Need Tips for Putting 1 Y/o on Solids

Good morning L.,

I agree with Leslie. Try mixing the formula with the milk so they can adjust to the different flavor. Start out with more formula and less milk and just increase the milk gradually until you are not using formula anymore. Hopefully she will adjust that way. It also does help with not getting constipated too.

Jen

Hi L.,

Just a quick suggestion about switching from formula to whole milk. I mixed half formula and half milk for at least a week to get my kids adjusted to the change. This helped get them used to the flavor, and it also helped with not getting constipated. When I tried going straight from formula to whole milk my oldest had stomach cramps and got constipated.

my daughter hated milk, too. i flavored it with Milk Magic, from walmart....orange cream, banana, whatever. she LOVED it and i was able to lessen the flavoring in it day by day and in a couple of weeks she'd drink it straight. you could also try vanilla yogurt mixed in, it sweetens it. tofu is good for nutrients, just cut it up in tiny cubes and she can pick it up, avocados are good too, and you can put fresh fruits and veggies in ice cube trays and freeze them and give her a cube per meal. worked for us. good luck!

Dear L.,
I consistently recommend Ruth Yuron's "Super Baby Food Book" for all mom's baby food needs and questions.
I also suggest introducing whole milk at a very slow and staged pace. 3/4 formula, 1/4 rice milk/almond milk/soy milk then graduate up until on complete other milks. Then start introducing the whole milk the same way 3/4 other milks, then 1/4 whole milk and etc... especially because babes little bodies just have a hard time adjusting straight to whole cow's milk. I also recommend sticking with hormome free organic milk only.
I hope this is beneficial, God's Blessings, M. N.

Like others suggested, you can start with formula in a sippy cup, or bottle if that's what she's used to, and gradually add milk to the formula. If she is only used to drinking a bottle, then I would not switch to both sippy cup and whole milk at the same time. Unless, if she does fine with the sippy cup and prefers it, then go for it.

Here are two great articles:

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T030800.asp "Feeding Toddlers: 17 Tips for Pleasing the Picky Eater" It has good ideas for introducing new, healthy foods to toddlers.

and
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T040200.asp "ABC's of Teaching Nutrition to Kids" I thought this one was especially good because it teaches parents how to make learning about healthy food fun for kids. It talks about how to educate kids so that they make healthy choices on their own later on and so they know which kinds of food are healthy and why. The only thing I didn't agree with was that he suggested rewards, but everything else was pretty good advice. The article talks about referring to "grow" foods for kids.

It is not too early to start doing this. At her age, you can help by introducing a wide variety of different foods. My niece even eats avocado straight out of the peel (and a little mushed up). Avocado has a great source of the healthy fats that babies (and adults) need.

Make sure her diet is very colorful. The different colors in fruits and veggies represent different types of nutrients. And, if she doesn't like a food prepared one way, try preparing it another way. And remember, it can take up to 12 times of introducing a new food before a child will try it/get used to it. So, don't give up easily.

If she doens't like milk yet, don't worry. I remember my kids not liking it at first either, and they are huge milk drinkers now. I would try a half formula and have milk, same cup, and see what she thinks and then gradually add more milk and less formula. As for how much, I read somewhere, that if you are concerned, measure out 24-32 oz (I thinks that's how much milk they should get) in a container and use that to fill the cup all day. When it's gone, she's gotten enough. I wouldn't worry about her becoming dehydrated, as long as she has wet diapers, she's good. Also, not sure how you feel about juice, but my kids learned to drink out of a sippy cup w/juice. I still add water to my 4 y/o juice (when he's not looking). I start with mostly water and a splash of juice and add a little more juice the older they get. As for nutrients I give them the JuicyJuice or V8 veggie mix that still tastes like fruit.

Good Luck, and congrats on no more $90/a month formula purchases!

Hi L., you should give your daughter between 12-24 oz. of milk. We give our son his milk first thing in the morning and right before bed--he's less picky at these times. Throughout the day, try and give her 4 oz. of water and juice. She will love it. As far as solid foods, I usually do fruit for two of the meals and vegetables for two of the meals, and I add protein and breads throughout all the meals. I hope this is helpful.

Hi L.,

Have you looked up your questions on babycenter.com? I'm pretty sure they'll have answers to these questions. Good luck!

S.

She will get used to milk. If you flavor it, then you are going to have to do that from now on and you are adding extra sugar to their diet that is not needed. My pediatrician told me that the formulas for over 1 are a waste of money. He said that it is just glorified milk and your child can get everything needed from foods and milk. I went cold turkey to whole milk and soon my daughter was drinking lots. She needs at least 10 ounces a day. It sometimes takes 15 tries of a food to get your child to like it and be willing to take it so it is probably the same with milk. Just keep it available all the time, let her drink it when she wants to. Make sure you don't start offering juices and other sweet drinks until she gets a taste for milk or she will only want that stuff. I gave in a lot to my daughter not wanting things and I really regret it. Now I have the pickiest 2 year old, and I have so much trouble. When you hear people say don't feed them special meals, let them have what you are having, listen to the advice!! Your daughter is now old enough to eat almost everything that you can and it will make your life a lot easier if you start it now instead of waiting until they are stubborn and set in their ways.

