Using Whole Milk for Morning Cereal

I'd use juice or water instead. I think there really is a risk and some things that you wouldn't usually attribute to early cow's milk is apparently linked. Really, what's a few more months? Also, I don't know if this is an option for you, but have you hand expressed? For baby cereal I just expressed right into the bowl until the cereal was at the consistency I wanted. It was much easier, less to wash, I actually didn't even have a pump with my first daughter, but with my second, for things like that I just express.

Anyway, I think with milk, it's not so much their immediate reaction to worry about, but that their body isn't ready to process it and that can affect things down the line. Maybe just see if he tolerates it with water or juice!

K.

PS. I agree with some of the others who said why rush the weaning. You wouldn't believe the advantages of a breastfeeding toddler!

If he is still breastfeeding, just use water to make his cereal. I did that for my two kids unless there happened to be a partially used bag of thawed breastmilk available. They never seemed to be bothered by the taste.

I also breastfed and hated pumping! I used apple juice to mix my kids' cereal, and they seemed to do fine with it.

You aren't crazy! (First clue is that you asked the question! grin!!)

However, cow's milk is just not reccommended until they are 12 months old. Even the Dairy association concurs with that reccommendation. The reason is that they feel the earlier you introduce cow's milk the more likely they will have allergies to it.

I breastfed as well and was no way going to use formula in cereal. (I guess you don't understand the logic unless you understand breastmilk vs formula?) But, you sure aren't crazy. I did pump for her cereal milk. But, you don't necessarily have to do it at bedtime when you are tired! Try doing it first thing in the morning. Seems like you get more milk and aren't as worn out! I froze mine in ice cube trays and then transferred the cubes in to baggies to use for the cereal!

And, if all else fails and you don't have the extra breastmilk, just mix it with fruit or veggies that he likes.

By the way - congratulations to both of you for nursing!!!

I know you'll get lots of advice and lots of 'didn't hurt mine', but the best decisions are the ones that are backed up with facts. Check out www.kellymom.com (not affiliated with me), great website with info. And as far as weaning goes, don't be in a hurry, if you can help it. You have great benefits to give him past one year. The World Health Organization -not funded by formula companies- reccommends 2 years, hey go for it if you can - you will never regret it! (And after 1 year, they nurse less frequently, so it's not the same as nursing is right now).

I have a 5 year old, who is smart, beautiful and healthy. She never had formula and I nursed her until she was 33 months old - and I'm darn proud of it! :-)))))

Keep up the great, wonderful, awesome work!
K.

I wouldn't suggest soy milk as an alternative as one momma suggested. Unless there are other factors (sensitivity/allergy to milk) and you have no choice, introducing soy at such a young age can contribute to developing soy allergies. Wait a bit longer for that. Alternatively you can use rice milk, and even goat milk as it doesn't have the same proteins in it and is very easy to digest. Or you can simply go with the watered down apple juice to add to cereal...that would work perfectly. Milk sensitivities/allergies are BRUTAL and it isn't worth taking the chance on your kid IMHO...been there done that with my daughter and I didn't even feed her milk products...I ate them when I breastfed and watching her suffer with colic broke my heart until I made the connection and changed my diet.

I wouldn't give him cow's milk yet. it is too hard for him to digest at this age, and you don't want to give him allergies to dairy products. I always mixed my children's with water. it worked just fine and i didn't have to worry about wasting any of the precious breast milk. At this age he should still be getting all of his needed nutrients from breast milk. it is too early to start weaning him. Which leads me to wonder why you think he will be weaning soon? Stopping breast feeding at one year is just a stigma that society has placed on breast feeders. There is nothing wrong with breast feeding after 12 months.

The food your giving him now is not really for his daily calories, it is to teach him how to eat. If he won't eat the cereal without the breast milk in it, don't worry, he doesn't need it. But, I would not recommend putting cow's milk in it.

I don't think I would use whole milk, just because of all the additives and hormones they put in milk these days. But that's my opinion. My doctor said it's OK to use water for the cereal though, because I too was concerned about having to pump all the time.

I always just used warm water from the tap, and it was fine. I followed the cereal with a nursing, and it seemed to work.

I just use filtered water to make my son's cereal sometimes. He really doesn't notice the difference. Also, nine months is a little young for cow's milk. Their tummies just aren't quite mature enough yet to digest it. I'd wait at least until he's 11 months for whole milk. I hear you about the pumping though.

