Real milk

Lindsey - posted on 12/10/2009

My daughter turned 1 Nov. 24th. She has been on whole milk since about the 91/2 month point. The Doc said it was fine since she was basically a whole food baby. She was refusing baby food at that point and was a total table food baby. All babies are different tho' so as with most things I'd discuss with your pediatrician what's best for your baby. Good luck with the switch!

LeLani - posted on 12/09/2009

My son is 13 mons old. I still haven't completely weaned him off formula b/c he doesn't eat solids very well. I talked to my dr and said the only reason why they say to wean children is because formula is so expensive. There is no other reason to. I just mix his milk and formula together 1/2 & 1/2. As long as he's getting at least 24 oz of milk a day, the dr says he will be fine.

Jonnie - posted on 12/04/2009

My son started with milk in a sippy cup at 10 months but kept his formula bottle until 1 year.

Suzanne - posted on 11/25/2009

Try mixing it with his formula about 80/20 at first. If he does well with that, change it to 60/40, 50/50, etc each day until he is on 100% milk. Also, make sure it is warm enough if he is used to warmed formula. My son doesn't seem to like cold milk yet.

Tamarra - posted on 11/25/2009

Ok, My son just turned one yesterday, I trying to get him onto milk, but he wont drink it. I don't know if it's the taste he doesn't like? or if I should try adding it to his formula. Sorry this is all new to me!!!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!! :D

Suzanne - posted on 11/20/2009

Quoting Dipal:

I have a big concern about my daughter....she wouldn't drink water...i have to give her thru spoon but then she would spit it out...she gets her water from formula. She is 1 yrs old. What should i do....she wouldnt drink juice either...nor pediyalte.

Hello Dipal,

My son doesn't like water or juice either.  He will only take a few sips at most and somtimes not even that.  As long as your daugher is drinking her milk, she is getting enough fluids.  If she's not having enough wet diapers, then you should talk to your doctor.  But as long as she is having lots of wet and poopy diapers, she should be fine.

-Suzanne

Suzanne - posted on 11/20/2009

Quoting Clare:

I breastfeed my son Oliver and have just started trying to get him to take cows milk - he is so used to the breast that I have to re-introduce the idea of a beaker/bottle for him to take milk from - so far (after 3 days of trying it at his mid afternoon milk feed) he has had a few sips then has had enough. I have not tried cows milk at his main feeds ie at breakfast and before bed but over the next few weeks will be trying to swap onto cows milk at those times as I go back to work when he is 1! Has anyone else got any tips for stopping breastfeeding and introducing cows milk and is it best to go straight to a beaker or a bottle?? My son makes a mess at the best of times with a beaker so just wondering if a bottle may be best to start off with??

Hi Clare,

I started giving my son bottles with expressed breastmilk and cow's milk mixed together at first.  He did great with that so we switched pretty quickly over to cow's milk.  I subsititued a sippy of cow's milk for one feeding  and waited a few days before substituting another feeding.  The gradual transition seems to have worked out well for both of us.  He likes it a lot and is tolerating it well and I'm not engorged so my body is adjusting well too.  I'm still breastfeeding him first thing in the morning and will probably continue as long as he seems to want it, or until I decide to fully wean.

-Suzanne

Dipal - posted on 11/17/2009

I have a big concern about my daughter....she wouldn't drink water...i have to give her thru spoon but then she would spit it out...she gets her water from formula. She is 1 yrs old. What should i do....she wouldnt drink juice either...nor pediyalte.

Caroline Sarah - posted on 11/12/2009

We've been completely off formula since 10months (bf'ing full time now) and at his 11mo bday, we introduced whole milk a little bit every day. He is doing fine now on four 5oz bottles per day.

Amanda - posted on 11/11/2009

My son actually switched to whole milk at 9 months! He refused to drink formula and he diet at that point was mainly table food.We would dump out the formula. He was no longer using his bottle. We talked to his doctor and we were told that since he had no problems with his kidneys that it would be fine to switch him. The only concern was his iron intake that he would no longer be getting from the formula. His doctor told us to get him an age appropriate vitamin that had iron in it. We still mixed his bottles for a week, adding a little more milk everyday, but he easily went to whole milk and actually likes it alot more than the formula! The biggest concern with changing your son to milk will be him iron levels. But those should be checked at his 1 year well child check. They are at our doctors. Mandatory state regulations.

Kristi - posted on 11/09/2009

My doc said you can start any time. We started right at Wes's 11 month to start him on some whole milk, now he has probably 10-12 ounces of milk a day (when's he not sick with this h1n1 flu, which makes him not eat or drink much at all).

Kelley - posted on 11/08/2009

my twins turned 1 on the 4th and i started giving them milk after breakfast my son loves it but my daughter wont touch it

Allison - posted on 11/08/2009

Quoting Roxanne:

a friend of mine has 2 kids and she advised me to start giving 2oz of whole milk with formula then gradually adding more whole milk each week so that the babies tummy will get used to ingesting the milk. she said with her first daughter she got really constipated, they had switched her from formula to whole milk from one day to the next. i've been doing this with my daughter and she seems to be doing really well. i will start her on whole milk only in 2 weeks.

This is what I'm doing, too, and my daughter has had no problems so far.  She doesn't seem to have noticed a difference, and she's up to almost half and half.

