Changing to cows milk

[Beanonorder]

Right, I live in China so I can't go to the doctor and ask about this because 1 - my Chinese is nowhere near sufficient to be able to have that conversation and 2 - they have some very different ideas about a lot of things and I don't agree with all of it.

My friend back home had twins two weeks before I had my baby so she went to the paedeatrician to ask about changing to cows milk at 12 months and he told her that changing to cows milk is not recommeded anymore because it doesn't have enough nutritional value. He said she must go onto follow on milk until 18 months and after that they should be having proper meals and drinking water/juice. Anyone else been told this?
Formula is ridiculously expensive here and I've been counting down until we can stop buying it. But I don't want to deprive my baby either.

 

[meya]

in the uk we are told we can start them on cow's milk at 12 months.

 

[chrissbe17]

12 months for us as well in the US

 

[melfy77]

12 months in Canada as long as your baby is getting enough iron from food there's no need for follow-up formula.

 

[EverythingXd]

Just to add, I couldn't get my DS1 to drink cow's milk or formula (follow on or anything) at 12 months. I carried on BFing him to 16 months at which point I asked my Health Visitor.

They told me as long as he had his multi-vitamins and 3 portions of dairy a day he didn't actually need milk. He used to have 8oz of cow's milk on his porridge every morning, wouldn't eat cheese at the time so we were giving yoghurts and rice pudding (and sometimes Angel Delight) to make up the 3 portions.

 

[Beanonorder]

Thanks for all the advice! I wish breastfeeding had worked out for so I could just avoid the issue altogether!!
I have decided I'm going to change her over to cows milk at 12 months. She already has it on her oatmeal and she loves yoghurt and cheese so doesn't seem to be any issues there. And there is so much controversy over formula over here that I would rather just be done with it!