We've always used water to mix our babies' cereal, both at night and in the morning. Generally speaking, whole milk is not a good idea until your child is one or nearly one.

You know your child better than a doctor would. However, I can tell you from personal experience that I tried giving my daughter when she was 9 months old whole milk and it did not go so well. Now she is allergic to dairy & soy. Just be careful. Giving it to them to early can cause allergies to specific things. Good luck to you.

Are you talking about baby cereal, like rice cereal/barley/oatmeal, etc? I just put a little water in ours, or I think the side of the box even suggests a little juice. I'd wait on the cow's milk.

I would either keep pumping, or mix the cereal with water (or 100% juice). The American Academy of Pediactrics recommends a MINIMUM of one year breastfeeding, the World Health Organization recommends a minimum of two years, and the world average is three to five years, so what's the rush for weaning? You're doing SO WELL! Early introduction of cow's milk can lead to allergies and a host of other problems. IF you have already made up your mind and are looking for someone to ease your conscience, all I will say is to use whole milk, not 2% or skim. Babies NEED the milkfat (preferably from human milk) in whole milk for brain development, among other things.

WHAT an accomplishment being a SAHM and nursing up till now! Kudos to you and God Bless! Keep up the great work!

My daughter was solely breastfed as well, so I hope this helps. When my daughter was 9 1/2 months old I started substituting some of her feedings with whole milk (she would gag anytime she drank even one sip of formula and end up puking it up)she didn't like plain milk, but would take it if I added a bit of chocolate to it. She wouldn't drink out of a regular sippy cup, so I found the take-n-toss straw cups and she loved those (supposedly kids aren't supposed to master a straw until around 3 years of age). Obviously you would want to start out with a small amount, and if you notice even the smallest reaction stop, but I don't think it would hurt anything. In reality, so much of what you eat is excreted in your breastmilk anyways, so you baby is probably getting a little bit anyways. It seems that mothers who breastfeed notice how the different foods they eat affect their baby. I learned early on not to eat peanuts or too much chocolate or my baby would get a rash and extremely cranky. She still has a bit of trouble if she eats chocolate in candy bars and she is almost 3. Just do what you feel is best. Wishing you the best:)

I have a couple ideas: I mixed my little guy's cereal in the morning with fruit which was a big success. If it was too thick I just added a little tap water. The fruit was usually liquidy enough on its own to create the right consistency. Or you could just try straight water with the cereal. I'm still breastfeeding but have never had much extra to pump, so I didn't stress about getting a couple ounces for his cereal. I did try mixing it with formula ONCE, but it smelled so bad I threw it away. It's a personal decision, but I didn't feel comfortable giving my son cow's milk until now. His pediatrician told me to start giving it to him for a week before his 12-month checkup, so yesterday was the first day. *** However, he did have milk as an ingredient, such as in yogurt and cheese before now. Just not straight milk. ***
Good luck with whatever you choose to do!

I have heard that cow's milk is really hard on their digestive systems. I too have breastfed my 10 month old and did not want to give into formula. (which I haven't) I hate pumping as well so I mix her cereal with her fruit or juice. She has done great with it and we have not had any problems. I did the same thing with my 5 year old and I had no problem. I was also good because they both were easily constipated when they had their cereal so this makes it a little easier for them. Just my thoughts

I would just use a little bit of juice. Whole milk is hard on their digestive tracts at that age.

I would definately wait. Especially since he's been breastfed-that's the most gentle, perfectly formulated thing made especially for him and cow's milk contains things that aren't 100% natural (chemicals/cleaners that humans can handle obviously, but still) I would use formula, you don't need very much-maybe start out using half breastmilk half formula then go from there. My daughter had no problems at all going from breastmilk to formula at 4 months then formula to cow's milk exactly at 12 months. I would HIGHLY suggest buying organic milk! Its more expensive (about $3.50 for a half gallon) but its worth it. Even if you don't get anything else that's organic, mainly dairy products and meat contain the most hormones. And as far as the nurse looking at you like you were crazy.... I hate people like that. If no one decided to try something different, we'd never learn anything! Its not like you said you were going to mix cereal with Drano.... geez! Its not irresponsible to wonder-but it would worth getting one can of formula just to make sure! Good luck!

Hello,

I wouldn't say you are crazy but you might want to wait a little bit longer until he gets closer to 1 yr old. If you do not want to use formula..and I can see why after you just spent the last 10 months breastfeeding. You could try using a little bit of baby juice mixed in the cereal or perhaps some fruit every few days to give you a break.
Goodluck and congrats for breastfeeding as long as you have!!
N.

