When to start supplementing with cow/goat milk?

[penstamon]

DS is 13 mo and still nurses around 4 times a day and 2-3 times at night. His feedings have become short however, and sometimes only on one side. The pedi thinks we should start some cow's or goat's milk to supplement the bm, but isn't worried or pushing it.

My question really is whether or not this will encourage weaning and whether or not it is necessary? DS eats a lot of cheese, some kefir, and yogurt when I can get him to eat from a spoon , but I never give him milk unless its cooked into something. We have no food allergies and I don't give a multivitamin either (pedi thinks we should start).

ETA: he eats a LOT of solids, as in adult size portions- whole foods diet with plenty of fresh produce, grains, etc

[foreverinbluejeans]

Humans don't need to eat the milk of other mammals. Since your child is breastfed he doesn't need any at all. If he was weaned the standard recommendation is for 2 toddler size servings of milk products a day. Since kids like yogurt, cheese, and foods with milk it could be hard to limit toddlers to 2 servings a day. Milk causes constipation, digestive problems, obesity, and other problems. The dairy industry is bad for the environment.

If you decide you want your child to have some kind of milk product kefir may be one of the best choices. It's like a yogurt drink that has lots of probiotics and you can make it yourself. You can buy it by the quart in healthy food type grocery stores.

[lisalu100]

I gave DD an ounce here and there when she was 11 mo, and now she drinks about 2-4 oz a day. I offer after a long nursing session in the morning - she will drink it anytime though. She drinks more if I'm away for a few hours.

[JudiAU]

I wou,dnt. I don't do other milks unti, they wean. Yogurt/cheese etc. I don't really see the point. They don't need it Nd if they were underweight I would do fatty fish or nuts or more avocado or something. I am not against cow's milk. I just don't think it is necessary or desirable for a ebf baby and usually leads to earlier weaning.

[RomanGoddess]

Neither of my kids drink milk. I think drinking milk is a highly cultural thing - done in North America and the Netherlands, maybe Mongolia (yak's milk), for example, but other cultures don't drink milk at all. My husband is French and when I had to idea of offering my DD a glass of milk when she turned 14 months, he had a fit. NO WAY, he said. We do cheese and yogurt.

Not to mention that drinking milk with meals is not a great habit to get in to - too many calories added to the meal, plus the dairy blocks the absorption of iron.

[smeep]

Originally Posted by penstamon

DS is 13 mo and still nurses around 4 times a day and 2-3 times at night. His feedings have become short however, and sometimes only on one side. The pedi thinks we should start some cow's or goat's milk to supplement the bm, but isn't worried or pushing it.

My question really is whether or not this will encourage weaning and whether or not it is necessary? DS eats a lot of cheese, some kefir, and yogurt when I can get him to eat from a spoon , but I never give him milk unless its cooked into something. We have no food allergies and I don't give a multivitamin either (pedi thinks we should start).

ETA: he eats a LOT of solids, as in adult size portions- whole foods diet with plenty of fresh produce, grains, etc

Never. Your milk is more than enough. Cow milk (or goat, almond, soy, etc.) is only a substitute for human milk, and a poor one at that. Your DS is getting ALL he needs from your milk. In fact, all the nutrients increase in concentration as his intake decreases...this is to insure that he still gets what he needs regardless of whether he is nursing 1 time a day or 10 times a day. By supplementing with another form of milk you run the risk of further decreasing his breastmilk intake, and while he will still get all he needs from your milk (because, again, nutrient concentration will increase), it's still completely pointless...and you run the risk of negative effects (and not all children show obvious issues with cow milk, some are very subtle and long term).

Humans are not cows. We don't need their milk unless it's to replace ours, and IMO that's only valid during the first two years. During the second year of life, if they're nursing AT ALL then that's good enough. I say, if you want to give him some dairy here and there, great, but it's absolutely 100% NOT necessary seeing that he's a baby human, not a baby cow!