BF toddler- whole or 2% milk?

[DevaMajka]

Ds2 is 19mos old and still nurses plenty (I'd say 6+ times a day, but I don't actually keep track). Occasionally he wants some cows' milk to drink, so I give him about 1/4c in his sippy. Would it make any difference if the milk is whole or 2%? The rest of us drink 2% usually.

I'm guessing it doesn't really matter- he nurses lots, and I'm sure he consumes enough fat. Just thought I'd check.

[TiredX2]

I'm sure the official recommendation would be whole.  That said, when DS was just taking tastes of milk and still nursing a lot we used whole only while DD was still drinking it.  When she went to lowfat milk, he did too.  That was definately before he was two.

[DevaMajka]

Well at least I'm in good company :) I think I'll keep it at 2% for now, since he's not drinking more than 1/4c a day (and not every day). If he starts drinking much more, I'll start buying whole for him.

[mamandedeux]

DS2 is 15 months old, and also nurses tons. I figure full-fat BM is his main milk, so I don't worry about giving him lower fat milks (he likes goat, rice and almond milk).

[Nicole730]

DS was never much interested in milk, even after weaning.  So when he did have it, it was skim. That was also before 2 years.

[Ruthla]

I personally don't think that lowfat milk is a good idea for anybody. Whole milk is a whole food, while lowfat milk is missing some of the fat that's naturally present in the food, probably making the nutrients less bio-available. Whole milk is a much lower GI food than lowfat milk as well.

That said, I see no reason for your toddler to drink different cow's milk than the rest of the family- it's such a small part of his diet that there's no significant difference.