I would not recommend whole milk for the cereal. My parents used it for my son's cereal, and he was a crankypants for almost the whole day!
I have used apple juice or liquidy applesauce to make cereal, though, and it works quite well.
Good luck!

I wouldn't until he's at least a year old. Keep the pump. I always found that if I pump one breast while the baby is on the other breast I get more. Good Luck.

I can understand you not wanting to pump, I felt the same way so I just used water, apple juice and pureed (or baby food) fruit to add liquid/flavor to the cereal. I wouldn't add cow's milk until 12 months to avoid allergies. The longer you wait to introduce it, the less likely there will be any reaction. Juice works great for me and keeps my baby 'regular'!

I agree with Mary N. Many babies will do fine with milk introduced early, but some will develop allergies, asthma, intestinal difficulties, etc. For me, I didn't want to risk it. I know pumping can be a pain, but I would advise holding off a few more months. You are almost to what is considered the safe age - 12 months. It will roll around before you know it.

Hi MK,
I just have to repeat a mix of the other voices and I would also like to recommend "The Super Baby Food Book" by Ruth Yaron.
The earlier you introduce items to little bodies before
they have the antibodies to protect themselves the higher risk you force their bodies into more allergies and future illnesses. Human's are the only mammals that feed their young milk past the age of two, and it is not even our own milk, it is from other sources. Those other sources are fed by-products from un-known sources, that contain toxins, and in turn those toxins are introduced into our children's bodies. Your children's health is worth waiting. Water or Natural grain milk's could be an alternative for you, Rice Milk, Almond Milk are much gentler on little tummies. When and if you want to re-introduce cow's milk I would highly suggest waiting until your child is over one as the APA and WHO suggest and also use organic/hormone and pesticide free milk's only. I hope this advice has been beneficial and I wish you well in your continued effort to breast-feed.
God Bless, M. N.

Use formula or breast milk - he is too young for milk!

I do not think you are crazy. My doc let us start giving our oldest (4) milk at meal times around 10 months in a sippy cup so he would get used to the taste. We used formula or breastmilk for regular bottles. I think you will be fine for only 2 Tbsp a day!!

My daughter is adopted, so we've been on formula from day one. She is at the 97% percentile on height & weight & very healthy, so don't put formula down likes it's the evil food! We even use COSTCO's brand which is very economical, and she's survived it all...amazing! Our ped had us start transitioning to whole milk around 9 months, and she told us at the 1 yr appt to give her all whole milk. Use the formula...it's easy and your baby will survive. My entire family were formula babies, and we are all very healthy adults. Take a chance...your baby is tougher than you think.

Personally I don't see anything wrong with that, I started my daughter and my son on whole milk when they were about ten months old (I didn't tell the doctor, because I knew I would get the same response you did). My opinion is this, you are the mother and you can tell if something is right for your child and so I would try it for one meal and if your son is doing okay with it then I would keep it up. My kids are now 9 yrs and 6 yrs and they are healthy and just fine. I hope that helps, good luck!

i use juice or water for her cereal

NO! I was told it is very important to wait til they are 12 months to give them any milk.Use baby food,water or juice to mix the cereal.Or you could try a combo of baby food and water.

I use water in my 8 mo. old son's cereal.

Their digestive system still isn't able to handle the cows milk and could cause an allergy problem. If you want to use milk and not formula, goats milk is a great option, if you can find it.

I don't think it should be an issue. We use formula only because I dried up prematurely, but if you don't have it in the house, cow's milk should be ok in small quantities. Our doctor gave us the ok to start on yogurt after our 6 month check up, which is from cow's milk.

Go for it! It sounds like you're just talking about a couple of ounces a day, and I doubt it would do any harm at all. Some other options though, would be to mix his morning cereal with applesauce, juice, or yogurt.

I think it's fine as long as his tummy seems to be handling it well. They say they don't have the enzymes to digest it until a year but I put my daughter off formula on to whole milk at 11 months. She spit up too much on formula and quit once I put her on milk, I mixed infant vitamins in with it so it was really not much different than formula. People freak out about milk before a year, formula really hasn't been around forever, what do they think people did before it! Some people don't get in breast milk. GO for it and good luck.

personally, I would not feed your son cows milk until 12 months old. That has been one thing that hasn't changed throughout child rearing. There are soooo many more nutrients in formula/ breastmilk that isn't in cow milk. Their stomachs aren't ready to digest the cow milk either. 3 more months of formula isn't that long of a time to just purchase formula with the DHA and ARA that are desperatley needed the first 12 months of age. their brain needs the formula. If your ped. told you to feed formula then I would do it. They are supposed to have so many ounces of it a day anyways. Don't try to rush things...they will fly by too fast anyways.

