Milk

[petal040]

After seeing this information: https://www.kellymom.com/newman/10bf_...tml#workingmom... and doing some reading on the internet... I am wondering...

Am I right in thinking that the reason cow's milk is discouraged until baby is 9-12 months old is because cow milk has less iron in it than formula milks?

Or are there other reasons to wait?

I ask because I was hoping to make LO some milky foods (e.g. porridge, rice pudding) once we start weaning, so she can get some of her milk that way while I'm at work or away from her (at the moment she still won't accept a bottle or cup). I am having trouble expressing enough and so was going to make up the milky foods with formula - but if iron is the only reason not to give cow milk, I might just use cow milk - because if I was using expressed breast milk that wouldn't have much iron either??

I'd rather not buy formula, if giving iron-rich food and cow milk would be just as good? But if formula has other advantages, then maybe I should get some??

Also - if she was getting enough iron from her food and breast milk - could she have cow milk as a drink before 9 months (again this would be if she refuses my expressed milk while I am at work)?

 

[Lu28]

I think there are concerns about salt levels too and formula is designed to be what a baby will need with omega acids, vitamins etc etc. For those reasons I decided to use formula in porridge as I can't pump enough.

Some people swap LO over to cows milk quite early on if formula doesn't agree with them but this tends to be done on GP advice as far as I know.

 

[nikkip19]

agree completely with LU28

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Lu is right. Plus, the iron in cow's milk and formula is very hard to digest, and what little iron there is in BM, is very easy to digest. So she might be ok on breastmilk and food, iron wise.

You shouldn't give cow's milk as a drink before 12 months unless on medical advice. It can dull a younger baby's appetite meaning that they don't eat enough food.

 

[petal040]

Ah okay thanks I'll get formula then for porridges etc...

I can't believe how salty everything is!

 

[nikkiangel83]

But you can cook with cow's milk before one.