula that provides anything a good diet of solid foods and dairy cant give them. Waste of money in other words.

It's a marketing gimmick and the only way they can get their formula brand name on the tv

That's right, toddler formula contains nothing that kids can't get from eating food. If you have a toddler who won't eat *anything* (I mean, nothing, not just picky or whatever) and you're not breastfeeding, they are better off staying on infant formula not toddler formula, which is not a complete food and is basically just milk powder with some added vitamins etc and a whole lot of sugar.

I'm detecting a bit of dislike towards formula lol

Not the product, per se, but the companies that peddle it. And yes, I know, that's capitalism for you. But they play on the very good motives of parents to make a buck. That does not sit right with me, and particularly where we're talking about infant formula which accounts for all or most of a baby's nutritional intake.

I know its a marketing gimmick, and about the marketing of infant formula. But putting that aside, and my own pov about formula etc, my reaction to the ad was "really why after 12mths of breastfeeding, would I wean so I can give my child formula?"

My assumption, and its only an assumption, is that breastfeeding is hard. We all know it, if it were easy then formula wouldnt exist in the abundance that it does now, and the average length of a time a child is b/fed for would be longer too. But to get to 12mths is a huge accomplishment, something that many of us celebrate. But because it is such a bumpy road, many have a strong stance towards formula and the companies that make it. So wouldnt it be pretty pointless marketing a product that is not necessarily viewed kindly upon by the audience?
Or is it sneaky advertising at those already using formula, and not at all aimed at b/fed babes?
Yes I know I am more than likely overthinking something pretty pointless, but perhaps the sneaky message, advertising aim was totally lost on me lol

Peace, that part annoys me too. It can be interpreted in so many ways, which of course aids their advertising. But at the same time it confuses me, because Im like "What 9 out of 10 mums who b/fed for 12mths are happy to switch over to formula on their childs 1st birthday? Perhaps they could get said child to open a birthday present, where inside is a lovely shiny tin of formula? Or the 9 mums could stand in a group pointing fingers at the one mum who doesn't recommend it? Is that because she still b/feds her child? or does the child have a little cup of milk (from whatever crazy natural source the mother chooses)?" (please note all said in sarcasm)

I think the same thing beansbeans everytime I see the ad - I dont know of any mother on earth who would put in the hard yards of breastfeeding til 12 months......................just to switch to toddler formula. Unless there was a medical reason which would be rare.

I know a few mums who had a 12m target, and stopped bfing at 12m. So people don't always keep going until their children leave home just cos they manage more than 2 months :).

Don't know if they used formula or not, but they reached a good target, celebrated it and themselves, and did what was right for them.

I had a 12 month goal but I only made it to 6 months full time got a vomiting bug ended up in hospital and lost most of my supply I switched to formula and only bf morning and night feeds I could have tried to get y supply back up but I was struggling as it was so I was happy how far I made it and advertising didn't play any role in my changing lol if anything it turned me away from particular brands like that karicare ad with the creepy laughing kid

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and advertising didn't play any role in my changing lol if anything it turned me away from particular brands like that karicare ad with the creepy laughing kid

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that kid freaks me out too!

I agree the advertisements are really only aimed at brand awareness and I agree with whomever said that is just so that if you are already formula feeding or are going to formula feed, then their brand is 'top of mind' on your head when you get to the supermarket...

However, I do think this can vary from family to family, child to child. I was unable to BF my twins (for medical reasons) so they were formula fed from birth. They are now 17 months old and are still formula fed. They eat normal solid food obviously, but they have a bottle when they go down for their one day sleep and they have a bottle at bed time. Often if they wake or are hungry, which is most nights - I will give them a bottle at about 10pm in their cots which they drink themselves.

They only weigh 10kgs each, which is pretty light for 17 months. Our Paed advised that we should keep them on formula rather than moving to cows milk, for several reasons. Firstly because we are trying to 'fatten them up' and she felt this would happen faster on formula than cows milk. Secondly, because they are hungry in the night - she advised that giving them a bottle of formula in bed was 'safer' than cows milk because often they will not drink it all in one hit and throughout summer we were all concerned it would 'go off' or congeal in the bottle in the night. Thirdly she felt the girls would benefit from the additional vitamins etc in the formula. I should add that they are not on 'toddler formula' they are still on newborn formula for exactly the same reason I think Mad B pointed out - no sugar and more of the good stuff (if you can actually even say that formula has any good stuff!).

I am the first to agree that breast is best for babies and toddlers, however some people cannot BF. So I kind of disagree with some of the Nazi-ism that surrounds breastfeeding. As someone who couldn't breastfeed the twins - I find it offensive when people comment on the twins being formula fed, or try and point out breast would have been better etc... It is an individual choice and for many mummies that formual feed - it wasn't their first choice. Tbh I feel lucky that we live in a Country where the formula is safe to give our babies. Which is not necessarily the case if you live in China, India or a third world country.

Formula is expensive etc so I totally agree that if you have BF for 12 months moving your toddler onto formula isn't really necesary, unless like us there is a reason that formula may be more valuable to your child than say cows milk. Frankly we would give the twins anything our Paed suggested (and that we had researched) if there was common sense justification for why it was beneficial over cows milk or any other kind of milk...