What is with the obsession with switching to cow's milk?

Question

What is with the obsession with switching to cow's milk?
Ok maybe I am missing something because I breastfeed.

Generally you continue to breastfeed until breast milk is no longer the major source of nutrition for your child. If you do nothing this will be between the ages of 2-3. If you are actively trying to wean and start really pushing solids you can force a toddler to wean around 18 months.

However the goal of weaning is to stop drinking breast milk and start eating a balanced diet of solids.

Why do formula fed parents want to replace formula with cow's milk? Cow's milk isn't as nutritious as formula. It should not make up the bulk of anyone's diet young or old. (Unless you happen to be a baby cow). Don't get me wrong, I like my milk. However, I realize that it isn't necessary for human nutrition.

So what is with all of the "My baby is 12 months and one day old can I give her cow's milk already?" questions? If you want to wean, wean. But switching to cow's milk isn't weaning,

Wiccan~Goddess:

"Actually, you're quite wrong on this. STRAIGHT cows milk is made just for baby cows, you're right. But the milk we buy from the store has been processed. THAT milk has been bettered to suit the human body."

Umm actually it has been processed so it is a dead thing that isn't really suitable for cow's or humans. But that is neither here nor there.

The only processing that cow's milk goes through is to kill bacteria and remove fat (If it isn't whole milk)

mom2laf,

That's so sad.

naenae0011,

I said: "If you are actively trying to wean and start really pushing solids you can force a toddler to wean around 18 months."

18 months, isn't 12 months. A half a year is a huge difference. No child at 1 year will eat a balanced diet of just solids.

Answer 1

I breastfed both my girls past the age of two. I never did figure out why people are so gung-ho to pay for formula, with its potential health problems and nutritional gaps. (No immunoboosters in formula. No changing protein & fat levels to match baby's needs today. And so on.)

The reason people switch to cow's milk ASAP is twofold:
1) EXPENSE. That's a big one, especially if they're low-income. Formula is a *huge* chunk out of a limited budget.

2) Ignorance. They have been told that it's safe to switch to cow's milk after one year (and for the most part, it is; the baby's digestive system has developed enough to handle almost all "adult" foods by that age), and have somehow mixed up "I can switch" with "I should or MUST switch."

Of course, there are no studies pointing out that formula is healthier than cow's milk straight into adulthood, that there's no reason to ever switch except for expense (and the fact that a lot of people--including infants--don't like the taste.) Studies cost money, and the nutritional benefits of formula are only *important* to people who can't digest other foods--i.e., infants.

Formula is a much better nutritional resource than cow's milk... it's just that the enhancements don't matter to someone getting a complete balanced diet from other sources.

Answer 2

"No child at 1 year will eat a balanced diet of just solids."

Actually you're quite wrong. My youngest will be 13 months old tomorrow. He was exclusively breastfed for the first 4 months, then we started him on cereals, then fruits and veggies. He HATED jarred baby food, wouldn't eat more than 2 or 3 bites. So he was effectively exclusively breastfed for 6 months.

At his 6 month check up I told his Dr about it, she said to start giving him table foods. He self-weaned when I went back to work at 9 months old, and started on formula. When he was 12 months we switched to cow's milk. He has, for all intents and purposes, been getting a "balanced diet" from just solids since he was 12 months.

So while I'm all for breastfeeding (though I do find 2-3 years more than a little bit much), after a certain age and nutritional stage, cow's milk is adequate. That age will vary of course, but it is more than possible for that age to be 12 months.

Answer 3

I'm not sure I agree with the statement: "If you are actively trying to wean and start really pushing solids you can force a toddler to wean around 18 months."

My 13 month old is self weaning right now, and I was planning to stop in about another week or two so I'm not going to fight her on it. (Her pediatrician actually told me to stop nursing cold turkey 4 weeks ago, but I wasn't having any of that so we've been slowing down gradually and at 1-2 times a day now my daughter has lost interest in nursing.)

Getting her to actually DRINK cow's milk though has been an ongoing battle. (Formula was the same story.) She's just eating lots of cheese and yogurt for now, and we're adding milk to her cereal.

