Cows milk question - 11 month old

[Minnifer]

DS is a few days shy of 11 mos old and is breast fed. I've been home with him other than a 4 wk stint back at work, so I haven't needed to pump for any reason, plus my freezer is unbelievably small so I haven't had room for a freezer stash. I have to leave him w/a sitter for most of the day this Saturday. I assumed I would just pump enough over the course of this week to leave the sitter with a couple of bottles worth of BM to cover the 2 breastfeeds he'd typically get during the time I'll be out.

Ha - I've barely been able to get a total of about 4 ounces since Monday (although I pumped at work for a long time successfully for my DD, I guess my time away from the pump plus DS's age (not BF so often anymore) has taken its toll). WWYD - can I have the sitter offer him cow's milk even though he's a month shy of 1 year, maybe mixed w/the BM to increase the amount? Or should I buy some toddler formula for her to have on hand just in case? He's only tried infant formula once or twice and refused it. He eats tons of solids really well so should I just not worry about his milk intake that day? (I'll pump a couple of times during the day for to keep my supply up).

[trcy]

My ped said we could introduce milk a little before DD turned 1 year…we were going to be out of town on her birthday so it was a logistical issue. But I think with your situation, I wouldn’t worry too much since your DS is eating solids well. IMO, I would nurse before you leave, have the sitter give the 4oz you do have and nurse when you get home.

[gcc2k]

I would mix the BM with regular milk. I started doing this with DS when he was 11 months and 1 week old. It only took a week to fully make the transition to regular cow's milk. If your DS refuses that, will he drink water for fluids and eat plenty of chese and yogurt?

[waitingforgrace]

If he eats solids and will drink some water I wouldn't worry about it. Nurse before you leave and when you get back and he'll be fine. Obviously leave the 4oz you have but he may not take it.

[sntm]

I'd offer the 4 oz of BM first (not mixed with anything so (a) it isn't wasted and (b) you don't have the issue of the live components interacting with the cow's milk - antibodies, iron, etc.) and then think she could offer cow's milk or water if he refuses.

[annex]

My DS went on a nurse strike in the middle of a road trip at 11 months. We had no pump or bottles since I wasn't planning on leaving him. I bought whole milk from Starbucks, and he sucked it out of a straw like it was the best thing ever. I don't think it's harmful if you are truly worried about hydration/calories and want to offer it as a backup option that day.

[teo]

I'd be comfortable doing milk at that age...as PPs suggested, I'd leave the breastmilk separately from the cow's milk, nurse before, and see how it goes. *But* I would probably also offer a little cow's milk earlier in the week, just because one of the reasons for waiting on it is that it's a potential allergen, and the last thing I would want is to find out there's an allergic reaction while LO was with a sitter. If you can offer enough to affirm that there's no reaction, then I'd be completely fine with it. I'd also be fine with leaving formula, but assuming you plan to transition him to cow's milk at some point in the future, that seems more logical than adding formula to the equation at this point.