What kid of milk can i give my 9 mth old? I know not cow's milk - till 1 year.?

Question

She won't take formula, she's breastfed, I pump very little but would like to be able to leave her for a couple of hours. She eats solids so i normally just have the sitter give food but just wondering.

Answer 1

I can't believe no one's suggested goat's milk yet. Goat's milk is known to be much closer to breast milk than cow's milk and is safe at a younger age.

Answer 2

You don't *have to* leave milk for her if she eats the solids. But if you want to leave your milk, try pumping more effectively. Some hints on how to get more milk when pumping:

Pump every day at the same time for at least a week to get your body used to it. The best time of day is early morning, before the first time she nurses. She will get plenty of milk when she nurses, because your body is *always* producing more and production is fastest when your breasts are emptiest (they are *never* completely empty) and while she is actually nursing.

Use a more effective pump. Manual pumps are the least effective. Battery pumps are better. Hospital-grade rental pumps are the most effective of all.

Try a *different* pump. There is no pump that can fit every woman. A different one may just be better for you.

Pump both breasts at the same time. Not only will you spend half as long pumping, you will actually get more milk. If you are using a hand-held pump, you can buy 2 of them (as long as the type of pump you are using can be operated with one hand), or you can get a double pumping kit for some battery or rental pumps.

Sit next to your daughter while you pump. Most women get more milk if they can see, hear, and especially *smell* their babies. However, if that doesn't help...

*Some* women pump more if they concentrate on anything *other* than the baby. Watch TV. Talk to a friend. Write a shopping list in your mind, even if you can't write it down on paper. If you have a one-handed pump, read a book. Etc.

Please do *not* use cow's milk or even goat's milk. A baby is not ready for milk from other species (unless maybe you could get *chimp's* milk!! :-)) before her first birthday. Yogurt is still dairy, although it is less allergenic than milk, so I wouldn't offer it. The problem with giving dairy isn't that it can upset baby's stomach, it can cause allergies, asthma, and diabetes (all of which can be *life-threatening*); you won't know if it's causing problems for her until it's too late...

Answer 3

Good job breastfeeding! You can try power pumping (pump 10 minutes, wait 10 minutes, pump 10 minutes, wait 10 minutes...) and you may get enough to suffice for a few hours. She's in the process of transitioning to solids as her main source of nutrients, so it probably won't be detrimental to be without "milk" for 1 feeding as long as she has other nutrient forms available. It will probably make her a little cranky, but if you feed her immediately before & after that should ease both of you. Also, she might take formula from a sitter after you've left if she's desperate enough (hope your sitter has a lot of patience, fortitude & TLC). Good luck.

Answer 4

Just as a suggestion, pump as much as you can of the breast milk and freeze it in plastic bags. The anitbodies in the milk can be frozen and when warmed will not be harmed. Should your child be sick or come down with a major illness you will be able to administer the best antibodies (antibiotics) found on the planet in the mother's milk. There is an indefinite shelf life for this cure and good insurance should your child need it. Maybe check with your pediatrician for approval of what I suggest as I am just a man but I think our children are important enough to get any and every advantage we can give them. Hope this helps now or later.

Answer 5

Actually, you can start mixing whole cow's milk (usually in the red carton) with your breast milk to wean off the breast. I started with about 2oz cow's milk to 4 oz. breast milk. If it's well-tolerated, mix it 50/50 after a few days, then 60/40 until finally it's all whole milk. My daughters all started on whole milk at 4 months. They're all fine, healthy, and no milk allergies. Just do it a little at a time.

Iron levels can drop, but you can make it up with other food that are higher in iron- dark green veggies, for example. Or you can give your baby infant vitamins (Poly-Vi-Sol)

Answer 6

Formula should be fine - either similac or enfamil. These are both cows milk based formulas, and most babies tolerate them fine.

If you are still producing breastmilk - keep pumping!!! That is by far the best way to give your child nutrition. She should be taking 20-28oz of formula/breastmilk per day in addition to the solids.

Answer 7

a great resource on issues re: breastfeeding is kellymom. com. check out any questions you hvae over there. she is reputable. if you baby is breastfed, please don't give her formula. your milk is what is best for her. formula is a poor substitute. some mothers who don't get much breastmilk from pumping find it increases if they pump while breastfeeding. i dont konw why that works, but i would just try and pump more and build a bigger stash so you can feel comfortable that you are giving her the very best food. if you give her formula, or worse, cow's milk, this early, you could create digestive problems for her.

Answer 8

Have you tried alimentum? It's a broken down formula that I have never seen a baby have a hard time with. My son had acid reflux and colic and he got alimentum down. Also, if she's eating food, she could get her calcium other ways like liquid vitamins.

I am not a doctor, but with my experience, here's what I would do: Doctors say no cow's milk because it could upset baby's stomach. How sensitive is your child's stomach? Answer this question yourself, and if you decide that it's not, try cow's milk. A good substitute could be a soy milk like Lactaid. Make sure it's fortified with vitamin D and calcium.

Answer 9

I had my daughter on cows milk around 9 mths because she wouldnt drink any kind of formula and would spit it out so I didnt have a choice but it wont hurt her if you gave her some cows milk just start her out on 2% not whole milk.

Answer 10

Can you pump more? If not how about mixing your breastmilk with formula - have you tried that? She might take it. If that doesn't work - ask your pedi about mixing breast milk with whole milk.
Shery K - skim milk before 12 months! Even if you give cow's milk before 12 months it should always be whole milk until 24 months. They need the fat.

Answer 11

What about if you mix the formula with the breastmilk? Or what about juice or baby water? You could feed her right before you leave, if it is only for a couple of hours I would think at 9 months she would be able to wait until you returned home.