Milk Advice

I did not breast feed, but I did start mixing formula & whole milk before my girls were one. Their now 8 &6 with no problems with weight or allergize.

Good Luck
J.

Hi N. -

I haven't read all of the other response, but want to let you know of two things from my experience. My daughter has been using Earth's Best organic cow's milk formula since 2 weeks (low breastmilk supply - we're working on it!), and I'm very happy with it. You can find it at most health-oriented grocers like Whole Foods, Berkeley Bowl etc. I've also tried Similac organic - twice - and both times my daughter flipped out like she was on a sugar high. Couldn't settle down for hours. So if you choose to do formula while traveling, choose carefully - the disruption of traveling for your daughter could be compounded by the sugar or other reactions to the formula (be sure to use the formula for a couple of weeks before you go, to get her used to it and to identify any other reactions).

I also just noticed at Bekeley Bowl that there's a dry goat's milk product, can't remember the name, but I thought that would be fantastic for traveling with a bottle-fed (older) baby. You can call the Berkeley Bowl at ###-###-#### to find out what the product name is (or contact me separately and I'll try to get over there in a couple of days).

Hope this helps!

Noooo! Milk is never advised before 12 months because babies are so much more suceptible to food allergies during their first year. It would be a shame for your daughter to become allergic to dairy products. My advice is to buckle down and purchase the formula, which can be mixed with the breastmilk to extend both. Just warm the formula a little on the hot side and add the frozen breastmilk to bring back to a drinkable temperature. I was a low producer and once I went back to work, always had to mix formula with pumped breastmilk. Enjoy your trip!

Goat's milk is the closest thing to breast milk and is easier to digest. My Dr. recommended goats milk for my daughter at 4 months when we realized she had issues digesting my breast milk (proteins).

I started my first daughter on whole milk when she was about 9 months old, straight from breast milk. I did check with her doctor first and she is a bit old fashion and was all for it...so check with the doc. I started her out on half breast milk and half whole milk mixed in a bottle until her little belly was use to it, then we were home free! Good luck and have a great trip!

I would stay away from cow's milk as long as possible. They really should be older or you can induce an allergy that may not have occurred otherwise. Depending on when you're going on your trip, you could start pumping double time now and it will cause you to start producing a lot more milk. You may able to pump enough before your trip. I would also avoid formula as long as possible too. If you're able to use breast milk, that's your best option. Good luck!

Please don't consider doing that to your baby's delicate intestinal tract. You will both regret it!

i think most moms are going to think that cows milk is a bad idea for a baby that young. formula is not too costly, it is closer to mothers milk than cows milk is, making it much easier to digest. also, i think there is a risk of creating allergies when foods are introduced too soon...

What about trying goat's milk? I have never used it, but have heard that it is closer in content to mother's milk than cow's milk is. Whatever you decide, DO start it well before your trip so you'll have a good idea how your child is going to react to the substitute. It might also be good to plan for the substitute to be given as an infrequent bottle in between bottles of your own milk for several reasons: to lessen the chances of digestive difficulty and to avoid a chance that your child will begin to reject your milk (assuming of course that you want to resume breast feeding when you return). Have you prepared for pumping while you are away in order to maintain your supply? That is another thing to think about, and you'll need to decide if you will be able to freeze and save that milk to bring back or if you'll need to discard it.

Hi N.,
It is recommended by the American Association of Pediatrics not to begin cow's milk before 12 months because of several reasons. A few being these: babies are unable to digest cow's milk well before 12 months and this can cause an increased chance of lactose intolerance and intestinal bleeding and of course abdominal pain, There is not enough iron and other important vitamins in cow's milk for infants which they need for optimal brain and body development, There is way too many electrolytes in cow's milk which can be damaging to your baby's body such as sodium and potassium which can damage her kidneys and even cause cardiac problems. That's just a short list, but probably the most important ones. The bottom line is you want the best for your baby, of course, as we all do. If you cannot provide enough breast milk, your one and only course of action is formula. Buy the store brand because they are half the price and exactly the same. I pay $11 at Target for a can of powdered formula which makes approximately 11 or 12 8oz bottles. I certainly can understand being concerned about cost during these times. My husband and I live paycheck to paycheck like most of America right now. But this is one of those things you just don't want to skimp on. Here is a link that may give you more info and answer more of your questions. I think you'll have to copy and paste it. Good luck and God bless.
http://parenting.ivillage.com/baby/bnutrition/0,,3vvb,00.htm

