more questions on cow milk

[sunshineandme]

We started DS with cow's milk about a week ago, first with some formula, and then on his first birthday on Friday it was just cow's milk. So, that's been a good transition. Now, do the same rules apply as formula - discard leftover milk one hour after DS' mouth touch it? Also, we still continue to give DS milk every 2 hours (4 oz each time), with of course the gaps caused by solid feeds (breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner), so that's about 6 times, amounting to 24 oz. Is he drinking enough? I ask because ped mentioned that he should be drinking cow's milk "3 times a day, 9 oz each, and from a glass/cup from his first birthday onward". And we've only been successful upto the cow's milk part. Any advice, BTDT? Also, DS is not used to a sippy cup - not sure we did the right thing. He drinks water (after a solid meal/snack) from a glass. But milk, I haven't successfully been able to beyond 1 oz - any advice how to transition him from bottle to glass/cup?

TIA,
-SunshineAndMe

[SnuggleBuggles]

Whoa! Your ped wants you to give too much, imo. Every single thing I have read says 16-24oz (this is from the AAP, Dr. Sears and many other sources I trust). Too much milk can cause anemia and other health issues. We aimed for 16oz with a good, varied diet. I didn't offer milk at regular intervals but I was also still nursing at that age and I guess I was offering that every few hours (3-5 during the day). Every 2 hours probably is not necessary. I would offer a bigger sippy cup less often.

Have you tried a straw cup? we had good luck with that. Just watch b/c they often have a lot of valves that need to get cleaned.

My 2 yo still uses a sippy cup for milk because I am not in the mood to clean up spilled milk. He gets water in a cup (which he sometimes pours out for fun) so I know he is capable. I figure that's good enough. :)

If anything, you are on the high end of the milk recommendation and your ped is even higher. You can get by with less. You can even get by with none if he has a good diet. The reason milk is recommended is that it is a quick. easy way to get nutrition but it isn't necessary.

eta- we don't toss milk after x time. Just use common sense. If it's been out forever and is warm, toss it. It can last for a while out and about though and you can always stick it back in the fridge.
Beth

[mommylamb]

I don't go by the discard milk an hour after he's taken a sip from the sippy concept. As far as I'm concerned, once they're old enough to be at the cow's milk/sippy stage, their immune systems are strong enough to deal with that. If DS doesn't finish his milk, I put the sippy back in the fridge for later (he's older than yours, but I've been doing that since he was that age, and at my DS is rarely ever sick).

I would just give it some time on the sippy cup. It's hard to transition both to cow's milk and the sippy at the same time. If it isn't working give it a week and then try again.

And it does sound like your ped is pushing a lot of milk. If he drinks less, then I wouldn't worry about it, so long as he keeps growing. Though, I wouldn't offer him juice as a substitute just yet. My DS would have juice all the time and no milk if it were up to him. (and, I always water down his juice a lot, so it's not much juice, but the kid is still an addict.)

[jillc]

Whoa! The 9oz. of milk 3x/day is crazy! My five year old doesn't drink 9oz. at a time - and never has!

I offer my kids (ages 5 & 3) cow's milk with meals, snacks, and other times that they request it throughout the day. We sometimes do water instead of milk. Occasionally, we do some watered down juice.

I usually pour about 4 oz. of milk into a cup/straw cup/sippy with breakfast, and end up putting at least half of that back into the fridge for the next time they're thirsty. That's how we've done it since they started cow's milk. If I didn't save it, I'd be throwing out more than they're drinking, unless I could teach them to drink from a shot glass. ;) Really.

I think you're on the right track with what you've been doing. A slow transition to cow's milk and cups is just fine. If he's drinking that 4oz., 6 times per day, that is at the high end of what he needs, per previous poster's AAP reference. I wouldn't add to that.

[sunshineandme]

Hmmm, seems like I either heard it wrong, or she just said it wrong...she's a good ped, and I have a feeling it's one of the above ;) but thanks all for chiming in, it did sound weird to me and hence my post here. I'll check with her again - and thanks for telling me that I don;t have to discard milk!

-SunshineAndMe

[LMPC]

LOL -- I don't think *I* could drink 9oz of milk at a time!

Seriously, just wanted to reiterate what PP's said about sticking the leftover milk in the fridge. We do it all the time without incident. We also use thermos-type sippycups when we are out to keep the milk cool.