Advice needed:Starting on cow milk

[nicolemodesti]

This may seem a bit daft but I am a little confused!! My son is 11 months old and I realise that at the age of 1 he will start to drink cows milk. In preparation for this I visited my local baby clinic today and spoke with a Health Advisor on how best to do this and what will happen with regards to his formula (Aptamil) intake. The whole visit was very hurried and made me feel completely stupid as well as coming away with unanswered questions. So I am hoping others will be able to share their experience with me as a guideline??

The health advisor told me that I would need to stop all formula at 12 months and only give cows milk as he would be a 1 year old boy. My son has always been a good milk drinker - both breast (until 10 months) and formula. Presently my boy has 3 bottles a day which is the equivalent of 600ml of formula. He does not always drink all this and will occassionally push the bottle away after 100ml in the morning or afternoon feed. He is very well established on solids and eats everything that we have introduced and keen to try new foods, especially knicking off our plates. Cows milk has been used in cooking and he loves yoghurt and cheese. He is very good at drinking from his beaker as well as a doidy cup. I give him formula sometimes at breakfast in his beaker.

I also questioned if I should start to reduce one formula feed a day, over the next month, in preparation but was told that it wasn't necessary. Really by the end of it all I walked away in utter confusion and with even more questions.

As my son will turn 1 just before I return back to school, after the summer holidays, I am wanting to have something started for the childcare with Granny and nursery (although they would be brilliant if not as they have been with him for 5 months). As the health advisor stated 'Every child is different' and I realise this, what I wanted was advice!!

Do I stop formula altogether?

Do I use the Aptamil Follow on Milk?

Do I put cows milk in his bedtime bottle? (This was stated to me)

How much cows milk in a day?

As this is another milestone and transition in my son's life I just want to make sure that I am doing this in the correct manner.

So if you feel like sharing any tips it would be appreciated!!

[Fuschia]

About 2/3 of a pint a day, though cheese and yoghurt count too. Some people think babies should be weaned off teats after 1y... personally i'm more laid back!

do brush teeth afterwards at night though

i'd gradually make the switch... better continue with formula for a while than risk sudden milk refusal I'd say

xx

[Pickle]

To be honest I really think it's up to you how you approach it, there's no right or wrong way :) But I know what you mean, sometimes it's nice to be told what to do to eliminate that self doubt that always creeps in!

My son (now 2.5) was breastfed till 10 months and had also had occasional bottles of Aptimal. When he stopped BFing I moved him to 3 bottles of formula a day - he tended to take around 8oz morning and night, and about 5oz early afternoon.

When he turned one I swapped his mid afternoon bottle to cow's milk, then once my tub of formula ran out I switched all his feeds. We had no problem doing this, like your little one he had been having cow's milk in cooking etc. so I felt confident that he'd cope with the milk.

I never bothered with the follow-on milks, to be honest I see them as a marketing ploy by formula companies to keep us spending money! Cow's milk combined with a good nutritious diet of solids will provide your baby with everything he needs. The one time we did buy some (to use on a long haul flight) he really wasn't fussed with it.

I'm pretty sure the guideline in terms of quantity at around the age of 1 is for them to be taking around 1 pint of milk, in a combination of bottles, food (including yoghurts), on cereral etc. which is pretty easy to achieve. By around 16 months my son had dropped the mid afternoon feed, and the morning one by about 18 months when he started being a bit reluctant to eat breakfast after having had milk first. He still has a drink of milk before bed now, but the last few nights has only had about an ounce... so I think his milk drinking stage is over completely which makes me sad that he's growing up!

If your son will take milk from a beaker go with it - the one problem we had with our son until just last week was that he'd only drink milk from a bottle. I'm sure loads of people have 2.5 year olds that still drink from bottles, but when I (stupidly) let it slip to a health visitor when there getting my 1 year old weighed she made me feel like the worst Mum in the world! Ridiculous!!

My daughter has been a bit different, in so much as she point blank refused a bottle until just a few weeks ago, and she's 13 months old. She's still BF in the morning, but now has a bottle of cow's milk early afternoon - and this evening has gone to bed after having had a bottle... a bit of a milestone - the first night in just over 13 months that she hasn't been breastfed before going to bed. Next step is to attempt getting someone else to feed her and put her down for the night!

