Should I be giving my 1yo cows milk whilst im still breastfeeding her?

[thenewqueen]

DD is nearly 13mo and I breastfeed her first thing in the morning when she wakes, sometimes around mid morning, sometimes mid afternoon (all depends on whether she wants it particularly), then before bed. Then she generally wakes twice in the night and I feed her then. She has water with meals and I offer it other times of the day too. Will my breastmilk still be enough or should I give her cows milk too?

Your daughter is probably getting a highly and balanced diet through the food she is eating. Breastmilk is still of benefit from a comfort perspective, a dietary point of view but also the live antibodies within it. I see no harm in offering cows milk in addition, I did, and now all school age and are strong and healthy.

Thanks Treadmillmom she does eat a good diet actually, 3 meals a day often with an afternoon snack. I just wondered where would I fit in giving her cows milk as well, and also worried about reducing my milk supply if I were to give her cows milk instead... maybe I shouldn't view it as an 'instead' but more of an 'addition'?

your milk is fine, but it's not going to hurt her to have another milk in addition to it

Thank you I think I'll carry on as normal but will try and give her some cows milk in the afternoon as well. Will try warming it a little first too, unsurprisingly she didn't like it when I tried giving it to her cold from the fridge! I guess she's used to my milk being warm.

There is no absolute need at all. You can if it suits you both but calcium is available from dietary sources and your milk so don't worry if your dd isn't a fan of cow's milk.

Ah that's good to know, as she spat it out last time I offered cows milk! I want to feed her myself still anyway

Well that means there is no problem. I think because not that many women bf past one that we internalise the value of cow's milk but bf babies and toddlers don't need it nutritionally.

My DS is 4 and has never liked cows milk as a drink. I bfed him till 17 months and then just made sure he was getting enough calcium (they don't need that much) through yoghurt, cheese and milk in cereal.

DD2 hated cows milk and at 12 still does, so long as she eats cheese, yoghurt etc. she should be OK for calcium.

That said the fact that DD2 will drink neither milk, water or orange juice was a total pita for visiting pious non squash DFs when she was older.

(She would still BF, but not at five, in public)

Thanks everyone. She really enjoys yoghurt and has cheese as well, plus I make her porridge with full fat milk. She should be getting plenty of calcium then.

I used to just give cows milk at mealtimes, she didn't really take a decent amount though till she self-weaned at 18 months because I was pregnant