Starting cows milk

Shelly203 · October 2011

At DS's four month check up, his pedi said he could start solids. He told me that the only things to avoid were honey until age 1 and cows milk until 10 months. I was surprised by him saying that DS could start having cows milk at 10 month. I have never heard of having it that soon, I always heard age 1. I told a friend of mine who is a dietician for WIC, and she freaked out. Has anyone else heard this? Thoughts?

McAllie5 · October 2011

That sounds really early to me, but we're not planning on doing cow's milk, period. DH and I never drink it, and it's never in the house unless I need it for cooking.

If DS needs anything besides food and water, it will be milk from me. I don't understand all of a sudden switching to cow's milk at the age of one. Does your kid suddenly become a baby cow? No, he's a human and needs human milk.

I don't judge anyone who feeds cow's milk, but I won't be.

CanuckFan03 · October 2011

I've always heard 1 as well.

I thought it was because at that point LO would be eating a variety of other foods, and didn't need as much calories/nutrients from BM or formula. I won't switch LO until a year or after.

I am excited about how much cheaper milk will be than formula

kdelynko · October 2011

My pedi also said after 1 year, but our LO seems to have a sensitivity to dairy, so if I am still breastfeeding at that point, I may have to continue ... TBD

eawebster · October 2011

McAllie, I'm curious. What are you going to do when you run out of human milk? What is your child's main source of calcium going to be? Are you not allowing ice cream or cheese or butter since they're made using cow's or goat's milk? No snark, I'm genuenly curious.

muddin_lil_sis · October 2011

eawebster:
McAllie, I'm curious. What are you going to do when you run out of human milk? What is your child's main source of calcium going to be? Are you not allowing ice cream or cheese or butter since they're made using cow's or goat's milk? No snark, I'm genuenly curious.

I was about to ask the same thing! I'm curious too. DH loves milk, but I'm not a big fan of it, so I don't buy it very often.

Raquellyo · October 2011

McAllie5:

That sounds really early to me, but we're not planning on doing cow's milk, period. DH and I never drink it, and it's never in the house unless I need it for cooking.

If DS needs anything besides food and water, it will be milk from me. I don't understand all of a sudden switching to cow's milk at the age of one. Does your kid suddenly become a baby cow? No, he's a human and needs human milk.

I don't judge anyone who feeds cow's milk, but I won't be.

Is that because either of you are lactose intolerant? I am such a milk-a-holic! I will probably be holding out on cow's milk until a year at least.

kamcfarlane · October 2011

i'm guessing your doc didn't mean for you to start milk at 10 months, but to avoid it until then. keep bf/ffing until at least 12 months and avoid things containing cows milk (ice cream, pudding, etc) until 10 months.

McAllie5 · October 2011

muddin_lil_sis:
eawebster:
McAllie, I'm curious. What are you going to do when you run out of human milk? What is your child's main source of calcium going to be? Are you not allowing ice cream or cheese or butter since they're made using cow's or goat's milk? No snark, I'm genuenly curious.

I was about to ask the same thing! I'm curious too. DH loves milk, but I'm not a big fan of it, so I don't buy it very often.

No, it's a fair question.

I used to be lactose intolerant as a kid, so I never grew up drinking milk and now I don't like the taste of it. I can have cheese and ice cream and all that, and probably eat it too often. Seeing as we never drink milk and almost never have it in the house, I'm not planning on buying just for DS and having him drink something regularly that we don't drink, KWIM?

I'm planning on nursing him for a while, if he still wants to - who knows if it'll be 1 year, 18 months, or more. I take prenatals and calcium pills for my calcium needs, and right now he's getting it from me. When he stops nursing directly from me, or maybe even before, I may give him milk that I've pumped and stored. Not sure about that one yet.

Calcium is found in a lot of different foods. Calcium rich foods that we currently eat fairly regularly include salmon, broccoli, and spinach. I know there are a lot more out there too. When DS gets closer to weaning, I'll be doing some research on that and on how to make sure he's getting a balanced diet.

McAllie5 · October 2011

Oh, and if he really WANTS milk, I'm not going to say he can't have it. I'm just not going to start out by saying "this is what you drink now".

McAllie5 · October 2011

Sorry, OP. Didn't mean to hijack.

Shelly203 · October 2011

kamcfarlane:
i'm guessing your doc didn't mean for you to start milk at 10 months, but to avoid it until then. keep bf/ffing until at least 12 months and avoid things containing cows milk (ice cream, pudding, etc) until 10 months.

I thought that too at first, but I questioned it, and he said that you can stop nursing/formula at 10 months and go straight to whole milk. That being said, I am breastfeeding and plan to do so until he is 1. I was just wondering if anyone had heard the same thing.

tokenhoser · October 2011

I've heard 9 - 12 months, preferably 12. I know one mom that was weaning from bf-ing around 9 months though and her doctor said it was okay to skip formula and go straight to cow milk.

Milk products are fine before 12 months, but not if they break the other "rules" about sugar and salt. So no ice cream or pudding because they're sugar, not because they're dairy. Cheese is okay, but pretty high in salt. Unsweetened yogurt is a good early food, and obviously you can mix it with fruit or fruit puree.

iris427 · October 2011

McAllie5:
muddin_lil_sis:
eawebster:
McAllie, I'm curious. What are you going to do when you run out of human milk? What is your child's main source of calcium going to be? Are you not allowing ice cream or cheese or butter since they're made using cow's or goat's milk? No snark, I'm genuenly curious.