Others have already suggested a gradual weaning from formula, but just to back that up, my kid's doctor said there is no rush to get them off the formula or breastmilk at 1 year old because they still need all those important nutrients that aren't necessarily in whole milk. They do have formulas for 1 year and older too, although I would guess you are probably hoping to ease off of having to buy expensive formula! Another way you could possibly get some milk in her is to feed her yogurt such as Yo Baby, which uses whole milk.

But, all that to say, don't feel like you are doing something wrong if it takes a while for her to get used to drinking whole milk. Our pediatricians have also suggested using powders like ovaltine or carnation instant breakfast to help them drink their milk (although not with every glass), but also because my boys have always been lower percentile in the weight department.

Hi L.,
My son is only eight and a half months old so I'm not quite where you are yet. I'm not sure how much food and nutrients your daughter should receive; however, I read in one of my books (entitled, Kid Tips)to give your child one ounce milk to however many ounces of formula your daughter will drink per day. By the end of the week, she should be accustomed to whole milk. Again, I don't know if it works (I'm not there yet); but it's what I plan to try when my son reaches a year of age. I believe that toddlers are supposed to get at least 16 ounces of whole milk.

Good luck!
K.

I have a book called The Healthy Baby Meal Planner by Annabel Karmel. She has a lot of recipes for a baby through toddler that are healthy & unique. My little guy will be one soon but is still slow on eating solids so I plan on breastfeeding for awhile longer. So I can't offer suggestions on weaning and going to milk. Good luck!

My children are much older but you can give her yogurt, cheese and things that have milk in them and she should be fine.

Milk is a great food, but there are other things you can give you kid to drink, water, yogurt/juice combos, juice with calcium, etc. Books on nutrition can be great, but why not try online first and save yourself some money. You can find a variety of recipes that will suit you.

My son didn't like whole milk either so we gave him vanilla soy milk that was fortified with calcium. We gradually transistioned him to milk. You could also just put a touch of juice in with water if she doesn't drink water well. As long as she has tears when she cries and the inside of her mouth is wet she is hydrated.

when changing from formula to whole milk, start adding 1-2 ounces of whole milk to 6-7 ounces of formula. After a few days start making the bottle with more whole milk until the formula is gone this will take about 8 days and your daughter will change easier. offer the sippy cup frequently, like every 30 min. she should get the same amount in the cup as she did in the bottle. limit the fruit juices since they are high in suger and calories. enjoy G.

I would mix some of the formula with the milk until she gets used to it. Also try giving her some water in a sippy cup so that the bottle transition is easier. Have you ever tried the Gerber Graduate meals? They're easy to eat with their fingers and pretty good for them. My little one also likes Mac and Cheese and frozen veggies (cooked of course). We break up manderian oranges as well for him. You can try cooked chicken in pieces and small bites of chicken nuggets. These are a few things I can think of off of the top of my head. I hope this helps.

Hi L.,
What I did with both my girls was mix the formula and milk together over a one month time span. The first week I would give 3/4 formula,1/4 milk. Second week- 1/2 and 1/2. Third week 3/4 milk, 1/4 formula. This worked really well as it gave them time to get used to the taste and also eased their tummy into the transition as well. Both my girls are now big time milk drinkers.
Also, give her water! I'm a firm believer that kids do not drink enough water and I only give juice for special occasions.
Good luck!
C.

Eventually she get the hang of solid foods. Just keep offering them to her. About the milk, mix in 3/4 formula and 1/4 milk for a couple of days then go half and half and then 1/4 formula, 3/4 milk, then eventually all milk. Milk taste so different from formula that kids usually don't like it at first. Our doctor told us to that with our kiddos at around 11 months and by the time they were a year they were on full whole milk. Then at 2 years we switched them to lowfat milk since they wouldn't need the high cholesterol in the whole milk anymore. Good luck and God Bless.

Hi, I'm a mom of 3 kids and my youngest just turned 1. My doctor gave me lots of handouts on portion sizes, amounts, etc of fruits, veggies, proteins and milk products. My son is not adjusting easily to cow's milk (he was on breastmilk) but my doctor said as long as he was getting at least 3 servings of yogurt and cheese he would get enough calcium. I have started buying frozen veggies (peas, corn, green beans, etc.) and then just cutting them up small for my son to eat as needed. What he won't eat that way I mix in vanilla whole yogurt, applesauce or squash (you can find winter squash puree in the freezer section). I also puree peaches and pears, etc and mix in his oatmeal or cut up watermelon or bananas into pieces he can eat. He can really eat whatever you are eating as long as you cut it into small pieces and you are eating a healthy meal--spagetti, tacos, etc. break apart easy too! I find that if I concentrate on making sure he gets his protein, fruits and veggies the rest falls into place and he is getting a healthy, well rounded meal. Good luck!

You've gotten several great tips. Here's another. Whether you buy jars of baby food, or puree fresh foods, introduce the veggies first. They aren't sweet like the fruits, and sometimes if they're started off with the sweet stuff babies will have a diffucult time with the not-so-sweet stuff. Also, remember to introduce one new food at a time and make sure to wait about three days before introducing another new food. That way, if your baby has any allergic reactions, you can know what is causing the problem.

Super Baby Foods by Ruth Yaron.

Good Luck!