Cow's milk

[emejay]

According to my big government book, we can start introducing cow's milk at 9 months.

I admit I did zero research on the subject.

Tell me what to think and do, smarter people.

[London]

We also do dairy but no cow's milk until one year.

[trackgirl]

I wouldn't do cows milk until one year, because their bodies can't digest it as well until then.

[xcrissx]

I'm interested to see what the pedi says in a couple weeks. She told us with DS1 that we could start introducing cows milk at 9 months so I wonder if she'll still recommend that this time. I don't know how much Ds1 was eating at that point, solids wise. LO definitely isn't eating enough solids (quantity and variety) for me to feel comfortable reducing his formula intake right now.

I imagine A doesn't have that issue.

[txshep]

I was told no cows milk (as formula replacement) until one year. My pedi said we'd discuss milk and diluted juices in a sippy cup at mealtimes, at her 9 month appointment. In no way would it replace formula though, it would just be more of an introduction.

I don't know if it makes a difference, but Dani eats a lot of solids daily... At least 3 full stage-2 containers of food, puffs/mum mums, and some bites of whatever we're having for dinner.

[britbratjf]

I plan on introducing a small amount with meals around 10.5 months. But I'm taking DD1 to Disney 2 days after DD2 turns 1 so I plan on having her weaned at that point. I'm open to trying toddler formula but it took me 6 months to get DD1 to like milk AFTER I weaned her so I would like for DD2 to get used to the taste of milk sooner.

[emejay]

I really need to do more research on that. I was wondering if introducing it sooner than later could help with possible allergies like eggs and peanut butter.

I have absolutely no plan on weaning him from formula soon though!

We have our 9 months appointment in a couple of weeks and I'll definitely discuss it with his pedi!

[London]

May 25, 2016 19:57:59 GMT -5 emejay said:

I really need to do more research on that. I was wondering if introducing it sooner than later could help with possible allergies like eggs and peanut butter.

I have absolutely no plan on weaning him from formula soon though!

We have our 9 months appointment in a couple of weeks and I'll definitely discuss it with his pedi!

From an allergy perspective I *think* a dairy allergy is unlikely if he's eating other milk products (cheese, yogurt). I don't know if there is such a thing as being allergic to only milk and not other dairy products.

I'm not an expert though. canadiansciencegeek? cocopuff?

[minionkeeper]

We hold off on dairy in my family until almost 18 months because of the prevalence of dairy allergies in our family. I've given D a little cheese but it makes him gassy.

[hovenb]

May 25, 2016 19:57:59 GMT -5 emejay said:

I really need to do more research on that. I was wondering if introducing it sooner than later could help with possible allergies like eggs and peanut butter.

I have absolutely no plan on weaning him from formula soon though!

We have our 9 months appointment in a couple of weeks and I'll definitely discuss it with his pedi!

How would introducing milk affect allergies to eggs* and peanut butter?

We introduced eggs and peanut butter already. My pedi basically said to introduce all allergens as soon as possible, but no need to do cows milk. I assume that is because it is more of an intolerance than an allergy.

*By introducing, I mean I gave him mashed eggs and he screams until it falls out of his mouth. This kid seems to hate almost everything!

[cocopuff]

We were told to wait until 12 months to introduce any milk as a replacement for BM or formula.

Re: dairy allergy, A reacted to yogurt (and yogurt puffs and waffles) at 9 months. She's never actually had cows milk. The tests for dairy allergens is a blood test and skin prick. It's picking up the protein so it's not specific to milk. She reacts to all dairy (butter, milk, yogurt, cheese).

We were told to introduce cheese to M soon (when A is out of the house) because it's better to know now if she reacts. Thankfully, she's had cheese and butter and has not reacted at all! Though we were encouraged and intend to give M soy milk and not cows milk simply because cross contamination is too risky for A. If you are introducing cheese or yogurt, that covers the dairy allergen category.

I will say the transistion from BM to soy was rough. I'm hoping that we won't have any issues with M and that she'll drink soy out of a sippy.

[emejay]

May 25, 2016 22:01:18 GMT -5 hovenb said:

May 25, 2016 19:57:59 GMT -5 emejay said:

I really need to do more research on that. I was wondering if introducing it sooner than later could help with possible allergies like eggs and peanut butter.

I have absolutely no plan on weaning him from formula soon though!

We have our 9 months appointment in a couple of weeks and I'll definitely discuss it with his pedi!

How would introducing milk affect allergies to eggs* and peanut butter?

We introduced eggs and peanut butter already. My pedi basically said to introduce all allergens as soon as possible, but no need to do cows milk. I assume that is because it is more of an intolerance than an allergy.

