How did you go from Breast Milk to Whole Milk!

Danielle - posted on 05/27/2009

I tried all sorts of things and my doctor told me that the last resort is to just stop nursing cold turkey and to give my daughter her cup with whole milk when she was thirsty. we had about a day of tantrums, but by that evening she was drinking her milk. We continued for about 5 days of nothing but whole milk and her foods. Now the always has a cup of water and milk available, but she tends to go to the milk. Basically she knew the breast milk was there and that if she held out long enough i would give it to her..... so this worked for us.

Leigh Ann - posted on 05/24/2009

I mixing the whole milk with the breast milk over time. Started off with 1/4 then to 1/2 till we were at all whole milk. It worked out well.

Michelle - posted on 05/24/2009

My son was not interested in cow's milk at all, just did the dribble down the chin thing. Then I started mixing in 1 oz of cow's milk with breast milk, and he drank it down w/o noticing much difference. Of course, he won't take the cup from me, but he will at day care or with Dad. Then you can gradually increase the amount of cow's milk, but I would try breast milk in a cup and/or bottle first to see if she'll drink anything from a cup. Even better, have daddy/grandma give her the cup when you are nowhere around, and it's her normal feeding time. Hopefully, you'll be able to go from there.

Lucita - posted on 05/22/2009

I had that problem to and started giving my son breast milk in a sippy cup and only gave whole milk once a day in the same cup ( I snuck it in at lunch time!) Eventually he got used to it and now drinks only whole milk

Joanne - posted on 05/22/2009

Hi.Sounds like we're in the same boat.My son has just turned 13months and I am still breastfeeding him.He has also never taken a bottle and I have started to introduce whole milk from a beaker but with no success.His paediatrician suggested disolving a couple of baby biscuits in the milk,but he will have a couple of sips and that's it! I intended to stop feeding him when he turned one but he still loves my milk and wants to nurse at least three times a day...and also a couple in the night!! ( he still wakes up most nights ). Sorry I can't really offer more help just know you're not alone!good luck.

Candace - posted on 05/20/2009

P.S. If you do try to mix with formula ask your pediatrician or your OB-GYN if they have any samples because you will only need a little. My mom works for an OB_GYN and they always have more formula samples than they can give away.

Candace - posted on 05/20/2009

Will she take breast milk from a cup? It might just be that milk is suppose to come from Mommy not from a cup. Try mixing a little regualr milk with breast milk, served warm and gradually switching to all regular milk. When I weaned my youngest we did this in bottles with formula and regular milk and it took about a week. He had however been introduced to both bottles and formula out of neccesity previously. Good Luck!

Bekah - posted on 05/19/2009

My son is the same way. He ist 13 months, never took a bottle and breastfed up until he was 11 months old. He won't really drink milk, but loves yogurt and cheese. He loves juice and water. So I asked the pediatrician what to do about him not wanting to drink milk and he said its normal. He also said that as long as he was getting 8oz of dairy a day that it didn't matter where it came from. And then he said that it would be ok to try chocolate or strawberry milk and see if he'll drink that, then try to switch him over to regular white milk. Right now, my son will kind of drink the chocolate milk, but it's definately more than he'll drink if it is white milk. I would just keep at it though. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Aimee - posted on 05/19/2009

My daughter never took a bottle either. When we wanted to go to cow's milk I started just giving it to her in a sippy cup and kept offering it. She has been off the boob for almost a month and just on the whole milk but she still only drinks an average of 16 oz a day. Her ped. said she needs to be getting 24oz a day so we are still working on it.

Jenny - posted on 05/19/2009

If she's getting her calcium/ iron etc from other foods, then don't worry too much about cow's milk - especially at meal times as it can reduce the body's iron absorption.

My wee girl, Martha, has a feed from me in the evening, but isn't really interested at any other time, but she has plenty of yoghurt, cheese, butter etc and whole milk in her cereal so I'm not worried whether she has milk n a cup or not - the vitamins and other goodness are there in other things.

My older 2 were never that interested in drinking milk from a cup until they were nearer age 2, now they drink pints of it!

And I'm soooooo impressed at you nursing your daughter in your lunch break!!! :-)

Alicia - posted on 05/16/2009

Thanks for the ideas. I gave up on bottles a LONG time ago, it was a losing battle. I am offering sippy cupsm but she still lets it just pour out of her mouth. I have trouble pumping. I could never pump much, maybe 2 ounces an hour. And she wouldnt take a bottle ever, so even what I did pump she couldnt. I teach full time and my mother was bringing her to me everyday at lunch to nurse. Now she will drink water or juice during theday while Im working. I still nurse her at 6am, 4or5 pm and bedtime at 8. But at meals at the table and other times she refuses the milk. I guess Ill be srubborn and keep trying!

Crystal - posted on 05/14/2009

I'm in the same boat. I'm worried now he's not getting enough milk because I only nurse him at night (I've stopped pumping..and he's going through the supply in the freezer). He'll take sips of milk from a cup...but still isn't drinking the amount he needs.

My sister suggested soy milk because it's sweeter, like breast milk. That worked for my nephew, who has turned out to be not much of a milk drinker. My almost 13-month old could care less. He still just wants the mommy milk. We're still battling.

Tracy - posted on 05/14/2009

I struggled with that also. I work so I was pumping for my mom to give it to him in a bottle. I wanted to get him on whole milk so I could cut back on pumping. She would try it in a bottle or a sippy. It took several times but finally he started drinking it from the sippy cup. At first he would drink it and kind of spit it down his chin like what is this? And I would just smile and say yummy... Keep trying they can be stubborn but we can be even more stubborn. One day you will finally win. I was also told you can mix whole milk and breastmilk. Start with a small amount of whole milk in the sippy mixed with breastmilk and work up to all whole milk. Hope this helps. Hang in there.

Kris - posted on 05/13/2009

My son was a formula baby, but when we decided to make the transition from formula to Whole milk we started by using it in his cereal for breakfast, so he could get used to the different taste...eventually we just swapped and it worked. Maybe she'll be happy having her milk out of a cup instead of a bottle ? Hope you figure it out :)