Whole Milk Vs Formula not a debate!!!

Clarice - posted on 07/30/2012

I would stop buying formula and just do cow's milk. I think that with good food nutrition, and possibly a vitamin supplement, your daughter will be just fine. And cow's milk is a lot less expensive. I didn't keep my son on formula past 11 months. My doctor advised to give the vitamin drops like Tri-Vi-Sol, or whatever kind that is like it. My kids tend to be low in iron so they needed a multivitamin with iron, and Vitamin D for sure. The drops also have vitamins A and C, and you can get the kind with flouride if you believe in giving flouride. Some people don't. You can also just buy the gummy vitamins which have a good amount of essential nutrients, but no iron or flouride. Hope this helps.

Delia - posted on 07/28/2012

My daughter just turn 12 months old and I tried to gave her whole milk and she took it really well, but suddenly she stopped eating solids, she refuses to eat ANY solid, and I'm concern that I might have to switch to formula again....witch one it'll be better, whole milk of formula??? (remember that she refuses to eat solids)

Jodi - posted on 12/14/2010

Emma, Australian milk is hormone free too, so that's probably why you don't get it.

Bonnie - posted on 12/14/2010

I've heard that formula has more of a nutritional value than whole milk does. I found this out way past switching my boys to milk. Oh well. Well actually more first was strictly breastfed til 11 months, but we switched both our boys over to whole milk at around 11 months. Doctors suggest switching to milk at 12 months, but there is also nothing wrong with keeping your child on formula until 2 years of age.

Stifler's - posted on 12/14/2010

I'm not getting this hormone milk thing.

Shauna - posted on 12/14/2010

the only reason i would see for switching to a toddler formula would be the vitamins it contains, but most dr's will tell you as long as they have a balanced diet its not nessesary. I have also heard started whole milk too early can cause allergies ... however i know lots of kids that go to whole milk sooner just fine... its really up to your gut instinct.

Lady Heather - posted on 12/14/2010

Yes, Canadian milk is hormone free. No worries! We do cuddle time with a sippy cup still. But honestly, you can phase the bottles out slowly. Bottles aren't hurting her so there's no need to be militant about it. We phased them out over two months. Turns out my daughter really didn't care so we were lucky. If you want to keep giving her a bottle at night (before tooth brushing of course), I'd say just go for it. But I don't really believe in that whole bottle-is-the-devil-after-1 thing because no one seems to think boobs are that bad and they are hard to give up too. Guess I don't see the difference.

For anyone who wants to take milk with them when they go out but can't so they take formula instead - find a coffee shop! Their standard milk is usually whole milk. I don't know about anyone else, but all the places I go these days have a Starbucks or other place nearby. I just go there for milk if we are on the road.

September - posted on 12/14/2010

I've also heard that milk in Canada is hormone free however I do not live in Canada so don't quote me on that. :) Milk does not need to be organic to be hormone free. You could Google the brands that you all carry at the superstore you shop at and read more about the milk to see if its hormone free. Maybe your pediatrician could recommend a brand as well.

Morgan - posted on 12/14/2010

I live in Edmonton Alberta,

Beatrice and dairyland are the brands they sell at the supertore where I shop, the one I have in the fridge is skim but it does not say hormone free? does it have to be organic to be hormone free?

sorry I dont know much about these things :)





someone said all milk in canada is hormone free??

September - posted on 12/14/2010

Morgan, yes the jug will say hormone free if it's indeed hormone free. I'm not sure where you live but we love horizon organic milk and it's hormone free :)

Mary - posted on 12/14/2010

Morgan, I had no trouble switching from a bottle to cup once I stopped nursing (she got bottles of breastmilk with Daddy on the nights I worked). The only thing I did differently was that the bedtime sippy cup was one without handles. The sippy cup she used during the day for water had handles, but the am and bedtime ones for milk did not. Initially, we held it like a bottle, but pretty soon little Miss Independent wanted no parts of us holding it! We didn't make a big deal about it; we just switched it one night, and she didn't even seem to notice.

