milk passed one year ..

Dana - posted on 03/11/2010

I disagree, there's nothing wrong with putting in a little strawberry or chocolate syrup to try and get them to like it at first. I did it for all of two weeks, it was either that or he wouldn't try it at all at first. I had been trying for over a month.

Firebird - posted on 03/10/2010

If your baby is eating plenty of solid food, then whole milk is fine. If not, then formula until they're eating enough real food. Toddlers should stay on whole milk until at least 4 years of age. And don't put anything sweet in it to make your baby 'like' it! Then they'll never learn to like something the way it is. It may take some time for baby to adjust, so do it slowly.

Dana - posted on 03/10/2010

They recommend two glasses of 8 oz whole milk a day. I still breastfeed my son at 19 months but he gets his two glasses in each day. Granted I had to put a little strawberry syrup to get him to like it at first but I just slowly lessened that until it was just milk. Oh, yes..I forgot I use organic milk because it is said that it doesn't have as much hormones in it as regular milk.



Let me also add, your child need the fat that is in milk for brain development.

Joey - posted on 03/10/2010

I do not recommend breast feeding after the child can walk - usually around one year old. It is not ok for them to be able to "help themselves" where this is involved.

Mary Ann - posted on 02/22/2010

I switched over to cow's milk after nursing my daughter and she got very constipated. Just make sure that she is also drinking water and not over doing the milk and make sure your little one gets lots of fruits and veggies!

Lea - posted on 02/22/2010

Yes of course you can give a child over one year old WHOLE milk. Personally I like Horizon Organic whole milk with DHA.

Dana - posted on 02/22/2010

Here is my opinion as someone who has studies nutrition.

Cow’s milk is not designed for human consumption. Breast milk during the first few years is made up predominantly of whey protein, which is easily digested by humans and is alkaline in nature (our diet should compromise of 80% alkaline foods and only 20% acidic foods). Cow’s milk is 80% casein and only 20% whey whereas breast milk is the opposite fitting perfectly into the combo above. Breast milk contains much-needed antibodies for baby cow’s milk does not. Breast milk contains a lot of carbohydrates and essential fatty acids needed for human brain development, cow’s milk is designed to make a calf grow into a large fat cow, where muscle strength is much more important that brain development.

As we breastfeed our infants the balance of whey and casein start to change, at around 2 years of breast feeding breast milk is in the same balance as cows milk...mother natures hint that its time to wean. Infants are born with the enzymes to digest lactose, around the ages of 2-3 years old 70-80% of children loose the enzymes to digest lactose, hence why lactose intolerance is so high. This is another hint from Mother Nature that its time to wean. In nature animals that are weaned do not continue to consume milk nor do they consume milk from other species. Humans after the age of weaning (around 2 years old) do not require milk, just like every other mammal on this planet.

Human and Cows milk contain hormones such as estrogen, however the estrogen is cows milk is too high for human consumption. In addition to the already naturally occurring hormones cows are injected with more hormones to keep them fat or producing milk. Too much estrogen is bad for humans and can cause hormonal imbalances and cancer. Studies have also shown that diets high in casein cause cancer & autoimmune diseases. Diets high in animal protein cause heart disease, cancer and obesity.

Diets high in animal protein require more calcium consumption as protein robs calcium from our bones as its too acidic. If you brake down digestion of cows milk and take in consideration how the body reacts to acidic foods and animal proteins you don’t benefit from the calcium in milk. Milk is not a good source of calcium.

So I would continue to breastfeed as long as possible and switch to something else as a substitute but not cow’s milk.

Keep in mind that the food guides in the US and Canada are not based on science but on biased information from the dairy and meat industry. Most doctors in the US and Canada only receive 8 hours of nutritional education, which is based primarily of the food guides.

Please, please talk to someone who is properly educated in Nutrition such as a Naturopathic Doctor if you are in Canada, or a holistic nutritionist. These professionals have 120 hours to 200 hours of nutritional education.

Some of the most well designed and longest epidemiological studies have proven that humans that only consume 10% animal products or less and don’t consume any milk products beyond human Brest milk are the healthiest humans.

