Full fat milk before 12 months

[lavalamp08]

Would you give your child full fat milk to drink at nearly 10 months? I'm currently breastfeeding her but returning back to work so the feeds will decrease. I'm just worried if I'm only feeding her once in a morning, once at evening then whenever In the night she's not getting enough
Is this ok?

Yes.

No. I would give formula.

Why would you do that?
Babies need breastmilk or formula until at least one.

The advice from professionals is 12months plus. I would stick to that. Bf or formula

I think I would switch to formula from bf rather than straight onto cows milk.

Cows milk should be their “main drink” till 12 months so it depends how much you’ll keep breastfeeding. My ds wouldn’t take a bottle so he had only a little milk from a cup during the day at nursery and bf at night. As he was having more bf than cup milk we used cow milk in the cup. However nursery weren’t keen on cow milk so I let them give formula.

If it were an odd beaker here and there then yes. So long as breastmilk makes up the majority of the drinks they have then I’d not worry about giving cows milk. I’d not bother with formula if it’s only a small amount as you’d likely waste a majority of the tub with only using very little. Same goes for the ready made. Although you may well find that baby won’t want to drink anything else and will just make up for it once you’re home.

Yes, mine has had cow’s milk as a drink from probably 7 months. Not regularly, but on occasion to get him used to taking milk from a cup. I can’t be bothered with the cost or faff of formula (he’s otherwise bf).

Unless you’re replacing all milk feeds with it, it still won’t be much relative to what they might consume in food. Particularly as long as you’re offering a vitamin as well, they get all the nutrients they need.

why wouldnt you just give formula, cows milk wont be sufficient enough

She is only having water at nursery. She only goes twice a week but like I said in my first post if her feeds drop on her nursery days will she still be getting what she needs when she is back with me.
My little boy didn't go to nursery while he was over 12 months but unfortunately I've not had that option this time, plus I breastfed him till he was 14 months so it was never questioned first time round although I'm still pretty confused due to conflicting replies eeeek!

Are you anti formula whilst your LO is at nursery? When I returned to work my daughter had formula for her day feeds and bf at night and first thing in the morning

I wouldn't say I'm anti-formula, just totally clueless when it comes to formula. Neither kids have ever had it, I wouldn't know where to start (I suppose I'm a bit scared in some sense) and in a way I think is it worth trying her on something for the sake of three months
Ive been really lucky as I've found breastfeeding a doddle and to me that's my job to feed my kids and for that reason I've never pushed them to have a bottle or formula; she's had a few expressed bottles but I probably could count them on one hand, but like I say I made the decision to solely feed them myself sometimes in my detriment but it was my choice. And I think now am I gonna put myself / us through the ordeal of trying her on formula (if she's not really entertained a bottle with expressed milk, I doubt she'll entertain formula) just to have to get her liking full fat milk in three months, does that make sense? Or am I making things more complicated than they actually are?

You're over thinking it. Presumably she will only have formula at nursery. So all you have to do is provide the formula and bottles, and the nursery staff will do the rest! They will make up the formula and wash and sterilise the bottles.

It would help if your partner could try giving baby a bottle before she starts nursery (best if you disappear while he tries, IME) but if she refuses bottles it's not the end of the world. Nursery may succeed where the parents didn't (ours cracked naps before we did ) and if she really don't take a bottle, she might accept milk in a cup. If all else fails she'll be fine without milk at nursery, as she'll still get your milk at home.

I understand but I do think you are over thinking it - I loved bf but practically I was out the house for 10hrs a day once back at work. I think there is a reason Babies need formula or breast milk up to 12months. It would be no less an ordeal to put them on formula than cows milk, formula though has all the nutrients they need. Good luck whatever you choose.

I don’t think it matters too much what she drinks if you’re still bf at home.
But what I wouldn’t do is introduce a bottle at 10mo. Ask nursery to use a sippy cup. Cow milk or formula (most nurseries will give all the babies under 1 formula).

We did, sort of, at 11 months.
He was eating well, dairy intolerant, and bf before and after work, and all day Fri, Sat, Sun.
I just didn't supply milk to nursery, and asked them to give him food and water.

Are you going back full time, straight away?

Mine went to nursery 2 days a week from 11 months. She was bf and had never had a bottle of anything (always fed from me). She was offered sippy cup of cows milk at nursery but hardly touched it. Her main drink was still breast milk-that’s the key here. I’m not anti formula as such but didn’t see any point in introducing it for such a short period when a couple of quarter cups of cows milk per week was all she ended up having - along with probably 4-5 bf on nursery morning/evening/nights and about 8 bf on non nursery days.

Yes. Did with both DC who were at nursery 3 days a week from 11 months. They both continued breastfeeding early morning and in the evenings. I didn't see any point faffing about with formula, which they might have hated anyway, and certainly not bottles at this age. But if they had been younger, or been in nursery 5 full days, or had not yet been eating much in the way of solid food, I would have considered formula.

I think it will be fine whatever you choose: water, formula or cow's milk while you're at work.

Formula probably the best nutritionally but I don't think it would be bad not to use it. I know of a baby they refused breast or cow's milk around 9 months and the doctor said to use cow's milk.

It depends how many days a week you are working and whether you have the time/are happy to breastfeed more in the evening/night.

Most babies will make up for the breastfeeds they don’t get while you’re at work by feeding more on your days off,evenings,etc. Lots will ‘reverse cycle’ and feed lots during the night to make up for it. Some mums can sleep fine through feeds but others struggle feeding during the night while back at work so it depends what works best for you.

Lots of babies will also become more efficient so will take lots when you’re home from work in one go rather than ‘grazing’ all day while you’re there so may end up having similar amounts of breast milk in a shorter period of time.

I think if I was going back to work long days full time, I would probably try formula but if part time 2/3 days a week and I was able to sit and feed quite a bit in the evening, I would probably not bother.

I've put all 4 of mine onto cows milk at around 10 months.

DS started nursery at 11mo. We just sent a bottle of expressed milk for naps, let him have water out of an open cup the rest of the time, and he BF’d in the mornings and evenings instead.

I think it helped to encourage him to eat solids during the day, and he always liked to BF++ when he got home anyway, so I didn’t feel he was missing any feeds, just clustering them outside of nursery hours.

We carried on feeding until about 20months despite full time nursery (9-6pm), so I doubt that two days a week will affect your supply.

Personally I would give full fat goats milk. Easier than trying to keep formula safe and as it's only supplemental it won't be a problem.

Thank you for all your replies, it's much appreciated. I'm only going back 20 hours over 2.5 days, I feel better reading your replies and think really she'll manage with water at nursery and breast milk when she's at home.

Hope your return to work goes well :)