Morgan - posted on 12/14/2010

I will not be doing anything before a year :)
we are just trying to be ready :)
will the milk say on the jug if its hormone free?

Rosie - posted on 12/14/2010

oh, and about the hormones in milk thing. walmart, kroger and costco all have pledged not to sell milk with added hormones. i know my milk from aldis doesn't have added hormones either. :)

Rosie - posted on 12/14/2010

my pediatrician said toddler formulas were a huge waste of money. pediasure and drinks like that can help if you are concerned about their intake. as for hte milk before 1 year, i personally wouldn't do it. 12 months is the guideline for a reason, so i stuck with it. :)

September - posted on 12/14/2010

I would talk to your pediatrician. In my opinion if your child is healthy than switching to whole milk at 12 months is what's recommended. Although whole milk does not have the same nutritional quality, the solid foods that you offer will fill the gaps. I would defiantly talk to your pediatrician as he or she can answer all of your questions and address your concerns. Good luck!

Lindsay - posted on 12/14/2010

We did the same. Mine were never given regular milk from a bottle so that there wasn't that fight. I'm a firm believer that the longer the bottle is around, the harder it is to give up. If she's using the sippy well, there's no reason to continue with the bottle. And as Joy said, you can still have all of the cuddles with the sippy instead of the bottle. :)

Joy - posted on 12/14/2010

I would say yes, on getting rid of the bottles if she is using a sippy successfully. You can still have cuddle time, it will just be with a sippy instead of a bottle :) That's what we did anyhow.

Morgan - posted on 12/14/2010

thanks ladies,
She is an amazing eater, she will eat anything I give her so I am not worried about that at all :)
she has the sippy cup thing down so should I be trying to remove bottles all together? or is it still ok to give her one at bed? I'll really miss that cuddle time :(

Joy - posted on 12/14/2010

I started giving my son whole milk at a year. Just before his first birthday he threw away his bottles and preferred a sippy. I would still give him 2 or 3 sippies of formula a day at first but then it dawned on me that he was eating solids at that point too so I figured he was getting nutrition from his food, not just from the formula. I never considered using toddler formula for that same reason. I think if he hadn't been eating solids very well, I probably would have continued with the formula. My kid was a food eating machine though lol Once he got the hang of eating small pieces of meat, fruits & veggies, I just let him have at it and he'd eat whatever we ate so I knew he was getting healthy stuff and didn't need the formula anymore.

Caitlin - posted on 12/14/2010

milk is yucky? Sorry.. sounds liek something a 4 year old would say.. (not intending to be bitchy, it just made me laugh..)



I'm with most of the moms.. If your kid eats enough solids, than milk should be fine. I'm currently having a heck of a time wrestling with introducing cows milk or soy milk.. We have a milk allergic 2 year old who likes grabbing her little sisters sippy cup, and I dont want her doing that if the cup has milk in it, though I know Soy milk isn't nutritionally equivalent. It's oh so confusing.. I may see if I can find a soy toddler formula for her, just to avoid any possible risk for our 2 year old..

April - posted on 12/14/2010

personally i think milk is yucky and i have refused to drink it all of my life..hehe. as for your little girl, i think you should play it by ear. if she already eats a balanced diet and doesn't give you a problem when it comes to meals, i think switching to whole right at a year would be ok.

My son is breastfed, but if he had been on formula, I wouldn't have switched him right at a year. He isn't that big of a fan of solids...it is a real chore to get him to eat. He never ate the jarred foods as an infant (flat out refused) and didn't really become remotely interested in table food until he was a little over 18 months. He is now 23 months...he eats like a bird. He will only take a few bites of something at each meal. I am thankful that he still nurses through the night and for naps or I would be worried about his health!