When my daughter was still nursing (she's now 13 years old!), if we needed to "stretch" the milk supply when we gave her a bottle of breastmilk, we would add a little rice milk (it can be commonly found under the brand Rice Dream). It is much more similar, in both consistency and flavor, to breastmilk than cow's milk is. She's healthy and happy.

Dear N.,
I read the other responses and I am aware what is suggested as far as giving cow's milk. Here is what I think:
Since your baby has only had breast milk, it might be a good idea to try the formula before you go on your trip. Your baby will be able to tell the difference and might fuss about it, so I wouldn't wait until you take off to introduce her to it. Also, when I switched to formula, my daughter became constipated, so you will want to see if it makes a difference in her digestion. Again, something you don't want to find out the hard way on a trip.
As far as cow's milk, both of my kids had it before they were 12 months old.
One time when I was at my mom's house, my dad let her have some. She wanted whatever Grandpa had! She really liked it and it didn't bother her stomach. I traded off and on with milk and she had no ill affects. My son was the same way. If we were having milk with dinner, he wanted a drink from our glass. He liked it. I nursed until he was 15 months old and he went straight to cow's milk. He never did have formula and trust me, he is perfectly healthy. He's 13, 5'6" and outweighs me by 40 pounds. I'm 5'8".
Letting my kids have milk once in a while did not hurt either one of them, but again, just in case your daughter's tummy doesn't tolerate it yet, I would try the formula first. It's actually more convenient while travelling and a can of it lasts quite a while. But try it now so you don't have a screaming baby on your hands for your trip.

Best of wishes!

Consider Raw Milk. i know, most of us balk at the name at first, but Raw Milk is quite safe, used in European countries and they're okay, and much, much better for a baby than pasteurized milk or formula. check out the page campaigning for raw milk at

http://www.rawmilk.org/default.php

and also reference the online resource of an amazing food journal called Wise Traditions. i believe they have a recipe for Raw Milk formula. people who use it, swear by it. just a thought.

http://www.westonaprice.org/children/formula-faqs.html

http://www.cheeseslave.com/2008/09/29/how-to-make-homemad...

N., Check with your health care provider. In the first year of life the bulk of the nutrition is from breast milk or formula, viatmins, minerals, protien and calories. Whole milk does not provide enough of any of these items. Most nutritionists and pediatricians will not recommend whole milk prior to a year for those reasons. I did breast feed my children until they were two year old, however I used formula to supplement when it was needed.

Hi N.,
While I am sure you will get some responses saying that yes they did start milk eary... I would recommend that you don't. There are reasons why doctors have you wait until 12 months old. 1) When started too early there is a higher chance of becoming lactose intolerant and 2) their little bellies can't digest the milk yet the way they need to. It can cause diarreha and/or a very upset belly. I would ask your doctor and see what they say. Good Luck.

I did a search online, I didn't know about this, here's the question/answer I found:

What age is it ok to stop formula and place the baby on 2% milk? My 8 month old grandson is on stage 1 foods and really doesn't want the formula, so is it ok to replace it with 2%?

: Whole milk (usually 4% fat) is recommended starting at age 12 months. The reason for waiting this long: studies have shown that at earlier ages, there is a higher occurrence of iron deficiency after milk is introduced. The chance of iron deficiency developing at 10 months of age is higher than for starting at 12 months; the chance at 8 months is even higher. Formula is also preferred for its high content of vitamins and minerals.
The 12 month rule is a little bit arbitrary. Not all kids who start whole milk earlier get iron deficiency. However, if your grandson takes less formula at this age (8 months), that is o.k. He will make up for the calories lost by eating more solids.