How long can an 11 month old go without milk?

[ReganSomerset]

I'm going back to work very soon and my 11.5 month old DD still won't drink milk out of anything but a breast. We've tried formula and expressed, bottle and sippy cup. She'll happily drink water from the same sippy cups she refuses milk from. We'll try her with cow's milk when she gets past a year but if she refuses that too, will she be OK not having milk while I'm out of the house? I'll be out roughly ten hours a day, four days a week.

She will be fine. My little one has a heart condition and we can’t give him dairy at certain points because of the meds he is on. By the time he was 11.5 months he had dropped his feeds except for the one before bed. He had a hearty breakfast lunch dinner snacks whatever he needed but couldn’t have his first feed because of timing so he just managed without it.

I went back to work when my son was 11mo and he went the full working day (7.30 to 17.30) without milk - he just ate food and drank plenty of water and fed in the morning and evening. He will drink a few mouthfuls of cow’s milk but not as much as breast milk. He made up for it on my days off!

If she is refusing milk totally (including in cereal) just keep an eye on calcium content. Make sure she has yoghurts and cheese etc

Don't worry, though I did use nesquik to persuade mine to drink cows milk about that age when I needed to leave them

That's absolutely fine. From 12 months the recommended milk intake is only 300mls per day which breastfeeding twice daily will than meet.

Thanks everyone, that's really reassuring. I would have replied earlier but it wouldn't let me.

@KTD27 I've not tried cereal yet, but she'll eat porridge, yoghurt and cheese.

None of my 3 ever drank milk after I stopped breast feeding, they're huge healthy strapping lads now so it's probably not essential as long as they're eating solids.

She'll be fine, she might make up for it when you are around and bf lots then

She will be fine. Both mine did exactly the same. They waited for me to come home! Survived on water and solids between 8am and 8pm.

I even went on a business trip for a few days and DC1 jumped on me when I got back and continued bf for a further 3 years!!!!!

Enjoy your return to work.