Hi Girls,
My son will be 1 in two weeks and 7 days ago I started putting 6 ounces of his formula and 2 ounces of real whole milk in his bottles. He's not having a problem drinking but the last 3 days he's been spitting up a little bit (he normally doesn't ever spit up). Is this normal for a child to spit up in the beginning of being introduced to milk? I just want to make sure he wouldn't be allergic and a side effect was spitting up... Also, I don't go to his 1 year shots for another 3.5 weeks so I'll wait to ask the pediatrician questions. My other question was how exactly do you wean them off of formula, how long does the whole process take before there "officially" on "just" milk? I was going to do 1 ounce in each bottle and every week put another ounce in... So it would take me 2 months before he's fully on milk only... Is that the proper way of doing it?
Thanks moms for all your advice... After calling and speaking with a nurse at the pediatricians office I decided to go cold turkey and put him on organic milk. It is day #1 and he didn't spit up but has had dirrahea (you never win right)... THANKS AGAIN!!!
In my experience with my daughter, I never mixed the two, but I took about one month for the full transition. Personally, I wouldn't mix the formula with the milk, but try milk on it's own, if their hungry, they'll eat it.
Dear Kristy,
Please take a moment and think what the taste must be like with a mixture of formula & milk!? Just stop the formula and give him 2% milk. I did this with 3 children and never had a problem. If he continues to spit up- put him back on just formula! his tummy may not be ready for milk just yet! But I tend to think it just tastes horrible being mixed. Good luck with what ever decision you make! God bless you and your family! Always,
Kathy
Hi Kristy,
My daughter is 10 months and already started weening her off the formula. She started spitting up when I started but it will go away. You just have to understand that a babys stomach is very sensitive to change, so keep doing what your doing and good luck!
Kristy-
Here is some suggestions I can reccommend:
Instead of taking him completely off formula, try every other bottle with 4 ounces of milk.
Keep a logg of how much milk, and any reactions he is having that way when you go to the pedi, you can talk about it.( also make a list of questions and concerns you have so you can remember to ask the pedi.)
Also you can decrease the amount of formula each day in the bottles he is taking and increasing the milk if there are no problems.
Honestly what we did with our son, was pretty much cold turkey, where he was drinking more formula than was what required so we were told to get him off it. so a few weeks before he turned one he finished the last can of formula and went straight to milk and there was no problems.
Hope this helps some feel free to email me at ____@____.com if you have anymore questions.
Thanks,
J. B
Hi Kristy,
COw's milk is really very tough on a baby's digestive system. For this reason some mothers who are unable to breastfeed opt for goats milk, because it is much gentler and easy to tolerate. However, goats milk is not easy to find (some health food stores do carry it though) and it is expensive, so not everyone can afford it.
Keep going slowly as you are doing, introducing it litttle by little to give the tummy a chance to adjust.
However, whatever you do please, make sure that what you are giving baby is organic. Yes, it is more expensive, but the health benefits are worth forgoing other things which are not as important. Children simply do not need the pesticides and hormones that are in conventional milk and eggs.
Sounds like you are one fine mommy!!
Kristy,
I remember switching a "snack" bottle initially (mid-day), followed after a few days by switching out another bottle, etc... I don't remember mixing them. I switched my DD over around 11 months with support of a lactation consultant that told me there is no exact date for this type of thing, it's more a range. (So when we started running low on formula -- I started switching!) Of course, DD had been using the transition "Next Step" formula for a few cans before milk. Maybe that prepared her tummy?
Do what you feel is best for your son... transition him oz by oz if you feel it's best! Organic or not, your choice. Don't go with the 2%, though. Your ped should tell you full fat milk for the best continuing brain development until at least 2! I'd also double check with ped/practitioner about the spitting up - just to be sure. I know my ped's office is great about answering calls like that without a visit.
Best of luck... there are so many exciting milestones to look forward to soon...
T. (Mom to Katie, 22.5 months)
Good job Kristy! I did the same with my son. I nursed him and right around his first b-day (a month ago) he just started to wean himself and a few days before his 1st I gave him a sippy cup of milk and he was fine. I think I had a harder time than him!
My son switched to regular milk when he was a little over one. He did not spit up at all, but that does not mean it is not normal. If you think it is an abnormal amount, then talk to your doctor. Maybe he is lactose intolerant, but it sounds to me like it is completely normal. When I switched to milk, it was a big deal for me because he was my first child and I of course questioned everything and worried aboutthis or that, but apparently it really is not big deal, as my sister told me then. But I do use organic (for everyone). Good luck.
Btw, i did not wean him off of formula, I just switched completely.
