Share your experiences with introducing cow's milk into your baby’s diet - £200 voucher to be won

[rosiemumsnet]

Milk & More is working with dietician Lucy Upton to support parents when introducing cow's milk into baby’s diets and would love to hear from you! At what age did you introduce your baby to cow's milk, and how did you integrate it into their diet? What do you wish you had known? Perhaps you are at this stage now and have found an approach that works for you? If you have older children, do you still encourage them to drink cow's milk as part of their diet?

• Share your experiences and thoughts around encouraging your children to drink cow's milk on the thread below.
• One lucky MNer will win a £200 voucher
• Don’t forget to vote in our poll!

Here’s what Milk & More has to say: "Milk & More is delighted to join forces with Lucy Upton, to help parents make informed choices about their baby's nutrition, particularly during the weaning stage. Our commitment to delivering the finest quality milk, combined with expert advice, provides peace of mind for busy families."

Milk & More are giving Mumsnet users a special discount! Use code MUMSNET50 for 50% off your first order!

Here’s what Lucy Upton has to say: ‘Cow’s milk is a versatile and nutrient-rich food for babies. It can be included in their diets from the start of solids in a wide range of baby-friendly food options and in a way that suits all weaning approaches, from spoon-led to self-fed options.’

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

It will be gradually - and picking a milk brand other than Arla.

Never really had a problem with introducing milk, in cooked weaning foods from about 6 months and then as a drink from 12m both my children love dairy

I think m and s also add it to their milk apparently (saw an email on a fb groups confirming it)

I've tried at 14 months and he doesn't like it. He won't drink a bottle of it. Now he only has formula or oat milk and he's 23 months

Very shortly after first having cows milk, my niece was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, her consultant thinks that was the cause.

I breastfed both my children to 2/3 years. My daughter never really drank cows' milk, still doesn't, but had it in food, on cereals etc, from about six months. My son started having bottles of cows' milk when he started part time nursery at ten months - as he was still having lots of breast milk he didn't need formula for nutrition. He still drinks cows' milk.

With both my 8 year old and almost 1 year old…

We started baby led weaning at 6 months. With my 8 year old we were a little more cautious as she had a suspected cows milk allergy but it was severe reflux.

At 6 months I gave cows milk in cooked foods: scrambled eggs, porridge, mash potatoes, pancakes, cauliflower cheese (sauce) etc.

At 10 months I started giving cows milk cold in cereal.

At 1 year I will begin replacing one bottle a day with cows milk. Probably slightly warmed as my almost 1 year old prefers breast milk and/or slightly warmed formula.

My dgd drinks full fat milk, my dgs is totally dairy intolerant and drink any at all.

Why on earth do we need to introduce another species milk in to our diets? Cows milk is for baby cows !

My DC had milk in food (mash, porridge, cereal, yoghurt, cheese etc) from 6m. I offered them milk to drink in a cup from 12m but they weren't that interested, probably because they breastfed quite a lot! Once BF ended they'd have cups of milk.

Mine was eating yoghurt and having cow's milk from six months. They never had a bottle and I was given the advice that you gave it in food but not as a drink. I breastfed beyond a year but definitely not enough for making purees or porridge in any decent quantity. We did a bit of formula in premade cartons but otherwise it just wasn't part of the diet.

Mine was a huge fan of millet porridge or wheat biscuits soaked in milk. We just made sure it was full fat milk.

Breastfed DD to almost 3 and never saw any need to introduce cows milk as we don’t drink or cook with it.

She’s 17 now and though not vegan, she has never drunk a glass of cows milk. If she has cereal or a hot chocolate (which is pretty rare tbh) it’s with oat or almond milk.

I weaned my DC from breast milk onto goats milk not cows milk, as I had a cows milk intolerance as a child. However they had cows milk in cereal at nursery, and I didn’t think there were any issues as they didn’t display the intolerance symptoms I had.

However when DC2 was 18 months to 2 years old he was repeatedly sick on day 2 of every weekend away (several as we had regular visits to family). It was a while before I realised the common factor was drinking cows milk. And this continued through childhood - being sick some time after accidentally drinking cows milk or eating a soft ice cream.

So I wish people knew it wasn’t just a choice between formula/ breast milk and cows milk. Goats milk can be a more natural choice, easier to digest, and and an excellent source of protein and calcium.

DS had lots of stomach issues with cows’ milk, so I switched to goats’ milk. That worked well for him.

What a disturbing thread.
I assume the Milk Marketing Board and other such lobbyists have a role in this. No human child needs to be drinking cows milk.

The powder marketed to give to young babies including new borns is ultra processed cows milk.

The additive that is given to reduce methane production in cows only acts in the cows stomach(s), is not absorbed into the cows blood stream and therefore cannot get into the milk supply.

Chucking milk down the sink can cause blocked drains because of the fat content and causes problems with the waste water processing systems.

What's with all the milk industry propaganda? You could at least try to be subtle about it 😬

Never did. I breastfed all my children til self weaning and they've never drunk cows' milk. The eldest doesn't like it and the younger two are allergic. Dairy is traditional in the western diet and convenient of course but there's nothing useful in it that can't be obtained from other sources if you can't/don't want to consume it.

Weaned at 12 to cows milk - no problems and saved me lots of money to stop buying formula.

Cows milk is for baby cows and no one else, the clue is in the name! It's literally not designed for human consumption and the cows suffer greatly having their babies ripped from them so that humans, and not their babies, can drink their milk. It makes me feel sick.

I did it slowly, 1/8 milk and 7/8 formula, then 1/4 milk and 3/4 formula, and so on.

The GP told me milk proteins couldn't pass to my son through my breast milk. Yet as soon as I cut all milk out of my diet his eczema cleared up

Did I say anything about milk proteins. Complete proteins are not absorbed by adults but small polypeptides are - hence the problem with the mothers diet causing problems in the child. Polypeptides are hard to detect and measure in animals including humans.

The food additive involved is a synthetic small molecule which can easily be detected and measured if present.

My point is I am not prepared to take someone's word for it on something like this