Jodi - posted on 12/14/2010

I'm reading all the comments about how much everyone looks forward to getting their kids off formulae because of how expensive it is, and it just made me chuckle for a moment.......start saving that money now :) I reckon I spend 3 times the price of formula now JUST on food for my teenage boys :) Don't look at the saving as extra money. Look at it as money you don't have to spend yet!!!

Jessica - posted on 12/14/2010

I started switching Kieran at 11 months-ish. We didn't totally replace formula until after a year, because of nutrition. But I tend to feel that as long as they're getting good balanced nutrition from meals otherwise, toddler formula isn't necessary. Trust me, I couldn't WAIT to stop buying that stuff- its sooo much money!

Erin - posted on 12/14/2010

We switched to whole milk at a year. Milla is a great eater so there was never any concern for her nutritional intake. Like so many other mums here, I think if you are confident she is eating a balanced diet then toddler formula really isn't necessary.

Anika - posted on 12/14/2010

I switched my daughter to whole milk just after her 1st birthday. I had asked a nutritionist about it and she said that toddler milk was only really needed if you had concerns about your toddler's solids intake. As my daughter eats pretty well and is gaining weight and growing well, I decided she no longer needed formula as a back up. I think she actually prefers cows milk and I gotta admit I love that its SO MUCH cheaper and easier to prepare.

Anika - posted on 12/14/2010

I switched my daughter to whole milk just after her 1st birthday. I had asked a nutritionist about it and she said that toddler milk was only really needed if you had concerns about your toddler's solids intake. As my daughter eats pretty well and is gaining weight and growing well, I decided she no longer needed formula as a back up. I think she actually prefers cows milk and I gotta admit I love that its SO MUCH cheaper and easier to prepare.

Jodi - posted on 12/13/2010

I switched my son at 11 months, but I held off until 18 months with my daughter because she has always been very slow to gain weight. Because the formula is higher in nutritional value than whole milk, I felt that at least I could make sure she continued to gain weight during a time of her life she was also becoming extremely mobile and active and burning all her calories, LOL. I really just wanted to make sure she was fully established on solids before I took away the formula.

Cathy - posted on 12/13/2010

If she's a good eater, varied diet, good weight then I think it's fine to go onto whole milk once they are a year old. If she's a picky eater, low on the weight gain then formula has extra nutrients and vitamins that will give her a boost.

Lady Heather - posted on 12/13/2010

I started blending milk with her formula at 11.5 months so she could make the switch at a year old. There's a lot greater range of nutrients in formula, but I don't think it is necessary if your kid is eating a wide variety of food. Some toddlers are really picky so formula could help them. My daughter eats everything so I was never really worried about it.

Becky - posted on 12/13/2010

I'm still breastfeeding my 15 month old. We tried to start him on whole milk at a year, but so far, he refuses to drink it. If I were formula feeding, I'd go based on his diet. If your daughter is a great eater and is eating a wide variety of healthy foods, I'd go with milk. If she's picky and you're concerned about her getting all the nutrients she needs, I'd stick with the formula until you feel her diet is more balanced.

Jenny - posted on 12/13/2010

I also switched from formula to whole milk at 12 months. I kept formula for bottles and milk for sippy cups so we made that switch at the same time.

Mary - posted on 12/13/2010

Morgan, how well does she eat regular foods? I breastfed until 13.5 months when she self weaned. My daughter was always a good eater, and is particularly fond of fruits and veggies (she eats all of her broccoli before anything else!). We introduced whole milk the week of her 1st birthday in a cup, which she loved. Since she had never had formula, and eats such a well balanced diet, I never considered a toddler formula, nor was it recommended.

It's not that I think toddler formula is a bad thing, but if she is a fairly good eater, I don't think it's necessary nutritionally.

Teresa - posted on 12/13/2010

I, personally, would go w/ breastmilk. ;) In your situation though.... I think I'd stick w/ formula at such a young age. IF she has an excellent, varied diet (does that even exist in the toddler world) then I think she'd probably be ok if you decided to switch her in a month or two, but I think I'd want to stick w/ at least partially formula until at least around 18 months. My 23 year old nephew still gets a bottle or two a day and his are half formula/half whole milk.

