How to Make the Transition from Formula to Milk

I just had to make the transition with my second child recently. I was so busy that I unwittingly found myself out of formula when he turned a year so I had to go cold turkey. I was really worried at first because he refused the milk. I had no formula to offer him so he went a few days with me offering it at all the regular times and him refusing it. Finally, he decided it was better than nothing and started drinking it. After that, it was like there was never an issue and he drinks it just fine. Good luck!

I had no problems switching but I didn't just make a switch either. Try gradually switching..make your first bottle mostly formula and a little milk, then the next bottle, a little more milk, less formula...keep doing that until you are all milk and no formula. If it takes a few weeks before you get to the no formula point, then fine. I would also suggest that by the time you get to the all milk stage you have started giving it to her in a sippy cup, not a bottle. They recommend that they be off the the bottle by around age one as well. My rule was that only formula was in the bottle, and everything else was in the cup. Do it at the same time so that all the fussing is over at once. If you wait to transition to a cup after the ordeal with milk, you will be going through all the same things again. Good luck, and stay strong!!! At this age they start to try and fight you...they know what they are doing to get what they want, so be firm.

I mixed some whole milk into my sons formula i started with an ounce of milk on top of a 6oz bottle,you could try that to get her used to the milk and slowly put more milk into the formula untill its all milk....let us know how you do,good luck

K. i know 1st hand how difficult this is . not with my baby but my nephew. My suggestion to my sister was to introduce the milk gradually 3/4 formula to 1/4 milk for 3 days then 1/2 formula to 1/2 milk for a few days then 1/4 formula to 3/4 milk this will really work . Because of allergies its always good to introduce anything new gradually and of course only introduce one thing at a time GOOD LUCK

I just wanted to say that I did the same as the other moms here starting with one oz of milk and the rest formula and then slowly increasing it. It took about 2 weeks. On his first birthday he threw all the bottles away and then we went straight to the store and bought cups that he liked. Also, my son did not like the whole milk mixing at all. The dr told me that it was fine to give hum 2% since all of the normal food that he eats has plenty of nutrients in it for him.
Good Luck!!!

Hi K.!
I found that mcing the milk w/formula worked...we started with 3/4 formula and 1/4 milk , then half and half, and then 1/4 formula and 3/4 milf and then reduced formula even more until we ran out of formula all together and that was it. It took a few days but it worked..

Good luck
M. M
45 year old mom of an almost 7 year old and wok part-time as recess monitor and office assistant at a pediatricians office

When I moved my kids from formula to milk, I would mix them and start with
1/4 milk, 3/4 formula for a couple days then
1/3 milk, 2/3 formula for a couple days then
1/2 milk, 1/2 formula for a couple days
then if she is use to it do straight milk.

Hi K.. I recently went through this with my one year old son, though he stayed on breast milk for the whole 12 months (no formula). He initially refused the whole milk, but I know it can take a child up to 15 tries with a new food/drink before they'll accept it so I kept trying...Finally when he started to throw it up as well as throwing the cup I realized I had to try something new--he now very happily drinks plain soy milk and lots of it, and his doctor says that's just fine and maybe even has some both personal and global benefits. You'll figure out what works for you and your little girl!

I just went through the same thing 2 weeks ago. I started putting some whole milk in with the formula and slowing taking away the formula and addded more milk. I started with 4 oz of formula and added 2 oz of milk and a week later we are all off formula and on milk.

Good luck!
M.

With my daughter I mixed for 2-3 weeks the formula and milk. I started by doing a 1/4 milk and 3/4 formula bottle for about a week. Then I did half/half of form. and milk. Then I did 3/4 milk & 1/4 formula. It seemed to work pretty good for my daughter.

Hello,
When making the switch from formula to milk do it slowly. First start by putting in one ounce of whole mike and the remainder formula. Do this for about a week and keep increasing by an ounce each week. This way they get used to it and do not reget it.
Hope this helps,
K.

