Pros and cons of milk

[BabelFish]

There have been a few threads lately on milk for toddlers, but I have some questions about giving them milk at all.

I've tried to do some research but have found very little.

My DP and I are reluctant for DD to drink cow's milk. She has formula which I know is cow's milk based anyway, but to transition her to just plain milk. I don't know - I feel funny about it.

My issues are this:

1. I think it's not really natural for humans to consume as much cow's milk as they do.
2. I was lactose intolerant as a child and still am, and it caused some big problems when I was a youngster. So far no signs of it in DD but you never know!
3. DD still has three bottles a day and there's something that feels VERY strange to me about filling them up with milk rather than toddler formula.
4. DP and I do not and have not drunk any cow's milk for several years. This was initially for ethical reasons but also because of the production and manufacture of cow's milk - it contains traces of blood and mucous, and is very `treated' as is all of our meat and dairy.

I know these sound like really lame reasons and essentially I'm looking for some advice from people who do and also don't give their toddlers milk. I'm not the only one who feels this way - a lot of people I've spoken to are uncomfortable about giving their little ones milk.

But so far I can only find research that outlines the benefits and not the risks or alternatives.

[BabelFish]

Also another question I have is when you do start introducing cow's milk, can you mix it with their formula at first so that you transition them into it?

I'm happy to start introducing it as I wean her off her bottle, which I'm not planning to do for another few months, as she will NOT drink out of a sippy cup and isn't quite there with a normal cup yet, but I know it will spin her out at first so it would be good if we could mix it.

Also, I'm due to have my second baby in January. I plan on re-introducing some breastmilk to my daughter as I just can't get past the benefits of her having some more breastmilk in her diet.

[Emi]

hi there... i dont think im going to be much help... but i am interested to see what other people say...

my dd is 17months... and i started to introduce cos milk... but in the end gave up!
she went from sleeping through the night and being happy... to being an absolute horror... she would wake during the night screaming! and i could hear her tummy gurgling... she als got constipated too!!!

dd is on toddler formula, and im aware its milk based... but she hasnt had any problems on it!!!
since stopping cozs milk she has gone back to sleeping through the night...

i also had a problem with cows milk when i was younger... as it would constipate me too... i was never alowed to have full cream milk... and even to this day im not... although i dont drink milk anymore either...

sorry for that rant...

[MsMummy]

I don't have any advice, but I feel exactly the same way.

My son is only 11 months, but I'm just going to keep breastfeeding him to resolve the issue.

I don't feel comfortable suddenly changing his breastmilk to cups of cow's milk because he's reached a nominated age. I'm actually really funny about him having it.

I can't see we'll ever give it to him, actually. My partner has always had soy, and I've been drinking soy since I was a teenager. I guess we'll just give him fortified alternatives (soy, oat or rice) when I stop feeding.

I guess I'm motivated by the fact that we're wannabe vegans and that my partner's family are anti dairy as they have a lot of lactose intolerance in the family.

Sorry, no answers, but I don't think your reasons are lame at all.:)

[Emi]

[QUOTE=Chesby05;4037613]Also another question I have is when you do start introducing cow's milk, can you mix it with their formula at first so that you transition them into it?

as far as im aware you are... my mch nurse told me to try this with my dd... but it didnt work... has the same problem...

she cant handle any more than 50mls MAX of cows milk...

[BabelFish]

Awww thanks. I was just talking to DP about it and we agreed that it's probably more of a habit thing with us. We don't drink it, we try to eat ethically wherever we can, and we just don't see the need for her to have it.

I am happy for it to be a PART of her diet, but not her whole milk source, iykwim.

[Emi]

yer i understand that...

i guess in the end youve gotta do what suits you and what your happy with!!!
is it jsut cows milk you have a prob with? or is it dairy in general?

i dont like dd having cows milk as a drink... she can have it in cooking.. but no more than 50mls every couple of days or we'll hear about it...

she can have cheese which she loves and yoghurt too which she loves!!! and doesnt have a prob with!!!

good luck though!!!

[Tam-I-Am]

We don't give either of our kids (4yrs and 1yr) cow's milk products in any form (and I don't eat dairy at all).

We make sure that we fortify their diet with adequate alternative protein and calcium sources, by giving them a wide variety of fresh foods, plus a little fortified rice milk and orange juice every now and then. DS is also still breastfed.

