Could I give a bottle of cows milk??

[Heaven]

Going out for dinner tonight with friends so I was going to express a bit of milk for DD2. She's 13 months now so could go without it for a bit while I'm out but she does like to have a feed before bed.

Expressing is a PITA now and I would probably have to do it 3 times today to try and get just a 120ml bottle!

But I just thought, could DH just give her a bottle of cows milk instead?? Now she is older it should be ok right??

I just have never given my girls milk this young because I am BFing so it seems a bit weird and I feel like a bit of a cheat! lol. DD1 only started having some milk sometimes when she was over 2. DD2 has it on her porridge in the morning so I know she's not allergic or anything though so don't need to worry about that.

Is it ok to do that? She will make up for any missed BM in the night anyway I'm positive!

[*LittleMissSummer*]

My DD was 16 months when she went onto cows milk and she was fine. I used it in her cereals and porridge and she was fine.

If youre concerned maybe water it down.

[FabFiona]

From 12 months cows milk is ok.

[[M]umma[M]ia]

yeah thats fine.

[Manhattan]

Definitely ok hun, as pp have said, it's fine from 12 months. Fwiw, from 12 months, my dd had bf in the morning and at night, and cows milk during the day. She didn't seem to mind or notice that mummy was cheating

[LimeSlice]

I wouldn't.

A few reasons... I wouldn't give her full strength cow's milk in that great a volume, for the first time, right before bed. You don't know how she will tolerate it, and bed time is not the time you want to experiment iykwim!

I would try something like rice, oat or almond milk first, they are MUCH gentler on the tummy.

If you must give cow's milk, I would water it down heavily. Probably as much as 1:3.

Enjoy your night out!

[Heaven]

Thanks guys!

LS- good point. I don't have any other milk here though! It wouldn't be much anyway. I've never left as much EBM as she would have in a whole feed because I can't express that much, so it's more of a routine thing before bed anyway iykwim. So maybe I will just tell DH to make up a small bottle with 1/3 milk and 2/3 water.

[Kazzo]

I would water it down too, she might not even want it though. DD2 never had a bottle, we tried a couple of times but she did not like it and went without (her choice). She does drink a little warm milk in a sippy cup though before bed.