We are using next step enfamil lipil which is for kids 9 mo to two years. I will start mixing it with whole milk soon. But why the rush? Milk is cheaper but formula has a lot of vitamins and is enriched with minerals, etc. So we will wait a little while to switch over completely.

My daughter couldn't stand the taste of milk either. I found that if I gradually added more milk to her formula, she got used to it. I started with an ounce of milk in her bottle and increased it an ounce at a time over the next week. She still isn't fond of anything other than breast milk, but we get her plenty of calcium with yogurt and cheese. She gets all the hydration she needs with fruit juice (cut half with water to avoid too much sugar). Good luck to you!

My daughter is a monkey see - monkey do.
If I drink milk - then she will drink milk.
But the other moms suggestion of mixing it with the formula sounds like a great idea.

Hi K.,
I too have a daughter turning 1 (next week). She is my third however. I think the best and easiest way to do it is gradually. My daughter doesn't even notice it. I make it with half formula and half milk. Try that and every few days, put more milk in than formula until she is only on milk.

Hi K. -
Try transitioning slowly. 1 ounce milk with 7 ounces formula for 1 week, then do 2 ounces milk with 6 ounces formula for a week. Continue with this rate until you're done. Good Luck!

The day after my daughter turned one I started putting 1/4 milk 3/4 formula into her bottle the next week I used 1/2 milk 1/2 formula then 3/4 milk 1/4 formula and now she just drinks milk. It was hard because she could tell there was something wrong with her bottle and she would throw it on the ground and cry but after a day she would get use to it and has learned to like milk. Good Luck!! (This was recommended to me by my doctor and a bunch of friends)

Hi K.- my daugther recently turned one as well. As already mentioned, I started by mixing the forumula and milk and giving it to her that way. Although, I found that even more than the mixing it helped to slightly warm the milk. I put it in a mug in the microwave for 20-25 seconds and then put it in her bottle- she seems to be guzzling it down now! good luck!

Try enriched rice milk. It's thinner than cow's milk and actually tastes a little like breast milk. I'm a huge advocate of keeping kids off cow's milk as long as possible. Dairy has been linked to ear infections, and many other types of allergies so I feel its much better for kids to stay off it as long as possible if not forever. I think kids who throw their bottles at the first taste of cow's milk are really trying to tell us something.

I had no problems with my daughter transitioning, but did you try to warm the milk up? Maybe it wasn't the taste that turned her off, but maybe it was too cold.

mix the milk with formula (mostly formula)and then eventually go 50/50 and then more milk and then all milk (will take a few weeks)

Hi K.,

It seems most of the responses are about the same. And I have the same advice as well. I/we slowly made the transition to regular whole milk by adding a little to formula for about a week then slowly adding more, then more, then more, etc till it was all just regular milk. I did it very slowly, taking SEVERAL weeks to make the transition. I am sure I could have done it faster, but I was worried of it bothering my son or him not liking it...I just wanted to do it so he wouldn't really even notice the difference - his belly and his tastebuds. :) I am sure if you make the change more transitionally she will accept it better and you shouldn't have any problems. The tastes of the two are totally different, and not what she's used to, so if I were her I wouldn't want "the new stuff" either!! :) Good luck

Hi, I tried adding some yogurt smoothie to the milk. My daughter threw the sippy cup and yelled at me as only a one year old can. She was soo upset. After an hour or so she took it, and liked it. I decreased the smoothie over a couple of days. I did not go back to the bottle or formula after that day. It was rough, but I felt that dragging out the process would be confusing for her. She was fine after two days.

Try switching an 8oz bottle of formula to 6oz formula 2 oz milk for a week or two and then gradually add 2 more ounces of milk a week until you are switched to milk. Good luck!

i did it a little at a time. i started my daughter with 1 ounce of whole milk and the rest formula and upped it every week. i started the process for her at 11 months. maybe you could do it every 3 days. i probably could have done it every 3 days but there was some question of possible milk allergy (which i didn't believe anyways) so i took it slow. good luck!

Have you tried mixing in a bit of the formula with the milk to help her adjust to the taste? Temperature can also play a part, if she is used to having it cold or warm.