When to introduce cow's milk?

xzanti

My Son is 11 months and has been taking cow's milk on his Weetabix since around 7 months with no problems. I'm just wondering is it too early to start substituting follow on milk with cow's milk?

And if I can, what is the best way to do it? Is there any trick to it or do they generally just take it to?

I know it can cause constipation in some babies, but like I said, he's been taking plenty of it in his breakfasts and sometimes for his tea mixed with Liga etc, and has shown no ill effects.

He's a big healthy child, big for 11 months so I'm not worried about needing the SMA to build him up at this stage.

Thanks

lonestargirl

I'm in a similar position. My guy will be 1 on Jan 7th, I was going to start at Christmas replacing his bottles one at a time and see how we get on. My guy is not a big drinker, he's much more a food baby and rarely finishes his bottles during the day. He has cow's milk on Wheetabix and eats yoghurt/cheese no problem either. He drinks water from a cup with meals so I was going to move to a cup with the cow's milk also and work towards just having the bottle at bedtime.

January

It's recommended to use formula until 1 year old... it has all the nutrients, vitamins etc needed until then... if you're confident that he's getting all he needs from his food you can start switching over to cows milk around if you wish, but I always held off until they were one...

How Strange

I'd say it's ok to start moving over to it at 11 months and alternate with formula. I intend to alternate between breast milk and cows milk from 11 months so we can wean around 1.

Lola92

I am in the same situation as you xzanti. Ella will be one in two weeks and I was thinking about starting to switch over to cows milk from the cow & gate.

I tried her with a bottle of cows milk before her morning nap for a few days and I found it gave her quite a lot of pain in the evenings with wind and cramping tummy plus constipation so think i will be holding off for another few weeks.

I might start it off again by switching in 2oz of cows milk to the rest of her formula and doing it slowly like that until she is onto cows milk completely. Just hope it is nothing more serious like an allergy to it, although she is fine with it in sauces, cereal, as a small drink with lunch (maybe 3/4 oz) etc.

How Strange

You could try rice or almond milk which would be lighter than cows milk.

implausible

My wee man was taking milk in his weetabix around that age too, with no problems. Around 10 months, he was drinking about 3 cups (TT ones) of formula, so I changed one cup to cow's milk, then a week or two later, changed the other one and the last one to go was his evening one. He was completely off formula before 12 months. He was and is a great eater though and was getting lots of iron etc in his diet.

Pugins

When I was switching my children to cows milk I did it gradually. So say at 1 year they were on 2 bottles, I would put in maybe 1/3 cows milk to 2/3 formula for a couple of days. Then up it go 2/3 cows milk and then just full cows milk. But don't even know if that was needed to be honest. They were used to cows milk on cereal etc anyway. But just made the transition a little slower. Could be worth trying if you are worried about constipation.

lolli

I have my daughter on toddler milk still. She'll be 2 in January. Cows milk does not agree with her at all.

Hannibal Smith

I waited till my son was a year....I kept him on the formula (never follow-on) till then and then switched to cow's milk

binxeo

My daughter is 10 mths old and has been on cows milk in her ready brek since she was 4mths. She is practically off her bottles now but any bottles she does have during the day are cows milk and she is doing just fine. She eats as we do and I cook all her food from fresh and freeze it. She goes to bed at 7pm and wakes between 7-7.30 am. She was sleeping through since she was 6 weeks. She will have a bottle in the morning and one at night time and she is happy and healthy.

There are no allergies in the family on either side and I did the same with my son, so I was comfortable moving her onto cows milk as I know she is getting all the good from her food now. She hasn't been sick since we had her, thank god. I think it is when you are comfortable, you know your child best and if you are in any doubt talk to your PHN.

Best of luck with it all!:)