I was about to ask the same thing! I'm curious too. DH loves milk, but I'm not a big fan of it, so I don't buy it very often.
No, it's a fair question.
I used to be lactose intolerant as a kid, so I never grew up drinking milk and now I don't like the taste of it. I can have cheese and ice cream and all that, and probably eat it too often. Seeing as we never drink milk and almost never have it in the house, I'm not planning on buying just for DS and having him drink something regularly that we don't drink, KWIM?
I'm planning on nursing him for a while, if he still wants to - who knows if it'll be 1 year, 18 months, or more. I take prenatals and calcium pills for my calcium needs, and right now he's getting it from me. When he stops nursing directly from me, or maybe even before, I may give him milk that I've pumped and stored. Not sure about that one yet.
Calcium is found in a lot of different foods. Calcium rich foods that we currently eat fairly regularly include salmon, broccoli, and spinach. I know there are a lot more out there too. When DS gets closer to weaning, I'll be doing some research on that and on how to make sure he's getting a balanced diet.

My daughter nursed until she was over 2 years old and I have never been able to get her to drink cow's milk out of a cup, even now. She gets some in her cereal every morning now and she loves other dairy products like cheese and yogurt. I try to get her to eat green veggies like the ones you mentioned but it's a struggle. She is very healthy though, even though she never ever drinks a glass of milk.

Lisa Frank · October 2011

iris427:
McAllie5:
No, it's a fair question.
I used to be lactose intolerant as a kid, so I never grew up drinking milk and now I don't like the taste of it. I can have cheese and ice cream and all that, and probably eat it too often. Seeing as we never drink milk and almost never have it in the house, I'm not planning on buying just for DS and having him drink something regularly that we don't drink, KWIM?
I'm planning on nursing him for a while, if he still wants to - who knows if it'll be 1 year, 18 months, or more. I take prenatals and calcium pills for my calcium needs, and right now he's getting it from me. When he stops nursing directly from me, or maybe even before, I may give him milk that I've pumped and stored. Not sure about that one yet.
Calcium is found in a lot of different foods. Calcium rich foods that we currently eat fairly regularly include salmon, broccoli, and spinach. I know there are a lot more out there too. When DS gets closer to weaning, I'll be doing some research on that and on how to make sure he's getting a balanced diet.
My daughter nursed until she was over 2 years old and I have never been able to get her to drink cow's milk out of a cup, even now. She gets some in her cereal every morning now and she loves other dairy products like cheese and yogurt. I try to get her to eat green veggies like the ones you mentioned but it's a struggle. She is very healthy though, even though she never ever drinks a glass of milk.

My DS refused cow's milk right away at 1 year. He get his dairy from yogurt and cheese mostly. He just had his 3 year appt and he's 35 lbs and 38 inches. 75% for both. Healthy little (big) bugger!

nycdueinmay · October 2011

I'm a lot like you, McAllie, and that I told DH that DD doesn't neet WCM because "she's not a baby cow". I, too, was lactose intolerant as a kid so I don't drink it now. We don't even keep it in the house. Then, since I started lactating myself, the idea of drinking another animals milk makes me sick to my stomach. I can handle the occasional yogurt or ice cream is ok and I don't really think twice about cheese; probably because they are solid forms and not liquid. I know that is weird.

Also, my female cousin developed/physically matured very, very quickly and they think it was from hormones that are now in milk and meat, which freak me out. The same is being said for regular/inorganic soy milk, because of genetic modifications made to soybeans. I will be looking into organic soy or enriched rice or almond milk when the time comes, which I hope hope hope isn't until past 12 months.

Sorry to hijack your thread, OP! You might actually pop over to 9-12 month babies, they talk about milk concerns a lot!

Lisa Frank · October 2011

nycdueinmay:
I'm a lot like you, McAllie, and that I told DH that DD doesn't neet WCM because "she's not a baby cow". I, too, was lactose intolerant as a kid so I don't drink it now. We don't even keep it in the house. Then, since I started lactating myself, the idea of drinking another animals milk makes me sick to my stomach. I can handle the occasional yogurt or ice cream is ok and I don't really think twice about cheese; probably because they are solid forms and not liquid. I know that is weird.

Also, my female cousin developed/physically matured very, very quickly and they think it was from hormones that are now in milk and meat, which freak me out. The same is being said for regular/inorganic soy milk, because of genetic modifications made to soybeans. I will be looking into organic soy or enriched rice or almond milk when the time comes, which I hope hope hope isn't until past 12 months.

Sorry to hijack your thread, OP! You might actually pop over to 9-12 month babies, they talk about milk concerns a lot!

On this note, my DS drinks almond milk like a champ. And coconut milk.

Cow's milk? NO WAY!

McAllie5 · October 2011

nycdueinmay:
Then, since I started lactating myself, the idea of drinking another animals milk makes me sick to my stomach.

This! Ice cream is one of my favorite junk foods, and I couldn't even look at it for the first 2 months. Unfortunately I got over it (in term of ice cream) and gained back a little.

iris427 · October 2011

Lisa Frank:
nycdueinmay:
I'm a lot like you, McAllie, and that I told DH that DD doesn't neet WCM because "she's not a baby cow". I, too, was lactose intolerant as a kid so I don't drink it now. We don't even keep it in the house. Then, since I started lactating myself, the idea of drinking another animals milk makes me sick to my stomach. I can handle the occasional yogurt or ice cream is ok and I don't really think twice about cheese; probably because they are solid forms and not liquid. I know that is weird.

Also, my female cousin developed/physically matured very, very quickly and they think it was from hormones that are now in milk and meat, which freak me out. The same is being said for regular/inorganic soy milk, because of genetic modifications made to soybeans. I will be looking into organic soy or enriched rice or almond milk when the time comes, which I hope hope hope isn't until past 12 months.

Sorry to hijack your thread, OP! You might actually pop over to 9-12 month babies, they talk about milk concerns a lot!
On this note, my DS drinks almond milk like a champ. And coconut milk.
Cow's milk? NO WAY!

My kid loves almond milk too. I can't stand it LOL.

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