Milk

Updated on September 15, 2007
R.J. asks from Chandler, AZ
15 answers

How did you transition your child from formula or breastfeeding to MILK? Our pediatrician wants my daughter transitioned at 10-11 months. She was breastfed till 5 months and has been on forumla since. I also make all her food, which is part of the reason the pediatrician stated he felt she could be transitioned to regular milk. She is getting far more nutrients from what I make versus jars of food. She eats mushrooms, beets, zuchinni, all kinds of squash, all meats, brocolli, cauliflower and more. My question pertains to making the switch, NOT whether it is the right or wrong thing to do. Bloodwork was done at her 9 month appointment to determine if she was ready to make the move to regular milk.

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J.G.

answers from Phoenix on

At 10 months I would start out 1 oz. of milk added to the formula. Then every week add another oz. till it's all Milk and no formula. They should be on whole milk till they are two.

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L.L.

answers from Phoenix on

hello i had my kids on formula and then got them on milk and what i was told was to start putting in less formula and add milk if she drinks and 8 0z then make 6oz formula and add 2 oz of milk then monitor that for a week and then the next week take out more formula and add more milk and so on it's normal if she spitts up a little the first week but if she gets a rash or hives or any alergic reaction then you may have to talk to her doctor about soy or goat milk my kids transitioned smoothly so hopefully your daughter will too God bless leandra

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M.M.

answers from Phoenix on

we started half and half, then slowly add more milk!!!

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K.B.

answers from Phoenix on

Hi R.,
It sounds like you're little one and you are doing the impossible, eating healthy, and loving it!! :) anyway about your transition to milk......that's exactly what it is a TRANSITION. Which really means a little at a time, I've heard more than once that cow's milk is very hard for humans to digest in the beginning, that's why we should introduce it in foods, and formula that you know your baby's body can handle. Try adding it to dairy products that she already eats, in the afternoon, that way you can monitor her to make sure she is adjusting O.K. and don't be surprised if she gets loose stool , that's a normal side effect of cow's milk. I hope this helps.
K. B.

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J.M.

answers from Phoenix on

My son who is now 5 started on regular milk at the age of 10 months and my daughter the same. All I did was just cut off the formula and gave them the milk. The only thing they thought was wierd is that i gave it to them cold. They couldn't tell the difference and never had an issue after the transition.

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S.R.

answers from Phoenix on

I just used half milk and half formula when I trasitioned my daughter. Her doctor also told us that 2% milk would make it easier for her to digest at first so that is what we did. At first she would spit up a little bit sometimes but she got used to it and does just fine.

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L.R.

answers from Phoenix on

I would start with 1 part milk to 2 parts formula, to see if she has any allergic reactions. After about a week then I would gradually, maybe every few days, increase the milk amount and decrease the formula amount until it's all milk. As others have stated I would just be cautious about watching for dairy allergies. It may not come in a tummy problem, but may come out as excema on the skin. My son had some issues with milk and excema. Waiting to give certain foods can reduce the chance of allegies later. Also as someone else stated, you know your baby better than anyone, so use your "mommy" instinct! Good luck! L.

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J.C.

answers from Phoenix on

I started my son on whole milk at 9 months old. My doctor said that as long as he had been exclusively breastfed up until that point that there shouldn't be any worries with 'introducing' whole milk at an earlier age.

I mixed whole milk with breastmilk in a sippy cup. I did this only in a cup, not a bottle. I am not sure if he ever drank much of it, but he at least was getting exposure. I breastfed him until 15 months and weaned him to a bottle with whole milk. He took the bottle for a month and that was it. I could never get him to drink milk after that. He had it in cold cereal, but that was it. He recently started drinking milk from a cup again and he is almost four.

I would suggest just introducing it gradually at this point. I would not take her all the way off of the formula. She might be eating a lot of nutritious food, but you never know whether or not she is getting all of the vital nutrients for growth, brain development, etc. A child needs a well-balanced diet, this is why I continued to breastfeed my children past one year and I would have done the same if they were formula fed. It never hurts to make sure that you are providing your child with every possible form of nutrition.

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K.N.

answers from Phoenix on

Our kids doctor gave us a schedule thingie for switching my twins to milk. The first three days we did 7 oz of formula with 1 oz of milk mixed in. Then the next three days we did 6 oz of formula with 2 oz of milk, then 3 days of 3 oz milk to 4 oz of formula. So we added an ounce of milk every three days as it was tolerated. It worked really well for my girls. I think they were on just milk within two weeks and going strong. I hope this helps.

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L.N.

answers from Phoenix on

Our ped said to just do half formula, half milk until all the formula we had was gone. When only did this for a litte while and ended up giving the rest of our formula to a friend. My daughter didn't seem to notice the difference at all.

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S.M.

answers from Phoenix on

WOW That seems early. They told us 1 year. My friend was told 2 years. I guess it is dr pref.

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J.C.

answers from Chicago on

I would mix some whole milk with some breast milk and do it that way... 1/2 and 1/2 for the first few times, then just lesson the breastmilk more and more....

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E.C.

answers from Phoenix on

I have to agree with the other responses, 10 months is pretty early, the American Medical Assoc. recommends 2 years. Besides, it' not what your doctor wants, it's what YOU and your BABY want that's important. Nursing is much more than food, I'm sure you know that, so do what feels right to you. You are definitely not hurting your baby by waiting to ween. Also, I'd be wary of going straight to milk, it may cause allergies. I personally waited until my children were over a year to give them milk.
Mothering is hard when there's so much input, but always be sure that you follow your natural mothering instinct, it's one of our many powers as women!

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L.M.

answers from Phoenix on

My first son couldn't tolerate regular Enfamil or Similac, nor Carnation Good Start. We switched him to Soy and that gave him green diarrhea/blowouts. And then we switched him to Enfamil Lactofree Lipil. He did great for 9 months after all that switching. Then at 12 months, we switched him to Whole Milk, then 2% and after 2 months of not tolerating either, we switched him to 1% and he's had that ever since. But the past few months we switched him to Lactaid 1% milk. He is 3.5 y.o. now..He ate good as a baby not eating what I made for him but he was the Gerber/Beechnut/Earth's Best Baby.

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K.

answers from Phoenix on

What doctor is this?? 10 months..

K.

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