Transitioning from Breastmilk to Cow's Milk

HI N.,
The way we did it was to start out with one part cow's milk, 3 parts breast milk. We did that for a week, then went to two and two. Did that for a week, then went to 3 parts cow's milk and 1 part breast milk. Then after a week or so, we slipped in a 100% cow's milk and she didn't even notice.

Good luck!

Mix breastmilk/milk 75/25 first week, 50/50 second week, 25/75 third week and transition to 100% milk on final week.

Beware, some children refuse milk because they have allergies or problems digesting it. You may need to go to rice milk, almond milk or some other alternative.

Good luck!

My son would spit out then throw up cow's milk. So I gave up on giving that to him. I am still nursing and he gets a lot of fat in other ways through his diet. Don't be in such a rush or concern that she needs milk.

just keep trying. As long as she's eating solid foods and you're nursing a few times a day (and she's getting water too) she's fine. Just keep introducing.

Don't stress :-) My son hated cows milk when I first introduced it. Now (just turned 3), he probably drinks 16 ounces a day (way more than he needs but he's skinny so it's okay).

Anyway, our pediatrician gave me the following advice.

1) introduce other dairy foods: hard cheeze, yogurt, cotage cheeze etc. A serving of any one of these is the same as a cup of milk. (just make sure to give plenty of water as well).

2) see if she'll eat cereal with milk. At her age she'll enjoy fishing the Os out wiht her spoon and she'll get a little milk in each bite.

3) mix a little nestle mix in the milk (not nearly as much as the directions call for but enough to make is sweet and very light brown) for a special treat.

As long as she's eating other dairy I wouldn't worry about it. Just keep offering her the milk in small portions and see if she takes it. My personal recommendation would be against mixing cause she's old enough to know what she likes and not be fooled by something that is only a little like what she likes, but that's just me.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

T.

We found that almond milk worked the best for us!! Good Luck!!

Hi N.,

I have only read a few posts and I have to agree with the ones I read, that cow's milk isn't really all that great for us.

A great way to get calicum is from broccoli. I put a little soy sauce in the water when I steam it, it makes it taste so yummy it has become my daughter's favorite food.

Back to milk: My family has always had issues with milk, eczema, yeasts, lactose intolerance, sinitus, IBS. I was just reading some info online about an interesting issue. Many people are infected with mycoplasma. It has become epidemic because it is passed in families, in utero, biting insects, etc. These mycoplasma block the vitamin d receptor in your immune system and they feed on the synthetic vit D co-steriod that is added into foods. Excess vit d added to foods or taken as supplements affects progression of allergies and diseases like IBS, reflux, eczema, sinusitis, etc.!!!!

http://www.marshallprotocol.com/forum32/1263.html

I found this to be strikingly interesting, because I have been looking for medical answers for a long time. Before I even for Marshall's site I studied blood reports about 6 months ago.. posted from a lab, and one thing I made note of was that almost every one of the patients had deficencies in Vit D and a good 60 % had deficiencies in vit B. So it supports Trevor Marshall's findings.

A solution for a "milk" on cereals, etc, is a protien drink, like carb solutions vanilla protien ready to drink shake. Another solution is cream, watered down. It shouldn't have the added vit d in it either.

Hi N.,

My daughter just turned 14 months yesterday. After she turned a year, I tried to wean her, but she just wasn't ready. I continued to nurse her 2-3 times per day, but throughout the day I'd offer her a sippy cup with cow's milk. At first she wasn't too interested in it. Over time she got used to the taste, and I gradually went from 3 nursings a day to 2 nursings to 1 nursing per day. I began substituting my milk with the cow's milk. For me, giving up our one on one nursing time was hard, but she was ready. On January 27th, she showed no interest in nursing and completely stopped. I believe that my daughter stopped nursing because she was ready. I hope that my experience may help you in some way. Blessings, G.

You could also try soy milk. My friend said she said her doctor advised her to mix the cows milk with a little bit of orange jiuce and her kids loved this.

If you're still nursing a few times a day, just makes sure she gets other calcium--cheese, yogurt, etc. Unless you've just GOT too wean for some reason, letting her have "mem" (My 21-month old's name for it) a few times a day is good for you both! She's still getting the nourishment and immune system boost from you, and the longer you breastfeed, the more protection you get from the various illnesses and cancers influenced by breastfeeding.
(Besides, it makes it SO easy to get her to go down for nap/bed--all I have to do is tell her it's time for mem, and she runs for the bedroom--and starts saying "Come on, Mommy!" if I'm not hot on her heels)

not sure if this will work..but my baby was bottlefed..so when we transitioned her from forumula to cow milk.....
day one bottle 7 ounces formula/1 ounce milk
day two bottle 6 ounces formula/2 ounces milk
day three bottle 5 ounces formula/3 ounces milk

and so on until you get to last day and she is completely drinking milk....if she refuses a bottle one day..go back to the day before's formula..

you can also call your pediatrician for advice as well.