Try to relax about it. By this age it starts to get easier to tell whether they're getting enough of everything, and before you know it he'll be telling you what he wants (generally not milk, fruit or veg!).

Good luck.

P x

[Mellors]

I agree with the above. I am in the same position as you (daughter is one at the end of August), and plan to do what I did with No 1 son (now 2.5), which was basically to use up all the formula around his 1st birthday and then just give him whole cows milk instead. He didn't seem to notice the difference to be honest.

I stuck to his normal 3 bottles a day (morning, lunch and bed) until he seemed to just wean himself off it. To start with he stopped drinking his lunchtime milk, then didn't want any in a morning. Now he just has his bedtime milk.

[charlottep]

When my son turned 12 months we went cold turkey straight onto cows milk and he didn't blink an eyelid. He had two 7oz bottles a day, one in the morning and one before bed. I think Pickle is right, at age one they need about a pint but you can include intake of yoghurt, milk on cereals/porridge, etc. I remember being a little worried/hesitant about making the transition, but it was absolutely fine for him and cows milk is much easier than mixing formula, so all good!

[nicolemodesti]

Thanks, this so far has offered me more advice then given today. While I am a very laid back and relaxed parent it definitely was that I just need reassurance! I had thought of swapping a formula for a cow's milk during the day and an afternoon one may be the alternative. He has breakfast first in the morning, grunting for it by 7am (I guess after being up for an hour he's entitled to), and normally his formula about 1 - 1.5 hours later, which is only about 100ml. This may be another alternative to a cow's milk bottle?? I would rather gradually reduce the formula too and see what happens.

He will sometimes take his formula from a beaker but definitely prefers water or juice from his beaker or cup. Yes Pickle, people do have 2.5 year olds who drink milk from a bottle or even, as my friend has, a 3 year old who loves his juice from a bottle. Nothing wrong with it at all!!

I know what you mean about telling you what they want or as is the case tonight, pointing towards the kitchen after dinner for yoghurt!!

Good luck with you next milestone of getting someone else to feed your girl and put her down for the night....a night off would be a luxury for you!!

[Fuschia]

"After 12 months whole pasteurised cow?s milk can be given as the main milksource. To ensure adequate calcium intake 300-600ml or equivalent in dairy produce (2-3 portions) should be taken per day"

http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:EQe_MjO5c-cJ:www.health-promotion.cdd.nhs.uk/media/pdf/d/g/heguidelines0-5_1.pdf+how+much+cow%27s+milk+one+year+old+nhs+uk&cd=34&hl=en&ct=clnk

600ml is a pint I think

[hpsaucey]

Agree with all the above. No hard and fast rule. As long as you keep offering liquids - including enough milk - throughout the day. If its allergies you're worried about then there's always goats milk. My little one is still breastfed (he's about 16 months) but also drinks cows, goats and soya milk depending on what's in. We also use Nannycare goats milk powder. I was probably more hung up about what my older one had but really but tried to be guided by what he wanted as we were with the whole solids transition as well.

I'm sure whatever you decide to do will be absolutely fine!

Helen

[nicolemodesti]

Interesting about Soya milk as I drink that but was told not to give to him!! He tried some of my goat cheese yesterday and really liked it. You have all supplied valuable information and I thank you very much. I can now enter the 'milk' transition armed with better information!!

[Mellors]

Just shows you get told all sorts by different people - I was told by the GP to swap Son No 1 from cows milk to soya to help his eczema, and he has had soya ever since. Seems fine on it.

[Fuschia]

I think there's a fear about soya and disruption to boys' hormones... but I'm sure in moderation it's fine.

[Moos]

charlottep Wrote:

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> When my son turned 12 months we went cold turkey

> straight onto cows milk and he didn't blink an

> eyelid.

Me too - was such a relief to give up the making up of bottles. Yeeha. My son didn't mind at all, he didn't even seem to notice, and he loves his milk. Same thing when we switched him onto semi-skimmed aged 2 - now he has whatever milk is in the fridge and seems perfectly OK with any.

