when to start normal milk

Heather Lea - posted on 11/16/2010

I remember so many restrictions when my 9 yr old was a baby...but now it seems none of those "rules" apply...I have a 1 1/2 yr old who just from birth would never get enough to eat...so breast feeding was out. She started rice in her formula at about 1 month and by 2 1/2 months was already eatting stage 1 foods because even rice in the formula wasn't filling her up. She'd go through 8oz bottles like they were nothing. At 1 month old she was eatting 16oz+ of rice/formula every hour or 2 hours at most. So anyways...long story short...by 6 months the doctor said as long as the baby is eatting foods regularly (even baby jars) that I could start her on milk anytime. The formula was just more or less for nutrients. Keeping the baby on formula longer wouldn't hurt but there's no reason to do so if the baby is eatting on a normal basis.

Giggles_82 - posted on 11/15/2010

Thank you so much for all your replies I appreciate the help and I felt I should wait to so I should go with that motherly instinct thanks

Kim - posted on 11/15/2010

I started my son on whole milk when he was 8 months

Delta - posted on 11/15/2010

10 years ago I was told to do half formula and half cows milk for the first feeding and then slowly take away more formula and add more milk to get the adjustment to milk. This was done the month she was turning a year old.

Tiffany - posted on 11/15/2010

I didn't start my daughter on milk until a few days after she turned 1. I have heard A LOT of Moms saying they did at 11 months though. What I did was do 6 ozs formula 2 ozs milk. My daughter was VERY hard to get on milk. It took over 3 weeks. But now she drinks it with 2 ozs water and we're trying to do just milk now. I wouldn't start yet, but if you have any questions just talk to your pediatrician.

Kari - posted on 11/14/2010

I started my oldest son on whole milk when he turned 1. WIth my youngest, I started him at 10 months. He refused his formula and when he would drink the formula he would constantly spit up. So I had no choice.

Amanda - posted on 11/14/2010

i gave my daughter milk when she was about 7 months old i gave her 3 ounces at bed time for 3 nights then i gave her 3 ounces in the morning and at bed time for 3 days and then i moved it up to 6 ounces , when i did it like that she did great no problems , so if u slowly do it and there dose not seem to be any problems then give him a little bit more

Angela - posted on 11/14/2010

We started our daughter on whole milk when she turned 1. There are just too many unknowns/potential problems that there was no way I was starting her before she turned 1. She's 2 now and drinks the 1 % that my husband drinks.

Christina - posted on 11/13/2010

Keep your son on his formula until he is a year old. It offers the necessary nutrients that he needs plus his stomach is not mature enough for regular milk yet! It could do more harm then good. Start him on regular milk at 11 months old. Add a little bit of milk, about 2 ounces, to his formula to start. Then over the course of the next 3 weeks, increase the milk and decrease the formula. By his 1st birthday he should be completely off of the formula and completely on the whole milk. Not only will this slowly ween him from the formula but it will also get him used to the milk. But once again, don't due this until he is 11 months old, he's still a little to young for milk! Hope this helps you out some! :)

Ashley - posted on 11/13/2010

i didn't do it until 11 months & i only did it then bc my daughter refused to drink her formula anymore so i guess that was her way of telling me she was ready (she will be 1 in exactly a week). but even after that u r supposed to do whole milk (vitamin d milk) until age 2 bc it has the fats they need. i wouldn't do it this early, but it is ultimately up to u, the formula just has so many things they need at that age. Altho my cousins little girl refused formula after 6 months she just wouldn't drink it...& she is almost 3 now & just fine...but i still wouldn't do it--if he drinks it fine & likes it then keep giving it to him until about 11-13 months of age:)

Kyla - posted on 11/13/2010

I started introducing whole milk at about 11 months with my son, just an ounce at a time with his formula. I gradually kept upping the amount and just before he was 14 months we were completely off formula. For some reason I didn't feel confident enough that he would be ok without formula otherwise I would have had him fully on milk at one year.

Christine - posted on 11/13/2010

We started introducing whole milk at about 10 months. Our doctor told us it was ok to start introducing it anytime after 9 months but they prefer you wait until they are 1. Also, if you do switch, you should be giving them whole milk. The fat in the milk is good for the development of their brain

Victoria - posted on 11/13/2010

i started mixing milk in with his formula at around 11 months and by 1 he was completely off of formula

Nicole - posted on 11/13/2010

When you do give him regular milk make sure it is whole milk aka homo. I started my daughter on whole milk at 9 months and she loved it. her tummy loved it too, she was far less gassy. it is also more affordable which is a bonus.

Nicole - posted on 11/13/2010

The earliest I would switch to cows milk is 9 months. 8 months is close, you could try just giving him a little and see how he handles it, or start giving him a half and half mix of formula and milk so his tummy gets used to it.

Rosie - posted on 11/13/2010

cows milk doesn't have the fat, nor the nutrients a baby needs. it is also harder to digest and can sometimes cause small intestinal bleeds. i would strongly advise against starting milk early. sure they may be fine, but why risk it? stick with pediatricians advice, and wait until they are a year old. ;)

Amanda - posted on 11/13/2010

All 4 of my children were a yr before I gave them whole milk. I heard that it was okay to start it before as well but my pediatrician recommended we wait until they are yr old. I'd wait but it's your preference!

Lora - posted on 11/13/2010

i didnt start my son on cows milk till he was 1 as we were told that it was not a good idea to do it any younger. personally if it was me i would wait a bit longer but its up to you.

Michelle - posted on 11/13/2010

My sister did this with her children but luckily had no problems. I have always been of the mind to listen to my pediatrician. The fact of the matter is that the formula WILL NOT HURT YOUR BABY... the milk might... really... are you willing to take that risk? Cuz I never could...

Tara - posted on 11/12/2010

Your pediatrician went to school for a long time and has seen hundreds of babies. He knows what he is talking about. As long as there are no problems with digesting formula or breastmilk (one other mother mentioned her baby spit up formula and that is a different situation), you need to stick with what the dr. says. Your baby would probably be fine, but why take that chance. Also formula is specially designed to provide all the nutrients a baby needs. Iron especially is important. There are vitamin drops, but they are concentrated and can constipate babies.

Catherine - posted on 11/12/2010

my daughter is almost 9 mos and still drinks formula but Ive heard lots of mom put there babies on cows milk at 7 mos old.I wouldnt put him on regular milk til atleast a year formula is much better for them. I kept all three of my children on formula til 1 years old.

Sarh - posted on 11/12/2010

Cow's milk is not something I would do different! One yr is the earliest I would start cow's milk!

This link may help!
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/...

Do your bubby a favor and wait till he is one yrs old!

Fallon - posted on 11/12/2010

I gave my son whole milk at age 10 months, but make sure you buy the infant vitamin drops with iron. I also plan on starting my daughter on milk at 10 months because my son spit up constantly on breast milk and formula, but immediatly stopped when he start whole milk. My daughter is following the same pattern as he did, but I would not recommend doing it at 8 months, that in my opinion is too young.

Brittany - posted on 11/12/2010

Cows milk can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, digestive problems, and severe allergies if given to a child under the age of 1. Some children do fine with it if given a little before and it's up to you but you should know the risks.