You do need to make sure you start with whole milk, though.  Babies need the fat!

Katherine - posted on 11/07/2009

I'm gunna try commin off formula slow were gunna 1/4 whole milk 3/4 formula then slowly change over to whole milk.

Mickey - posted on 11/07/2009

Our Pedi told us that as long as they are eating solids good then to start introducing her to milk. My daughter was totally on whole milk at 8 1/2 months she refused to drink her formula sooooo I was worried being first time mom. However the transition went great and she now drinks more milk then she did formula. We had zero problems with this and soooo when ever they master eating solids is a great time to do so!!! Or in my case also when they refuse to drink formula!

Laticia - posted on 11/03/2009

my daughter will be one on thanksgiving. her daycare worker has been giving her real whole milk for probably 3 weeks now. she doesn't have much she just drinks about 4-5 oz a day of it but she really likes it. it's like a treat for her. but she still drinks her breast milk tho.

Roxanne - posted on 11/02/2009

a friend of mine has 2 kids and she advised me to start giving 2oz of whole milk with formula then gradually adding more whole milk each week so that the babies tummy will get used to ingesting the milk. she said with her first daughter she got really constipated, they had switched her from formula to whole milk from one day to the next. i've been doing this with my daughter and she seems to be doing really well. i will start her on whole milk only in 2 weeks.

Clare - posted on 11/02/2009

I breastfeed my son Oliver and have just started trying to get him to take cows milk - he is so used to the breast that I have to re-introduce the idea of a beaker/bottle for him to take milk from - so far (after 3 days of trying it at his mid afternoon milk feed) he has had a few sips then has had enough. I have not tried cows milk at his main feeds ie at breakfast and before bed but over the next few weeks will be trying to swap onto cows milk at those times as I go back to work when he is 1! Has anyone else got any tips for stopping breastfeeding and introducing cows milk and is it best to go straight to a beaker or a bottle?? My son makes a mess at the best of times with a beaker so just wondering if a bottle may be best to start off with??

Kristi - posted on 10/27/2009

Thanks Amy! I will take a look for sure!



My son has tried absolutely every kind of food thus far, eggs, cheese, milk, yogurt, all meats, veggies, etc - except shellfish. Maybe that's because I don't cook it though. We are going out for seafood this weekend, so we might try it then! We will be in the "big city" so if there is a problem, great help isn't far away!

Amy - posted on 10/27/2009

Kristi.... WIC is "Women Infants Children". its a non profit orgnanization that helps moms who need it financially. They are there for advice, and provide breast pumps (as loaners), they pay for formula and some foods via checks you can use at walmart and grocery stores. Very helpful!


As for milk. I agree with everyone above. My son will be a year on the 9th, i started giving him whole milk at 11 mos, and he's on 2 (sometimes less) formula bottles a day. He eats alot of table foods, loves baby yogurt and grill cheese so i knew it wouldn't be a problem.

Jennifer - posted on 10/27/2009

My son turns 1 on Nov 25. I started him on 6 oz formula 2oz whole milk, for one week...he did great, so the next week I did half and half. Now we are at 2 oz formula, 6oz whole milk. He LOVES it. When he's done with this can of formula we are going to go to all whole milk...I think the only thing I wont give him before 1 year is an egg...

Amelia - posted on 10/26/2009

Make sure you give him whole milk...they need the fat for healthy brain development.

Erin - posted on 10/26/2009

Once your baby has mastered solid foods, you can introduce the milk(whole)/juice, but told to dilute regardless, although, it is best to have a good conversation with your pediatrician!!! Goodluck! Hope both are doing well and healthy!

Kristi - posted on 10/23/2009

Sheena ... what is WIC?

Sheena - posted on 10/22/2009

My son will be a yr the 24th of Nov.....he is already on regular milk. I started giving him regular milk when he was about 10 and half months. Start off with 1 or 2%.....if you have WIC, they will tell you to start when he turns a yr....they will take him off of the formula. Just make sure if you start now you have to feed him 3 times a day with a snack somewhere in between.....also make sure he drinks plenty of water and he is active.....

Natalie - posted on 10/21/2009

I started adding cow's milk into my daughters bottles at 10 1/2 months. I had to do a very slow wheen process because she was on lactose-free formula and was not sure how she would react to cow's milk.
She is doing great and drinks up to 20oz a day!

Jennifer - posted on 10/21/2009

Our Pedi told us we can do it after she turned 11 months...so we did formula w/half whole milk and now on whole milk...no prob so far...

Kristi - posted on 10/20/2009

I would say that Wes is getting about 150mls of milk a day right now. He's had no issues at all!

Kelly - posted on 10/20/2009

start now if you want to most people say after 1 we are starting with 50 mls of milk once a day as well as his formula bottles

Julie - posted on 10/20/2009

Any time you are ready if he is eating sold foods and gaining weight you are good to go.

Kristi - posted on 10/20/2009

We started adding milk to our son's bottle last week. He only has 2 bottles a day right now, in the morning and before bed. I put 1/2 milk and 1/2 water in the bottles, and just took out one scoop of formula. My son has had other dairy already (yogurt - loves it!!! and cheese, so I wasn't worried about a milk allergy). We are hoping to have our son off formula when he's one, or right around there. He's eating everything, so I think he's getting all the nutrients he needs!