How can I get ds to drink cow's milk?

[helips]

My ds has just turned one and I would like to start giving him cows milk during the day. He is still being breast fed 4 times a day and Ideally I want to keep breastfeeding him morning and bedtime and give him cows milk the rest of the time. The thing is, I tried to give him cows milk the other day and he took 1 sip then gave me a look of pure disgust! He then wouldn't drink anymore! I'm quite happy to keep breastfeeding him but would like the option of giving him cows milk when I'm out and about, or for babysitters to give him so I don't have to express.

How can I get him to drink cows milk? Or should I offer an alternative, ie soya milk? At the mo he has cows milk with his cereal no problem, its just on its own that he doesn't seem to like.

My friend had the same problem and she tried soy milk. you can buy small cartons so it's easy to take out and about.

She reckons it tastes more like breastmilk, I wouldn't personally know.

You might get more responses if you post in the BF section. Also, if you're planning on feeding him morning and night and he's having cereal with milk, does he need to have cow's milk as a drink? (I'm sure the clever people on that board will know)

You could try the flavoured milk straws that turn the milk pink/ chocolate for novelty value and to get him used to it.

My 2 year old loves these but can't remember how old he was when he started having them.

by the time ds (and dd) were 11 months both of them just had 2 feeds a day (both bottlefed if that makes a difference). You could just offer a snack and drink of water at the times of the daytime feeds as your lo doesnt really need the extra cows milk in the daytime if they are still having the breastfeeds and other dairy products e.g. cheese, yoghurts, etc.

Thanks for the advice! I didn't know whether to drop his daytime feeds or not as its hard to know how much milk he takes. Might drop his mid morning feed and just give him a snack and water and move his late afternoon feed to a slightly earlier time.

I do really want him to drink milk (other than my breast milk) so that If I want to go out someone else can feed him. Also, eventually I want to wean him off the boob. Will give the Soya milk a go, is it as nutritious as cows milk?

are you able to express? You could try a breastmilk/cows milk mix and make it more and more cows milk over a period of time - just to get him used to the taste.

Yes I can express, will try mixing and see if that works. However, I feel that if he doesn't drink that it is a waste of my precious breast milk!