Introducing cows milk?

[Ngala]

Hey!! I thought I might pop my question in here as this is something I will be doing in a few months time..

How do you introduce the cow's milk if your baby is being exclusively breastfed?? I am only breastfeeding to 12 months and I dont have the option to mix it in with formula as DD hates the stuff! So in this case, is it just a matter of expressing BM, adding milk and giving it to DD in a bottle?

[Artechim]

Ngala, I have heard that rice milk tastes more like BM. Maybe try that in a bottle or cup and if she takes that then you could start adding cows milk to it?

[MantaRay]

After 12 months babies don't need either formula or cows' milk. They can get calcium from other sources - 3 serves a day of dairy sources such as yoghurt and cheese or there are plenty of other sources such as brocoli and pine nuts, as well as other milk types - goats, rice etc. So personally, if the milk is upsetting your child, I would recommend not giving it at all. They can drink water, and just make sure their diet includes enough foods for them to get their calcium allowance. There are lots of kids out their with dairy allergies/intolerances that get plenty of calcium without dairy.

Ngala, you can just try her with straight cows' milk, it doesn't need to be mixed or diluted.

[Ngala]

Great! Thanks MantaRay - I will try that when the time has come

[kellym]

Well, just thought I'd let you all know that it looks like we've got Luke completely on cows milk already!! In the end, he didn't want the formula and seemed to be getting a little confused as every bottle tasted different (between the cows milk and formula)!! I started by just replacing his bottle before his afternoon nap with cows milk and leaving the rest as formula. He was drinking the afternoon bottle no problem at all and then started fussing and pushing the night time bottle away - he just didn't seem to want it. So, in the end, we just started offering cows milk for all bottles. Once he realised that it was all cows milk, he drank away and all has been perfect!!

I hope its as easy as that for us - I think I might of made it a lot more difficult than I needed to and it goes to show that some things can be quite simple afterall!!

Good luck everyone - I hope its that easy for you all too!!!

Kelly xxx