Transition to Whole Milk

Thank you for this question. I have a 13 month old and have been trying to get her to drink whole milk and she won't do it. If I warm it up, she will drink it. However, I'm not too interested in constantly warming it up (because what if we are at the mall?). I think you have some great advice here.

A.,
I have had 3 children and 2 grandchildren who were bottle fed; when they were all 1 year old we switched them over all at once. It didn't bother any of them. Good luck!

I would just do 10% at a time or so. 90/10 for 3 days, 80/20 for 3 days, etc. I switched my youngest too quickly and he got a big rash all over. Then I had to do formula for another month and then do it slowly. He was fine after that.
Good luck,
J.

I was having a lot of trouble getting my son transitioned, too. I would give him the milk, but he wanted nothing to do with it. I just kept trying, but was worrying we would be breastfeeding forever. Then one day I let him drink directly out of a cup with help, he loved it! He drank half a glass that first night and refused to breastfeed that night. We haven't looked back yet. He now drinks 4-8 sippies of milk a day and hasn't breastfeed since that night. He was 14 months old then. HTH!

I think you're doing the right thing already - trying half and half first. I started giving my son Vitamin D milk when he turned one and he tolerated it well. If your son didn't have any problems with his digestive system so far, he will probably be fine.

Its good to gradually introduce your child on whole milk and not skim, one reason is that the childs developing brain is in need of that extra fat. Try your child on a sippy cup or small portions of milk to start and then work up to need he requires. Its alway inportant to watch for allergies because not all children can tolerate milk products. One possible system of lactose intolarance is a sign of bowel irrability, cramping and very loose stools. If your child has a lactose intolerance take him or her off right away try Lactose free whole milks or Soy milk. When raising children and as a new mother its always a trial and error sitiuation like most of the mothers befores have had. Good luck! KM

That's pretty much how my son's pediatrition told me how to do it. Maybe his first day 3/4 formula, 1/4 milk, then half and half then 1/4 formula, 3/4 milk on the 3rd day. That's what we did for my son, and it went fine.

My PED said when you switch over you should just go all the way no mixing. I thought you should do 1/2 1/2 too but he said its actually easier to just do 100% the 1/2. I've done it with all three of my kids and no problems!

One way to handle it is to just give him a cup of milk for one meal a day for a few days, if he handles it okay, then move onto another meal, etc., until he's completely switched over. I did this with my two boys (one is almost 4 and the other is 16 months) and I had no issues. Good luck!

When we swithched our boys to milk, we just gave them straight milk. They did just fine with it. I think it helped that we warmed the milk up for them first. I hope this helps.

Half and half is a great way to do it. However, I have always been told by Dr.'s that there is no need to give whole vs.,2%. No need for the extra fat (not to add another question and or confusion to your situtation). Good luck.

Hi There. My son is three years old now, but I did just what you're describing here just before his first birthday. I had planeed to nurse him until he was one year old, but at about 11 months, and he pretty much weaned himself off. I didn't want to use formula so I spoke with a trusted lactation consultant about what to do. She said it was fine to go straight to whole milk. I still had some reserves of pumped breastmilk in my freezer, so after I used all that up I went straight to whole milk and my son didn't even bat an eye. I remember feeling so worried about making the transition, but it was a piece of cake. Hope it's a smooth transition for you too! L.

I have am almost 8 year old daughter, and now a 3-1/2 month old baby girl.

I remember when I switched my oldest daughter to whole milk I just simply changed from formula to the whole milk on day shortly after her 1rst birthday... just like that and she didn't even seem to notice or care. We also got rid of all bottles and switched to sippy cups at the same time. My daughter is very easy going, and I'm not sure what your's is like but this was not a big issue and she didn't react to the change in milk. Good luck!

Hi A.-

My Name is M.. My daughter just turned one in December. I took her last can of formula and slowly transitioned her to whole milk. I started out 2 ounces of whole milk to 4 ounces of formula for about a week and then I would do 4 ounces of milk to 2 ounces of formula for another week. My doctor had told me you don't have to transition them if you don't want too. He also suggested doing one day all milk the next all formula or one sippy milk the next one formula. I hope this helps.

I remember my doctor wanting to get an Iron count in my daughters blood prior to switching to whole milk. You might want to have that done first. Most likely, it'll be fine. It's a simple finger prick. and Most kids don't cry because it's over before they even know what happened. But, the switch should be pretty easy...just try giving him a little and see if he likes it.

HI A.-I think you're on the right track mixing half and half and then switching gradually. My only suggestion would be to balance it out with juice or lots of fruit/fiber to prevent consitipation. My oldest daughter had the hardest time because of this. Good luck!

We just stopped giving our guy formula and started giving him whole milk right away. I don't understand why you'd need a transition period. It was no big deal.

do the half milk half formula like you said but go longer than a week then gradually add more whole milk less formula each week and see how his system handles it (each child is different.)
i am no expert but my neighbor who does daycare and has done it for forty years has done it this way.

I actually tried whole milk but it was just to rich for my daughter, so we use 2% milk. She adjusted just fine but I also think the half milk and half BF milk is a good idea. People say there is a 4 day rule which allows a child to try anything new for four days before trying another new food so that parents know when there is an allergy.

This is how I did it with my 5 year old. I would watch and see how he is handling it and gradually add more milk as he does well with it.

That is what I did with all three of mine and it was more a taste issue that slowed the transition than a system issue. They all have done fine. Good luck. It sure makes things easier.

I don't remember my son having issues switching from formula to milk. But sure no harm in introducing it to him gradually. And I would just treat it like you do when you first started giving him jar food. Check to see if he gets a rash on his tush or if it gives him diarreha (sp?) and all of that. Good luck. Don't worry about it too much because like I said I don't remember anything going wrong with my son. He might be allergic to it??? Although, if he's not allergic to the formula then he's not going to be allergic to the milk. Unless you are giving him soy formula?

That is exactly how I did it! I mixed it for just a little bit to get him used to the flavor and then started exchanging it one meal at a time with whole milk once I knew he liked it. I don't remember any fussiness or reaction because of the switch.

I just asked this question of my Dr. and he said he can start having small amounts of milk at 10 months with his meals. I am breastfeeding mom as well. My son will be 10 months on the 20th and I have given him a sip of milk on a few occasions. He seems to be fine. My son also likes to drink my ice water, so the cold is not a concern of mine. I will not be mixing milks just slowly introducing an ounce or so at a time. I want to be done nursing at a year.