Cow's milk at 1

[EekThreek]

I know the advice is no cow's milk as a drink before 12mo, because their gut isn't mature enough to digest it... But what are the signs that their gut isn't mature enough yet?

Novice question, and this is DC3, so I should know by now, but she's reacting differently than the other two so I'm questioning my judgement...

I thought the reason for not giving cows milk as a main drink before one was that they needed the extra vitamins and iron that formula is fortified with, not to do with gut maturity. It's not that they can't have cows milk before one, just that formula or breast is a better option.

It's not to do with gut maturity, it's the reason given above.

Oh OK, I've always read the opposite!

In that case, is this likely to be some sort of intolerance of some kind?

When she was ebf, she had very mucousy poos, always. HV said I could try eliminiting food from my diet but it could take weeks /months of trial and error to work it out, and as she was gaining weight and otherwise happy it probably wouldn't be worth it.

She hasnt had any problems at all since introducing solids. Drinks formula while she's not with me. Bf the rest of the time.

We ran out of formula at the weekend, so took the opportunity to try cow's milk. She's been bloated, windy, unsettled at night and seeming quite uncomfortable. Sick a few times, like cottage cheese.

If she's maybe mildly lactose intolerant, she can obviously cope with dairy in food, but perhaps not as a drink?

Is it worth seeing a gp about this?

Give a different type of milk? You don't need to give milk just for calcium.

I'll try something else in the meantime, DS used to drink goats milk actually so I'll get some of that.

I know she can get the calcium from food, but she likes the comfort of bottle/boob at sleep times. She fights sleep as it is, taking that away is a fight I don't have the energy for right now

Well it won't be lactose intolerance as breastmilk and formula are full of it as it is the sugar in milk.