When to Start Cow's Milk While Breastfeeding

Just to share my experience:
At 1 year, I started offering my daughter some milk in her cup at dinner time. She didn't drink much for quite a while, I just kept offering it as an option. She gradually became more interested and started drinking a bit more. Now that she has almost weaned at 16 months she drinks 2-3 ounces at lunch, 2-3 ounces at dinner and then about 4-5 ounces from her cup before bed.

Cow's milk is just that...for cows. My girls drank water, cranberry juice, apple juice. They even put juice on their cereal. 30 years ago I followed Dr. Lendon Smith's book "Feed Yur Kids Right. It was my feeding "bible". I think between extended breastfeeding and following this book, we managed to stay very healthy even to this day. They all have excellent immune systems, they are 30, 27 and 25. The book is out of print now but I did manage to find a copy at Alibris when my daughter had her first baby. So many allergies can come up at the introduction of cow's milk. He can get his calcium so many other ways. Google it and all kinds of calcium sources will come up. Read up on milk. Your typical grocery store milk has been so processed, there's not alot of good left in it, not to mention the allergy inducement. Unless you have access to raw milk, I would go with water and juice. All the best to you!

Take it slow. While there's nothing magical that happens when your baby turns one that makes it "ok" to give cow's milk, their gut might not be ready for it. It goes both ways. Watch for signs of an issue with cow's milk proteins - rashes, diarrhea, etc.

That said, I'm not going to be offering my daughter (11 months old) cow's milk for quite a while. She's getting all the nutrition she needs from my milk, so there's no reason to introduce it. Just make sure your son is getting calcium and vitamin D from other sources (like leafy veggies and sunlight, for example) and he'll be just fine. :)

First, as long as you are breastfeeding baby does not need the cow's milk. Baby is already GETTING whole milk from mommy! (special made JUST FOR HIM, not a cow)

Second, even after he is done nursing (and I applaud you on extended nursing!!!!!) he still doesn't NEED the cow's milk. The MAIN reason for pediatricians pushing milk is because of the fat contect, which their brains DO need for proper development. However you can make sure your baby gets that fat in other forms. (whole milk yogurt, butter on scrabled eggs, avacado- super yummy!, daily dose of Cod Liver Oil - Nordic Naturals sells oils that are flavored. My daughter LOVES it.) If you do some research you can ensure your baby gets all the fats and nutrients they need WITHOUT the cow's milk.

As already mentioned, cow's milk has alot of harsh proteins that many times little bodies just can not digest. The Ultra-Pasteurization and homogenation the milk goes through basically kills any NATURAL nutrition and benefits milk had in the first place. (think about vegetables that are overcooked...they are mush with very very little nutritional value.)

Cow's milk is made for a baby cow. Think about that.

Vitamin D can be obtained through other sources as well such as Cod Liver Oil, time in the sun (without suncreen), leafy green veggies, etc....

www.nourishyourkids.com is an AWESOME site that provides moms with great ideas on nutrition for their kids. It is run by a nutritionist and pediatrician who know their stuff.

Bottom line, if you pay attention to what you are giving your kids and make a diligent effort to ensure they are getting a good balanced diet they don't need cow's milk.

HI E.,
I'll answer your question, not give my opinion if cow's milk is bad or good for your son.

I nursed my son for fourteen months...what my pediatrician said was to start giving him small amounts in your breast milk. Start adding more milk gradually and within a month he could be switched to whole milk. It really depends on how quick you want to switch him and that is completely up to you. Before I stopped nursing he was down to 3oz. of breast milk a day and the rest was whole milk. I am a big organic person and the best luck that I have had is with Horizons Organic milk w/ DHA and vitamin D.

My son doesn't like juice...its kind of weird but he just doesn't like it. But he is the kid iff he has a choice between cauliflower and fruit, he'll take the cauliflower. Don't be afraid to try something, you never know what he'll like!

I hope this helps!

If your son as never had cow's milk or anything other then breastmilk until now, he may not care for the taste. But just try a small amount in a sippy cup. He does not need to drink tons of it, but definately keep nursing him on demand and then offer other liquid as a secondary. Has he had any kind of dairy at all [ yogurt, cheese, ice cream]?? If he has without any kind of reaction you should be okay. But do not bombard his body with tons of dairy either, now that he is 1, just introduce things gradually.

I wouldn't start milk yet, why if you are breastfeeding and baby's getting the nutrition needed from your milk. Also, so many kids now have dairy allergies, there's no rush.

I'd just give water.

My son is 2 and hates straight milk, he drinks water though no problem. Or I make smoothies with some milk and juice and other nutritious things and he'll drink them up.

A child should never get cows milk before they are a year old. Cow's milk proteins are very different than ours, and very hard for humans to break down and digest and can lead to many problems at the time and down the road. These problems occur especially with pasteurized and homogenized milk that they sell in the stores.
As we get older, our body is better equipped to deal with these complex proteins, so that even though cow's milk is not ideal for human consumption, we are able to handle it.
Besides mama's milk, raw goats milk is best for humans, especially babies and children. Consider finding someone local who is able to provide you with some.
Oh, and as with anything new, no matter what you decide to do, introduce it slowly.

I'd say never before a year and after that you could try other dairy products and, if there's no trouble and there isn't a history of allergies to cows milk in your family, you could try it. There's really no need if he's getting your milk and I wouldn't give him much for another year. sounds like you're pouring yourself into your kids in a way that's going to give them an excellent foundation for life!
You go, Girl!

I stated it right around a yearwith a few ounces a day to see how she would handle it. I also gave her diluted juice and water. She continued to breast feed until 17 months and still loves her milk. She did give a funny look with the first drink, but she liked it.

My son was breastfed and never would drink formula so I just gave him cows milk from about 10 months.. there is nothing magic that happens at 1 year that they can have cows milk..but they have to be eating enough solid food before they can switch from formula to cows milk.

He never drank much milk.. he never liked it.. he prefered water and juice..

My daughter also got milk from about 11 months.. she only nursed for 10 monhts. then she got bottles of formulas but milk in a cup. she hated juice and would not drink juice until she was 3. she still loves milk and does ok with water.

Hi E.---I agree with the other moms who shared the view that cows milk is best for baby cows. I say this as a reformed milk drinker, lots of it, until I was well into my 40's.

I am currently taking a Wellness class from a Naturopath who has her PhD in nutrition. I'm learning lots of great stuff, and learning that milk is more harmful than helpful came as a big shock. Cows milk is implicated in Type 1 diabetes and several other autoiimmune disorders. The proteins are very similar, when broken down, into toxic substances and the immune system mistakenly attacks a part of the body that is vulnerable at the time. But, you should research all viewpoints and make your own decision. A good place to start is www.strongbones.org. I would also be happy to share other research with you for your decision making.

Leafy greens offer alot more absorbably calcium than cows milk. Eat lots of broccoli, spinach, kale and bok choy. We use enriched rice, almond and soy milks (chocolate also available) at our house. I do use goats milk yogurt (the proteins are more similar to human milk proteins) and I will treat the family with a raw milk cheddar cheese I have found at Whole Foods. A bonus is that the cheese comes from a Michigan dairy. Water is your best beverage. I don't think can drink too much. I think that diluted fruit juices are also fine. I like to make a nice spritzer of juice and sparkling mineral water. It is very refreshing.

I've learned lots of strategies for substituting more healthful foods into our daily diet. I am happy to share what I've learned. Feel free to call me at any time. Good luck! D.

PS. OOPS. just reread my post and forgot to give you my phone number. ###-###-####