Cow's milk and Weetabix for 7 month old?

[Screamer]

Help - I have been giving 7 month old DS full fat cow's milk and half a Weetabix for breakfast for about 1.5 weeks now. I'm sure I read that it was OK but have now looked on the Internet and its says no cow's milk (unless in cooking) until 12 months. Should I be using formula for his cereal?????

He has got an ear infection in the past week and now I am paranoid it is from a reaction from cow's milk. He is fine otherwise...argh!

Please advise!!

No, definitely no cows milk before 12 months. Their gut is not mature enough to deal with it until a year.

Sorry, yes to formula or breast milk.

You are meant to use formula or breast milk.
I found with ds that weetabix gave him a bad belly but found Oatibix was a perfect consistency and was light on his tummy. :)

hmm i thought the cows milk thing only related to their main drnking habit (i.e dont substitute formula or breastmilk with cows milk) but for cereal etc cows milk was fine. Anyway I used cows millk with cereal before 1.

uh? I've given both of my boys weetabix with cows milk from about the same age. I think the no milk thing refers to not as a BM substitute.

Unless the advice has changed in the last year, cows milk is fine in food from 6 months. As a drink they need BM for formula.

Agree with Tyson though - Weetabix makes for some truly revolting nappies, Oatibix is better and easier for them to digest.

I too gave cow's milk on cereal from 6 months with no adverse effects

Cows milk is fine as a food and occasional drink but not as a main drink till 12 months.

Absolutely fine to use cows milk on cereal and in cooking. Shouldn't use as a main drink as it doesn't have enough iron for under ones.

it has now been found that full-fat cow's milk is fine in cooking and cereals etc from 6 months but shouldn't be given a drink until a year. when you read it shouldn't be given "unless in cooking", all that means is not as a drink. however, i still use formula in cereal as i am making it anyway for DD's morning drink.

**as a drink

Cow's milk is fine on cereal (and even ok as an occasional drink) - just can't be their main feed drink til 12 months.

I don't think there's any evidence that their gut isn't mature enough for it?

Argh...how confusing! I can't ask my health visitor/doctor as I live in a country with very strange guidelines regarding babies so don't trust their advice....(I know that sounds arrogant but for example the advice here is to only make formula with cold, mineral water and other such gems).

Maybe I should just use formula to be safe???

It's not confusing Screamer :) The first two posters are wrong. I will try and find a link for you, back in a bit

wow that sounded arrogant, apologies

I also thought that it was fine to use cows milk on cereal and in food from 6 months onwards, just not as their main drink. I certainly did that with DD who is 2.6.

I used cows milk for my 3 from 6 months for cereal and cooking, just as I gave them fromage frais. It's the same differnce gut wise really isn't it?

Gah, that took me a while

here

About half way down. Doesn't actually say 6 months, but says "Cows' milk: whole cows? milk doesn?t contain enough iron and other nutrients to meet babies? needs so it shouldn?t be given as a drink to babies under one year old. It?s fine to use cows' milk when cooking and preparing food for your baby. "

HTH :)

screamer, don't panic. i spoke to my health visitor (in UK) about this about 2 weeks ago and she clarified it for me - see my above post. keep planning to buy full-fat milk for DD's cereal as it would save me a bit of money on formula but keep forgetting when in tescos!!

Thank you all for taking the time to answer and for finding the link to guidelines Jareth

You would never guess but I am actually a confident, forthright career woman but having DS has just shattered my confidence and my ability to believe in my own gut feelings. Its such a big responsibility and so much conflicting advice

Screamer. I was exactly the same and it does get better honestly. Although I did have some angst about DD refusing to eat any supper this evening!

Wow the cold mineral water for formula is scary, as I am sure you know, formula needs to go over 70 degrees C to kill the nasties as it's not sterile... it's the formula that's the problem, not the water!

But you obviously know that. I'm curious as to which country now, off to google!

BTW I gave DD cows milk in her food from about that age, but not to drink until over 12 months.

pookamoo I am in the back of beyond where we don't listen to WHO advice....errr....Belgium! The formula guidelines are the same in France and possibly (I may be wrong though) Spain as well!!!! Crazy isn't it? DS has formula made with cold water at creche...had no choice but to accept that. I still boil at home though in the sad belief that at least if the worse happens I know I have done all I can

My paediatrician advised me to use Nestle formula and told me I was risking DS having too much protein by continuing to feed him 4 formula milk a day now he is weaning (guidelines in UK are 500-600ml of milk at 7 months but here you should drop feeds as soon as baby starts eating puree) Hence my wariness of taking doctors advice over anything that isn't strictly illness related.

They can have cows milk and weetabix from 7 mths. Cows milk can be used in cooking but formula/bm only as a drink

Isn't Belgium the country where babies died from the bacteria in formula?