Introducing Cows Milk while still BF?

[JennVanessa1083]

Hello ladies!!!

So my DS just turned 1!!!! Very exciting time indeed 

Anyways, I plan on moving on from BF soon but first I'm working night weanjng. DS is down to 1 feed about 7-8 hours after BT sometimes it's 2. So until I night wean completely I don't want to cut day feeds.

I do however want to introduce cows milk so he can get used to the taste. I'm wondering how I can do this without replacing daytime feeds. This is a rough feeding schedule:

WU BF: 7:30 am
Breakfast: 9 am
Nap (short nap)
BF: 11:30
Lunch: 1 pm
Nap (long pm)
BF 4:30 pm
Snack (right after)
Dinner: around 6
BT BF: 7:45-8 pm

Any suggestions?

Thank you!!

[cath~]

Perhaps you could offer him a drink of milk in a cup with his breakfast?

[JennVanessa1083]

That sounds like a good idea. How many ounces should I try?

Would I only do this once a day until I wean BF?

[michaeljacknnugg]

I'd do drink and snack as cow's milk, both at 11.30 and 4. See how he goes and then offer at other times, too.

[cath~]

Did you mean you didn't want to cut daytime BFs or daytime milk feeds?

If just milk feeds but you don't mind cutting either of the 11.30 or 4.30 bfs then I'd do like Pp said and swap either or both to cows milk

In terms of amount, I'd just offer a small cup and see how much he's interested in having.

Even if/when you drop the NF, the bfs in the morning at wu and at BT are enough for a 1 yo so you wouldn't need to worry about how much he was having at those snack times iyswim, just follow his lead and see how much he'd like

Hth

[JennVanessa1083]

Hey ladies!

Thanks so much for responding.

I'm a little confused...sorry first timer here 

DS never took a bottle and I didn't really pump so I guess for me milk feeds and BFs are one and the same. So I guess my concern is if I cut the two daytime feeds he will BF more at night since he still does one-2 (he's teething and has a cold sigh) at night.

Are you saying that I can still cut the two day feeds and replace with say fruit and a cup of milk? Would other dairy sources count as well? I give him cheese and/or yogurt every day. Does that count as a serving of dairy? I heard that at DS's age 3 servings of dairy is good. But how much is a serving in ounces?

Maybe I'm reading too much into this lol

[Shiv52]

I'd not worry too much. I'd keep your BFs as they are and just offer a sippy with cows milk at snack. You'll probably find he won't take much initially xx

I used a tommy tippee sippy cup when we weaned x

[creations]

As cath and shiv have said, I wouldn't worry about the serving size.  He's getting plenty of BF and more milk than he needs at 1yo so you really don't need to worry about how many oz of cows milk or cheese/yoghurt he takes.
At 1yo 2 milk feeds is plenty so like Cath said you can cut the night feeds and two day feeds and still have two milk/BF there so no worries.

A serving for a toddler varies a huge amount (toddler age has quite a range from possibly under 1yo to say 3yo) plus quite a range in sizes/weights of LOs and their appetites too) but as a very rough guide a serving would be half a cup of milk or yoghurt (that's a measuring cup) or 1.5oz cheese (a 1 inch cube) and 4 servings per day.  But many would take say a milk at WU or BT (bottle or breast or sippy cup or straw) which is maybe 2 or 3 'servings' in one go so anything else in the day is going to cover the other 'serving'.

[cath~]

Also, at this age, I don't think cutting out eg two day milk feeds would mean he'd be more likely to want extra milk at night as he'd prob just eat more solids in the day to make up for it (if had wanted/needed to).

IME at this age nfs are more about wanting comfort in the motn, or habit, rather than hunger as such.

So, I don't think you need to wait until he stops feeding at night to stop any day feeds, in case that's what you were thinking

Hth

[*Ali*]

I'd probably just offer announce or so of cows milk in a sippy cup alongside  his usual serving of solid foods once or twice a day. There is no set amount you need to get down him. It's just about getting him used to drinking it right now. 

[JennVanessa1083]

Thanks ladies!!!

This is very helpful. I'm going to buy milk today and start the taste testing.

I'm going to also cut the NF and day feeds in the next couple gradually. I am wondering (and maybe I'm going in circles), but to replace the day feeds I can give him a cup of milk with a snack at each time? So basically do 2 sippy cups a day with milk? Do I concern myself with cows milk intake once he's completely weaned of BF?

[cath~]

Once he's completely weaned of bfs, you do need to still make sure he's getting enough calcium.

Usually this is with 1-2 drinks of cows milk/day (so giving them at snack time like you said above would be absolutely fine there's no "set" timing for this and Los may prefer it at different times  ).

However, some Los don't get on with drinking lots of cows milk,  and there are lots of other sources to get the nutrients from. (Hopefully some one more knowledgeable than me about that will be along to give some examples! But I know it includes things like yoghurt and cheese, obviously, but also some fish (sardines? Pilchards?) and broccoli, for example). Your LO might also have milk with cereal, for example, which would also count.

[creations]

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/10-calcium-rich-foods

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20845429,00.html

https://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/foods-high-in-calcium.php

[cath~]

thanks creations   I was thinking of you