[Gubodge]

Soya milk and formula are not advised unless there is a medical reason for them to be needed. Goats formula in particular is not fortified, so should not be used as a breast/formula substitute and it is not allowed to be sold as baby milk, although as a supplemental drink it would be ok.

As for follow-on milks, don't waste your money. They are purely a marketing ploy. It is illegal in the UK for artificial milk companies to advertise their babymilk products, so they came up with the concept of follow-on milk to allow them to get their brand onto TV. There is absolutely no nutritional reason why a child over one should have anything other than cows milk

[Fuschia]

Gubodge Wrote:

There is absolutely no

> nutritional reason why a child over one should

> have anything other than cows milk

Or breast milk :-)

[sanity girl]

My daugther switched straight from breast milk to cow's milk aged 15 months without any problems. I just gave her as much as she would drink - starting from small bottles (as I'd never bottle bed before and wasn't sure how much milk she'd actually been taking from a feed) and moving rapidly to bigger ones. I didn't consult a health visitor at the time as we had recently moved back here from Italy where she was born and so she wasn't followed by one here - probably a good thing from the sounds of it, as from what I hear they seem to just create more stress and insecurities for mums! I really wouldn't worry about it too much.

[Gubodge]

Fuschia Wrote:

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>

> Or breast milk :-)

Well, that's different!

[Fuschia]

I expressed for the twins until just last week (almost 16m now) and now if they need a bottle they have cows milk. They're not in childcare atm, come September when they start back, I doubt they will that bothered about a bottle. But if they are, it will be cows milk.

Usually they drink water from a cup, milk from me.

[helena handbasket]

I gave my son goat's milk for a little while until I checked the fat content and was quite surprised by how incredibly high it was.

I also avoided soya products because of hormones, although I am flinching to admit I never did look in to it any further than that and know nothing about it. It just sounded bad so......... Sometimes as mothers we just need permission to pick our battles I guess :)

I don't remember why all the experimenting, I think he might have had a little patch of eczema that ended up going away on it's own anyway. I think we also tried cycles of no gluten etc.. Total over-reaction now that I think about it! Thankfully I have gotten over my new mother paranoia phase!

[Fuschia]

High fat is good for children though! Breastmilk is high fat, low protein, after all...

[helena handbasket]

Weird, I couldn't remember the fat values comparing cow's full fat and goat's so did a little google search and what do you know? Almost the same, which would never have put me off. It's weird because the goat's milk I was buying from a health food supermarket was much much higher, hence my confusion and reluctance. I know babies need fat but it was way off the charts. It was in Canada. Fatter goats apparently.

Motherhood, who knew?

[nicolemodesti]

A big thank you, once again, ladies! I didn't know about the Soya and hormones bit...would have been good if the Health Advisor had of explained it but instead referred me to check the DOH website 0-5 years guidance for any concerns changing to milk!!! Unbelievable but true. I don't think my boy will have a problem as he drinks loads of fluid during the day and loves his beaker/cup as well as drinking from a bottle. Giving up making the bottles will give me, or my partner, that extra breathing time!!

[Fuschia]

Soya:

http://www.cps.ca/ENGLISH/statements/N/InfantSoyConcern.htm

http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2002/oct/phytoestrogen_draft_report

[helena handbasket]

Hey thanks Fuschia, that was interesting. We lived in Canada when my son was a baby so I'm sure bits of that filtered through mom talk or the media or something. I was way too sleep deprived to form a coherent thought though, just heard "soy bad".

The truth always lies somewhere in the middle I find :)

[helena handbasket]

Speaking of sleep deprivation, why are new moms (with let's face it, baby brains) forced to find out basic important health information on the internet? Fuschia, you're a pro at finding these websites but if I recall it was all I could do to check my email once a week!

[Fuschia]

helena handbasket Wrote:

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> Speaking of sleep deprivation, why are new moms

> (with let's face it, baby brains) forced to find

> out basic important health information on the

> internet? Fuschia, you're a pro at finding these

> websites but if I recall it was all I could do to

> check my email once a week!

Don't you get heaps of leaflets in the bounty pack and from the MW/HV? I seem to recall throwing away loads of stuff!

THis looks a good source of NHS advice for new mums, anyway... http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/childhealth0-1/Pages/Childhealth0-1overview.aspx