Help with Transition to Whole Milk

the reason that milk based formula isn't good is because babies aren't able to digest milk proteins until they are at least 11 months 3 weeks old. There was a study done where they took samples of numerous infants at various ages and NONE of them had the ability to digest that protein until 11 mos 3 weeks old, some not until 12 mos 2 weeks old. The formula companies process the proteins in the milk to make it digestible but it doesn't always work for babies.

I had to supplement my daughter with formula starting at about 8 or 9 months. She hates formula and refusees it so about 9 months or so I started adding milk to the bottle with the formula. Since I still have some, she is getting some formula still but once the can is gone she will just get milk. 10 months is a good time to add a little milk, maybe half milk and half formula in a bottle. My daughter has not had any problems.

I went through the same thing with my son. He was on soy formula and I was worried about the transition to whole milk. My doctor said that there was no need to slowly introduce it but I did. I started with an ounce at a time and slowly increased a mix of formula to milk. He did absolutely fine. In fact, I went from one ounce at a time, to half of his bottle, right to a full bottle in less than 2 weeks. I guess it depends on how your baby handles it. Good luck!

My daughter was on lactose-free formula before we started giving her whole milk, and I was concerned as well. But on her first birthday, we switched her to whole milk and aside from occasional constipation in the first few weeks, she did fine. I also, at that time took her off of the bottle, and explained to her that she was a big girl now, and that big girl milk comes from a sippy. She hasn't had a bottle since her birthday, and she's now 14 months old. I think you'll be ok, to go ahead and just try switching him, if you notice him to be really gassy w/ diarhea, you might want to talk to doc about using soy milk or lactaid. If he gets constipated with it, I just watered it down a bit until she got used to the whole milk.
hope this helps!

My son was also on soy formula. We transitioned him to whole milk without any problems. (I was wondering just like you are at the time) Since your baby is eating cheese and isn't having problems with that, I think he'll be fine.

Hi my son is 9 months old and is also on soy milk and I am going to transition him to Silk milk first. Whole milk might be too strong for our little guys since they had allergic reactions initially to milk based products. My son's pediatrician recommended tht I start introducing him slowly to milk-based or containing foods to see what type of reation is obsrved if any. Hope this helps!

Hi T.,

We were on Soy formula too and the doctor had us switch to whole milk formula around 6 months. We did it by making our formula 1/4 regular and 3/4 soy for a few days and when that went okay, we went to 1/2 of each, then 3/4 regular 1/4 soy, then all regular formula. Our daughter did great!
At 10 months, our ped told us to start giving her vanilla yogurt with baby food fruit. She said that the yogurt cultures make it easier for babies to digest. After that we introduced cheese. we were told that if she tolerated the yogurt and cheese well that she'd be ready for whole milk at 12 months. We just make the switch a couple of weeks ago and she is doing well.
Hope that helps!!

My daughter was on soy milk since she was 5 mos old and she transitioned to whole milk fine at 12 mos. I had to do half and half for a day or so and then 3/4 milk, 1/4 formula and she then drank whole milk with no problem. I did not switch her formula. Good luck!

Doing a gradual transition now to milk-based formula sounds like a good idea to me....