Is 11.5 Months to Early to Wean?

Cow's milk is fine and I'd go straight to the sippy and not get involved with bottles and formula any more than you are. Just another habit to change.

I introduced my son to whole milk when he was about 11 months old. I thought he would just magically take to it, but He hated it so much that I had to keep giving him formula. I started giving him 3/4 cup formula, 1/4 cup whole milk mixed in. He took to that well, so 2 weeks later, I uped it to 1/2 formula, 1/2 whole milk. 3 weeks after that, I switched to 3/4 whole milk, 1/4 formula in the same cup mixed. A week later, I switched to whole milk and he did just fine. He was completely off formula by his 1st birthday.

I've been told that, with any new food, you should add one new food at a time and watch for any negative reactions for 7-10 days (before starting another new food). I think that applies to whatever milk you choose. Oh, and don't choose 2% or skim milk for your baby. Your baby will need the whole milk.

If you can call your pediatrician's office without a visit (and without a co-pay) and ask this question, please go ahead. My ped has a list of answers for FAQ that his nurse or assistant can pass along without having to consult him personally. Of course, sometimes, I ask questions of the nurse which are passed on to him for a more specific answer. I know not everyone has that option.

I agree with the sippy cup. Skip offering it in a bottle. You have already started the weaning process. Replacing a nursing session with a meal or snack, one session at a time, will get you and your baby to your goal.

I suggest you keep some you+baby time especially at those times of the day when you were nursing. Your baby isn't getting so much nutrition from the nursing, at this age, as comfort and much-needed loving.

The mistake I made was weaning from nursing to a bottle. Just nurse and then wean to a sippy cup and skip the whole bottle routine.

I think it's fine to go to cows milk. I know everyone has these stories of their child hating it, but I stopped nursing at 13 months and my son could have cared less! He was ready. You never know, you baby could be too! Good Luck!

Formula serves no purpose except as a standin when breastmilk is not available. There is no reason to wean TO formula. I would discuss it with your pedi and wean straight to milk and straight to sippy cup if you can.

I have personally never experienced this (I was unsuccessful nursing my son and my daughter is too young), but I've been told by a lot of people that most infants wean themselves, around 1 year of age. My mother told me I was 13 months and my brother was 11 months when we weaned ourselves. Perhaps your son just needs a little longer to wean himself? Just a suggestion, though, since I don't know.

When weaning my son off the bottle, I put milk straight into a sippy. We always taught him that adult food was served differently than baby food (no rice cereal in the bottle for us, either!)

I'm a milk addict, myself. Heaven forbid I ever become lactose intolerant - I might keel over! However, my son's doctor told me not to start cow's milk until the 12 month mark, so I didn't. Good luck!

I weaned from breast straight to a sippy cup with whole cow's milk. Why have to wean from a bottle and formula too? Sounds like too many steps to me.

So yes - no big deal IMO with having cows milk half a month earlier than suggested. But I'd skip the formula and skip the bottle if I were you and go straight to the cow's milk in a sippy cup for the nursings that you wean him off of.

I agree to check with your ped, I know mine said 12 months for whole milk. Since it's so close I would suggest to wait until 1 year. When you make the switch you may want to do part formula part milk to make the transition smoother for his digestive system. I also would suggest trying the sippy cup rather than bottle, but only if he's ready. You also want to make sure he 's getting plenty of nutrition form table foods when switching to whole milk because whole milk doesn't have all the nutrients that formula and breastmilk have.

Just my 2 cents! :0)

Your pediatrician is the best one to answer the milk question. My question to you is why bother with bottles? At his age a sippy cup for milk is easier than a bottle, and makes for one less transition just a bit later. I weaned 2 of mine directly to cups starting about this age, and it was very easy. I would cut the breast feedings very gradually, one at a time at least a week or two apart. That is easier on him and and you. My personal suggestion is to leave out formula altogether and go directly to milk, but this is a question for your doctor.

With both my daughters we switched to whole cow's milk at 1 year. I do not think that their tummies have a clock inside, so if you wanted to do it a bit early I think that would be fine. I only nursed both until 7 months and then switched to formula, and fully to whole milk at 1 year. But if you are concerned, just check with the pediatrician in the new year. Cheers.

Why wean him at all? Why stop giving the optimal growth food for human infants to supplant it with inferior formula or another species (bovine) breastmilk?

It's best for the child to continue nursing on demand and introducing soft textured foods from the table - which you've been doing and it seems to be working great for your little one.

Americans drink entirely too much cow breastmilk, it's kinda gross... especially when you see how infected, maltreated and sickly corporate dairy cows are.

wow, things are sure different these days. My dr. had my son on regular milk at 10 months old and off the bottle completely by his first birthday. He is 32 yrs old and not ever had one problem. Good luck. I think its really what you want to do.

When my daughter was about 11 months old, her doctor told me to do half formula and half whole milk, until she was a year old. And once she turned 1 to take the formula away. (I was only able to nurse for 3 weeks, because my milk supply didn't come in very well and it stopped roughly 3 weeks after birth)

I stopped giving her a bottle at 10 months, and she only had a sippy cup. Even though she was done with formula and getting cow milk, I still bought EnfaGrow, and she still gets a few sippys of EnfaGrow a day, along with milk, juice and water.

I think its a matter of personal opinion, if you feel comfortable doing it. I don't buy 'grocery store' milk tho. We have a local dairy farm that sells their own milk from their own cows. I've seen the process done and see how they take care of their cattle and I'm perfectly fine with their cow milk :)

I breast fed my children for 4-5 months, I was uncomfortable after they got older and a little more aware, I saw a woman in public once the child walked up pulled her shirt down and drank ... A little awkward for everyone. Don't go that far...I'm sure my children drank regular milk before age 1 and began eating cereal at 1 month from a spoon and foods soon after. The dr said it was the begining that was so important anyway, I think your good to wean.

I have agree that all 3 at one time doesnt sound like a good idea. If you can, just go directly from breastmilk to cow's milk. If you already have him wean from BFing only at sleep times then weaning should go pretty smoothly straight into cow's milk. Just slowly eliminate one feeding a week for the next 3 weeks.

Good luck!