No, please don't. A lot of people would recommend you to use cow's milk as an alternative to breastfeeding for your infant but please refrain if you can. A good alternative to cow's milk is infant formula that is readily available. What brand and stage of formula will suit your baby has to be determined by the Doctor. Generally, stage 1 formula is given upto the age of 6 months after which stage 2 begins ad continues until 8 months followed by stage 3.
I had tried cow's milk once when Pranav had just completed 2 months and my breats were sore from his biting and colicky nature. It had gotten to a point where I couldn't feed him anymore and couldn't visit the Doctor until a few hours. Left with no alternative we tried cow's milk. This resulted in mild diarrhoea by that evening. It is natural as that was the first time he was exposed to any external food but it is best if you can avoid. Even the formula prescribed by doctors is generally lactose free.
You might hear a lot of success stories from parents in Chennai and other cities who have been feeding their newborns packted milk such as aavin, nandini or chitale mixed with an equal proportion of water. The choice is yours!
Monday, April 02, 2007