None of us miss out.

Dairy just isn't necessary to a diet, and in fact can be harmful (my kids and I all have dairy protein intolerances that causes and is caused by poor gut health. It just causes us too many problems to consume dairy).

It's a PITA sometimes (ie eating out) but we do find plenty of alternatives.

:)

[BabelFish]

No, it's just milk. Which I realise is a little self-contradictory. She LOVES cheese and yoghurt and I'm more than happy for her to have as much of these things as she wants.

We love cheese and yoghurt, too!

[Annabella]

I'm not lactose intolerant but I drink unpasteurised milk and apparently its ok for a lot of people who are intolerant to normal milk. You need to read up on it tho as some people (me not being one!) believe its not healthy. Its also known as raw milk. My kids drink it and my DD2 eczema has cleared up a lot too. Its also a lot less processed etc if thats what you're looking for :)

[Mrs Nietzsche]

YOu know I have been wondering this myself. You see so many threads on 'swapping from formula to milk' or 'breast to milk'

I really don't get it. I don't think breastmilk (or formula) is in any way equivalent nutritionally to cow's milk. I understand cow's milk has calcium in it - but it is pretty easy to get enough from non-dairy sources or else yoghurt or something like that.

I just don't understand why cow's milk seems to be seen as this essential foundation of a toddler's diet.

My father has prostate cancer and we have both done a fair bit of research - the links *are there* between cow's milk and breast or prostate cancer. This has affected my thinking a fair bit too.

I think obviously we didn't evolve to be dependent on cow's milk as a source of nutrition. This doesn't *have* to mean it's a bad thing - but I think that the value of cow's milk has question marks over it, and also, a child who drinks a lot of cow's milk will be missing getting nutrients from other more diverse sources.

[NonnyMouse]

DD still has three bottles a day and there's something that feels VERY strange to me about filling them up with milk rather than toddler formula.

I must admit I would feel really odd about filling a baby's bottle up with cows milk too. Calcium can come from many other sources and I'm happy with breast (or formula if need be) until he's 2, and then progressing to water for his main drink.

I use cow's milk inmy cooking and baking and DP drinks it, but I use soy milk for myself in my cereal and coffee etc. I also have soy yoghurt, but eat cow's milk cheese. So a bit of both I think, but definitely not cows milk in any great quantity for me.

As for DS.... I think he'll be the same. He will be getting his calcium needs from food and soy as much as possible, and unless his body tells me otherwise he'll also get a little bit of cows milk in things i might cook for him, and in his cheese.

[Cordelia]

Formula is based on cows milk.....

if your child is getting a balanced diet on solids then there is no reason for them to continue having formula. So long as they are getting their 600ml of dairy.....

Maybe I missed the point of the thread. Wouldn't be unusual :laughing:

[MummaBear03]

I breastfed for 2.5 years and after giving up the breast, she didn't go on to drink cow's milk. I was funny about it. It's not natural, if it was natural it wouldn't have to go through so much processing just so humans could drink it without getting sick. It's designed for the infants of cows, who have 4 stomachs so they can digest their mother's milk. We aren't designed to digest their mother's milk.

[BabelFish]

Formula is based on cows milk.....

if your child is getting a balanced diet on solids then there is no reason for them to continue having formula. So long as they are getting their 600ml of dairy.....

Maybe I missed the point of the thread. Wouldn't be unusual :laughing:
LOL! I think you might have hehe.

I know formula is based on cow's milk - based on, not the same thing. Pure cow's milk is something very different and I wanted people's views on that.

My DD wouldn't have ever got formula either had I been able to breastfeed. I did for 7.5 months, after much trauma and struggle, and she self-weaned after that and there was nothing I could do about it :(

[Emi]

my dd was breastfed until her 1st birthday... then she self weaned... but i didnt feel she was getting enough sustanence from her solids at that time...

she now has 2 bottles a day (sometimes 3) of formula lunch and dinner (and sometimes breaky, but only occasionally)

dd will eat cheese and yoghurt etc... and loves them... she is getting plenty of calcium from other sources other than straight cows milk...

this is reall interesting hearing others views...

[Hollywood]

I still BF my 2.5 y.o. and he also drinks A2 cows milk, I don't have a problem with it. He has around a cup of cows milk a day and 3 or 4 breastfeeds in 24 hours. I mainly use cows milk later in the day when I want to prevent DS from falling asleep BFing, thus throwing out his night time routine.

