Giving cow's milk under 12 months - conspiracy by formula milk producers?

[Tapster]

Why can't you replace some of the milk feeds under 12 months with cows milk? The standard answer is that they need the extra iron in formula milk. But don't they get enough iron if they are eating solids 3 times a day? I am thinking about how long to breastfeed and I have a strong aversion to formula milk, don't like any food with anything added to it myself let alone giving it to my baby.

I would like to carry on breastfeeding beyond 8-9 months but be able to give some milk feeds instead of breastmilk after this time during the day - partly because I hate expressing so much, and to give me a little bit more freedom.

So when can you really give cows milk as a milk feed to a baby?
Liz

The rule, as I know it, is that cow's milk shouldn't be a child's regular drink before one year. I think it's fine to have it as an occasional drink before then, though.

The issue, by the way, isn't iron. Cow's milk is higher in salt, and wrong, in a bunch of other ways, for baby humans. But yeah, after 9 months, it's ok, I think, for some feeds.

(By the way, by 8-9 months, depending on how your LO takes to solids, they may not want to feed more than a few times in the day, anyway.)

To add to NQC's last comment, you could get roung this problem by giving lots of dairy products in food, and just water to drink in between, and bf morning and night. I know folk who do this.

hi tapster
neither of my daughters has ever had formula. I don't really like giving them processed food of any kind and I don't think it is necessary.
I bf them both beyond a year and if I am away I gave them other drinks and other dairy products, and maybe one beaker of cow's milk a day. it tends to be that the baby will "catch up" when you are home and probably take more bm ime. but tbh I have never found that bf restricts my freedom in any way. hth