Confused about cows milk, follow on milk and breastfeeding ...

[RadoxBabyBel]

Hello. My dd will be 1 this week (yey!). I have been exclusively bf, and blw since 6 months. We are down to 2 feeds per day (usually...unless teething or illness and then it's a free for all!). I know at 12 months I can give cows milk as a main drink, but I don't understand how this fits with bf as it stands now? I'm happy to continue bf for a little bit longer - ideally I'd like to do 1 feed at night and wind down fully in 6 months ish. Do I move to replace the morning feed with cows milk. For now, do I give to replace a snack in the day or in the place of water with meals? Also, is follow on milk a better choice than cows milk?

Sorry if this is the wrong place for this post and thanks in advance :)

Hi there,
I'm in a similar situation myself.

I wouldn't bother with follow on (it's just a marketing ply IMO) - just replace the morning feed with a beaker or cup of cows milk. I would keep giving water with meals.

If I remember correctly, they need about a pint of milk a day (that includes milk in cooking/cereal).

Would be interested to see if anyone has any othe suggestions.

AGree with crikey re Follow on con milk

Agree with crikey but don't panic if you feel she's not getting a whole pint as yoghurt and cheese count too.

Also didnt bother with follow-on milk - we kept the bf for morning and night and whenever needed but gave the dcs cows milk in a beaker after lunchtime naps.

Trying to remember what I did, fed Dd1 to 14 months she was on 1 feed in morning when we stopped, DD2 16 mo still going, just 1 feed in the morning as well.

Yes to cows milk rather than follow on milk. Yes to replacing the water with meals, with cows milk. As far as I can remember unbelievable how quickly you forget this stuff!) I just stopped offering the feeds that I didn't want to give. Interestingly, neither of mine asked for additional feeds, except when they were ill. If you really want to cut back and they ask for feeds you don't want to give, you can say no and offer a cup of milk / distract with a toy / that sort of thing.

Both of mine took to the change very easily, I think quickly as well, over the space of a week or so.

good luck

My first did breast to formula to cows milk and loved her milk and had 4 milk feeds a day for ages.

The middle one was on 2 bfs at 12ms - never offered her cows milk in the day - she went to one feed at 18ms and sometimes had some cows milk in a beaker to replace the other feed. And stopped breastfeeding at 20ms. Again sometimes had the milk, sometimes didn't - she wasn't that bothered. She ate dairy and I never bothered to work out if she had a pint a day.

Ds has just stopped at 30months. He had a bottle of cows milk a day until he was about 18ms, but I've never offered it as a drink on a regular basis since then. He is OK with it, but again he eats dairy and I don't think all kids need to glug back loads and loads of milk, some kids hate it once weaned from formula or the breast.