I breastfed my oldest daughter for 9 months and weaned her off using a sippy cup with whole milk. Didn't harm her one bit. She wouldn't take a bottle so we went straight to a sippy cup -- before bed she would have a cup of whole milk and cookies. Just a matter of preference.

Jo

We started at 11mths giving our son 2% milk and mixed it half n half with water. He had no problems with it. Once he turned 1yr we switched to whole milk. he was also strictly breastfed. I hated pumping. I would pump at nite and use that in the morning for his cereal or I would just use plain water.

Hi, one thing that you can do is use lukewarm water - that's what I use for my 7 month's old cereal (and I solely breastfeed) and it doesn't cause any issues. I would also suggest you could use formula - that little amount shouldn't bother him either. Hope this helps. Good luck...

I know many people have suggested juice. I read that mixing juice with the cereal is realy good for baby because the vitamin c in the juice will help with iron absorbtion from the cereal.

I wouldn't he is only 9 months old and an allergic reaction may harm him since he is to young yet to have milk if he was 11 months old maybe just a lil bit for breakfast.As for the nurse ya I would of looked at you if you were crazy too but then I would of also discussed with you that his digestive system isn't ready yet and milk allergies are at the all time highest in children and it would be better to wait till he is a yr. old. As for formula one large can will last you for a while if all your going to use it for is milk in cereal.If you are ready to quit breastfeeding then you'll have to use fomula,even with formula babies will have a sensitivity to it.sahm of 2 kiddos

If your ped is that anti-milk (which I wouldn't think would be that big of a deal... I introduced cheese and yogurt to my kids at that age, so you'd think a tablespoon of milk wouldn't be any different) you could just use fruit juice. That's what I used a lot when I was too lazy to mix up just the couple ounces of formula. Just enough diluted juice to make it the right consistency and give it a little flavor.

Any reason why you can't just mix the cereal with water? He will still be getting all the milk he needs from you. You just need something to wet down the cereal so he can eat it. We always mix our cereal with water and no formula or breatmilk or I mixed it with the baby food. I would wait on the whole milk since he is more likely to develop an allergy if he has it too early.

MK, my kiddo's where all on whole milk by the age of 9 months.
Once they where eating meals I quit the breastfeeding/formula depending on which child. One didn't breastfeed well...other two did....and well my kids are 18, 17 and 16 and other the a seasonal ragweed allergy for actually the one I nursed the longest....they are healthy, no allergies etc.....I didn't even use the baby foods by a year of age except for these little sausage things they liked. I just cut up the food really well....and occasionally food processed it. I did cut back on some of the spices at first though.
Barb
Barb

My pediatrician told me with my daughter that it was ok to use cow's milk at 10 1/2 months- full time- as long as it was always whole milk. She weaned herself from nursing early and she wouldn't drink formula at all! She's now almost 3- and has no allergies to anything! When I started my kids on cereal, I would add a little water and some fruit (baby food fruit) like bananas or apples- just a little bit to help make the cereal moist. My kids would all eat just about anything if it had just a little flavor in it. You can also add just a little brown sugar or molasses- which is totally safe, too.

It might be better to start with soy milk, rather than whole milk.

I don't think you're totally off base, but I would make sure he doesn't have a reaction to other dairy products first. Have you tried him on yogurt and/or cheese? How does he do with that? To my understanding, the main reason that docs don't want them to have milk is b/c it doesn't have enough nutrients to be their primary food source, as long as you still breastfeed, I don't think it's too crazy! But, what's your concern with formula? It might be easier, especially if you still have some of those free cans lying around that came in the mail! Good luck!

Good Morning MK, I would try it definitely. It's not that much and like you said if it bothers him you can stop. You could always use 2% or skim milk. I don't think there is anything wrong with introducing cow's milk as alot of mom's start weaning off of the breast by 12 months.

MK there is nothing wrong with your thinking, having kids is always sort of like trial and error. If it works Great, if it doesn't try something else.

You could always use the little jars of cereal with fruit in it, our 8 month old gr son loves it. No mixing needed.
Good Luck MK,
K.

