Why can't baby have milk under 12 months? What age were yours?

[sam's mum]

I'm gonna back out now https://www.babyandbump.com/../images/smilies/blush.gif, because I am just a little bit confuzzed.

Awful isn't it how conflicting things can be either from what you read or what HVs say. You find almost anything you want to agree with on the net and also you will see 2 Mums in the same situation and both their HVs saying two different things.

Thats why I like asking 'Mum' - I have hardly seen a HV since Caitlin was born.

I find you get so much more information from mums who have actually had experiences with things than you do from docs/HVs who have just learnt a load of facts. I am pretty clueless about this though, so will shut up now x

 

[Margerle]

I thought it was something to do with the development of lactase (the enzyme that breaks down the sugar in milk) that they weren't allowed it until they were 1.

My Auntie's very strict with my baby cousin, won't let him have milk chocolate or anything, whereas my dad has just given all three of us milk-containing products from fairly early..not sure about straight milk though.

I had to have soya when I was a baby, because milk upset me as I was lactose intolerant. There's something about that and aluminium that can be bad too though...

https://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Cows-Milk---Even-Cows-Don-t-Drink-It/100340

That article (not completely related to babies) is quite interesting and suggests different kinds of milk... I think I'd just watch out for any allergic reactions and make sure baby is getting enough vits.

xx

Here's my standard answer and source:

Cow's milk is more specific to a baby cow than a baby human. Cow's milk formula is based on cow's milk but has been engineered to be closer to human milk (still a ways off, but closer). Many infants still have problems with cow's milk formula (allergies, GI problems, etc.). Babies who are exposed to cow's milk before their first birthday are more likely to be anemic, have diarrhea or vomiting, and/or experience an allergic reaction (the proteins in milk are more numerous than those in other milk products, such as the yogurt). The excessive protein load in cow's milk can also overload a baby's kidneys. It is deficient in vitamins C, E, and copper. It is harder to digest as well, often causing intestinal blood loss. A number of studies have also indicated that early introduction of cow's milk may contribute to the development of Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus.

https://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/milk/milk-supplements.html

now, with that said, some docs say starting a tad earlier than that first year is fine, so long as LO is WELL ESTABLISHED in a number of different types of foods (which Caitlin is I believe) and tehre is no history of food allergies on either side of her family.

As what I've done, I waited until my DD#1 was older than a year for whole milk. By then I had been giving her butters, and yogurts and cheese though. She liked it and it seemed to go fine then, but as she's grown up, she's developed tons of digestive problems that she still has. Because of the milk? I tend to doubt that was the ONLY culprit, but that combined with early solids etc, tends to make me wonder...

I hope to delay some of that due to breastfeeding a little longer with this baby, and since we have the digestive issues with #1, and I see this baby might have a touch of eczema, we'll be holding off for as long as we can to avoid any issues for the future.

That's my experience

 

[xXhayleyXx]

My son had full fat milk at 11 months and is a very healthy 4 year old now. I think i watered it down a little to start with and then gradually gave him full milk within a week and he loved it with no problems x

 

[hypnorm]

Ewan went on to cows milk at about 10 and half / 11 months, and he was fine. He did have an excema flare up but was ok after a couple of weeks.
I dont know about giving supplements they can cause more harm than good.
As long as she is getting a varied diet with plenty of different foods then she would be getting more than enough vits and minerals through that.
Some people recommend goats milk as it is easier on the stomach.
Think its all to do with lactose digestion or something like that.
Do what you think is right, after all its only a matter of weeks if you think about it.