Advice Needed About Switching from Formula to Milk

My son was almost 2 before he could drink whole milk,it made him sick.As long as he is eating good and drinking formula from a cup or mixed with cereal there is nothing wrong.After all there are vitamins in the formula.

Hi S.,
I want to suggest trying either rice or almond milk rather than cows milk... much better for you & your child. Cows milk can create allergies, I would recommend bypassing that. My grand daughter nearly 2 loves both. I use a sippy cup that doesn't spill out with her, no need to worry about 'spilled milk' until he is a bit older, then only give a 'real' cup to him while in the hi chair to begin with until he gets it down. Good luck! Enjoy every minute, they pass so quickly... before you know it he will be in school. God Bless You as you continue doing the most difficult and the most rewarding & wonderful 'job' there is!

Gradually mix part formula and milk. I did it with my kids and it worked great.

I gradually added more milk, less formula. I don't think it took more than a week to get to 100% milk. They didn't seem to mind the difference.

Try mixing the cow's milk with the formula. That way it doesn't taste completely foreign to him.

Introducing milk progressively is a good idea. I recommend you pick a date where you want to be completely transitioned to milk (might relate to when you run out of formula) and from then on just go cold turkey.

Regarding what cups to use, we have consulted a speech therapist and she recommends only sippy cups with straws. Sippy cups with hard lips force hyperextension in the neck. Also straws promote the right muscles to develop speech. Her favorite brands are Playtex - lids are all interchangable and not too many part to clean. She also like the Rubbermaid sippy cups shaped like juice boxes.

all three of my children seemed to have no problem,but just make sure with dr.on amount of cows milk.and once you change to cup,stick with it,this helps with confusion.and it may take a week or so,and your son will surprise you with his big boy cup!

This is how I switched both of my kids at 11 months.....

Week 1-8oz bottle, 1/4 milk, 3/4 formula 1 time a day for a few days then up it to 2 times a day if tollerated.
Week 2-8oz bottle, 1/2 and 1/2 two times a day fora few days, uped to 3 times.
Week 3-8oz bottle 3/4 milk, 1/4 formula 3-4 times a day or with breakfast, lunch and dinner. The normal times you would have milk.
By week 4, you should be serving straight milk up in sippy cups for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Anywhere between 4-6oz at a time.

And don't forget, it is recommened to be whole milk for the first year.

Good luck!!
S.

I am with Melissa F., Sharie and a couple of the others. We took about three weeks. First week, mix 3/4 breast milk with 1/4 cow's milk. Second week, half and half. Third week 1/4 breast milk and 3/4 cow's milk. Fourth week -- all cow's milk. Worked great for us, and that's actually what our pediatrician recommended.

I tried mixing formula and milk with my daughter but she still isn't thrilled with whole milk (she's 13 months old). Our pediatrician mentioned as long as she gets 2 cups of milk products a day we're good- so it doesn't have to be milk. My daughter loves the drinkable yogurt smoothies. I keep offering the milk hoping she'll catch the taste. My son loves milk- never had a problem switching.

Hi S.,

I took a month for the transition. Each week I would add a little more cow's milk to my breast milk. At the end of the month, my daughters were drinking an entire bottle of cow's milk. I started of with 1/4 cow's milk, 3/4 breast milk. It was very smooth and they never had a problem. This also allowed me to monitor allergies. Good luck!

Aloha! Just want to point out that most pediatricians recommend you wait until your child's 1st birthday to introduce cow's milk not just because of the possibility of allergic reaction but also because an infants' body is not capable of breaking down the milk properly and therefore they do not get the nutrients they need.
However, when I was transitioning my oldest daughter from formula to cow's milk after her first birthday I mixed the cow's milk little by little with formula until she got used to mostly cow's milk and then I just gave her cow's milk. It didn't take long to change over I would say about a week or so. My daughter was picky and still is about sippy cups. She would only take the the "Nubby" brand kind that are like big soft flexible nipples with slits in the top and then transitioned into only taking the take and toss kind you can buy almost anywhere that has three small wholes at the top and is a hard top/sippy.
I would recommend trying a sippy cup that is close to or similar to the bottle top you are using. My youngest is almost 7 mths and using Dr.Brown's colic free bottles & I have started getting her to use a sippy cup and she prefers the soft flexible top by Nuk.
Every kid is different so you never know...both my girls used different bottles and now are prefering different types of sippy cups so I would say just buy one or two and find one that works and he finds fun to use or interested in.
I would say for your sake go with a sippy cup first! My oldest is going to be 2 in December and there is no way I would just give her a cup...she enjoys dumping fluids as is. She can drink out of a cup but since she's in the terrible twos I think I'll wait to let her a have a cup until she's out of this defiant stage for my sanity! Good luck!

My 13 month old drinks a little cow's milk at meals, in a regular cup that I help him with, he likes it this way... like big sister. But breast milk is his main thing... I know that after 12 months they say you can switch to whole cows milk... but compared to breast milk (#1) and formula it is not as healthful. I know it's a lot cheaper and they do eventually have to transition, but I know for me, I am keeping my son on breast milk until 24 months. Just thought I'd share! Not judging!!! The American Medical blahblahblah recommend 12 months... The World Health Organization recommends 24~