Are you ready to wean her? It sounds like she still prefers your milk. Nutritionally speaking, she is still getting a lot of benefit from your breastmilk...

If you're feeling done with breastfeeding, I made a longer comment on the post about weaning the 2 year old that described how the process worked with me and my daughter.

Good luck!

Congrats on your bundle of Love. When you stop nursing, everything will change. It sounds like she is holding-out for the breast, but when that is no longer provided, she will easily take milk, milk alternative, or water (be sure to supplement calcium if water is her choice). Good luck!

Just because she didn't like it one day does not mesn she might not like it the next. She only needs 16 oz of milk, breast or whole cow's milk in a 24 hour day, so she's probably getting enough especially if you are offering other milk products. She does not need to drink milk in a bottle as most of the world goes from breast to cup and you state she does OK with a sippy cup. Be persistant, she will learn over time.

Have faith! Like another mom, my son absolutely refused ANY kind of milk, and believe me, we tried it all... rice, almond, soy, Lactaid, etc etc etc. His pediatrician reminded me that humans are the only mammals that drink the milk of another animal and that cow's milk is often what causes sensitivity and allergies. As my son was lactose-intolerant when he was a baby (I had to drink Lactaid while breastfeeding), I tried every other thing I could. His pediatrician assured me that as long as he was getting plenty of other dairy and good green veggies (especially broccoli), he would get plenty of what he needed.

Then one day when he was about 20mo, he wanted to eat cereal with milk on it (like Mommy), and he's been drinking skim milk from a sippy cup ever since.

He still nurses at bedtime, and we're both ok with that. I'm wondering what your reasons are for weaning. If nursing is still working for both of you, then you should by all means continue :) My son still nursed twice a day up until he dropped his nap nurse around 17mo. The American Academy of Pediatrics actually recommends breastfeeding for at least 2 years to reap the full benefits for both mom and baby, but as long as you breastfeed, there are benefits both nutritional and psychological for you both, and your milk will continually change to fit your daughter's needs. Breastmilk truly is a live and wonderful food! But if weaning is what you choose now, I COMMEND you for breastfeeding this long!!! Way to go, Mom!!!!!!

Dont worry about milk, my son never did like drinking milk. Water is the best thing for them anyway. Make sure your little girl gets adequate calcium (it is in many things you wouldnt think - orange juice, spinach & other greens, etc. there's a list) plus of course yogurt, cheese, etc. Just make sure she gets a balanced diet and really, dont worry too much that she's not drinking milk.

Children in nature, before today's huge dairy farms and grocery stores making milk available 24/7, only had some milk to drink from their cow, whose milk was shared with their calf and among the family members & cooking needs.

I do believe that the over-reliance on milk (and anti-bacterial supercleanliness) is what is spawning all those allergies and the "need" for all those alternate milks.

It is FINE to not drink milk everyday. Just eat healthy and balanced.

Sounds like she's not ready. There are health and emotional benefits to nursing toddlers, if you're open to it. Unfortunately, all medical practitioners and doctors are not aware of this. Many will try to encourage weaning at one year, but the world health organization recommends for at least two years. Also the Am. Pediatric Assoc. recommends as long as it is mutally beneficial for mother and child. La Leche League (of which you are probably already aware) is also a great resource). I think babies know best and if she's still wanting to nurse, she's probably not done. Of course, if you want to reduce a feeding, I was able to reduce to twice daily (losing the 4 AM feeding) by offering water at that feeding. Of course she balked & threw it back at me, but she then started drinking water & soon started sleeping all night. It is not necessary to use formula. She also might not need cow's milk if she is still nursing at least twice daily and gets other forms of calcium. Check with your pedi.

I am doing the same transition right now. I stopped pumping and am just stretching out the supply in the freezer, we're not nursing anymore at baby's choice about 3 weeks ago (right past 1 year). I've found premixing the milk in the fridge to be 2 oz of each really helped, along with running hot water over it to take the chill off. I use the glass bottles to keep the plastics away while under the hot water and then transfer to a sippy. If my son sees the bottle come out with the milk, he thinks it "the good stuff", if he sees the milk carton, he knows it "the other stuff".

Good luck!