Is occasional small amounts of cows milk OK at 8 months?

[BounceAndClimb]

DS is breastfed, but DD is 1 year older and has a bottle with cows milk in it for nap times.

I gave him her bottle the buggy when he got upset a few weeks back and he drank a small amount then had a breastfeed when we got there, and dp just gave him about a 5th of a bottle when I was doing the school run as he was fussing.

Is occasional amounts like that OK and is the no milk under 1 meant as their main milk or should he not be drinking it at all yet really?

Cow’s milk is fine in cooking and a little bit of it to drink won’t do him any harm. It’s just that they aren’t eating enough at that age to get what they need from food so they still need the nutrients from formula or breast milk. So if he’s having the occasional bottle it really should be expressed breast milk or formula.

Of course a little is fine, we all went straight on to cows milk back in the 60s and survived.

Yes it's absolutely fine. You aren't supposed to replace formula or breastmilk with cows milk until at least a year

It’s fine, just but as his main source of milk. It won’t poison him or anything, unless he has a dairy intolerance, but it doesn’t have the same nutrients as breastmilk or formula.

Ahhh - my last post should say “.... not as his main source of milk.”

My eldest went on to cows milk at 7 months, advised by health visitor, he had totally gone off formula milk and refused it, he absolutely loved cows milk and is a fit and healthy boy

I’m giving my formula refusing 9 month old bits of cows milk in cups and bottles here and there (small anounts). I’m going back to work at 12 months and by then she needs to be used to it to take instead of my milk during the day.
I haven’t told anyone like HV as I know I’ll get the official line ‘no cows milk before 1’ but I know what’s best, she isn’t sacrificing any breast milk for cows milk.
She has always hated formula. It does smell horrible!