Cows milk at 10 months... awful nappies!

My HV recommended I start my little one on cows milk, as he refused to drink formula without the carobel thickner, so she said it wouldn't hurt him to get him on cows milk now and to give a vitamin supplement if he's not drinking 500mls a day.

We've been on cows milk for almost 2 weeks I think, and his stools are very loose, very yellow, and very smelly! Looks like little baby poops. I've also noticed that he has extremely bad wind/gas, which also stinks. Hes even pooped during the night a few times, which he hasn't done for months. However he seems to really enjoy the cows milk, hes never been a milk formula lover due to having severe reflux as a baby and has also been using a sippy cup since 5 months old.

Is this normal? Ive never introduced cows milk so young before my older two were after 1 years old with no problems. Should I just give him formula again and reintroduce at a later stage?

noon_child said:

I’m not medical but cows milk isn’t really a replacement for all the minerals and vitamins in formula/breastmilk so I’d be inclined to offer a vitamin supplement anyway, although if he eats well and a balanced range of foods it may not be so vital (Although I believe vitamin D is still recommended.

I wonder if your HV has confused drinking 500ml milk with eating 500ml milk based dairy (cheese, yoghurt, butter etc.). I used to work with a HV who used to say babies don’t need cows milk as a drink at all if they eat enough milk in their food.

Maybe give her/him a call and ask for clarification and explain about the nappies.

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No she did mean to start the cows milk as a formula replacement that I made sure of! Its all because of his issues with formula, she said it won't hurt to try him now as the cows milk as a new drink will hopefully replace the carobel he had in his formula which I could not get him off! But its okay, she said I know my baby and to pop him back onto formula and a vitamin supplement if he's drinking 500mls or less of formula a day and ti try again when he turns one.

He has dairy in almost every meal, or as a dessert, I wasn't bothered by the vitamins and he drinks two 9oz cups of milk, 5oz in his breakfast, plus eats plenty of yoghurt and cheeses etc, im not worried about keeping him on the supplements while on formula, it was just with the cows milk as that doesn't have all the added vitamins.

All sorted now though thank you, hes drinking formula again and without the carobel which is what I wanted in the first place