Marissa - posted on 02/22/2010

Thanks ladies! I was only asking because my husband and I are planning on trying to get pregnant again (hopefully!) around my sons first birthday and I'm not sure that I want to be breastfeeding and pregnant at the same time, but I don't want to have to buy formula if I don't need to because it's so expensive these days! So I was just curious! Thanks for all the help! xx

Amanda - posted on 02/21/2010

I put my kids on regular milk at 1 year. It seemed to work good for mine. I did mix 1/2 and 1/2 for awhile to make sure their little bellies would adjust. Good Luck!

Medic - posted on 02/21/2010

@melissa....I was agreeing with Amanda....and there are several that have stated that after 2 or 3 they switch to 1 or 2 percent....which is silly

Melissa - posted on 02/21/2010

Jennifer, i think thats what Amanda was saying. Children under 6 need whole milk. I think everyone on here has said the same thing, that whole milk is best.

Gretchen - posted on 02/21/2010

Cow's milk is the gold standard per pediatricians, but be careful. Mainstream milk is laced with all sorts of hormones and antibiotics these days. Give organic if you can afford it. Alot is starting to surface about the US milk and long term effects it has on child development.

Medic - posted on 02/21/2010

@Amanda... children do need whole milk but with this new "HEALTHY" society they think that anything that has fat in it is bad. Some people don't understand that there is a certain amount of fat needed and there is a good colesterol that everyone needs and whole milk is a great source for all of this. My three year old drinks whole milk and I have no intention of changing because of the low fat everything fad going around.

Adrienne - posted on 02/21/2010

My doctor recommended at one year old that we were to put my kids on homo milk. I ended up putting my kids on it at 11 months with the okay from my doctor. But because my youngest was eating very well we took him off homo milk a couple months before he turned 2 years old and have had no problems.

Katt - posted on 02/21/2010

My doctor told me to use a toddler formula or keep her on the infant formula until 18 months as cows milk has like NO nutrients and it's very fatty. If you do go to cows milk make sure it's whole milk and give a vitamin supplement I used Tri-visol or something :S I don't remember Enfamil makes it (you can buy it at Walmart). My daughter had problems with cows milk so she's on Soy and even though Soy is packed with nutrients I still give the supplement!!

Emma - posted on 02/21/2010

Although you can start giving milk after 1yr, I was also recommended to follow up with whole milk until about 5 yrs. There can be repercussions from young children not receiving whole or at best 2% milk in the early years of life, as they need the fat not only for brain development but for the development of their bones as well.



With that said, a dear friend was recommended by her nutrionist to put her 2 yr old on 1% milk, the end result was him being bow legged by 3 yrs and back on whole milk til at least the age of 6.

Felicia - posted on 02/21/2010

Whole milk definately. My youngest son had whole milk before 1 year. Just give your baby vitamins too.

Amanda - posted on 02/21/2010

Wow, 1% or 2% I was told in two Early Childhood classes and in a nutrition class that children under 6 need whole milk. they needed that extra fat in whole milk.

Rosie - posted on 02/21/2010

cows milk is definitely ok. they make toddler formulas, but my doc. told me they were costly and unnecessary as cows milk is just fine. they say whole milk up until age 2 given at mealtime, and water for other times they are thirsty. after they turn 2, switch to 2% , 1% or skim.

Theresa - posted on 02/21/2010

after 1 year you can give cows milk. Whole milk is best becasue it has the fat the developing brain needs.

Teresa - posted on 02/21/2010

cows milk is fine. No worries. Just make sure you use 3% milk and not skim cause they need the fat content for brain development. Also your babe may get a bit constipated, ensure he is getting water and fiber in his diet :)

Lisa - posted on 02/21/2010

Once your baby is a year, Whole cow's milk with Vitamin D is fine. Just try to transition to it slowly over a few days, especially if you are breastfeeding so that your baby's body can adjust.

Natalie - posted on 02/21/2010

They recommend whole milk between the first and 2nd birthday. That's what i did with my kids. As soon as they turned 2 thy got 2% or 1% milk