Cow's milk, weaning and pregnancy...

[orangeone]

Hi, my DD is 15 months and EBF. She took to solids well from 6 months and since about a year has had 3 meals a day plus snacks. She still breastfeeds on waking and before bed, and seems to have an ok amount at these feeds. She has never been that much of a fan of cows milk (given in a tippee cup) but has milk in her cereal and plenty of yogurt and cheese every day.

I am 6 weeks pregnant and was wondering whether (1) my milk supply might drop and she will self wean and (2) whether I should therefore be thinking about trying to introduce cows milk as a drink sooner rather than later?

I hadn't really tried that hard TBH as she liked her breastfeeding, and we had such a rough start I can't believe we have got this far. I am not sure I want to tandom feed but not sure I want to stop breastfeeding DD yet (or that she does).

Sorry for the ramble, any advice or experience welcomed....

Don't have much experience sorry orangeone but wanted to say congratulations! Also, did you know there is a tandem feeders thread on here? Know that you aren't sure but they may answer your questions.

Mine never really took to cows milk until after they stopped bfing but can't really blame them for that

I got pregnant with DD2 when DD1 was 17 months. At around 4 months my milk dried up (I've since heard that this is a common stage for it to happen, something to do with the hormones) and she self weaned around 21 months. Another friend carried on feeding and her son self weaned when her milk was replaced with colostrum (around 7 months in her case).

DD1 has never really taken to cows milk as a drink either. Like your DD she eats plenty of milk in cereal, plus yoghurt, cheese and other sources of calcium. Cow's milk as a drink isn't essential - just look at the number of societies where it isn't really drunk.

TBH, unless you have particular reason to worry about your DD's diet, I would just carry on as you are for at least a couple of months and see what happens around the 4-5 month mark. That will still give you plenty of time if you decide you want to to actively wean before the baby is born, or equally you may feel differently about tandem feeding by then.

HTH.

Thanks for the advice and reassurance. Think I will wait and see and trust DD to do what's right for her. Relieved that drinking cows milk not totally essential, just so much pressure from HV to get her drinking it.....

Don't listen to you HV, I'm not trained but know that at 15 months the recommendations are for 300 ml of milk per day. I'd say that 2 bfs and the dairy she probably gets in her diet is plenty. If you are concerned at all you can just up the calcium rich foods in her diet. If your HV mentions it again, smile and tell her that you are really interested, would love to read more and can she give you some research on why bf toddlers need diary so badly and as she won't drink milk what alternatives she can suggest. If she is still on your back print this off and ask her to read it. That should shut her up .

As for the bfing whilst pg, have you seen this thread?

Also, it might be worth going along to your local LLL where you might be able to meet Mums and Mums-to-Be with experience of bfing whilst pg and they may be able to lend you a copy of this book.

I had the same pressure from a HV when my DD1 was around the same age. Funny, she couldn't come up with any reason why DD1 should be drinking cow's milk, just that she should be drinking it. DD1 still hates cow's milk but has plenty of breastmilk and yoghurt.

I BF throughout my pregnancy with DD2 and now I'm tandem feeding and loving it The book that JJJ linked to is brilliant, it has loads of information about BF during pregnancy and tandem feeding. If you're not sure about it then there are some ideas on weaning in there that are nice and gentle for you and your DD.

I found my MWs really supportive of me BF during pregnancy, I think it's a lot more common now so they are encountering it more. I've found my newer HVs more supportive than the barking mad, cow's milk-obsessed one.

You know, there's a solution to pressure from health visitors - don't go to clinics! And when you do need to go for jabs or whatever, whatever they ask, just smile, nod and make non-committal noises. Tends to work a treat.

at Second, think I came to that conclusion pretty quickly too.

Thanks for the links! Am coming to a similar conclusion about HV too....