Cows milk

Jesus! A health visitor shouldn’t be saying that 🫣😑

It’ll certainly not kill him. It’s only given as a drink before 1 because it doesn’t contain enough iron to meet your baby’s needs. This is why it can be used for cooking, cereals etc before the age of 1, but not as a main drink!

HVs all give their own personal advice there's no standard information they seem to share. It's recommended to only give cows milk cooked into foods before 1 as you don't want to replace their infant milk as it contains all the nutrients they need until 12 months of age. It's not going to kill your baby but the NHS advise it not as a drink until 1 xxx

I heard it's safe at 9m to introduce, like a small ratio to formula/bm then slowly over time make the ratio of cows milk bigger and bigger till its a full bottle.. but I also heard no straight up cows milk till 12 as well..

I think before 9 months unless it's cheese or yogurt it has a chance in causing internal bleeding, is what I saw when I did research. It's just not the mammal milk for our bodies is all, formula/bm is more beneficial to their growth at that period of their life

It’ll kill him?! 😨 what a ridiculous statement for a healthcare professional to make. It won’t kill him, it’s not recommended as a main drink until 1 because it doesn’t have all the vitamins and minerals they need but fine in cooking and cereal etc

My LO has been EBF but I've really struggled with breastfeeding since he was 6 months old. Once he got to 11 months, I asked the HV/infant feeding specialist if there was any harm in transitioning onto cow's milk as he is so close to 12 months. She said official guidance is wait until 12 months but, personally, she would do it now if I wanted as he has no problems with weight and has a good diet, etc. He was BFing 3 times a day but I swapped one feed for cow's milk 3 days ago (he is 11.5 months now) - all good so far x

she shouldn’t be saying that but they aren’t supposed to have it till after one because the need the nutrients they’ll get in formula or breastfeeding. you can use cows milk in cooking etc, just not as a drink

I’m struggling to believe she literally said the words ‘it will kill him’ 🤔
Children can have cows milk in food/cooking from 6 months, and as a drink it’s advised from 1, but I know some people mix cows milk with formula for a little while before swapping it over completely.
Personally I did a straight swap when his formula ran out after he’d turned 1, didn’t bat an eyelid about it

I transitioned my girl at 11 months and she's 18 months now and thriving

That’s terrible she said that to you! I give my 5month old cows milk in all his cereals and nothing has happened! Iv also given him tea with it. I do think it can cause them to have an upset stomach like runny poos but that’s why I’m starting home slowly on to it and he has been just fine