introducing whole milk < 12 months?

[catmom]

Our DD is almost 9 months, and for the past few weeks (as I posted earlier), she's started to refuse her supplemental formula more and more. It's gotten to the point now where she almost starts crying when she sees me coming with the bottle (she'll take water from the bottle, but if she sees it's formula she gets really mad). I talked to the nurse at our ped's today, and she said that since she's still nursing frequently, I shouldn't fight with her over the formula, but rather make sure she gets a reasonably balanced diet of solids. She also suggested that I could give her *small* amounts of whole milk in order to make sure she gets enough fluids and a little extra nutrition. I know the current recs in the US are no cows milk until 1 year, but I think the rec in Canada is 9 months, so it's not totally out there to start her with a little milk now. I was wondering if anyone else had given their baby cows milk early, and how they did with it. I am nervous about giving it to her, but the nurse said she's pretty unlikely to have milk allergies since she's been on a dairy formula for so long with no problems.

[NYN]

i personally wouldn't do it but i know my grandmother gave all her kids diluted cow's milk starting at 7 months and she said they never reacted poorly to it.

[QueenDillyDally]

The use of cow's milk in the first year of infancy is strongly discouraged by professionals due to a higher incidence of anemia. There is no iron in cow's milk and it may cause a very tiny blood loss from the intestinal tract.

Not quite sure what to suggest other than she probably prefers your breast milk and the formula tastes "off" to her. Either that or she associates her "milk" with your breast and does not want a plastic "nipple". Possibly a psychological thing too - comfort and warmth from mommy! ;)

[AirForceLove]

We had the same problem with our oldest DS when he we around 9 months. Refusing formula that is. We talked to our ped that we had at the time and he suggested that we wean him onto cow's milk. When we started we put 3/4 formula or in your case BM. About a week later half and half. The last week 3/4 milk 1/4 formula. We had no problems, but I suggest that you do what you feel is more comfortable for you.

I can tell you how excited we were to finally not have to buy anymore formula, at least for a little while. DS was 13.5 months old when his little brother was born. We will probably wait with him till closer to 12 months. He has been a really gassy baby and I don't want to contribute to that with the cow's milk.

Good Luck!!!:p :p

[ellybelle]

How many bottles does she get a day? If it's only a few ounces (like, less than 8) and she's otherwise eating a wide variety of foods, I wouldn't worry about it too much. The guidelines are geared to kids whose parents want to wean them from the breast or the bottle at an early age. You could give her a few ounces of milk (say 3-4 once a day). Or since other dairy is fine at 9 month , maybe you could see how she does with whole milk yoghurt and cheese, and then just give her water to drink? And then feed her lean ground meat and/or beans to make sure she's getting enough iron.

[catmom]

Well, the nurse just called back and said she spoke with the dr. who said NOT to giver her milk yet. She suggested we mix formula in with her food (which I've tried, and she won't eat the food if I do that). Not sure what to do now!

[Jenzen01]

My dr. said that when you wean, it's a matter of replacing calories with food. So, if she's getting a lot of solids, a decrease in formula isn't the worst thing.

I breastfed, and I started weaning DS around 10.5 months. He was down to just one 4-oz bottle of BM and two nursings by 11 months. I started cow's milk sometime in the 12th month. Right now, he's completely weaned and on whole milk, and he's two weeks shy of his first birthday.

If you need to give her formula, could you try mixing it in her cereal?

[linda_loo]

have sippy cups available. all day long, just have them around and offer them; try the ones with a straw (Playtex sells one, I think other companies do too, Rubbermaid also has some nifty straw cups).

[BTB]

I view 12 months as the bare minimum for introducing cow's milk. A pp mentioned the risk of anemia, but incorrectly attributed this as the result of the absence of iron in cow milk. It's true there's no iron in cow's milk, but that's not what can cause iron deficiency anemia in babies who drink it. The bleed itself is what causes the anemia, because the baby is constantly losing blood in the stool although it's rarely in sufficient quantity to be seen with the naked eye. However, because the loss is all day, every day, with each bowel movement, the baby's bone marrow must "hurry" to make more red blood cells to replace those lost and making RBC's uses lots of iron. The reason cow milk makes human babies bleed through their intestines in these small amounts is because the proteins in cow milk are so large and indigestible they clump up and actually scrape the baby's intestinal villi microscopically, causing tiny capillary bleeds. When the bleeding has gone on long enough to begin to deplete iron stores, iron deficiency anemia in the infant is the result.

There's another good reason, besides allergy (which gets lots of the attention, but is the least important reason not to intro early) and besides iron deficiency anemia. The solute load in cow milk is great for calves, but is a signifcant stress on a human baby's kidneys. The nutritional composition of cow milk is not in line with what babies need, either - the absence of iron makes that point well, but one must also consider other vitamins, and minerals too.

