Other Options Besides Formula

My two babes (2 and 10 mos) were both breast fed and supplemented with soy formula (nestle good start with dha & rha) before switching over to whole milk at age one. They never had infamil or similac

hi im bell i was also going through this transition ur in, but i waited till later. my son was 15 months wgen i switched i googled the best recommended milk for my toddler. he was drinkng soy milk and now i give him horizon whole organic with dha omega-3 they have others just read investigate first. then trust ur instinctsand good luck mom. i had to be patient through thistransition cause my son resisted the whole milk but now he is well adjustedto the milk.

My son is ten months old, and I have already started introducing whole milk. (With meals though- we still use formula 3 times a day!) You start with small amounts. Don't jump right into it, just to make sure your daughter can digest it well. If she responds well, without any skin allergies or digestive trouble, then you can start making that her main liquid. But speak with your doctor right away as well, to make sure that you are meeting all her nutritional needs. And ask if you need to add in a vitamin too.

im just wondering why are you not waiting one more month? at 12 months, she will be able to transition to whichever milk you will be giving her depending on what your family drinks.

if you are wanting to replace the formula with a milk, the answer is no, milk is not the same as formula or breastmilk. they are both specifically made to give your baby the proper nutrients. milk is not the same or babies wouldnt be drinking formula.

but if you are just wanting to start the "milk" your family uses(whether it be cow, soy, goat, its a personal choice), im back to my first question of why not just wait a month. better safe than sorry.

ETA- whatever you do though, dont add sugar!!!!

When my (healthy, large) daughter was 11 months old, we quit nursing cold turkey and went straight to whole milk. She hated formula, so that wasn't really in the running. I hope that helps! Her first bottle, honestly, was skim milk with sugar, in a bottle, heated up in the microwave. I was SO tired of being chewed on, I just gave up one afternoon and gave her a bottle. Not many babies will resist milk with sugar. ;-) The first bottle had two teaspoons, I think - total overkill. The next bottle had one teaspoon, and the next had half a teaspoon...the bottle after that was just warm whole milk. (I had gone to the store by that point.)

She never had any adverse effects. You might notice a difference in her diapers, but you can add other things to her diet to fix any imbalances (oranges if she can't, bananas if she "does" too much!)

Dear M.,

Anything new you introduce I would do only an ounce at a time just to make sure not only of allergies but digestive problems. At 11 months I began introducing regular milk one ounce at a time to the formula until eventually it was all milk. As long as your daughter is a good eater and is getting enough nutrients from a balanced diet than there is no reason for formula at her age.

Soy milk is estrogenic- as with other varieties of plant foods it contains phyto-estrogens. This would not be a concern if it was something your child consumed occasionally, but every day as a beverage? It is also goitrogenic- depresses thyroid function. Broccoli is too, but in moderation that does not pose a problem- no one suggests drinking juiced brocoli every day. So, be careful how much soy you give to your child (esp considering she's probably getting soy in other places as soy oil is in MANY pre-made foods and so is soy lecithin). Beyond that, soy beans are the most difficult bean to digest if not presoaked and fermented (as in traditional miso and soy sauce) so it is just as likly to cause food sensitivities as pasteurized, homogenized cow's milk... if you must choose a substitute for dairy, I'd go with coconut milk, hemp milk, or homemade almond milk- probably in that order- but these will not be quite as nutrient dense and you would probably have to supplement in other areas.

Goat milk is, of the three milks you mentioned, traditionally the easiest to digest and an added bonus, it requires less processing as it does not need to be homogenized- the molecules are smaller and thus do not separate as cow's milk in the course of a week. Choose one that is not ULTRA-pasteurized. Raw goat's milk tastes less "goaty"; our family prefers is this way. My children thrive on goat's milk yogurt every day.

Cow's milk- Can you find cow's milk that is not ultra-pasteurized (the excessive heat denatures valuable compounds), that is hormone free, that is not homogenized? Ultra-pasteurized, homogenized milk from cows not able to eat primarily grass/hay who are injected with hormones is most likely to cause health problems. I am lucky to have neighbors who share their lovely, creamy jersey cow milk with my children, but I have many other friends who have found other ways to provide milk as nature intended it for their kids by working with local farmers.

Hi M.,
If she is 11 months and has less than a month to go on formula, I'm wondering why you feel a need to switch to something else, when she is so close to being able to have cows milk? If that's what you plan to give her when she's a year, then I would simply wait until then, and give it to her. While breastfeeding is recommended for a full year, if a mother is not breastfeeding, the recommended substitute until a year old is infant formula.
That said, goats milk is closer to human milk than cow's milk is but with less than a month of formula to go, unless you're planning to make goats milk her milk for all of her childhood, I wouldn't switch to something now and then switch again. I don't believe in giving soy when you don't need to, due to the estrogen boosting.
Good luck!

My kids only drink Silk Soy Omega-3 enhanced milk. One transitioned it to it from formula, my other transitioned from breast milk.
Both kids, did great.
If you compare the label of the silk enhanced to that of regular whole milk, you'll find it to be nutritionally superior.

The only thing I've heard about Soy Milk is that it has a lot of estogen and to stay away from giving it to babies if you don't have to.

The usual advise is it is okay to switch to whole cow's milk at 12 months. With my son we mixed the milk with the formula for a few weeks as a transition. He has been happily drinking organic cow's milk since then (between the milk he drinks and what I drink since I am pregant we go through gallons a week). I switched him to 2% milk at age 2 since he is a big and not in need of extra fat calories. He also will will drink 1% milk and seems not to notice the difference. Now that we have been drinking only organic milk for a while I do notice a taste difference between the otganic and other milk. To me the organic usually tastes fresher (and has much longer freshness dates). Also paper seems a better choice than plastic containers. (I can taste the plastic if that was the container it was in--but I may be extra sensative to taste since being pregnant).

Some people say goat milk is closer to human milk and easier to digest. I haven't tried it and I really like cow's milk even as an adult.

Pediasure mixed with milk and cereal.

My daughter is 11mo also, we just started transitioning her to whole cows milk. She has no allergies and is having no problems with the milk.

The Dr. said the transition is all about taste and has nothing to do with the properties of the milk vs. formula (or breast milk).

We have had her on formula for a few months but if you are still nursing, I would just mix the breast milk with the whole cows milk for the transition. We are mixing half and half in her 8oz bottles and having great success.

I don't think you need to look for another formula I think it is time to introduce milk. Th best thing to o is slowly wean her onto whatever milk you drink. For my kids I replaced one ounce of furmula in each bottle with milk for about 2 days and then I increased it to 2 ounces and I kept increasing every couple days until it was all formula.

you should always check with your doctor first, but you can introduce milk at 1 oz mixed with 7 oz of formula and then increase it daily.