Cows milk at 9mo?

[JustLetMeSleep]

I've been trying to get DD2 to take a cup of formula once or twice a day to get her used to the idea of having milk in a cup when I go back to work when she's 1. She is really not interested and will sip it, wave it about, bang it on the table but drink very little. I was feeling worried so today I gave her 100ml of cows milk and she was much more enthusiastic and drank half in a few gulps.

As she won't take formula I guess I will bf until she's 1 and can have cows milk then, but is it ok to also give her one or two small cups of cows milk a day until then so she's used to it? She'd also have food and still feeds from me four or five times in 24 hours.

as long as her main drink remains breastmilk then she should be ok with the odd drink of cows milk

12 months is 3 months away, a whole third of her life so far. I honestly wouldn't stress about it now and tackle it nearer the time, when she may be more willing to use a cup.

I wouldn't give one or two cups of cow's milk a day at 9 months. It just doesn't contain the right nutrients and any cow's milk she drinks will replace breastmilk. From the NHS website "Cows’ milk doesn’t contain enough iron and other nutrients to meet young babies’ needs. It shouldn’t be given as a drink to babies until they are 12 months old".

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/drinks-and-cups-children.aspx#close

I would let her practise with water or expressed breast milk in a cup until she's 1 (or very close). It's amazing the difference 3 months will make - with DC2 I was very worried at that age that he wouldn't take a cup or bottle at all, but by the time he started nursery at 11 months he would have 2 milk feeds a day from a cup.

Against all the guidelines, I did it. It was fine. Ds is fine. He has a varied, healthy diet that included lots of iron rich food and variety.

I think we forget that they are guidelines and everyone is free to make a choice. You may chose not to, you may chose to, but neither person is making a superior decision, just a different decision. Do what's best for your family.

Having said that pp are right. There's a huge differnec between 9 mo and 12!

Dd had a nursing strike at 10 months. I could only get her to bf at night before bedtime when she was sleepy. During the day I gave her cows milk when she refused the breast.

if the main drink is still breastmilk and they are having their full quota of that then the odd drink of cows milk would be ok

Cows milk is saltier from memory too?

Just leave it until she is nearer 1. I remember panicking myself about these things when ds was a similar age and I was going back when he was 1. With my second I did not as realised they do change so quickly!!