Like a few other people said, you know your child better than anyone. Having said that my two oldest, and all of us for that matter, would not be alive today without serious problems if all the warnings given these days applied to all. What I mean is that children can do fine going over to whole milk earlier than recommended. My oldest was on milk at 9 months, next one maybe 10, the last two around the same time frame. They are as normal as any child of mine can be and though one has problems it is genetic and has nothing to do with milk. Do what you think is best and as always watch for signs it was not a good idea.

I have found that if you wait to introduce foods until the "recommended age" children have a higher likelyhood of devoping allergies to that food (although I would hold off on honey until older not for allergy, but for the bacteria in it). I start giving my kiddos whole milk at about 9 months in cereal and whatnot (I too breastfeed my kids). I have a SIL who waits until the recommended age, and her kids DO have allergies. There is NO reason to wait until baby is one for whole milk, just don't give a TON. A little whole milk in cereal a couple times a day WILL NOT cause baby to have an allergy to it UNLESS they already have lactose allergies, and you would know this already if you breastfeed and consume dairy yourself, as it is passed to baby anyway.

~A.~
Wife to Scott (since 1991)
SAHM of:
Rebeka Meshell 10/91 (hospital/MW)
Aimee Christine 6/93 (hospital/unassisted)
Scott Alyxzandar 2/96 (hospital/Dr)
Anamarie Cecile Cenedra 11/02 (hospital/MW)
Heather Grace 12/04 (hospital/MW)
Mikayla Marcelle 5/07 (unassisted home birth)
BLESSING #7 DUE OCTOBER 7, 2008
Doing Self-prenatal care and planning another Unassisted Family HomeBirth
As a Former Fetus, I OPPOSE Abortion

I breastfed mine last two for 13 months and its been a while, but I am really sure I used cow's milk for cereal. You are doing the right thing with breastfeeding and the baby is still getting the right nutrition it needs. I think the issue to watch for at just breakfast is if the baby has a reaction. I don't see a problem with it. I actually knew someone once who started at 6 months giving a bottle half cow's milk, half formula to save on money and it didn't hurt them, although I wouldn't have done that. I don't think its that big a deal if he is getting the right nutrition otherwise.

Good for you for nursing! I have done the same thing and I to used milk for my daughter's cerial once she was close to a year. Both girls have been fine and they have no allergies, they also love their milk and I have to limit them. I am not a nurse nor a doctor but your only using a tiny bit and I did the same with no adverse reactions.

Why don't you call your local WIC office and see what they say? I couldn't possibly keep up with my daughter (who was born 10lbs 6.5oz) and was dry by 3 mos. She went through a giant container of formula every 4 days! I know when we switched to milk that she couldn't stomach the whole so we settled on 2%... they balked at me for that but I had to do what her bowels would allow...she didn't seem any worse for wear for it. Good luck and keep asking the questions.

I don't think there'd be any problem at all giving him whole milk now...I believe that's about the same age I started giving it to my son, and he's just fine!

the reason to not use cows milk before 12m. of age is that it can cause severe anemia in some infants. I would hold off on the milk and use either water or juice. But congrats on still nursing!

I think giving a little milk in the cereal every day starting at around 10 months would be just fine. My fourth child quit nursing at around 10 months so I pumped for only one more month and did bottles, but also supplemented with sippy-cups of whole milk at the dinner table. The pediatrician told me to hold out until at least 11 months old, then I can go totally cows milk. So maybe hang on for a week or two more and go for it. Cows milk can be hard on their little tummies when they are so young. Maybe you can start off with every other day for a week and then a little more the next week and by the time they are 10 months you can do it for every breakfast. I wouldn't buy formula either. I had four children, nursed them all for over a year (except my last) and never had to buy formula. You'll do just fine.

You may want to avoid the cow's milk for awhile. You're getting lots of good advice in other responses. Here's a thought though, I eat my cereal with yogurt because I'm lactose intolerant and can't do soy milk either. I use ric milk or lactose free milk, too, but I like the yogurt, it add fruit, and it likes ME. If nothing else, it will add variety to morning cereal.

His little body is not ready to digest cow's milk yet and he is more likely to develop an allergy to it if you feed it too soon. Also, it doesn't provide the nutrients he needs for brain development, etc. If you really don't want to pump then use formula. It will be much better for him.

i say no whole milk is hard on little tummies. they have an advanced formula that is designed for 9mos and up that yes i know is still formula but it is way better.

The docs told me to wait till my son is a year old before giving him cows milk. But I could put some baby juice instead of breast milk or formula.