Switching to Milk - Gilbertsville,PA

Yes you definitely should be adding something to it for youre babies vitamins. Cows milk isn't even really healthy for people at all. http://www.pcrm.org/ You should find that site helpful for advice on raising a child healthy. Good luck. xx

I've done both. My oldest two went straight to milk, my youngest two had half and half till i was just out of the formula i had on hand. All 4 were fine. You may notice a touch of diahrrea for a day or two while they get adjusted, but nothing major.

I switched my daughter from breast milk to whole milk. I didn't mix anything.

Hello! Remember that you know your child the best! I can only tell you from my experience with my son, we did not mix milk and formula. We went straight to milk. It took him at least a week to really like his milk. Sounds like your son drank his first bottle of milk, so it sounds like success to me! You are doing great! Good luck!

I breastfed both of my girls so I don't know if it's any different for them, but I never mixed. I just went straight to whole milk with both of them. I don't think there's anything wrong with jumping right to it unless there's some sort of diary allergy that's common in your families.

BTW, both of my girls started on whole milk at 9 - 10 months. The first was because she weened herself and wouldn't take anything else so the pediatrician said give her whole milk. The second one I just gave it to her around 10 months to cut down on the amount of time she was nursing so I could ween her around 12 months.

Hi D.,

Here is a website:

http://pediatrics.about.com/od/weeklyquestion/a04_change_ milk.htm

Hope this helps. D.

I have never heard of mixing formula with milk and I have an 8yr old and an 11mo old. Our pediatrician suggests waiting to switch to whole milk at 1 year just in case they may have an allergy to it. I actually switched my 11mo old to whole milk 2 weeks ago and he is fine. It also is much cheaper!

Every where I heard, you are supposed to mix to allow them to get used to it. I started about 75%/25% breastmilk to milk, then gradually increased until it was all whole milk. (I breastfed and just pumped so i could put it into a bottle.) They can get pretty bad belly aches if you just switch with no time to get used to it. if you just gradually switch from enfamil to milk, you probably won't even need to waste money on the Next Step. good luck!

I was told to mix it for about a week. The reasoning is that the whole milk can be a little hard on their stomachs so you should take a few days to mix it in with each day having more milk & less formula. My guess is that if his stomach has a hard time with it that he'll end up pooping more.

You should mix it because straight milk right away can cause constipation and make their bellies hurt. Start with 1/4 milk Or so many ounces with 3/4 formula, then 1/2 milk(or so many more ounces with 1/2 formula etc etc. It makes the transition easier.

I never mixed mine. We went straight to milk when the kids turned 1. Neither of them had a problem. I am pregnant with my 3rd now, and I will do it again.
You know, people can be so rude when they show in their faces their disapproval of your parenting methods. If your son is enjoying the milk and not sick, you don't need to worry about it. You did just fine and your son will be fine.

I always waened my slowly to milk starting about 11months. I would do 25% milk/75% formula for 1 week. Then, 50% milk/50% forula for 1 week. Then 75% milk/ 25% fomula for a week. Then, by 12 months we were on 100% milk. I did the mixture for every bottle during the day and my kids never had any issues chaning to milk.
Good Luck

I mixed it for a couple of weeks, i would slowly add less formula. My kids would not drink straight milk unless i did.

D.,

I never heard of the mixing thing, but I breastfed...and I wonder what "they" would expect a breastfed baby to do. My babies still breastfed for quite a while after switching to milk, so maybe the mixture was there in another way. I just called someone I know who went from breastfeeding to formula at about 9 months, and she did not do the mixture thing. I would ask your doctor if you have questions and not rely on the daycare people.

I have a 2 1/2 yo daughter and I switched her to straight milk, no mixing. I did the switch to sippy cups the same time. She always had formula in a bottle, then milk in a cup. I had no problems not weaning or mixing.
I say do whatever you feel is right. There is nothing wrong with doing it either way. It is just what you feel comfortable doing. (and I used to work in day cares and we NEVER said anything like that to parents. We do what the parents like, not tell the parents what they should/should not do, unless they ask for advice)
Best of Luck

First: Don't let the people at a day care tell you how to care for YOUR baby. YOU are the mom, not them. You can integrate milk anyway you want.

Second: With that said, I would use a 50% mix with formula and milk. Then go to 40%. And so on.

Gradual is best for their bellies and best for us mommies (less frustration).

My baby girl switched to milk within two weeks as though nothing happened with that plan.

You don't have to mix it unless you used a non-milk based formula like soy or something. The only reason you would mix it first is if the taste turns off your child. Then you can mix it to get them used to it, but most kids do fine with the switch.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HarrisburgPAChat

I don't know what the "professionals" say, but I've always just let them try straight milk when it was time. Both of my kids were okay with switching completely. Sometimes my son liked it better if I warmed it up for him. I know some kids can't handle the switch cold turkey and you can slowly add more to their formula over time. I hope that helps a little!

My daughter didn't like the taste of regular milk, so I mixed it a couple times with formula, adding more milk each time. It was purely because she didn't like the taste though. If your child takes the milk right away and doesn't have any adverse reactions to it, I think it's ok. Seems from what I've read, the NextStep is a transition formula. So I would think you'd be ok going to whole milk after the NextStep.

I mixed formula with the milk (about half and half) for the first week. My son had no trouble adjusting. Your son is probably already eating some dairy products like yogurt, milk, ice cream, etc.

I had four babies, and we went straight from formula to whole milk.....as per my pediatricians advise. None of my babies had any negative side effects or reactions to the change. As for your day care people? I didn't think they had a medical degree requirement to be a teacher or helper at a day care??
:-) Do what YOU think is best for your baby. Next time they give you that look.....give it right back! Good luck with your precious little one!

Hi,

Each time you make bottles add 1 more ounce of regular whole milk until you eventually have all milk and no formula. Look for fussiness and diarrhea and then let the Dr know Soy Milk might be better.

C. E

We did the same thing you did -- Infamil, Next Step and then milk.

Our little girl was just fine!

Granted, she wasn't chugging six ounce cups of milk. She's 15 months and will take two ounces with meals and the same with her two snacks. I sneak in extra calcium through cheese, yogurt, calcium fortifide apple sauce and other stuff.

T. :)

You are not crazy what I did with my kids was I gave them one cup of staight milk & then formula for the rest of the day. The next day or maybe 2 days later you can give him 2 bottles of milk & the rest formula. Just keep increasing the milk & decreasing the formula as long as he has no problems with the milk. If he already eats other milk based products he should be fine. I never mixed Milk & formula together. Hope this helps. Good Luck.

you may have been better off to have it part formula and then milk then to the point where it is milk. he may have a reaction like diarreha if he is not used to straight milk. you should have given him milk at home with you to make sure he did not have any type of reaction such as the above mentioned or an allergic reaction. I am sure that is why they looked at you like okay when you told them it was his first time with milk.

i just switched it and i never used next step.

OK - my daughter will be four on sunday. She was breast feed and formula baby. When she turned 1 years old the doctor informed me that I could give her low fat milk as the whole milk had too much fat in it for her. Consquently her system could not handle the low fat milk so her doctor recommended Soy Milk. Which was not a problem for her. Lately she has been consuming the regular milk, 2%, and 1% milk in moderation.

Side note: my other 2 children dont drink milk on the regular and neither do I. Systems can't handle it.

Unsure what pediatricians are suggesting this year, but in 2005 I definitely mixed formula and milk for about a week. Gradually getting to 100% milk.