Extended Nursers! (Past 12 months...)

This may seem like a weird question and you all might just think I'm a weirdo altogether... but, here goes!

I'm leaning strongly toward extended nursing, beyond 12 months (timeframe currently not determined). I can't believe my boys will be ONE next month. WOW!

Anyway, part of my reason is that my boys are allergic to cow's milk and one has a soy allergy, too. So, I'd have to wean to soy for one and (probably) rice milk for the other... and you all know that twins share EVERYTHING, including sippy cups, so the transition will probably be a PAIN, constantly policing their sippy cups!

Also, I personally hate milk... and while I do not want to project, I have a hard time believing my boys would like to have milk with their meals when they already love water! I love that they love water, as I feel water is really important to one's well-being. So, I don't want anything to get in the way of that. I have also tried giving them rice milk a couple of times and they look at me like I'm poisoning them (I know-- typical response to any type of milk).

My Point: I'm wondering what your kids drink other than BM while they are extended BFing. Also, when you stopped, did you wean to milk or at an older age is milk not as important (if you get calcium into the diet elsewhere)? I mean, not all of us drink milk everyday, so at some point it must become less important.

Just looking for any and all info on this... I hope I communicated my questions well-- I know I was QUITE long-winded!

 

I am not an expert on this by any means, but I think you can look at this way. What is in cow's milk that babies need? Fat, calcium, protein. So if you are providing those in other forms, then I don't think it is a big deal how much milk they drink. Personally, I think if they like water now, I would continue with water and find foods that are high in protein, calcium, and fatty acids. But I am not a big milk drinker either.

 

Good question! Mine are only 6 months but one has a dairy allergy and I am thinking I might nurse her past a year two or three times a day, in place of rice milk, and just give her water in her sippy cup. But I'm a ways from that, so who knows how I'll feel in 6 more months! I am a big milk and dairy person (tough giving it up right now) but I would agree with pp that if they are getting enough protein, fat, and calcium through other sources no milk should be fine.

I have one acquaintance with a child with dairy/soy allergy and she gave him calcium fortified oj...not sure what else though.

 

This is a great question! We're in almost the same boat, except their allergy is just to dairy and I could probably train them to like soy milk eventually. I think it's traditional to wean them to cow's milk because it's a more familiar form of food to little ones who may not be great at the self-feeding yet. It kind of bridges the gap between your milk and a real solid diet. So it would make sense that as long as they're getting your milk for a while longer, you can focus on getting them more proficient with solids.

No answers here, just wondering the same things at the same time!

 

Ok, I nursed my twins until 25.5 months. They never got any cows milk at MY house, but occasionally they would at grandma's house when they were close to two. They would have some water also. Yogurt was a staple food at that point also. We did wean to 2% milk at that age. They certainly don't drink as much cows milk as they did breastmilk. We don't have any allergy issues though. :hug99:

 

Here's what we do right now: 3 solid meals + 1-2 snacks per day, nurse 6-8x/day, sippies of water at meals and when requested. And if I'm out and miss a nursing session, they get soy milk. (No problem getting them to take it, because they are crazy about it! They'd drink it by the gallon if I let them.)

Nursing is still such an important part of our day that I haven't really had to think about any kind of supplemental milk yet. If it turns out that you & your babies follow a similar pattern, then you've got it made! If they/you are only up for nursing a couple times a day, I think Christy's suggestion is excellent - focus more on giving them what they'd be getting from cow's milk, not so much on giving some kind of milk. Maybe they could get fat from avocados and olive oil and sunbutter, and protein from whatever protein foods they like (meat, legumes, tofu, etc). Calcium is tougher... Rice milk is a good option, if they'll actually take it, and I think some veggies like broccoli are good sources of calcium (don't remember off the top of my head).

And btw, WOW, I can't believe your kids are almost 1 either!

 

You got lots of great suggestions here already. I would just like to add, so that you don't have to police sippy cups, why not transition them both to rice milk. That way you don't have to be worried about the one with the soy allergy getting the other's milk But I like all the other suggestions, lots of foods high in fat, and protein, and calcium.

 

Can they have yogurt or cheese? In my case I weaned to cow's milk but mine love it and never had issue with dairy. You do not need to give any additional "milk" until you drop below 3 nursing sessions/day. And at that point you can see if they will drink the soy/rice milk or start to focus on making sure they get their calcium from other foods.
As far as water goes, mine LOVE water and still drink PLENTY even when offered milk. I offer 2 8oz milk sippies and the rest of the day they get water.

HTH

 

I started to give juice with a meal in a take & toss straw cup at 18 months (and they transitioned to open cups with meals soon after). Now it is milk with one meal and juice with one meal. Their sippies have never had anything but water in them because I don't want them dragging milk or juice around the house and I think it's gross to try to clean out the valves. And when I say they get juice or milk with a meal, I'm talking 4 ounces at the most. I haven't found the giving of either milk or juice to have affected their water consumption or willingness to drink plain water since that was well established before we started. When they wean off of their last two sessions, we'll add cow's milk at another meal or 2.

I ditto the others about putting both on rice milk if one needs it so you don't have any issues with shared cups.

 

water has always been my kids big source of liquids. I just awlays have sippies of water all around so they can have as much as they want, any time.

very little cows mile, they just don't like it and I don't push it since (except for the calcium) it's very hard on our body's.

yogurt cheese etc are great sources of calcium

 

My mother-in-law nursed her youngest until he was 2.5 because of his milk allergy. I'm pretty sure he's just drunk water since then. (He's fifteen now, so this has been awhile.) She also does goat yogurt when she can get goat milk and he eats that fairly often. I've given that to my kids since they were about 9 months old (goat milk is much closer to human milk than cow milk) and they love it! It's way too sour for me, but if you start young enough you can learn to like anything.

 

You guys are the BEST! Thanks so much!!

 

QUOTE(twinboys07 @ May 21 2008, 10:10 PM) [snapback]786691[/snapback]
Anyway, part of my reason is that my boys are allergic to cow's milk and one has a soy allergy, too. So, I'd have to wean to soy for one and (probably) rice milk for the other... and you all know that twins share EVERYTHING, including sippy cups, so the transition will probably be a PAIN, constantly policing their sippy cups!

!



My older two had issues with dairy and soy that they outgrew, and I believe in most cases that is the norm.

But, to answer your question, I don't think you have to wean to any thing. They can get everything they need in a diet void of cow's milk, soy products and rice drinks. (check out rice "milk" it is not anything but cloudy water!)

I don't transition to anything after my kids stop nursing (the older kids were at 2.5 when they weaned, and I imagine the twins will be about that age) but they have a variety of beverages to pick from at that age.

Congratulations on nursing that long.