So what's a mom to do? I'd try switching formulas first. Different brands do taste different due to slightly different fat and carb blends - nutritionally equivalent, but not identical in ingredients. Taste a few and see. :) Maybe your DD would prefer a change in flavor. Give it time, it takes multiple introductions for babies to accept a new food. If a new formula continues to fail, and she will take other drinks from the bottle (thus it's not the bottle itself that's the problem), try formula in a sippy cup, even if this would be her first exposure to sippies. Some babies think the cup is so cool, once they master it, that they're less picky about what's inside it. If that fails you could consider other supplemental delivery methods. If you have an IBCLC available, they may have some great suggestions for you. I know people think of them as "BFing experts" but they also have a lot of general information about baby feeding.

You could, as I think a pp mentioned, continue nursing her as much as you have been and have solids replace her formula. The amount of milk a baby needs in order to get enough fats for brain development does decrease as they near the year mark - not that breastmilk is any less good for them, just that they need less volume-wise. Not only does myelination slow, but more mature breast milk is actually more concentrated in it's fat content.

HTH. :)

[SarahKatG]

Very interesting, BTB!

[Renrel]

I also would suggest trying a few different bottles as well to make sure it is the formula and not the bottle that is being rejected. DS was bf but took a relief bottle a few times a week of ebm. At some time, I believe around 6 mths, he started rejecting the bottle. We eventual got him to take the playtex nursers, though it took a little bait and switching with the breast and being happy for an ounce or two at a feeding for week or so. Then a bit later, maybe at 10 mths or so, he started rejecting the breast because he thought it was cool to be able to tote the bottle with him while he scooted around the floor exploring instead of being attatched to me. Then at a year he was all about the breast again, still is at age 2.

[catmom]

Thanks, ladies! Since the dr said I shouldn't be giving her whole milk (and that is the normal rec anyway), I tried giving DD some formula in her sippy this morning, and that was a no-go. She's also gotten a bit finicky about her food... she loves yogurt so much that she will pretty much eat anything mixed with it, but if I give her food without the yogurt, she'll take one bite and then refuse the rest. Is it bad to give her yogurt for 3 meals a day? I have been mixing it with a little fruit, some veggies, and a little rice cereal (last night it was 4 tspb yogurt, 1 tbsp peaches, 1 tbsp rice cereal, and about 1/2 tbsp squash), so hopefully that will make up for the formula she isn't drinking. But I am a little concerned about the yogurt causing some of the same problems as whole milk (as BTB mentioned).

We went through about 5 different types of formula when we started supplementing her initially, and this was the only one she would touch. I may try a can of the ready-to-feed stuff and see if she prefers that, though.

[Sarah]

There's another good reason, besides allergy (which gets lots of the attention, but is the least important reason not to intro early) and besides iron deficiency anemia. The solute load in cow milk is great for calves, but is a signifcant stress on a human baby's kidneys. The nutritional composition of cow milk is not in line with what babies need, either - the absence of iron makes that point well, but one must also consider other vitamins, and minerals too.

BTB- In your opinion, does this apply to yogurt, cheese, etc? Or no, because those things are more "processed" or given in smaller amounts?

[BTB]

I wasn't a food science major or a nutrition major, so I don't know all the chemistry behind it, but my understanding is that milk proteins are altered via processing and are thus less problematic in yogurt, cheese, and other dairy products.

In terms of nutritional composition, other dairy is no better than milk is at meeting baby's needs, but these other products when given are like solids, and are not the liquid calorie/fat source... if the baby's getting breastmilk or formula plus yogurt/cheese, then those needs are being met elsewhere.

Catmom, how much yogurt are you mixing in with other stuff? Is it predominantly yogurt and a bit of other things, or predominantly other things with a bit of yogurt? If the latter, maybe you could gradually reduce the amount of yogurt so that in a week or two she's eating mostly other solids with just a dollop of yogurt at each meal? The yogurt is much better than cow milk, but for the sake of nutritional variety. :)

[HGMorgann]

I really do not know much on this subject, I haven't researched it enough, however, I have several friends who's peds said to start introducting around 10 mo, which I find concerning. My doctor STRONGLY recommended no milk until 12 mo and was pleased when I said I was planning on waiting until 18 mo.
What about Pediasure? Does it fall under the same qualities as whole milk?

No help here...just wondering outloud.

[catmom]

btb,
Before I started giving her yogurt, I gave her rice cereal mixed with a fruit or veggie (she doesn't much care for the fruits and veggies straight). Now. I'm basically feeding her the same way I was before she started getting the yogurt, except that instead of mixing the rice cereal with water I'm using yogurt, and I use some fruit to sweeten it. I was also thinking about trying silken tofu, which has a similar consistency to yogurt.