Author Topic: How to introduce whole milk? Gradually or cold turkey?  (Read 4225 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Mia's Mommy

  • New, But Posting Steadily!
  • **
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 66
  • Location: WA
How to introduce whole milk? Gradually or cold turkey?
« on: October 19, 2011, 14:17:47 pm »
My DD turned 1 this past Monday and I'm wondering how to introduce whole milk into her diet? Gradual or cold turkey switch all formula to milk?  Below is her routine...

7am Wake
730  6oz formula
830  Breakfast
11-1 Nap
130  Lunch
3     4oz formula
430-530  Nap
715  Bath, 6oz formula, Bedtime

Offline Lemonthyme

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 29
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 1224
  • Location: UK
    • Mamacook
Re: How to introduce whole milk? Gradually or cold turkey?
« Reply #1 on: October 19, 2011, 14:58:26 pm »
I have no experience of FF but I switched each feed with breastfeeding.  By that time though we were down to two feeds and so I switched the morning feed and presumably my supply dropped a bit because he started to drop the night feed.  That said, at 17 months I have now introduced an afternoon cup of milk back in because of hunger.

Just give it a go, you might be surprised.  Switching from a bottle or cup of formula to a cup of milk I reckon is a smaller jump than going from breastmilk but you might find she's absolutely fine with it.  If she's not you can go back and try another strategy like mixing them and gradually increasing the amount of cow's milk.

I have heard loads of people say their LOs had more milk when it was formula but it's advised (in the UK anyway) to switch to a cup around this age and most people combine the changes.  Lots of babies I know will have milk from a bottle (or the boob) because it's comforting as much as because they're hungry.  That said, my son will drain a cup every morning and most evenings now and if you are worried about the milk intake, remember at 1 they need 1 pint or the equivalent in food so you can give yoghurt, cheese etc and you soon get there.
Here's my blog which is focussed on simple food for babies, toddlers and families http://mamacook.blogspot.com/

Offline MadisonC

  • BW Aficionado
  • ***
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 205
  • my loves xo
  • Location: Ontario
Re: How to introduce whole milk? Gradually or cold turkey?
« Reply #2 on: October 19, 2011, 15:14:34 pm »
I started at 11.5 months gradually introducing whole milk.  I started off by mixing an oz at a time to the formula and by the time DS was 1 he was on only whole milk and taking 3 bottles a day.  He is now 14months has 1 bottle a bedtime and has whole milk with meals from a straw sippy.  At first he didn't seem like a fan of the whole milk but after a few days he really took to it.



Offline *Amy*

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 19
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 2466
  • Originally from Ireland - Living in Dubai
  • Location: Dubai
Re: How to introduce whole milk? Gradually or cold turkey?
« Reply #3 on: October 19, 2011, 16:07:21 pm »
I went cold turkey and it was fine, I only thought to do it gradually if she didnt like it but she loved it from the get go....


Offline Roseii

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 198
  • Posts: 12095
  • Location: UK
Re: How to introduce whole milk? Gradually or cold turkey?
« Reply #4 on: October 19, 2011, 17:47:21 pm »
I went cold turkey with dd1 at 12mo, she never minded! X
Blessed mum to two home-birthed darling water babies

hey you with the pretty face, welcome to the human race


Offline Texomamama

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 15
  • Posts: 940
  • Location: Texas
Re: How to introduce whole milk? Gradually or cold turkey?
« Reply #5 on: October 19, 2011, 17:59:11 pm »
I did the same as MadisonC above.....just switched an ounce at a time in the bottle until it was all whole milk.  Right now, DD2 is 13.5 mo and we are still using about 1 oz of milk for her 2 remaining bottles.  Once I run out of formula later this week, that will be it.

Many people just make the switch cold turkey with no problems, like several of the PP's.  Milk is much sweeter, and therefore tastes better than formula (theoretically anyway), so most LO's have no problem.

Offline Mia's Mommy

  • New, But Posting Steadily!
  • **
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 66
  • Location: WA
Re: How to introduce whole milk? Gradually or cold turkey?
« Reply #6 on: October 19, 2011, 18:16:45 pm »
Thank you everyone for your help!

Offline FroggyMom

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 12
  • Posts: 1205
  • Location:
Re: How to introduce whole milk? Gradually or cold turkey?
« Reply #7 on: October 20, 2011, 16:08:51 pm »
I switched DS gradually from formula to milk at 12 months old.  Our pediatrician recommended the following:

75% formula/25% milk
50% formula/50% milk
25% formula/75% milk
100% milk

The gradual switch worked well for us!  Good luck!

Offline buttonbaby

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 10
  • Posts: 1292
  • Location:
Re: How to introduce whole milk? Gradually or cold turkey?
« Reply #8 on: October 20, 2011, 19:51:12 pm »
I did something like froggymum and it worked...no problems but hard to know if cold turkey would have worked too!
Hello from Ireland!
Fiona