[Ana Gram]

Lots of people live healthy lives without dairy. There are better sources of calcium :yes:

[FionaV]

None of mine have ever had formula or straight cow's milk. They went from breast milk (at 12 to 14 months) to water as their main drink, with some juice and dairy in the form of cheese and yoghurt (with three adults and two children in the house I buy 6kg of yoghurt a week). None of us drinks milk at all.

[reAllytee]

We don't give either of our kids (4yrs and 1yr) cow's milk products in any form (and I don't eat dairy at all).

We make sure that we fortify their diet with adequate alternative protein and calcium sources, by giving them a wide variety of fresh foods, plus a little fortified rice milk and orange juice every now and then. DS is also still breastfed.

None of us miss out.

Dairy just isn't necessary to a diet, and in fact can be harmful (my kids and I all have dairy protein intolerances that causes and is caused by poor gut health. It just causes us too many problems to consume dairy).

It's a PITA sometimes (ie eating out) but we do find plenty of alternatives.

:)


Lots of people live healthy lives without dairy. There are better sources of calcium :yes:

Basically what they said !

G can't have dairy in any form, lots of issues with his gut, malabsorption, intolerances etc & it being rather dangerous for him !

Boof can now finally tolerate small amounts & thats just cheese which can often be tolerated better along with yoghurt by those with dairy issues as the cultures partly break down the protiens making it gentler on tummies.

I can handle dairy in small amounts or suffer greatly because I have what looks to be malabsorption ( geeees wonder where G gets it from lol ! ).

So dairy is evil round these parts lol but I do use it for my cooking & I use cheese but for the boys everything is substituted .... They get all their calcium requirements from all the good green stuff which is better for our bodies anyways :D

[samken]

All right, I'm sorry BUT you think for ethical reasons that a natural product like milk is worse then a manufactured product which you have no control over. Weird. In our family we are the complete opposite give us natural of synthetic any day....it is an interesting time I have understanding people who prefer to take iron tablets then eat meat. The pharmaceutical companies have a field day out of this oddness.

[MsMummy]

All right, I'm sorry BUT you think for ethical reasons that a natural product like milk is worse then a manufactured product which you have no control over. Weird.

(my emphasis)

Yes, ethically I believe commercially produced cow's milk is worse than, say, fortified rice milk.

Primarily because rice grains aren't sentient beings.

Your weird is my normal and vice versa, each to their own, et al. :)

[Ana Gram]

(my emphasis)

Yes, ethically I believe commercially produced cow's milk is worse than, say, fortified rice milk.

Primarily because rice grains aren't sentient beings.

Your weird is my normal and vice versa, each to their own, et al. :)

:iagree::iagree:

It's also not odd to prefer other sources of iron than meat.

[julietv8]

Ds won't drink milk, but eats lots of cheese and yoghurt as well as breastmilk (17 months)

Humans are the only animals that continue to consume milk after weaning from our mothers, its not really natural when you think about it :confused:

As for the ethics, the milk industry is really not very nice for the cows, check out the WSPA website for more information.

[MummaBear03]

Humans are the only animals that continue to consume milk after weaning from our mothers, its not really natural when you think about it :confused:

Exactly! I don't know what I would have done if breastfeeding didn't work out because I believe children need milk for the first 2 years, and I was lucky enough to have been able to provide breastmilk so never had to look at alternatives. Past weaning age, water is what we need.

As for iron, DD's paed was certain she'd have low iron levels being vegetarian, we take no supplements and all her levels for everything were spot on where they should have been. Spinach is your friend - embrace it!

[BabelFish]

Goodness. You think that milk is a `natural' and ethical product? I suggest you do some reading.

I don't take supplements (thanks for the assumption). I fortify my diet in ways that don't require me to take any supplements.

And I've already said that eating cheese and yoghurt is self-contradictory, but you have to start somewhere. I can guarantee I do FAR more than MANY people when it comes to living ethically. And that includes my cleaning products, cosmetics and personal hygiene products as well as what goes into my mouth.

And I've already said that I would never have used formula had I been able to breastfeed for as long as I wanted. That's something I had no choice over. I DO have a choice about other products I give my daughter and yes I totally believe that formula is better for her than `natural' (hehe) milk.