Transitioning from formula to milk

[Critter]

I learned something new today and I wanted to share. I hope this is the right place for it.

Luke will be 11 months old on May 10 and I called the pediatrician to get "permission" to let Luke eat whatever he wants (with the exception of honey) and to talk about whole milk.  They're saying to let the transition begin!!!!  Here's what my pediatrician told me to do.  Hope it helps some of you....

Use whole milk.  If you notice an intolerance to whole milk, use lactose free whole milk before going to soy.  Do this in a sippy cup and start with 3 oz at a time...

3 days = 1/3 milk 2/3 formula
3 days = 1/2 milk 1/2 formula
3 days - 2/3 milk 1/3 formula
then on to just milk by itself.

Now, I asked her how much he should be getting in a day.  She said that he should be getting anywhere from 12-24 ounces TOTAL of milk and formula combined.  When it's just milk with no formula, 12-16 oz is sufficient.  I asked if I should start dropping bottles.  He's taking 3 a day now.  I'll start with the middle of the day bottle and eventually just give him milk before his nap.  Then we'll go to the night time bottle, then we'll do the morning bottle as I think that one will be the most difficult.  I'm not putting any milk in his bottles, because I feel that once the formula is gone, so are the bottles.

Hope this helps some of you!

[Marette]

thanks this helped.  my son is almost 14 months and takes a bottle of whole milk in the morning and night.  i am nervous to get rid of the bottle all together but know I have to..  the morning one seems to me that it will be the most difficult to change.  thanks,

[*Natasha*]

I have heard that mixing cows milk and formula together can constipate them, is this true?
I know my DD likes cows milk in fact she prefers it to formula, i give her 2ozs in her cup with meals. So i was just planning to go cold turkey and just replace her formula with cows milk.

[Critter]

My SIL went cold turkey, so I say do whatever you're the most comfortable with.  I'll probably do it in stages just b.c I would fly to the moon if my pediatrician told me to 

[joannad]

 With DD1 at 1 year I just made the switch.  Didn't know otherwise! She wasn't a great milk drinker once she was on solids 'proper'.
I'd already introduced the cup for water & baby fruit juice (- was told by Health Visitors I shouldn't give her juice as we should be drinking 2 l water as an adult for health - AAAGGGHHHH!!! If they were 'perfect' I wouldn't mind but our HV's weren't Roseamry Conley or Gillain McKeith!!). 
I stopped the bottle except for on a night, because she was used to sucking milk before bed & I couldn't put formula in the cup because of the non-return valve.  3 months later the bottle had been replaced by the cup.

[Rachel G]

Hi!

I put my son on cows milk in the morning and formula at night because I felt that way he was getting all the goodness added to the fomula. Did this till he was about 20 months and then used up a box of formula and gave him cows milk at bedtime too. My daughter is 14 months now and on formula, and I intend to do the same with her.

Marette - I changed the morning drink to a cup first, the theory being that as they're desperate for a drink they're more likely to go with the change. Worked with both kids, but it did take a few days. What I've just done with DD is let her drink as much or little as she wanted, then use what was left to mix her cereal. Now she drinks it all. Also, she started playing with her bedtime bottle so one night last week we tried giving her the cup and she's taken to it fine! You might find that when you make the change your little one will drink slightly less in each feed. Apparently that's normal, so don't worry.

As for the constipated thing - I think that as long as they drink lots of water during the day, and eat lots of fruit and veg things should be OK. If in doubt, try Organix prune porridge - it worked wonders with William!!

Hope this helps.