please!! advice on cow's milk introduction at 12mo

[piggybank]

Hello,


I'm looking for advice on cow's milk introduction at 12mo.


My ds2 is formula fed but I am interested in opinions/facts from both ff and bf experienced mums (and if course mix fed!).


I don't know why, but I'm having trouble phrasing my questions, so please, please be patient with me :-)


What I am wondering is why 12 mo is the recommended age for cow's milk introduction.....


Do we delay introduction until 12mo because cow's milk is an allergen (yes, I am aware it is contained in formula)?


Or


Do we want to move babies on to cow's milk at 12 mo because formula or breast milk is too fattening?


Or


Do we want to move babies on to cow's milk because really we want them on a beaker and weaning off the teat (bottle or actual breast) is the name of the game?


Or


Is it only formula fed babies who are pressured to move off bottles and formula for any/all of the above reasons?


Thanks very much in advance for your advice.


I switched ds1 from ff bottle to cow's milk in a cup very successfully at 12. He then slept very badly until age 4.


My ds2 is almost 12mo and a much better sleeper than ds1 ever was! However I really don't think ds2 is ready now at 12 mo to give up 1. Formula or 2. Bottles



I know you will all tell me to carry on feeding ds2 as I see fit (and I will) but what I really want, is some answers to the above questions so when my mil starts pressuring me I've got something to say!




Ta.

[SpecialHandsMummy]

I should add that my dd didn't (refused to) drink cow's milk until she was 2 due to a cow's milk protein allergy. Icontinued to bf until she was 21 months and gave her plenty of the calcium-rich foods she would eat. We also gave her red meat, an excellent source of iron. She survived!

It also took us about 9 months to get her to drink from a cup (she always refused a bottle). But for you, going from ff to cup should be easier than bf to cup.

Good luck!

[SpecialHandsMummy]

My understanding was that cow's milk is low in iron whereas both ff and breastmilk are higher in iron. It can be introduced at 12 months when eating solids (including iron rich foods) is well established.

[PandaFeet]

My understanding was that their systems weren't able to digest milk properly until around 12mo.

I switched both of my FF DCs onto cows milk at 12 months. DD2 infact might have been more like 10.5-11mo actually. Though she still takes a bottle now at 16mo my eldest was using a cup from 12mo (because my ex is a twat and what I wanted didn't count.)

Its really just what works for you, but if you are going to stick with formula, there is no need to change from stage 1 to a "follow on" milk. Follow on milks are really just a marketing ploy to get around the laws that prevent stage 1 formula from being advertised. I bought one once and the smell of sugar from it was horrendous.

[Asteria]

I am not sure how to directly answer all your questions op - and it is entirely my opinion anyway, so take it or leave it!!
I would imagine that weaning is what the 12 months thing is all about - when did everything become so rigid? I don't see any of the few remaining tribes in the world having sleepless nights over bottle versus sippy cup and the like!! We have this ridiculous clinical approach to getting us to put our boobs away as quickly as possible (my son was boob only till nearly 7 months and refused any solids or a bottle so what was I to do - starve him till he caved?! The little swine eventually allowed me my pendulous breasts back at 20months - although the last 6 were only bed-time feeds)
I personally think cows milk is pretty horrendous stuff, we do have it in our house (I'm not some militant hippy),but only organic because dh would meltdown without it and I can't drink tea without it! We aren't designed to drink it and the non organic is so full of pesticides, hormones and chemicals that we then absorb - then express surprise when we get allergies and health problems! I gave ds goats milk (it is more easily digested - and has less allergens and hormones in it) when I stopped bf and he had that or water from a bottle (or normal cup) until he was 3.5 yo. It was what worked for him and I wasn't going to force something that didn't work for the sake of keeping someone else happy.
Same applies to your mil! Do what works for you and your dcs - not her!! Given your ds1 wasn't great after having cows milk, go with what you feel most comfortable doing. They don't actually need any form of milk (or dairy for that matter) at that age, if their diet is varied enough they get all they need, but if you feel that ds2 is not ready to give up the bottle or the formula then trust that feeling.
Good luck and hold your ground!