Going from Formula to Milk.

When we made the switch from formula to milk, we did it gradually. If you are giving him an 8 ounce bottle begin by mixing 6 oz of formula with 2 oz of milk for the first few days. Then you can do 4 oz formula and 4 oz milk for a few days and so on...until you finally have him switched over to just milk. Best of luck!

My son was also breastfed until I had to go back to work around 12 wks. Then I changed to formula, when it was time to start on whole milk, I mixed his milk and formula...just an ounce or 2 of milk and fill the rest with formula and I would warm it just like the formula he was used to..I gradually got up to mostly milk and then he decided that he did not like milk AT ALL! I asked the Pediatrician and he said to give him some calcium fortified orange juice instead and he would be fine. It was good and bad..bad that he doesn't like milk, but good in that he got rid of the bottle because I would only put milk in it at that point. He loves his OJ though. I hope this helps to know that he may not like milk and that's okay.

Congrats on making it through the first year. I would definitely begin the switch to whole milk now. I would use the remainder of the formula that I have on hand and then start giving him the whole milk. If I remember correctly, they should still get 16 to 24oz of milk per day at 1 year old. Whole milk is recommended for the 2nd year of life and it is okay to warm it if he doesn't like it cold. My daughter is 2 and she still likes her milk warmed. Hope this helps.

J.

Don't give your kid cow's milk no matterwhat your frineds and doctors say about it. There are many books and web sites on the subject. It is incompatible with a human digestive system. If you have to give milk from another species, then use goat milk but there are good alternatives like almond milk, rice milk, etc. Stay away from soy milk- its turning out to be just as bad as cow's milk.
(Cow's milk in its natural, un homogenized form is completely different)

When my son turned one, I started to give him 3/4 formula, 1/4 milk for two days. Then 1/2 formula, 1/2 milk for two days. Then 3/4 milk, 1/4 formula for the last two days before giving him 100% milk. It worked fine. Good luck!

Most doctors recommend you use 2% milk as the other has more fat content. Our peditrician wanted me to give more baby food which I made with my blender, it doesn't take much more to do that & she got better food. She always had a lots of veggies with a meat for lunch then a dessert...the applesause variety of treats you can buy at the store is great & the right size. She loves jello ! When I would puree' her food I'd add just a touch of purified water. There is a site that can help alot...it's PrairieHomemaker.com try is out it's a safe site as well. Good luck.

I started out giving my daughter a bottle with half milk and half formula. I did that a few times and then switched it to only milk. She did just fine with that. She has never liked cold milk either, and I still heat her milk in the microwave for about 30 seconds to take the chill off. She is now 18 months.

When my daughter went from breast feeding to "milk" I did half pediasure(at room temp)and half vanilla soy milk (about 8 ounces total). She is 2 and 4 months and we still don't give her cows milk.

I always was told that instead of cutting them off of formula and going straight to milk I would mix about 1/4 milk 3/4 formula for two to three days and then 1/2 and 1/2 for a few days and so on that way they do not take the sudden chage so bad. Do this to every bottle he gets and in a couple pf weeks its all milk. I usually would figure it out to the amount of formula I had left as not to waste it and it always worked well for me. If he doesn't like 1/4 and 3/4 mixture lessen it a little and gradually add more milk every few days and you shouldn't have any problems. Good Luck!

We started out warming his milk each time and then gradually let it get cooler and cooler. Now he drinks it cold just fine except he likes it warm first thing in the morning.
As for the amount, I'd call the pediatrician to find out for sure.

Speaking as a dietitian, you can give them as much whole milk as you did formula. You don't need to mix it half and half, unless you think he won't like the flavor of the milk and want to ease the transition. Literally substitute it for his formula. Just make sure that he is still eating table food. If he drinks too much milk (or formula for that matter), he might stop eating, which isn't good. =-)

As far as not liking cold drinks, that isn't a problem. Put the milk in the microwave for a few seconds (10 to 15) then shake it well to get rid of the hot spots. If you aren't comfortable with that (and some moms aren't), heat it the same way you would have a bottle... place the bottle of milk in hot water until it's warm enough for you. I did this less and less with my boys until they got used to it straight out of the fridge, because it was a real pain to heat it. Eventually, he will get used to it. Most of us like our cold drinks cold. Good luck with it. They are a lot of fun, aren't they?

