Baby Starlight - HV says top up with cows milk?????

[FranklyIDontGiveAMam]

So she was born on the 25th%, rose to the 60th at about 4 months and is now on the 9th at 13 months.

She is bf on demand, but I have been told to offer cows milk in the day.

I personally feel that she is supposed to be on the 9th. It's in proportion to her height and I'm diddy (although overweight). We were also lucky enough to have a 3 hour uninterupted feed and bond after the birth BEFORE she was weighed.

She is crazy active, and not only eats 3 meals a day with snacks, but actively BEGS other people when she sees they have food.

I'm not really worried about her, but am not very happy with offering cows milk because I would like to keep her bm up through the winter and the swine flu risk and am not sure what the basis for this advice was.

Anyone have any clues?

I can only think the HV wants her to have more calcium? Otherwise it doesn't make a lot of sense - breastmilk is more calorific than cow's milk. Mine have both but they are whoppers. If she's thriving on the 9th percentile so what? I don't understand the problem? If you were on the 91st percentile you'd be getting 'put her on semi skimmed milk'

You sound saner than your health professional to me

There is no reason whatsoever that your baby should have cow's milk. Your milk is more than enough for her, with solid food added, obviously, and this obsession that HV's have with dairy is very worrying.

Cow's milk is actually quite hard to digest - there are better forms of calcium for young children, and even if you did want her to have milk in a cup goat's milk or EBM would be a better bet AFAIK.

Does she drink water or is bm her only source of fluid?

well there is nothing wrong with offering cows milk alongside breastfeeding. it is a good source of calcium and stuff

that said, i certainly don't think it's necessary. ds2 can't have dairy and is basically on a vegan diet (apart from honey!) and is absolutely fine.

I presume your daughter has other sources of dairy though? cheese/yoghurt etc?

Your HV wants dd's weight and height on the 50th centile and nothing else will do.

Ignore HV.

Some people are just littler than others. And I can't imagine a situation where cows' milk is better than breastmilk. Unless you are a calf, that is...

If you absolutely have to see the HV again, ask her for evidence of cows' milk being preferable to bm.

She has water which she helps herself to, and she has 2 small yoghurts daily and often cheese or a cheese sauce too. She usually finger feeds herself shreddies for breakfast that have been briefly soaked in milk.

Sometimes I spoon feed her clotted cream too because we both enjoy the activity (not every day - obviously)

Okay, - thought the advice didn't make a lot of sense. Nobody would in a million years look at her and think she was anything but healthy, - although she does appear to be VERY advanced because she looks like an 8month old when she is sitting on the floor, and then she suddenly stands up, climbs up the chair, onto the table and then jumps across to the window sill. Maybe I should tell the HV this and REALLY give her something to worry about.