When can I give DD cow's milk as a drink? (in addition to BF feeds/other food)

[TheNewandImprovedMrsHollywood]

DD is 9mo. She still has 3-4 large breast feeds a day, as well as three meals which include cow's milk (i.e. cereal) and yoghurt.

I know cow's milk can't be her sole milk source until 12mo - I intend to carry on BFing until then anyway - but is there any reason she can't have cow's milk as a drink now?

it's recommended that you don't give it as a drink until 12 months, not sure why.

1 year

Thank you.

I wish I knew why it's ok to have, say 3oz in cereal but not the same amount to drink on its own in a cup?!!

Is it an allergy thing? In this situation cow's milk isn't intended to replace any BF milk, so I don't see how it could be nutritional.

Oh well - a year it is.

Kellymom has an answer for this as usual.

Basically, there are more casein protein in cows milk than other dairy products such as cheese and yoghrut. The excess protein can overload a baby's kidney. And the protein is also very hard to digest.

Obviously it depends on how 'large' that cup of milk is. A small 10-20ml is very diffrent to a bottle of 200ml, is it?

Really you use 3oz just for cereals? I use about a teaspoon!

it shouldn't be as a "main drink" it's fine to offer small amounts as a drink alongside solids though. no different to giving water etc

like you say, if you use some on cereal, some in a sauce etc it's no different to drinking a small cup of milk.

what you don't want to happen though is for her to drink a big cup of milk and then not want to breastfeed

BTW, my DD has a cup of milk at nursery from around 10mo. She's using a free flow cup, and the best I reckon she can do is around 20-30ml from it. I've seen her drinking water from the same cup. It's literally pick up cup, sip and throw onto floor.

Thanks, Terror - that's exactly the sort of info I wanted! Should have known to look there!

Feeding DD is a very different experience to feeding my DS a few years ago - whereas he would hardly have any cereal and wasn't fussed about food especially, DD is a food and milk monster! Yes, I do give her 3oz milk in her cereal now (weetabix, ready brek etc) but DS would probably have had half that!! At the moment, DD is still feeding really well from me, too - but of course you're right, thisisyesterday, to keep an eye out for that.

DS started having cow's milk in a cup at 1 year, when I stopped BFing, and it took a while for him to build up his cow's milk intake, so I was thinking of trying to get her used to having more cow's milk in a cup a bit beforehand, so that she's a bit more used to it.

Thanks again for all comments - some useful info and food for thought!