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Original poster

whats the deal with under 1's and milk???

19 replies

Ayisha · 02/10/2007 14:35

The health visitor has told me i can use milk in my sons food but i cant give him it as a drink.....why???

i asked her why and she said not enough nutriants which is fair enought but i said i was breast feeding too and had no intention of giving it alone. she just said dont give him it until he's one...no real explaination.
It just doesnt make sense that if the child can have it in there food why cant they drink it??
any answers anyone?

OP posts:
Original poster
Ayisha · 02/10/2007 14:48

ohhh by the way ds is almost 9 months old.

OP posts:
mishymoo · 02/10/2007 14:51

I think it's because of the fat content in full cream cows milk plus their little digestive systems are not able to digest it easily?

DoctorFrankenSquonk · 02/10/2007 14:54

there's too much salt content in cow's milk for them to drink too much of it.

Tis ok in small doses, ie: when making up food but not large doses like they would get if they were drinking bottles of the stuff.

This is what my HV told me and I trust her completely.

CastsSpellsWitchySpells · 02/10/2007 14:58

It's not that he can't drink any of it - it won't do him any harm (except exposing him to a known allergen, but formula (and breastmilk in many women) does that too), but it's not suitable as a main drink before 1, because of the lack of nutrients, as your hv described.

Original poster
Ayisha · 02/10/2007 15:16

the reason i'm asking is because when i go back to work m.i.l will be looking after ds and i'll only be working 3 days a week but i want him to have like say one bottle of milk while i'm away. do you think thats too much for him?

OP posts:
DoctorFrankenSquonk · 02/10/2007 15:19

when ds was quite little, dd2 was drinking cows milk from bottles, and often he would drink hers by mistake.

It didn't do him any harm, but you should beware of people who use the phrase "never did mine any harm"

CastsSpellsWitchySpells · 02/10/2007 15:26

Ayisha - is there a reason that you don't want to give him formula for those few feeds, rather than cows milk?

Original poster
Ayisha · 02/10/2007 15:33

there is two reasons really.
the first one is that ds doesnt like it...saying that though i dont know if he'll like cows milk either.
but also because if i give him formula milk now then i've got to wean him off formula and breast eventually.
giving him formula at this age seems like i'm going backwards instead of forward.

OP posts:
CastsSpellsWitchySpells · 02/10/2007 15:41

Yes I can see the logic in that, although my guess is that if he doesn't like formula then he probably won't like cows milk either (though I speak as someone who has never tried to give cows milk!)!

Is expressing an option if it's just for one bottle a day?

Original poster
Ayisha · 02/10/2007 15:42

i cant seem to express very well.
he gets plenty when he drinks but i just cant express any.
i'm a hopeless case

OP posts:
DoctorFrankenSquonk · 02/10/2007 15:43

fwiw - mine love cows milk, but they only like it very cold, straight out of the fridge.

When they were little, we warmed it up for them and they wouldn't take it.

CastsSpellsWitchySpells · 02/10/2007 15:46

If you're a hopeless case then so am I Ayisha. 19 months of breastfeeding so far and dd has never drunk a bottle of expressed milk!

My (non-qualified) opinion is that as long as you're still bf'ing morning and night on the days that you work, then a bottle of cows milk in between will be fine.

Original poster
Ayisha · 02/10/2007 15:57

its good to hear i'm not alone in the expressing thing. It kinda gets me down.
My sis just had a baby and she can express 6 ounces in like 5 mins and that is no exageration!
Then i suppose we're all different.
I think i will get mil to try him with abit for while i'm away.
we'll keep it as a small amount to begin with.
he may not even take it, who knows.

OP posts:
Original poster
Ayisha · 02/10/2007 15:58

thank you btw for all of your wisdoms. Its much appreciated.

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witchandchips · 02/10/2007 16:02

when are you going back to work?
At 9+ months most are down to three or less milk feeds a day anyway. YOu could feed when you got home and ds could have small bit of cows milks during the day. I think it is only a problem in large quantities and if it is a substitute for breast or formula

Original poster
Ayisha · 02/10/2007 16:13

I'm returning to work in two weeks.

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witchandchips · 02/10/2007 16:34

is it practical to do morning, tea time and bedtime then as feeds?

Original poster
Ayisha · 02/10/2007 16:39

well if by tea time you mean 4 or 5 in the afternoon then on those days that i'm at work then no.
I work in retail so i'd leave my house at 7.30am and wouldnt get home until 6.30pm.
he currently does morning midday teatime and bed time.

OP posts:
NannyL · 02/10/2007 19:26

its due to the sodium content of cows milk, that they shouldnt have it as a main drink.

The odd drink occasionaly wont kill them though!

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