When I switched my son from the Parent's Choice formula(great stuff!) to milk I did it slowly. I started putting just 1-2oz in a bottle filled the rest of the way with formula. Did that for a few days, maybe a week then upped it an oz or 2 every few days or every week. My son adjusted very well and it was a very easy transition. Doing it a little at a time helps them to adjust to the taste and such. I think I kept doing his bottles at room temp for a while. Just warm up the milk/formula a little.

when i switched my son from formula to milk instead of giving him 8 ounces of formula i gave him six ounces of formula and 2 ounces of milk... milk can be hard on a baby's stomach so i did it slowly each week i sould add another ounce of milk and less formula until the last week he was drinking only milk i introduced a sippy cup at ten months so my son was already off the bottle by this time but different children call for different measures so don't rush your child go at his pace

Going from formula to milk can be a big adjustment for a little one's tummy. Do so gradually to prevent constipation. First couple of days, only substitute one bottle of formula for one of milk and I suggest that you give the milk in a sippy cup to help with that transition. After two or three days, substitute two bottles with 2 sippy cups of milk. Continue this pattern until you are only giving him milk in sippy cups. Make sure that he is still having bowel movements regularly before you increase his milk intake or you will have one cranky constipated baby boy. Your serving of milk should be the same amount that you gave as formula. Good Luck.

Dear S.,

I had the same anxieties with my first son! I learned, though, relax or you'll go crazy wondering if he's had 2 ounces too much or too little. He won't be deprived if he doesn't drink anything at one meal because he's protesting the temperature of the drink. If he's rejecting the milk altogether, you can try mixing 4oz (mixed) formula w/2 ounces milk, then go to 2oz (mixed) formula with 4 oz milk, try it for a day each. Within a couple of days, he should be fine with whole milk. When you give it to him, act like it's just normal and go about your normal mealtime routine. He's smart, and he'll get the picture. Also, we transitioned to sippy cups at 1 year for both of our sons (now 4 & 1). We were very fortunate that they were so amenable, but I really think it's because we made no deal of it. Oh, and if he's still taking a bottle before bedtime, I'd keep in that routine so his belly stays full at night. Eventually, you can make sure he's getting enough fluids during the day (even between meals) that you won't wonder if he's missing out. And when you're ready to stop that bedtime bottle, just play the heck out of him during the time he's normally eating it. Two or three nights of this, and he'll have no recollection of needing it (especially if he's gotten enough to drink during the day).

They aren't as fragile as they would have us believe. If he senses you're stressed because he's rejecting the drink, he will KEEP pushing those buttons as long as he can to get what he's familiar with. Good luck!!

Looks like you've got plenty of advice on the transition. All I will say about that is: do it gradually a few ounces a couple times a day to start and just slowly transition from there.
On another note, I wanted to say that I am the mother of two fabulous kids: a daughter - 2 1/2 and a 3 month old son. Their dad and I have been together off and on since we were in high school (over 8 years!) When we found out we were pregnant the first time we got a lot of pressure to get married. But we were determined to not have the baby be the reason. We said "when the time is right we'll do it", well three years and 2 kids later, we are finally getting married in May - because we feel we're ready now. We both will have finished school and will be in better jobs. Anyway, good for you for going against the "norms" and waiting until the two of you are ready. Babies don't deserve to be under the pressure of being the "glue" of a couple. They deserve to see two people who genuinely love each other and want to be together.

One day I just ran out of formula and started subbing with milk. I had mixed milk into his cereals and given him sips to make sure he didn't have any issues for a few weeks, and he loved it with no problem. If your son seems to have a sensitive stomach, you might want to go slower. My boy was always happiest with regular food though, his first real food solid was cheesy bread that he grabbed off my plate LOL. He knew exactly what to do, so I'd say it depends on the child. I personally was glad to see the formula go, and I still warm a glass of milk in the microwave for him at bedtime and he's almost four.
Good luck and trust your instincts!

I did half and half for about a week or two, then 3/4 and 1/4 for about a week then switched to whole milk completely. You can still warm it just like formula if he'll take it better. Don't force ice cold milk. Good luck

That's funny b/c I went throught the same thing when my little girl turned one. After I asked I was told that they should at least consume about 16 ounces of calcium per day. If your child is like mine it took her a minute to get used to regular milk. I promise you if they want that bottle bad enough they will take it sooner or later. It only took Maddie about 2 days. I like to warm her milk for about 30 seconds for her night time bottle and so does she. To get her to drink cold milk from a cup during the day(this may sound bad, but the Dr. said it was fine)I put just a little of strawberry syrup in there and I tell her it is ice cream...hey it works!! One worry I always had was that she wasn't getting enough calcium...If you are the same remember cheeses and yogurt have a lot of calcium also. Maddie loves to feed herself yogurt(Dora is her preference)

Hi. My son is 18 months old, and we started the gradual process of switching from milk to formula at 1 year. Here's what we did:

1. At first, we just put 1-2 ounces of whole milk in his 6-ounce bottles. He started having diarrhea, so after a few days we went back to just formula. We waited two weeks.

2. We tried again with the 1-2 ounces of milk in the bottles, and he didn't get diarrhea so we just kept this ratio for about two weeks.

3. We increased to a half milk/half formula mix and did this for about one month.

4. Then we did 2 ounces of formula and the rest milk for about two weeks.

5. Then just milk. And he's been doing only milk for about 1-2 months. He's just fine. And he seems to have a better appetite now, so that's good.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

Our ped. said we could mix it with the formula. I just decided to try all milk the first time to see how she would do. She loved it! She drinks up all the milk we give her. Good luck!

