can an 8month old have cows milk ?

[Jem]

I Am looking at weaning my 8 month old son of the breast, and i have heard that i can give him full cows milk, if i dilute it? Has anyone done this before?
What is the worst that can happen?
I really dont want to try it unless i know that mums have done this before.
My 2 year old was breastfed until he turned 1, but as i will be studying this year a better option for me would be to wean him now.
Would i dilute the cows milk 50/50 ? Any advice would be much appreciated :D

[angcaltam]

With both my boys I started putting them on full cows milk at 9 months, I was told to change 1 feed a day to full cows milk for the first weeks, then week two change another so they are having two feeds a day of cows milk then after that week they are right just to be on cows milk. But I was changing mine from formula milk, but you think it would be the same.
Good luck and let us know how you go.

[Jem]

Thanks Katherine,
Did you dilute the milk at all ?
So it might be best to wait one more month until i start, just to be on the safe side.

[angcaltam]

We were told we didn't have to, but we were told to wait till 9 months before starting. Our boys didn't have any problems with it, and it's what we plan on doing with the next bub as well.
Good luck, and let me know how you go.

[Oscar's mum]

:confused: Perhaps I am living in the past, but I thought that introducing cow's milk instead of the breast was not recommended until after 12 months!

[draught]

I was also told breast or formula until 12 months. Cow's milk doesn't contain a lot of the nutrients they need, and an excess of cow's milk will actually deplete their iron supply. It can also cause bleeding in the gut in a small number of cases. I was told that you can introduce it into their food and on their cereal and as a drink, but not as a full replacement for formula or breastmilk.

[lukaelmo]

I agree with Draught, I spoke to a child nurse today and she said the same thing - you can use it to mix in with their food, but not to replace formula or breast milk before 12 months.

[Goosie22]

I am with the others 12 months is the earliest for Cows milk replacement of Breastfeeding. Cows milk and Cows milk formula have also been implicated in causing very server allergic reactions and are also linked to the start of such things as Asthma and a variety of other health problems.

[Oscar's mum]

I was also told breast or formula until 12 months.


I am glad I wasn't just dreaming that, I thought I had read or been told that somewhere sometime.;)

[kimmy]

I talked to my CHN the other day about this for I'm starting to give Chloe a drink of cows milk in the morning & she said that because she is close to 12 mths then that should be fine, she is 11 mths.
I understand what you are saying but i wouldn't do that at such a young age it cant be good for the poor tummy.
But what ever works for you.

[xkwzit]

Hi
I've also been told that baby should have BM or formula as their milk drink until they are 12 months old. I was told that cow's milk is relatively high in sodium and so might be more difficult for them to digest or put strain on their kidneys etc.

Cheers

[Lunar]

Cow's milk before a babies digestive system is mature enough to deal with it can be harmful. Don't give it before 12 months. Formula or breast milk contains all the necessary nutrients that your baby needs, cow's milk does not. Milk is still a major part of a babies diet before 12 months. They are not getting everything they need from food so they need alot of nutrients found in b/m and f/m. If you want/need to wean your baby, wean to formula. I kow it's more expensive compaired to cow's milk but it is better for your baby, and isn't that more important?