*By introducing, I mean I gave him mashed eggs and he screams until it falls out of his mouth. This kid seems to hate almost everything!

No allergies to eggs and peanut butter but more like they are now saying that by introducing them earlier you can avoid an allergy.

If that makes sense?

[emejay]

May 26, 2016 2:35:21 GMT -5 b said:

You can introduce dairy prior to 12 months - they used to say around 9 months, but I think BLW has helped sway the age younger, because my ped said yogurt and cheese were fine after 6 months.

Cows milk to replace formula/bm should not happen until 12 months. Every book, article, and doctor I have talked to has repeated the same thing. You can continue BM longer than a year, but formula should be switched for cows milk at that point. There are a few reasons for this:

1) babies need extra vitamins and minerals that are not in cow's milk, so they need to stay on formula. Since 'food before one is for fun', they are still getting the majority of their calories and nutrition from the formula and can become deficient on some nutrients if switched too early.

2) milk can inhibit the absorption of an important nutrient (it is slipping my mind, but I THINK it is iron). Because of this, many doctors recommend keeping cow's milk to around 24 oz or less (3 8 oz glasses). Since, prior to 12 months. Babies are still supposed to get the majority of their calories/nutrients from bm/formula, 24 oz or less may be too little for many babies.

Also, as others have pointed out, cow's milk can be hard on the digestive system and digests differently than cheese or yogurt. Waiting 6 months after starting solids can give a buffer for those little stomachs. If you're worried about allergies, I am pretty sure you get the exposure to allergens in cheese, butter, and yogurt.

I wonder if they meant you can start cow milk products (cheese, butter, yogurt, etc) at 9 months, which was the previous recommendation? Because I can't find good sourced information that backs up recommending switching from formula/bm to milk that young.

Thanks a lot for the info!

I never meant that they are really saying you should *switch* at 9 months but more you should *introduce* it in small doses.

[BookishMomma]

With DS1, we waited until 1 year. But I never questioned it or really looked into it much. With DS2, I've been doing a little more reading, particularly sources outside the US, and have also read 9 or 10 months is fine. We will probably introduce whole cow's milk (WCM) between 10-12 months with Henry. I'm tentatively planning to wean at 10 months and then use my freezer stash of BM to get him to 1 year. I am sure it won't be enough, so I'm thinking we'll use both WCM and formula to supplement. The WCM in increments, like @sterling mentioned, mostly to start getting him used to it. And we will probably offer the sippy cup to do that. We waited too long to get DS1 used to the cup and he ended up being on bottles until he was 2. Not a huge deal, looking back, but we definitely got some shaming from our pediatrician about the bottle thing after he turned 1.

[sdfonz619]

We have been talking about this a lot the last few days especially because we do not drink anything but almond or coconut milk. I am not sure if either are an option for us to introduce to M as an alternative. She has tried eggs (and hates them), yogurt, cheese and has had food with butter without showing any signs of issues.

Our pediatrician said to introduce PB at 9 months but I am so nervous! I don't know why, no one on my side or the donor's have nut allergies. I think because the reactions can be so severe.

[sdfonz619]

May 26, 2016 10:21:37 GMT -5 ntaylor989 said:

May 26, 2016 10:17:30 GMT -5 @sterling said:

Just be sure to do a side by side comparison of the milk choices. And keep in mind that other dairy like cheese and yogurt can be used instead.

Also, lots of other mammals would drink cow's milk if they could milk the cow. Cats are likely plotting this move now.

My cats would gulp down cows milk most of the day if they could. And then spend the remainder of the time puking it back up. Lol.

Mine would do the same.

[tngrl3]

Just to throw in another perspective, some newer research says that after a year,babies really dont need that much milk. If they eat solids then that should be the main source of intake. Milk is sometimes thought of as empty calories with a lot of fat.
DS is 3.5 and has never had cows milk. We BF until he was about 18M old and then I transitioned him to almond milk. That is still what he drinks. He gets one 6-8 oz cup a day. He loves cheese and Greek yogurt so he gets his dairy in that way.

[sdfonz619]

May 26, 2016 11:19:47 GMT -5 tngrl3 said:

Just to throw in another perspective, some newer research says that after a year,babies really dont need that much milk. If they eat solids then that should be the main source of intake. Milk is sometimes thought of as empty calories with a lot of fat.
DS is 3.5 and has never had cows milk. We BF until he was about 18M old and then I transitioned him to almond milk. That is still what he drinks. He gets one 6-8 oz cup a day. He loves cheese and Greek yogurt so he gets his dairy in that way.