I also wanted to add that I have always put her milk in a sippy. She drinks milk with her meals. She has not had a bottle since the week after she turned one. Our ped. wanted her to be off the bottle as soon as possible. The sippys that worked best to begin were the Nuby ones with the silicone top. Now I like the ones made by First Years that have characters on them. I buy them at Target.

I got left to "sink or swim" too on this issue. I gave both my girls whole milk (I just filled the bottle with 7 or 8 oz). My girls both had reflux and were used to having rice cereal in their bottles so I put some rice cereal in it and made kind of a milkshake. I put the cereal in after I warmed the milk. My oldest did fine. My baby never developed a taste for regular milk; we ended up buying Silk soy milk, vanilla flavor. It tastes like a milkshake. We just warm it up for about 30 seconds in the microwave and shake it well (of course we always check it to make sure it isn't too hot even though we've done it hundreds of times). My baby will be 2 in April and she still has to have warm milk before bed. My oldest finally quit needing it when she was about 4. Each one is different. But whole milk, or even 2% won't hurt a baby. Skim milk won't do anything but wet their appetite. But if he/she hesitates, you can always put a scoop of their formula in it until you wean them, just so they will be familiar with the taste. Give it to them at the same times they are used to having a bottle, but they should be eating more at this stage and just taking a bottle like in the mornings, maybe at nap time and before bedtime. Usually. All babies are different.

I have a son who turned one 3 days ago. We went for his 1 year check-up yesterday and my ped told me I could and should switch him to whole milk also. She said to try it cold turkey and if that didn't help, then mix it for a couple of times.
Also, I didn't know this...... She said he should get at least 16 oz of whole milk a day, but not over 24 oz. (I didn't know that!!) Since I have almost a whole can of formula left, I will definitely use it before switching. HTH!
M.

S.,
Since your little boy is still taking the bottle, I would just use the same amount of Vit. D milk in the bottle for now. He may not even like it very cold depending on what temp. you have served him his formula. Warm or room temp. is O.K. Then when you know he will enjoy his milk, I would change to a sippy cup or straw cup of your preference. Your little boy should be getting nutrition from soft foods by now and his milk will not be his only source of vitamins. Really soon you want to serve milk with meals and let him have water and juice between meals. He's walking and talking Mom. But the bottle before bed is always the last one they give up. Save that battle for a weekend night when you aren't worn out from work.
I read Marybeth's idea. Doesn't sound like a bad idea. I just didn't have to go through that. But who knows your child better than you. Go with your gut instincts.

When I switched my 2nd boy, now 12, from formula to milk I only gave him milk in a sippy cup. At that time he still took a bottle to bed with him and at nap time. So, I let him take the cup to bed with him and pretended that all the bottles were gone. The transition was a success! Soon he grew tired of the cup, I suspect because it wasn't as nuturing as the nipple on the bottle, and he gave it up at bed and nap time within a few months. Also, I warmed the milk for the 1st couple of weeks in the cup for bed time and served it cold with meals. After those first 2 weeks he became use to the cold milk with his meals and I stopped warming his bed time cup. Maybe this will work for you.

He needs around 24oz a day of whole milk. He does not need formula now that he is 1. My son did not like cold drinks either. I put the milk in the microwave for a few seconds to knock off the chill. He liked it this way. He can drink this from a sippy cup. The nubbys worked best for me.

my daughter is 16 mos now - basically we added one ounce of milk to each formula bottle on the first few days - then for a few days once this was tolerated, we added two ounces to each formula bottle a day for a few days and then just did this until all of her bottles were all milk - we basically stretched this out over a few weeks and then got rid of the formula altogether - nice way to transition - good luck

Hi,
I have done this twice, and the way I do it is gradually. I am sure there are other ways, but if you think about a puppy, if you suddenly change its food, it gets stomach issues, I was always worried about that with my kiddos. So I started with 2oz in an 8 oz bottle of milk and slowly weaned until it was the whole bottle of cow milk. Good luck!

PS I dont give my kiddos alot of cow milk either, we use soy. Soy has alot of rumors about it as far as the estrogen in it goes, but I have a friend with a PhD in alternative medicine and he says the plant estrogen is entirely different for human estrogen and its good for boys and girls, but if you have doubts, talk to your doctor. Cow milk does have alot of hormones and antibiodiocs in it.

Hey S.,
I think you just kind of have to feel your way through and see what your son responds to better. With my first child, the doctor put her on milk around 9 months. He told us to give her a little ice cream first to see how her stomach would handle it. Well, I didn't do it. She went straight from ProSobee Soy formula to 2% milk and had no problems. But each child is different so you may want to do 8 ozs of milk and if that works, keep going. If not, cut back to half and half. With my second child, who was also taken off formulat at 9 months, he went straight from Enfamil Lipil with Iron to 2% milk and had no trouble. When they were born I did both (breastfed and formula).