Cows Milk

[Deaconwood]

Hello, I posted the below in the weaning thread a couple of weeks ago and would be very grateful for some advice!

My DS is one in a couple of weeks and we are reaching the end of breastfeeding. We're down to early morning and bedtime feeds and I don't think there's that much milk there anymore TBH. It feels like the right time to begin the process of fully weaning him over the next couple of months. We'll probably cut the morning feed quite soon and continue bedtime until 13/14 months...

What I keep worrying about is how to get him to start drinking cows milk in any quantity. Because DS has never had a bottle he doesn't connect drinking milk with anything other than breastfeeding.

He has lots of litte drinks of water from a sippy cup throughout the day - but it's only ever quick functional sips when he needs it. He would never sit on a lap and drink a whole beaker of drink. I have started offering him little sips of watered-down cows milk but he always pushes the cup away after one try and pulls a real face!

Does anyone else who exclusively breastfed have any tips on this? Does it matter if he doesn't drink large quantities of milk after he is one? He gets a good amount of whole milk in his diet (big bowl of porridge for breakfast, yoghurt at lunch, rice pudding at dinner etc) - but is this enough on it's own?

I get really confused because most other people I know moved onto formula at 6 months and so their babies still happily sit and drink milk from a bottle several times a day. My DS doesn't get that comfort drinking thing from anything else than breastfeeding...and now we're down to such small feeds he gets nowhere near the same volume of milk.

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Since the above was written he has started refusing all of his breastfeeds. He is perfectly content, but obivously getting no milk. He is one tomorrow. Help!

deacon firstly, don't worry about the amount of cow's milk he's getting. If he doesn't like the taste, just don't give it to him to drink - he's getting plenty in cereal etc. Remember that the calcium can also come from veggies, so if he'll eat dark green leafy stuff for instance he'll be getting calcium there.

He may like goat's milk (keep it really fresh as once open for about 3 days, even if well in date, it tastes very "goaty"). It's much more gentle on the stomach than cow's milk and less likely to trigger allergies, although if he's taking CM elsewhere with no ill effects, this should be fine.

Why are you watering it down though? This may be why he doesn't like it.

If he's sipping from a cup he will drink enough from it - I would just suggest trying to ensure that he always has a cup of water to hand at all times (or a sports bottle) and he'll drink what he wants. He'll be fine.

I exclusively breast-fed (it ended up that DD never had any formula) and stopped when she was 12 months, so quite similar to you.

I think the advice is that they do still need milk at that age (almost a pint a day, although as you mention that does include milk in porridge etc etc).

If you haven't used a bottle up to now, then I wouldn't start now - that's great if he is drinking from the sipppy cup. Have you actually tried giving him un-watered down cow's milk in the sippy cup? Have you tried warming it up so that it's closer to the temperature of breast milk?

That also sounds quite good actually if he's started refusing breastfeeds at the same time you were thinking of stopping - sounds like he is ready as well as you, and it won't be a struggle.

Oh, and happy birthday to your DS!

Thanks for your replies! His usual response to cow's milk in his sippy cup is to spit it straight out. I've tried both warm and cold and the same response with both. I thought watering it down a little might make the taste less strong. I think you're definitely right about the leafy greens etc - he's also trying lots of oily fish which has calcium.

It just preys on my insecurities when I see all the other babies we know drinking bottles of milk - especially as my DS is quite a light, lean (but healthy-looking) baby!