Like I said, I never could use formula, but I think for formula fed babies though the main consideration would be the expense of formula vs. milk. I know it sure stung a bit to throw out $28 worth of Nestle GoodStart powder after 6 weeks of my little gal refusing to ever drink it when I tried to get her going on that at 11 months when I was about to return to work. (We persevered with 3 nursings a day for November and December.)

Answer 4

Well WIC (woman infant children) suggests formula for the 1st 12 months after that they should be off a bottle and drinking whole milk till the are 2yrs old. After 2 yrs old they can drink less fatty milks like 2%. Plus formula is so much more expensive than cow milk. And for people that are on WIC have no choice but to switch their babies after 12 months to cow milk. Plus formula as a lot more calories and once your baby is a yr old if they are eating table food and drinking formual it could be too many calories and cause a weight issue. Now breast feeding to 2 yrs old is differant that formula feeding that long. Because breast milk is coming from whatever the mother eats and the calories arent as high as in formula.

And WIC will even tell you if your are breastfeeding up to 2yrs is the best, but formula is only for the first 12 months.

And WIC also tells you breastfeeding is better than formula feeding. And they recommand it. But some people arent able to breastfeed and so WIC and even hospitals will tell you 2 days of breastfeeding is better that 1, 2 weeks is better than 1 week, 1 yr is better than 1 month, 2 yrs (if you can) is better than a yr of breastfeeding.

I really think that only 12 months of formula is fine.

Answer 5

I completely agree with what you are saying, but all the formula fed babies started their solids earlier than 6 months. So they had more time to get the variety part down. And remember most formula fed babies are on the milk version, so technically they wouldn't be weaning cause they are still on milk. Many people said it was cheaper which is true. I also believe it's because the doctors repeat what they are told, to these women. And most people (including myself for some time there) thought doctors knew everything! But congrats on not weaning til 2-3 years! I'm looking forward to extended nursing (which I didn't do with my first)!

Answer 6

If you choose to breast feed that long, good for you. Some women can't. Or chose not to...that is a choice every mom has to make.

I don't know if it's necessarily an obsession with people, Pediatricians recommend starting whole milk around the age of 1. Not saying you are wrong, but don't you think there's at least a little something to it if the medical professionals suggest implementing it in the childs diet.

If they are eating well balanced diets, and adding cows milk to it, it should be just as nutritious as fomula or breastmilk...or atleast comprable.

Answer 7

At 12 months the baby is probably eating a whole variety of foods and is not getting the bulk of his or her nutrition from cow's milk. Milk is a good source of calcium and is fortified with vitamins A and D.

I don't know where you got the breastfeeding 2-3 years from. I breastfed my daughter for 18 months and now she's a happy healthy 3 year old. I am breastfeeding my son who is also very healthy. He's almost 9 months old and I don't have to force baby food on him. He started eating baby food at 6 1/2 months as per recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics and now eats 2-4 oz twice a day.

Answer 8

I didn't switch (formula to whole cows milk) exactly at 12 months, I think it was around 13. I don't believe that the minute a child turns 1 that they suddenly need to be off formula, or even the breast (trust me we tried that even with the help of an l.c.), or even the bottle! Every kid is different, my son eats mostly what I do (I eat healthy, don't survive off cheetos) so I gradually took him off the formula once he was eating a great balance of table food.

Answer 9

Most people in the world become lactose intollerant as they age -- so this is not an issue. Continuing to drink milk of any kind will cause sickness.

I recently read an article about studies of people who are not lactose intolerant. It is now believed that the ability to process milk is evidence of one of the more recent evolutionary changes in men. The areas of the world where people have become lolerant to milk are exactly those areas where being able to process milk gave men an evolutionary advantage. The primary areas where the ability toprocess milk helped are far northern Europe and pockets of Africa that are subject to drought. The ability to process milk gave them the ability to get through periods of harsh weather because milk offered a source of protean that others could not use and allowed them to cut their reliance on water.

Your child's desire for milk is a sign that he is more evolved.

Answer 10

well not all of us have the time or the patients or enough milk to breast feed i did for a while but didn't have enough. Yes my kids were on formula till 11 1/2 months i did introduce cow's milk a little early big deal ?? he is fine . i think some people know what weaning is,i do.....some don't !!!