Sharon - posted on 12/13/2010

They got toddler formula until they were 3 yrs old. But they got whole milk with their dinners.

Yes I was a spazz and erred on the side of caution for their nutrition.

Sapphire - posted on 12/13/2010

We ran out of our last tub of formula around 13 1/2 months. Upon the pediatrician advice, we slowly introduced 1-2 ounces of whole milk during a 3-4 weeks transition period at his 1 year check up. We were offered the samples of toddler formula, but declined. Because my son was on the lightweight side, I was eager for him to start on whole milk to fatten him up! He was on a soy-based formula and had no problem transitioning to whole milk. Now he's a very healthy and tall 5 1/2 year old-active and has a decent balanced diet. But he does love his milk!

Tara - posted on 12/13/2010

On my doctors recommendation we allowed whole milk as a supplement to a balanced diet at 1 year old.
That said, I continued to breastfeed during the day time (2-3 times a day) until 2 + years. Except with my second child, he self- weaned at a year and went right to whole milk. Never had a problem with it.
There are no growth hormones or other hormones in Canadian milk.
In my opinion, formula past a year is more of a gimmick to keep parents paying past a year, not for any real nutritional benefit.
Someone mentioned that kids don't need anything milk or formula past a year. This is not true. The human brain requires the added fat for proper development. Unless you are breastfeeding, your baby still needs something other than water!!

Stifler's - posted on 12/13/2010

I plan to do the toddler formula. Mainly because we travel a lot and I can't have milk with us and stuff, it'll be easier to just mix it up and have it room temperature.

Lindsay - posted on 12/13/2010

I switched the kids to whole milk right after their first birthdays via pediatrician recommendation. I don't think toddler formula would hurt anything though. Really, a balanced diet is the most important thing.

Morgan - posted on 12/13/2010

Thanks ladies
Sharon how long did you keep them on the toddler formula? I think I'll do the 0-12 month formula untill maybe 16 months then move up to the 12-24 stuff :)

Julianne - posted on 12/13/2010

well, I don't like milk at all. So formula that's not milk based...lol that is what i would do.

Jennifer - posted on 12/13/2010

if i formula fed, i would be more comfortable with a toddler formula over whole milk at 1 year. the human body will change nutritional values and fat content of breastmilk as the baby/child gets older to best suit that child's needs and i would imagine toddler formula is better suited than whole milk considering cow's milk is meant for cow's :-P



that being said, as long as your babe is eating a balanced diet with plenty of healthy fat, calcium, Vit D, and protein, there is absolutely no need for cows milk or formula after the first year of life unless there are underlying health issues.

JuLeah - posted on 12/13/2010

I am not a huge fan of milk, but if you go that way go orgainc and hormone free.

C. - posted on 12/13/2010

I wouldn't make any switch until one year old. Any sooner and she's still going to be susceptible to developing an allergy to it.



Honestly, though, as long as you're making sure your child eats a balanced diet and not just cereal or rice all day long, you shouldn't need to buy toddler formula. Personally, I just think it's a gimmick from formula companies so they can still sell a product after a baby turns a certain age. Whole milk is just fine at 1, along with a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, grains and protein, etc..



We kept our son on regular formula until he was just over 12 months (we were away from home, so decided to wait the extra couple weeks until we got back to make the switch.) We switched him to whole milk and he's very healthy- strong as an ox and everything.

Sharon - posted on 12/13/2010

i kept my kids on formula until 1 1/2yrs then went to toddler formula.

Kate CP - posted on 12/13/2010

Whole milk doesn't have the same nutritional quality as formula or toddler formula. You can mix the milk with the formula I suppose but that's a lot of fat...I dunno. I guess I would go to toddler formula, personally.