Whole Milk or Enfamil Stage 2 (10 Months to 3 Yrs)

Formula is supposed to be 'like' breast milk, or a substitute. So, yes, it is a good idea to continue using it until 36 months. The formula companies learned there is a need, so they filled that need. Babies need breastmilk/formula for a MINIMUM of one year. Why do so many people thing that is the cutoff point???

As long as your son is healthy, and eating well, I see no reason to continue w/ the formula. My 4.5 yo daughter only weighs 10 lbs more than he does! LOL To be honest though, she's a bit of a shrimp and I did supplement w/ breastfeeding longer since she was sickly when she was small (your sons age) because of the mold in our apartment at the time. When she wasn't breastfeeding, she ate whatever the rest of us were having as well as drank milk if she chose too.

While it is true that formula may look more nutritional next to the milk, I am assuming that you don't plan on feeding your son only milk? He'll be eating what the rest of you are? If so, then his nutritional needs should be more than met. It already sounds like he's thriving. :) If he was sickly or a much smaller child, I'd say go for it. But it sounds like he doesn't really need it and that's an added expense. I would use the same amount of money to buy really good, local, organic milk. And do keep in mind that formula, no matter how nutritionally balanced, is all synthetic.

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We were told to give our daughter toddlers formula when she was 12 months because she was underweight... However, it turns out that she was allergic to cows milk, so the milk-based toddler formula was the worst thing for her!

I would say, if you feel you want to try and increase his weight, then use this formula for 3 months, then evaluate if it's helped at all at his 15 month check up.

(I wouldnt encourage it if the formula was sweetened or flavored. I think children need to be familiar with the regular taste of healthy food and not have their tastes turned on to sugar too young).

Seems like overkill personally. I think for some kids, it may be a good idea if they are not eating very healthy for some reason, or have some medical issues that require more of these nutrients... but for most kids, I just think it's overkill and expensive.

Hi Missouri---Before you decide to start with whole milk, please read up on the dangers of cows milk for humans. I and my family are 'reformed' cows milk drinkers. We stopped after I learned why cows milk is best for baby cows through a series of classes I took, taught by a Naturopath who has her PhD in Nutrition. Please go to www.pcrm.org and put dairy in the search box. Also explore the website www.thechinastudy.com. Cows milk is highly allergenic, although the symptoms are usually obscure and not usually related to dairy...and I mean more than just lactose intolerance. It increases the risk for type 1 diabetes in children, produces lots of mucous, contributes to acne, and the list goes on.

So, if your kids eat an otherwise balanced and varied diet, water should be the beverage of choice. We use a variety of plant milks for cooking needs: soy, almond, rice, hemp, coconut or even oat milk. Soy is a perfectly healthy part of the diet, even for boys. Visit http://www.womentowomen.com/healthynutrition/soycontrover... if you have any questions.

If you think about it, the recommendation for dairy comes from the USDA, which is a gov't entity set up to promote American agriculture. It is NOT a health organization. It is a diary/meat/corn promotional group. Again, don't worry about calcium needs IF you consume a balanced diet. I can get you a list of calcium rich plant foods, ex broccoli, bok choy, kale, almonds and sesame seeds are some of the best. Being active through adolescence is a better method of insuring strong, healthy bones. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I'd be happy to supply you with resources from my studies. Good luck...be well. D.

I had to supplement with formula for my third child. My ped told me I could give formula until 12 months and then switch to whole milk from 12 months to age 2, which is exactly what I did. Formula is way more expensive and I honestly cannot justify the expense unless you can afford it but whole milk in my opinion is just as good since the child is likely getting the nourishment he needs from the foods he is eating.

I would go ahead an see if your son will drink milk. If he takes to it and doesn't have any issues, then you wouldn't need to continue with the Stage 2. My daughter did not transition to milk well. Each time I tried to transition she would become congested. So I had to keep her on Stage 2 for a few months while we found a milk option that would work for her, which turned out to be 2% milk.

M.

I think the biggest "Pro" is for the formula company that gets to have families buying formula for 2 additional years!
At O., your son will be getting a lot more nutrition from his "food", so it's probably not necessary at all to use a Stage 2 formula.
I'd get him organic whole milk.

Ask your ped what he/she thinks. As far as I know, the recommendation for formula is to use it until the child is at least 1 year old. After that, it's not going to hurt them, and it does offer nutritional benefits. They can also get those benefits from table food, so that's why I think the recommendation is to used it (or breast milk) until at least 1 year old.

My brother and SIL used to keep 4 oz packets in the diaper bag for road trips or in case they got stuck some where. They did this through 18 months, I think.