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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

formula or cow's milk?

22 replies

julietbat · 28/09/2010 20:53

I have just had to stop breastfeeding my just-turned 11 month old DS rather traumatically tonight after he bit me so hard I had to pinch him to get him to let go .

I had planned to continue bfing until 12 months and then move to cow's milk for his evening feed. So now I've had to stop a month early, can I still go straight to cow's milk or do I have to use formula first? I would rather not faff around with formula (or pay the inflated prices) but don't want to go straight to cow's milk if I risk causing allergy/digestive problems for my DS.

Any thoughts?

Thanks (am feeling a little blue about stopping bfing so suddenly so am trying to be productive to take my mind off it!)

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alloveryet · 28/09/2010 20:58

I'm no expert but I'd go onto cows milk.

Summerbird73 · 28/09/2010 21:03

i too would go for cows milk. i FF'd DS from 3 weeks and we got him onto cows milk around 9/10 months on say one feed Cows Milk and one feed FF IYSWIM.

But in your case i agree that faffing around with FF at 11 months is prob pointless. My DS didnt notice the difference at all with cows milk so happily went onto it. As long as you give plenty of fruit and veg (especially the green kind!) he will have all the nutrition he needs.

Sorry you are about stopping a little early, even though i pretty much went straight onto FF i do understand. Your LO will be fine

thisisyesterday · 28/09/2010 21:11

i'd carry on breastfeeding

but as you are not me, then cow's milk should be fine

Original poster

julietbat · 28/09/2010 21:12

Thanks Summerbird. I know I'm being a bit precious about it, it's only a matter of weeks before I was planning to wean him anyway.

He'll be absolutely fine, you're right. In fact I think he'll love moving to a bottle full of milk - he won't have to work so hard and he'll probably be getting more than he did with me (he LOVES his food).

It's me that's having trouble with it! He's my second and final baby so I know I won't be breastfeeding again. But I can't have him hanging off my nipple ever again, that was way too traumatic!

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Original poster

julietbat · 28/09/2010 21:13

You obviously have tougher nipples than me thisisyesterday. I'll readily admit I'm wimping out on this one!

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thisisyesterday · 28/09/2010 21:16

i'm lucky that only one of my 3 was a biter. and his worst phase was at around 8 months and he is intolerant to dairy, so no formula!

it wasn't nice, and i've had to forcibly remove him a few times. but he did eventually get over it lol

crikeybadger · 28/09/2010 21:20

you can probably just give him cow's milk in a beaker.

Know what you mean about feeling sad as it's your last baby though.

nigglewiggle · 28/09/2010 21:21

I think you have done a stirling job .

DD2 started faffing at the breast at 12 months and one night took a giant chomp at my boob. I stopped there and then, so I understand your decision.

DD1 just lost interest at 11 months and I just gradually introduced cows milk. She didn't seem terribly keen at first so I made sure she had plenty cheese yoghurt and other calcium-rich foods. She was well over 12 months before she really started drinking cows milk in any quantity.

Pour yourself a large glass of wine for a job well done and don't worry about it.

Original poster

julietbat · 28/09/2010 21:32

Thanks everyone. It looks like cow's milk is the favourite which is certainly the cheapest option. Something to be pleased about.

nigglewiggle - my two sound quite similar to yours. My DD weaned herself at 13 months after a week or so of losing interest (mind you, I was pregnant with DS at the time so I'm assuming she didn't like the changes to my milk) and my DS has been faffing like your DD2 for a couple of weeks now. He bit quite a lot at about 7/8 months and I rode that out but this time it's so much harder and so much more painful. The time has definitely come!

Oh, and the wine has been poured and drunk and if it wasn't a school night I'd be pouring another right now.

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organiccarrotcake · 28/09/2010 21:36

Oh open another bottle you deserve it!!

You might consider goat's milk. It's less allergenic than cow's.

nancydrewrocked · 28/09/2010 21:43

Actually I think you should use formula.

My nephew was moved onto cows milk at 11 months and although he didn't suffer any serious ill effects the skin on his fingers and toes started peeling. Apparently it was an alergic reaction to the cows milk and it is really common.

He moved onto cows milk with no problems a few weeks later.

Original poster

julietbat · 28/09/2010 21:52

nancydrewrocked wow I hadn't heard of peeling skin being a side effect! Thanks, that's certainly food for thought.

Thanks for the goat's milk suggestion organiccarrotcake, that could be a safer middle ground. Does it taste massively different? (I know DS likes the taste of cow's milk by the way he chugs it if he can ever get his hands on his sister's beaker of milk at bedtime!)

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JetLi · 28/09/2010 21:55

We went onto cows milk here. I messed around a bit at first, warming it up & she barely touched it. Give it to her fridge-cold, & she slugs it down
I'd have liked to BF longer as well, but pregnancy seems to have put paid to that - I too think it must be a change in the taste. She just ain't really bothered now at almost 15 months

organiccarrotcake · 28/09/2010 21:59

Given that formula is made from cow's milk... there's little difference in its allergenic properties....!! Formula just has added vitamins and iron which they should be getting from food anyway. There are hypoallergenic formulas of course.

Goat's milk does taste different. Still milky but a bit goaty, too! Some children love it, some hate it but it's well worth a try. My DS1 who has eczema and can't have cow's milk (or formula) can tolerate it really well.

Original poster

julietbat · 28/09/2010 22:12

JetLi - I'm pretty sure my DS will take it any way it comes. He's much more concerned with quantity than quality!

organiccarrotcake - I've still got a few bottle's worth of breastmilk in the freezer so I'll pop out over the next couple of days and get some goat in and see how he does... Finger's crossed!

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organiccarrotcake · 28/09/2010 22:15

Could you express for a while and just give that? Might make it easier on you than just stopping anyway - let your supply down gently - and give him your milk for as long as you can manage it or can find the time. Just a thought.

SirBoobAlot · 28/09/2010 22:16

Its less about allergic reactions than about the fact the calorific value in cows milk is a lot less than in breastmilk or cows milk.

So would depend on his solid intake, for me. If it was good, I'd go for cows milk. If not so much, and he normally feeds a lot during the day, I'd go for formula.

Original poster

julietbat · 28/09/2010 22:18

Thanks but I've tried that and because of the faffing he's been doing recently (and he's only been on one feed a day for a month now) I don't seem to be able to get more than an ounce or two at the most. Very disappointing for someone who used to be able to express 9oz in under 10mins!

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Original poster

julietbat · 28/09/2010 22:21

Sorry SirBoobAlot x posted there.

His solid intake is definitely good. He is a very healthy, bonny little boy to put it mildly. And, to be honest, he could probably do with losing a few pounds.

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organiccarrotcake · 28/09/2010 22:39

he sounds adorable!

Summerbird73 · 29/09/2010 09:13

ahh juliet i agree with organic he sounds lovely

if he already chugs as his sisters milk then i think he will take to cows milk absolutely fine. (lovely image here of cute as a button DS of OP nicking his sisters bedtime milky )

agree with the other posters in that you could boost his calcium with yoghurts and cheese etc.

you are not being precious at all, blimey my DS had the showings of teeth when he was born and i was terrified of such incidents!! he is 15mo and has one hell of a bite on him now!

Hope you enjoyed the wine - that was one of my consolation prizes when i stopped BFing

Original poster

julietbat · 29/09/2010 09:33

Thank you organic and Summer he is totally totally totally lovely . And your image Summer is completely accurate; cute as a button he most certainly is - a dark haired, grey eyed cherub .

And people say we're biased about our own children...

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