As my DS closes in on 10 months, I'm thinking about introducing him to whole cow's milk. I know the recommendation is 12 months, but I don't think there's anything wrong with him having a taste. Part of my reasoning is that we may be getting a house in a few months, and when that happens I'm going to look for a job. DS never took to formula, so I'd likely wean him to WCM and solids during the day (I don't have a let-down for a pump, so it's either WCM or force him to start formula)
What are y'all's plans with WCM? 12 months? Sooner? Just as a beverage with solids and not for a feeding?
Re: WCM
I still nurse 4 - 6 times a day. But he gets a few oz of wcm too.
We started around 9 months (which is the recommendation in Canada - tho we don't live in Canada, it just fit with my work travel schedule). One thing he did not like was the surprise of finding milk in his sippy cup. So now we use a sippy cup for water and he gets milk in a small, narrow clear glass.
Recently I had an interesting convo with a relative who is a nurse practitioner and sees a lot of kids in her practice. She was recommending 2% and said that was the current rec from the academy due to concerns about obesity. I smiled and nodded and explained that my skinny kid was going to keep getting wcm until at least 2 yo to help his neural pathways develop.
Our ped actually told us that fat was good and to even mix in a pat or two of unsalted butter to his food (blech) when we make the switch.
In the words of Julia Child - you can never have too much butter, or gin. I've been known to mix lashings of sour cream into LO's food just to up the fat content. I wish there were more fatty greek yogurt options around. Seems like most of the stores around here carry 0%. Don't they know my kid lives on this stuff?
I never thought of adding sour cream, though I think that would suffice--and I'm less grossed out by that. Then again, I remember licking the butter off the wrapper.
My DS (1/5/12) also refuses formula (and i can't blame him - blech), so my pedi recommended introducing WCM. I have been sending him to daycare with 5oz bottles of 1/2 BM 1/2 WCM for the last 2 weeks and he has done great. I'm going to start titrating to more WCM soon so that I can stop pumping. Good luck!
I've never done WCM for a feeding. Always as a beverage. DS started weaning around 11 months, I think. I was in no rush and took my time. He was still getting some pumped BM after his first birthday.
For DD - we will likely not start taking her off formula until after her first birthday at the earlierst. We won't be doing WCM, though. Almond and/ or coconut milk for her.
Oh, yeah. And i was always told WCM not 2% becuase they need the extra fat for brain development. We did not do 2% until his second birthday... and he was a chunker too.