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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

How bad would it be if I give my baby cows milk at 10 months?

10 replies

Flingmoo · 26/01/2015 12:48

He's currently EBF & on solids aged 8 months, but at 10 months I'm going back to work, three days a week, on those three days he will only get breastmilk in the evening. I don't really want to pump at work so it will have to be either formula, water or cows milk that he drinks while I'm at work on those days.

He's never really drank lots from his bottle or cup so he wouldn't be guzzling down 200ml bottles every few hours like formula fed babies do. But I'm hoping he'll have at least 100ml here and there once he gets used to it.

Would it be terrible to just give him cows milk at that point, and breastmilk when I'm around? Formula is expensive, smells and tastes shit... And dare I say somewhat unnatural? My instinct is that I'd rather him have cows milk and skip the formula. We've got a tub of Aptamil (the only tub I've ever bought) which he has the occasional few sips of if I've gone out somewhere, but I'm not really a fan and neither is he.

OP posts:
LtGreggs · 26/01/2015 12:54

Hi - I went back to work at 7 months and DS2 (EBF + solids) refused a bottle at all, and refused formula from a cup. Health Visitor told me that it was fine to introduce some cows milk, as long as this was not his main drink. DS2 had morning & evening breastmilk, and was offered water or cows milk in the day. He was absolutely fine - VERY keen for the breastfeed after nursery the first week or two, but that settled down pretty quickly.

You can also get nursery to give him some very sloppy porridge or weetabix made up with whatever milk/water you choose - if you're worried about fluid intake overall.

Good luck with the return to work Smile

worldgonecrazy · 26/01/2015 12:57

My daughter was having a cup of cows' milk with her lunch at that age. I also stopped pumping at that age as she no longer needed so much milk in the daytime and was able to manage on one cup of cow's milk, water and then lots of breastmilk when I was around. There was a big drop between 8 and 10 months so you may find you are worrying for no reason.

I know what you mean about formula - I've always associated the smell with vomit.

loudarts · 26/01/2015 12:59

Mine have had cows milk from 9 months

toffeeboffin · 26/01/2015 13:06

It's weird how advice is different depending on which country you live in : I live in Canada and was advised to start cow's milk at 8 months, which I did to no ill effect. Sil in UK has just moved her 1 year old onto cow's milk, he was still on formula up to then, must have cost a fortune!

TeaandHobnobs · 26/01/2015 13:30

If you are working three days a week, you don't necessarily need to pump at work. I went back three days and didn't even really leak on those days, let alone needing to pump. I sent DS to nursery with one feeds' worth of expressed milk each day - not that he ever drank it... He will be fine with water and foods like cheese and yoghurt during the day, and just breastfeeding the rest of the time.
DS is now nearly 3 and still rubbish at drinking milk (he didn't really take to drinking cows milk when we finished breastfeeding) - he does however have an enormous amount with his cereal, and has been known to drink some now and then recently (possibly because he sees me guzzling it to counteract my heartburn!).

Original poster
Flingmoo · 26/01/2015 15:29

Thanks, this is all reassuring! He does have lots of milky food already which is good. TeaandHobnobs yes I'll keep breastfeeding him on the weekends and the two weekdays that I'm not working. I doubt I'd leak at work as I don't seem to have an abundant supply these days anyway, some days he'll occasionally refuse to have much milk for whatever reason between breakfast and bedtime and I don't get engorged anymore.

OP posts:
NickyEds · 26/01/2015 16:24

By 10 months my ds wasn't having much milk during the day at all, maybe half a cup of f (I don't really think that ff babies are "guzzling bottles down" all day at that age).He was still having a big bottles in the morning and at night (and one during the night most nights) and was having plenty of calcium rich foods so it was fine. If it's just for the odd cup during the day I'd just use cow's milk, quite apart from anything else the powder would probably go off before you finished it anyway.

Aherdofmims · 28/01/2015 20:34

My 11 month old guzzles down bottles! More towards the evening admittedly.

I have tried some cows milk for one reason or another (either to get the milk ready really quickly or because grandma forgets how to make formula) and he has been fine.

bexster5 · 28/01/2015 20:40

I'm sure DS will be fine with cows milk but if you're worried you could try him with one of those vitamin supplements for kids?

whatsagoodusername · 28/01/2015 20:42

I think the potential trouble with cows milk is that it's harder to digest than breast milk or formula. If you give it to him and he has no noticeable digestive problems, go for it.

We gave it to DS1 about that age. He was fine. Tried it on DS2 around then, it was a bit messy. Left it a few weeks, tried again, he was fine.

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