I am need of some advice as to how to introduce milk to my almost 1 year old. He currently drinks formula from a bottle and will drink whole milk from a sippy cup during snacks and before bed. BUT....he will NOT drink milk at a time when he is expecting a bottle of formula. AGH! I have tried: Milk in a bottle, Warm milk in a bottle and milk in a sippy cup and he is just mad and won't drink it. Today he cried and cried until I gave in and made a bottle of formula...I couldn't help myself...I don't want him to be hungry.
Any advice is much appreciated! I have looked online and haven't found any advice....
I think if you mix it half & half, it might work. One of my customers has a baby that she's going to start mixing the formula with regular milk til it's just milk. I hope it works.
I think keeping whole milk OUT of the bottle (and in a cup or sippy) is a good policy. Whole milk is not a substitute for formula or breastfeeding - it's just another beverage that people generally drink cold. He might as well learn to live in the real world.
Besides, do you really want to have to break him of the habit of having milk in a bottle several months from now? This is what I would do if I were you: I suggest gradually decreasing the amount of formula in the bottle that you give him each day until there's none (try decreasing by 1/2 or 1 oz per day). At the same time, let him know that he can have as much milk as he would like from a cup. When he "runs out" of the formula he can say bye-bye to the bottle for forever. Make sure you explain to him that he's a big boy and doesn't need a bottle anymore when you do this, of course.
I would not worry about it so much...he is not even a year yet! He is supposed to only have BM/formula until that time. Once he is a year, you could start mixing the formula with the whole milk. Just a little whole milk at first, then gradually make it a little more and a little more. He will gradually get used to it and not even realize what happened.
I would keep offering milk in a sippy at mealtimes and at snack times. When it is his bottle time, I would slowly start decreasing the amount of formula you are offering, so instead of, say, 8oz, put in 7oz. I would NOT put milk in the bottle. He should slowly start to transfer his calorie intake to the meal and snack times.
I have posted this before...
I started our son on this program
1st week- 5 oz formula / 1 oz milk
2nd week- 4 oz formula / 2 oz milk
3rd- 3 oz formula / 3 oz milk
4th- 2 oz formula / 2 oz milk
5th- 1 oz formula / 1 oz milk
Make the formula how you would normally for the amount don't add extra for the milk.
this way you are easing them into in and have a less chance of developing diarhea, which starting them off will full milk can do. This worked for our son, if they tolerate it better you can speed it up a little. Any question please write. Good luck.
Someone else said this as well but slowly mix in whole milk with the formula. Keep increasing the amount of whole milk you put in until it is all whole milk. Hope this helps.
I would not worry at all. Be patient with him. I took my daughter and son off formula when they both were 8 months. I put them on Oberweis milk. It has a much better for babies, I think. It was better for my children. My son completely got off the bottle at 9 months you are doing good. Be patient everything will fall into place. when he is ready he will drink it all the time. Good luck
There are many cultures that don't drink milk at all and everyone turns out just fine. If he doesn't like it-- he doesn't have to drink it!
A.:
try water instead of milk and foods that your son likes.
P., RLC, IBCLC
Pres. Lactation Support Group, Inc
www.lactationsupportgroup.com
My son is 19 mo. and still will not take any milk. When he was 11 mo. I tried giving milk (even chocolate milk and soy milk) in the bottle (warm, cool and cold) - then with a sippy cup, at meal time, at snack time - no luck. He takes one sip and tosses the cup and demands either water or apple juice (1 part juice to 2 parts water).
When my son was 11 to 13 months - I gave reved up the solid foods (and he drank LOTS of water) and gave a bottle of formula at night. As he got better with solids, I eliminated the formula.
My Dr. said to keep trying with the milk, but that he can get the nutients from other sources - and he loves cheese, plain yogurt, broccoli, cottage cheese, and eggs all of which are good sources of calcium and vitamin D. I still try the milk every now and then but so far no luck - but I'm not so concerned with it as he is healthy, active and growing.
You could maybe combine the milk and formula. Start out with mostly formula then slowly lower the level of formula and increase the amount of milk? It's worth a shot to try to 'slow-wean'.