This is basically what we would like to do as well. Did you have to wait any certain amount of time before introducing almond milk? Also, do you make your own or buy from the store? 

[tngrl3]

May 26, 2016 12:42:52 GMT -5 sdfonz619 said:

May 26, 2016 11:19:47 GMT -5 tngrl3 said:

Just to throw in another perspective, some newer research says that after a year,babies really dont need that much milk. If they eat solids then that should be the main source of intake. Milk is sometimes thought of as empty calories with a lot of fat.
DS is 3.5 and has never had cows milk. We BF until he was about 18M old and then I transitioned him to almond milk. That is still what he drinks. He gets one 6-8 oz cup a day. He loves cheese and Greek yogurt so he gets his dairy in that way.

This is basically what we would like to do as well. Did you have to wait any certain amount of time before introducing almond milk? Also, do you make your own or buy from the store? 

We didn't wait any certain amount of time. Our family has no food allergies so I wasn't too concerned about that. He made the transition without any issue. We just buy from the store. My favorite kind is the Califia brand because it doesn't have a bunch of extra stuff in it.

[cocopuff]

May 26, 2016 11:19:47 GMT -5 tngrl3 said:

Just to throw in another perspective, some newer research says that after a year,babies really dont need that much milk. If they eat solids then that should be the main source of intake. Milk is sometimes thought of as empty calories with a lot of fat.
DS is 3.5 and has never had cows milk. We BF until he was about 18M old and then I transitioned him to almond milk. That is still what he drinks. He gets one 6-8 oz cup a day. He loves cheese and Greek yogurt so he gets his dairy in that way.

The biggest benefits of cows milk for toddlers 1+ is the fat and calcium. You can get the calcium from other sources besides milk. We use calcium fortified orange juice. A also takes calcium gummy vitamins as prescribed by her allergist. Soy milk was the closest to cows milk for one year olds. Allergist said that almond and coconut did not have enough fat or nutrients. Had she tested positive for soy and dairy (instead of just dairy) A would have had to go on a prescription toddler formula because coconut milk was not reccomsnded by the allergist.

Like @bookishmama, we waited too long for a sippy and she only drank soy milk out of bottle until she was 2. We did get shamed about it but I figured that lots of kids breastfeed until 2 and that's fine, so bottles were nbd. We have already introduced a sippy to M with water and she does pretty well.

[xcrissx]

DS1 would get a skin rash from milk so he drank soy until he was almost two. I'm pretty sure the fat content is the biggest concern, for their growing brains. That's why toddlers get whole milk.

[canadiansciencegeek]

As others have said, introducing milk at this point is not an allergy issue. Cheese or yogurt would have the same allergens, so you've got that covered already. Milk as a beverage can be OK from 9 months up as long as it's not replacing formula/BM as a major source of nutrients, but some kids have a hard time digesting it.

[emejay]

UO perhaps: I don't get why cow's milk has been so demonized lately.

I've heard the "other mammals" thing so many times. Milk is a complete protein source which is not the case for other kind of milks (except soy).

Also - Almond, rice and hemp milk take a lot of water to be made.

Also milk is local!

Funny thing: I don't even drink milk.

[London]

May 27, 2016 15:06:10 GMT -5 emejay said:

UO perhaps: I don't get why cow's milk has been so demonized lately.

I've heard the "other mammals" thing so many times. Milk is a complete protein source which is not the case for other kind of milks (except soy).

Also - Almond, rice and hemp milk take a lot of water to be made.

Also milk is local!

Funny thing: I don't even drink milk.

Oh man I love milk. It was my #1 pregnancy craving.

The other mammals argument doesn't make much sense to me either. Are we supposed to doing as the other mammals do? In that case, pardon me while I go hunt down a gazelle and tear it limb to limb with my giant teeth.

[txshep]

May 27, 2016 15:09:29 GMT -5 London said:

May 27, 2016 15:06:10 GMT -5 emejay said:

UO perhaps: I don't get why cow's milk has been so demonized lately.

I've heard the "other mammals" thing so many times. Milk is a complete protein source which is not the case for other kind of milks (except soy).

Also - Almond, rice and hemp milk take a lot of water to be made.

Also milk is local!

Funny thing: I don't even drink milk.

Oh man I love milk. It was my #1 pregnancy craving.

The other mammals argument doesn't make much sense to me either. Are we supposed to doing as the other mammals do? In that case, pardon me while I go hunt down a gazelle and tear it limb to limb with my giant teeth.

This is the BLW technique I use with Dani. Is that wrong?

