Can I introduce cows milk a bit earlier?

[Angeldelight21]

So the Nhs guidance says no cows milk before 12 months.

I was exclusively pumping for my DD, I have now stopped and the frozen milk will run out by when baby turns 11 months.

Can I introduce cows milk or should I start formula for one month before she turns 1 year old?

Any thoughts? (She is currently having about 400 ml a day.)

TIA

Go for it at 11 months, or will be absolutely fine.

My mum put me and my siblings on cows milk at 6 months back in the day and we're all fine!

Ignore the 'or'

It depends on how good her diet is?

Cows milk isn’t recommended due to its lack of nutritional value for under one’s.
So you need to look at diet, is it good? Varied, healthy, and is it nutritious?
Fluids is fluids so milk would be just fluids.

As I recall, mine was just shy of 1st birthday but I I also supplemented with a follow on milk and began to introduce cows milk at that age.
HTH

Have you already introduced cow's milk into her diet (porridge, cooking, yogurts etc)? I formula fed my children and remember finishing a box of formula with one of them just after he turned 11 months and not buying any more. He just swapped to cow's milk. He had a good diet by 11 months.

Her diet is very good but I don't give her any additional vitamins.

She is having yoghurt and cheese with no problem. But I haven't cooked with cows milk, like porridge etc.

Babies 6 months plus can have cows milk on cereal etc but not as a drink until 12 months

www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/weaning-and-feeding/drinks-and-cups-for-babies-and-young-children/

She should have been on vitamin D from birth and multivitamins from 6 months so look into this now.

Vitamin D yes, but multivitamins not required if diet is good

That’s not standard NHS advice…

www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/weaning-and-feeding/vitamins-for-children/

Up to age 5 it's advised to supplement vitamins A,C and D if taking less than 500mls of formula.

You can use cows milk in cereal and cooking from 6 months. Going to cows milk at 11 months shouldn't be an issue if they are having a good varied diet.

I think your natural instincts are right. If she’s EBF and eating well, I don’t see any harm.

The main goal within the period from 6 months to 12 month is to increase solid food consumption and naturally wean off milk.

Guidance on weaning being ‘around 6 months’ is because each baby is different, and as her mum, you know if your baby will be ok and by the sounds of it, if she is eating lots of varied foods, she’ll be fine.

We completely skipped cows milk and bf beyond 12 months, as I didn’t understand why I should stop something that been a success in growing her, in exchange for another milk. I personally feel there is more nutrients in good wholesome food than there is in cows milk, so my priority was to increase food consumption as opposed to concentrating on milk intake if that makes sense.

Should be fine.

She'll be fine. We started moving over to cows milk at 11 months. Just get a good multivitamin.

Do people really think 4 weeks will make all the difference between giving cows milk and not!?
OP it's a guideline but you can do whatever you want, the fact you're asking on here shows you care so I'd definitely trust my gut if I were you.