Cow’s milk is not the goal for your nursing 12 month old.

A frothy latte makes me smile. The smell of a barn, cows peacefully chewing their cud, makes me feel at peace. I love creamy ice cream and whipped cream on my waffles.

I am not anti dairy.

BUT I do not think it should be thought of as a “necessary” part of the emerging diet of the 12M old.

If your family loves to drink cow’s milk and your kids take to it. Cool!

For young ones, cow’s milk can interfere with iron absorption and can fill them up, making it harder to offer a full range of complementary foods. So maybe it's offered after or alongside other foods, not instead of. And a note that Cow’s Milk should not be introduced before 12months old. Yogurt is a good option if you want to explore dairy prior to 12months.

Can I keep nursing past 12M or do they need to also get some other kind of milk??

(first, I am sure that other types of milks have always somewhat been part of a baby's/ toddler’s diet in many cultures and for different reasons. But, I do think we, in the US, have a unique pressure to make sure our kids get other milks in their diet…perhaps spurred by big agra and big pharma and all the mess of that…..… I digress ).

When your baby turns 12M and nursing/pumping is chugging along, keep going as much as you want. Human milk is digested easier and more fully than other types of milk and also adjusts its nutrient and immune components according to your child’s needs.

I know, it's very cool.

There is no need to substitute human milk feeding with other types of milk. If you want to decrease nursing/pumping, you can offer a milk alternative in a stra cup or open mouth cup, and even then, water and foods, including yogurts and cheeses will be great for getting your child the nutrients they need.

See this article for a comparison chart of milks and their nutrients.

How should I get solids in while nursing my toddler?

The other day a mom of an 8M old was reading me a schedule from a baby feeding website. It was about when to nurse and when to give solids throughout the day. To be honest I could not even listen to the end, my eyes glossed over and I got a little stressed. I am not a “feed by the clock” gal. For some this works, but for some,

maybe a feeding rhythm would look something like:

(and please only take this as a broad example)

Day time:

Nurse in the morning

Some breakfast foods along with family

Nurse again (when fussy/for nap/for comfort/because thirsty or hungry)

Nurse again (see reasons above)

Maybe offer a snack

Nurse?

Offer some family food at lunch time

Nurse…

Nurse again?

Snack

Nurse…

Dinner time with family

Nurse again

Nurse more before bed?

Night time:

Nurse once, Nurse 5 times…it depends on your family….

The bottom line is that, Cow’s milk is not the goal.

There are many ways to ensure your child gets the nutrients they need through whole foods and human milk.

Nurse on! Eat on! You’ve got this!