[emejay]

May 27, 2016 15:11:08 GMT -5 txshep said:

May 27, 2016 15:09:29 GMT -5 London said:

Oh man I love milk. It was my #1 pregnancy craving.

The other mammals argument doesn't make much sense to me either. Are we supposed to doing as the other mammals do? In that case, pardon me while I go hunt down a gazelle and tear it limb to limb with my giant teeth.

This is the BLW technique I use with Dani. Is that wrong?

That explains a thing or two about daycare

[London]

May 27, 2016 15:12:35 GMT -5 emejay said:

May 27, 2016 15:11:08 GMT -5 txshep said:

This is the BLW technique I use with Dani. Is that wrong?

That explains a thing or two about daycare

Dead. Me. Not the gazelle.

[tngrl3]

May 27, 2016 15:06:10 GMT -5 emejay said:

UO perhaps: I don't get why cow's milk has been so demonized lately.

I've heard the "other mammals" thing so many times. Milk is a complete protein source which is not the case for other kind of milks (except soy).

Also - Almond, rice and hemp milk take a lot of water to be made.

Also milk is local!

Funny thing: I don't even drink milk.

I think some of it in the US is because people think "oh milk is good, it's okay to let my kid drink a gallon a day." WCM has fat that small children need but not older kids, especially if they are eating a bunch of other junk which is all too common. The American Academy of Pediatrics has actually changed the recommendation from WCM to lower fat milk when you transition off BM/formula. Obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol are impacting kids at younger and younger ages so that is part of the change in the recommendation. 
For me the other mammal think isn't really something I care about. With DS I had an insane freezer stash so he got BM until he was almost 2 and he was a good eater so I didn't want him to drink his calories. I think milk in moderation is fine. FWIW, I am lactose intolerant. I use to use soy milk but after doing some research decided it wasn't the best choice and switched to almond milk. I only use it for smoothies and occasionally on cereal. 

[canadiansciencegeek]

May 27, 2016 15:16:08 GMT -5 tngrl3 said:

May 27, 2016 15:06:10 GMT -5 emejay said:

UO perhaps: I don't get why cow's milk has been so demonized lately.

I've heard the "other mammals" thing so many times. Milk is a complete protein source which is not the case for other kind of milks (except soy).

Also - Almond, rice and hemp milk take a lot of water to be made.

Also milk is local!

Funny thing: I don't even drink milk.

I think some of it in the US is because people think "oh milk is good, it's okay to let my kid drink a gallon a day." WCM has fat that small children need but not older kids, especially if they are eating a bunch of other junk which is all too common. The American Academy of Pediatrics has actually changed the recommendation from WCM to lower fat milk when you transition off BM/formula. Obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol are impacting kids at younger and younger ages so that is part of the change in the recommendation. 
For me the other mammal think isn't really something I care about. With DS I had an insane freezer stash so he got BM until he was almost 2 and he was a good eater so I didn't want him to drink his calories. I think milk in moderation is fine. FWIW, I am lactose intolerant. I use to use soy milk but after doing some research decided it wasn't the best choice and switched to almond milk. I only use it for smoothies and occasionally on cereal. 

This makes me ragey.  Kids under 2 need a lot of fat in their diet.  Something like 30% of their calories should come from fat.  Milk is a great source of that.  The other junk is the problem, not milk.  <end rant>

[beane]

May 27, 2016 15:20:40 GMT -5 canadiansciencegeek said:

May 27, 2016 15:16:08 GMT -5 tngrl3 said:

I think some of it in the US is because people think "oh milk is good, it's okay to let my kid drink a gallon a day." WCM has fat that small children need but not older kids, especially if they are eating a bunch of other junk which is all too common. The American Academy of Pediatrics has actually changed the recommendation from WCM to lower fat milk when you transition off BM/formula. Obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol are impacting kids at younger and younger ages so that is part of the change in the recommendation. 
For me the other mammal think isn't really something I care about. With DS I had an insane freezer stash so he got BM until he was almost 2 and he was a good eater so I didn't want him to drink his calories. I think milk in moderation is fine. FWIW, I am lactose intolerant. I use to use soy milk but after doing some research decided it wasn't the best choice and switched to almond milk. I only use it for smoothies and occasionally on cereal. 

This makes me ragey.  Kids under 2 need a lot of fat in their diet.  Something like 30% of their calories should come from fat.  Milk is a great source of that.  The other junk is the problem, not milk.  <end rant>

My pedi recommended we switch from WCM to 1% at around 18mos I think? I told her he was drinking WCM and she was like "yeah he doesn't need that.." I brought up 2% and she was like 1% is fine.

Who knows.