I have an 11 month old and would really like to start her on whole milk. She's pretty much weaning herself right now from the breast. I already know that she hates formula, so what are your oppinions about starting her a month early on whole milk when the recommendation is 12 months? Or any other suggestions?
Thank you so much for all the responses. I am still nursing her which is good cause I thought she was going to wean herself. I'm just going to nurse until she wants to stop and then we'll deal with the milk issue later...Thanks everyone!
It will be fine I started my daughter on whole milk at 10 months it was by accident but she liked it and so we started giving it to her.
My son weaned from breast milk at 11 months too. His pediatrician said it was fine to start him on regular milk and my son had no problem whatsoever. So, go for it!
D.
12 months for whole milk is just a guideline, and if your baby hasn't shown a tendency toward allergies, It's probably fine to start her on whole milk at 11 months. You can always check with your pedi if you're unsure. Just call the advice nurse.
It will probably depend on your baby's tummy and if will allow it. We tried weaning our son at 11 months by mixing formula and milk to get him over to milk and his tummy was not ready. He got the runs for over a week before we realized it was the milk. As soon as we went back to all formula in his bottles he got better. We tried again around 13 months and he took milk fine. But our older son switched over beautifully in his 11th month. I'd check with your doctor and she what he/she says.
I just saw our ped and my son will be 1 on Feb 15th. He said anytime between 11 and 13 months to start whole milk. You could call your ped to double check. You might just try 2 ounces here and there or mix with pumped milk to start.
I don't think 1 month early would be an issue 12 months is just a guidline. You may want to consider whole goat milk instead of cow milk. The cellular structure is quite different from cow milk and much easier for infants/toddlers to digest - less tummy upset.
Honey, I'm a mother of 30 years. I was feeding my children table food as soon as possible and they are healthy adults now so don't worry about a little milk a month sooner. I would, however, watch that you don't buy the milk with the hormones in it. This may not be good for their little systems. We didn't have to worry about those things 30 years ago.
goat milk, goat milk, goat milk! It's closest in composition to breat milk... kids can't digest cows milk very easily until they're older than two (even though it's in many infant formulas) and giving it to them too early can cause allergies to develop... Don't know what access you have to natural groceries, but Myenberg goat milk can be found fresh or powdered. hope that helps...
Cow milk has a shocking amount of allergens and hormones and unnessecary antibotics in it. I would be aware of those before switching to it. When my son weened himself at 13 or 14 months, I never gave him milk. I dont think its necessary. He drinks alot of water. The risks are too high. Try goats milk. A website called www.whiteegretfarm.com has information on the benefits of goats milk. It is easy to digest and has no allergy connections. Good luck!
Hi C., I think that if you asked your doctor they would tell you that it would be fine to start her on whole milk. I worked in a daycare and had a parent that ran into the same situation as you are in. Her doctor told her that her daughter was close enough to a year old and that she should be able to switch over just fine. Try it and see. Just try to introduce it gradually over a week or two. Good luck to you!
I breastfed both of my daughters (now 4 and almost 2) for 11 months and then started them on whole milk. They loved it and never had any problems with the milk.
You may want to look at www.kellymom.com
If you are willing, best to nurse her as long as she's interested as breastmilk is still the perfect food/drink for her. Since she doesn't like artificial milk, goat's milk would be a less allergenic option than cow's milk. Soy is as allergenic as dairy, generally. So if you wanted a nut milk, maybe unsweetened almond milk, some hazelnut milk, or maybe even hemp milk? If you are established with a doctor, it would be wise to pose this question to her/him as well.
I was told by my Pediatrician that 11 months was fine for cows milk, my son apparently wasn't getting enough from my breast milk supply which was weaning itself. I was very uncomfortable with this but we battled EVERY type of formula out there, he resisted all of it. In the end you must weigh good and bad, and there has been no harm, he still drinks cows milk (over soy, or other options) and hasn't developed any kind of allergy which was a concern of mine. As a mother you look at your options and look at your child and make the best choice you can at the time, you may look back and think differently, but can you see any harm in starting a month early? Good luck, check with your PED to see if they have any other recomendations.
It would probably be wise to speak with your pediatrician.
check with her pediatrician first.. but maybe consider soy or rice milk or other milk replacements first (there are many kinds....) . You want to be careful... especially if there is any history of allergies in the family... even if there aren't - you want to be cautious.
If you can wait just another month... I'd recommend it..and when you do start giving it to her - do just an ounce at a time.. mixing it with what she is drinking now.. give her one ounce at a time for a few days, increasing it by one ounce every 3 days or so until the entire bottle is milk. It will give her body time to adjust to the new food and if she has an allergy -less of a chance for severe reaction if it is small amounts.
best wishes...
just an aside regarding reduced fat milk, since it came up... every pediatrician I've talked to and every book I've read says that children under 2 should have only whole milk. The nutritional composition of reduced fat milk has been altered, leaving a disproportionately high protein and mineral content which is not good for their little kidneys. just FYI. Good luck with the transition!
You can try goats milk first, much more easily tolerated & digested. But if not, make sure to watch for any signs of sensitivity such as a skin rash (especially on the face), diarrhea, change in mood, etc. And if she has these, back away & try in another few months. Cow's milk is one of those very hard to digesst proteins & if her little system is not mature enough you cuold cause some major imbalances.
C.,
I spoke with my ped about putting my twins on whole milk at 9 months since WIC changed formula and i wasnt sure how they would react to the change. He told me the only real big concern with putting them on milk so soon is anemia. I would try to find a good vitamin to suppliment the milk with and go for it. That is my thoughts. I have been mixing the milk with formula for my almost 1 year olds since I spoke with my ped. The whole wait until 12 months old is just a guideline and i believe that each kid should be moved along in the process as they go. Do what your child is showing you she wants and needs. Otherwise, we hold them back.
Definitely try a soy formula, first. She might like that. If that doesn't work, I'd not advise using whole milk, start with 2% and make sure it's organic. The extra hormones, antibiotics and pestisides in dairy products can either slow down the brain development as well as speed up the puberty process - especially important for little girls!!!!! Good luck.
Yeah, definately whole, not 2%, but I would still wait a couple more weeks and then transition slowly to see how her tummy reacts. If she is not wanting to be at the breast, I would pump and put it in a cup for a while. I agree with your baby, formula is icky. I made one bottle up for my daughter as a baby and couldn't give it too her because it smelled so bad :) Also someone mentioned anemia being a concern and that is because the calcium inhibits the absorbtion of iron, so don't over do it with the milk, just stay within the recommended guidelines. Good luck with the transition from mama milk to moo moo milk.
If you are going to do milk, make sure it is organic and hormone free.
Breast is best for the first year or two.
How about goat milk instead of cows? Fresh, if possible...it seems to digest in young tummies easier...and if babe hasn't had much cow milk, the taste won't be so different. My daughter drank goat milk (she had a lactose intolerance)..and it is one midwife's alternative to formula. Good luck.
I nursed my son as well and never gave him formula. My sons pediatrician recommended that I start giving him whole milk when he was 10 months old and was showing that he was ready. I started with adding it to his cereal in the morning. Then would do 2 oz a day for a couple of weeks and then slowly added more. By the time he was a year old he was on whole milk during the day and I still nursed him at night. It actually seemed to help fill him up a little more as well. The transition was easy. Good luck!
