i couldn't believe

[@llli*pregodego2]

at christian's 9 month ped appointment, i couldn't believe we were actually talking about how things will be at a year with nursing and how to introduce soy milk while still bfing. i was so excited to be talking about it. i m still so shocked and excited that we are going so strongly now at 9 months. i know that seems so tiny to some of you expert extend-bfing mamas lol but i feel like such a success story!

on that note, how have you all introduced regular milk? have you at all? if not where else can he get that fat that is needed?

[Ang's Mom]

Glad it's going so well for you! I introduced cow's milk at one year. My 21month old is just starting to drink it willingly! But a little at a time will get baby used to the taste. Hope you continue to nurse successfully!

[Ang's Mom]

...and as far as fat intake, your breast milk is still supplying him with most of the nutrients he needs as long as he stays at one breast long enough to get the rich hind milk. He just needs those extra calories and iron from solid food.

[@llli*konurs.mom]

You may want to check out nutrition for nursing toddlers in regard to introducing cow milk. http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/so...ler-foods.html Some people, myself included, never give cow or soy milk.

[Hbsmomma]

My daughter only gets my milk. Unless she grabs her sisters chocolate milk on special mornings. My Pedi, said that it is fine, and she does not need the cow milk...that she is growing fine, and as long as she is a good eater the milk is not necessary.

I'll let her decide when she is older. With DD 1 I gave her cow milk and she liked it for a couple years (won't drink in plain now). With this baby I am not very interested in giving her cow milk, human milk fits her just fine!

[Jamelle]

Congrats to you!! I think I speak for t of the moms with older children when we say it seems like only yesterday that our children were 9 month old!

I agree with many of the other mom's in that I didn't introduce other milk either. Both human milk and cow's milk have the same % of fat - about 3.5%.
So that is not going to really change the amount of fat; it will just be not as good a fat.

I remember at my son's 1 year appt with the ped. (who is no longer our ped.) my Dr. was disgusted when I said my baby was nursing 6-8 times a day. He then said to introduce cow's milk, I said no, I was going to continue bf-ing, and he gave me a huge lecture about 'low-fat milk" etc etc. I regret to this day not giving him a lecture back! (Your ped sounds much nicer)

If you want to wean your baby onto other milk, or soy 'milk', that's fine, but don't think that you HAVE to if you would prefer to keep your baby on breastmilk alone (with food, of course)
Jamelle

[OceansAura1]

It is amazing to me how doctors in general swear to know everything, when they do not. Especially but not exclusivelly about breastfeeding. One of the things I learned when I was doing diabetes research struck me as odd. We humans are the only species on the planet who drink milk after we are weaned (which is not necessary) and on top of that, we drink another species milk. This is totally wierd according to nature. Obviously there are times when we would have to give our children another species milk such as when we do not produce enough milk for them on our own, but this still doesn't address the drinking of milk past our "weaning" age. Drinking milk is a cultural thing, and not a necessity. What do you guys think?
I am nursing my 4th child now and he is 2 and a half. This is the longest I have nursed any of my kids. I always let the kids self wean. He is not even close to letting go. I just found out I am preg. again and at first I was nervous because so many people say that I have to quit nursing now otherwise I will deprive the growing baby of vitamins. That is not true.
So, other than sometimes the "ba-ba's" are sore, I don't mind at all. Oh, and that he nurses in the middle of the night more than he does in the day gets irritating sometimes. I think it's a habit more than anything else..... But, I cannot bring myself to cut him off. Maybe when he's about to be 4 I will if he refuses himself. And I say that only because if he preferred a pacifier or blankie, this would be the age to let it go.... about 4. Thanks for letting me vent..... Gen

[Jamelle]

Don't get me started about doctors who (think they) know it all!

Yes, drinking the milk of another species is odd. In many cultures today, it is still unheard of. Humans have been evolving for about 4 million years, and humans have domesticated milk-giving animals (cows, sheep, goats, yaks, camels, buffalo) for only about 10,000 of those years; a blink of the eye really! So really, we don't need to drink milk to survive. or thrive. However, earlier peoples ate much more varied and unprocessed diets than ours, so I am not saying to get rid of milk and add in kool-aid! But. drinking milk is not universal