Weaning from Formula to Regular Milk and Going from Bottle to Cup

Cow milk is not recommended before one year, as babies can't digest it. (And even after one year, many have trouble with it. You might also consider alternatives at that point, such as goat milk, rice milk, almond, or soy...though soy can also be problematic for some.)

I recommend one switch at a time, although two simultaneously switches may work for you. I know you don't want to buy more formula, but I had a lot of success gradually adding more milk to a bottle of formula, i.e. gradually increasing the milk concentration over about the space of a month or so (maybe longer--can't remember). My daughter never knew she was drinking something different. It meant I bought more formula, but I had 100% success from the beginning.

Slow transitioning mamma

hi T.
I was told to feed my baby formula for 12 months.
Then at 12 months I switched to milk. The baby needs
Benefits from the formula. I used similac..on their site I signed up to
Receive coupons in the mail..if it is getting expensive.
My 2 cents worth.
Bye K.

T.,

I would give him formula until he is a year old. If you give him cow's milk too early, you could have issues with allergies down the road. Contact Wic if you are having trouble financially to supply the formula. Also, sometimes doctor's offices have samples of the formula-- you can always ask them.

Take care,

Molly

I know everyone has already said this already, but please wait until he is a year until you introduce milk. This is what I have been told by my ped as well as everyone else. Not only does he need the nutrients, but you don't want him to get a dairy allergy, due to early exposure. There are hormones in regular milk that a baby under 1 may not be able to properly digest yet. I introduced milk to my son when he was 1 and he had a dairy allergy which he outgrew once he turned 3.

Regarding the cup...I wouldn't worry if he wants a cup. Just switch directly to a cup and don't use the sippy cup. We did almost that. I think we used a sippy cup for only a few months and then switched directly to a cup at 18 months. We don't let him run around the house drinking, so it was fine.

I would check with your babies doctor before going off of formula before 11-12 months. I also recommend slowly weaning him off. I started with 1/4 milk, 3/4 formula and did that for about a week before advancing to 1/2 and 1/2, than 3/4, 1/4. It is probably too early to take your baby off of formula completely because he really needs to extra iron.

Hi. For the sippy cup I would try one of those with the silicone sippy part. It seems more comfortable to drink from. As far as starting regular milk all I've ever heard is not until a year old. What has your doctor said about starting him on regular milk? You can put his formula in the sippy cup and he might like that better. When we started my daughter on regular milk at about 14 mo. it took awhile for her to get used to the taste and at first she did not like it. But after awhile she got used to it and now loves milk. HTH!

I know you have had many people tell you to wait until one year to switch to milk but I wanted to give an example of how milk is different than ice cream. I am lactose intolerant and I have found that different types of dairy have different severities of reaction for me. Such as cheese that has been aged long enough is easier for my body to digest but I cannot handle milk even when it is in cereal, let alone how I would feel if I were to drink a glass of milk. I know that it is not exactly the same but the point is that different dairy products effect the body in different ways.

As well, I wanted to make mention that if you decide to put you baby on anything other than regular vitamin d milk or soy milk you should have an in-depth conversation with your son's doctor about it. As well you should do some research into it. There are different things in different types of milk that could be harmful to a baby. Such as, it is my understanding that Raw Milk can be very bad for babies because it is unpasteurized and can there for contain things like e coli and other such diseases. These are things that little one's could die from. Just make sure you speak to your son's doctor about any decision to switch from formula to milk.

My understanding is that children must have breast milk or formula until they are 1.

i would not use regular milk yet your baby is still to young if you were wanting to switch because of the price maybe you could switch to store brand formula instead. your baby need formula still. i switched my daughter to store brand at about 7 months due to price and my husband being laid off it was more cost effective and my daughter still got the nutrients out of the formula. as for sippy cups as 9 month sit is not recomended for any thing but juice or water that way you dont get the baby confused. good luck and the transition

I have to say that it is important that if you do not breast-feed for the first year and are formula feeding that you continue with the formula for the first year. Milk is not an ok substitute nutritionally for a baby under one year. The development and growth of an infant is entirely different from a child, even a one year old. The fat, protein, charb, vitamin, and mineral balance is key to healthy development.

I have to agree with the other ladies. I know it's expensive, but it's only 3 more months. If you really need help, WIC is great. They saved me when I was a broke single mom. Formula has so much more in it that regular milk just does not have and he still needs the nutrients for his development.

When he's old enough, a small cup with a lid and straw sounds fine. Different kids will take to different things. I seem to remember my girls both took to sippy cups with some consistent encouragement. Just make sure not to heat up anything in any kind of plastic on a regular basis due to the chemical leaching.

I see you have had many, many responses about waiting till your son is at least 1 year old or more to introduce cow's milk - yep, exactly. However, I didn't see that anyone had mentioned raw milk - it's second only to human milk as a great choice to feed our babies (and it's great for all ages). Raw milk is without a doubt the most nutritionally-viable form of cow's milk to offer (especially for a baby's immature system) - our whole family drinks only raw milk and loves it. It's available at Whole Foods and possibly other health food outlets, and can be ordered directly from Organic Pastures (near Fresno) if needed (www.organicpastures.com). On their website you can also read about the nutrition facts etc. Also check out http://www.realmilk.com/where1.html to find out more about where to get it (and there are other links where you can read more about why to use it, etc.).

When you introduce cheese, raw milk cheese is also the best way to go - again, it's available at Whole Foods for sure; we have used both raw cheddar and raw Monterey Jack and they're both delicious!

You can make the most fabulous homemade ice cream using raw milk and raw cream (yep, also from Organic Pastures) - it's way better than ANY storebought kind (I can post a recipe or email it if you're interested in trying it). We've made it for summer cookouts and parties, and everyone always raves about how good it is.

Anyway, hope this helps in some way. I was sooo thankful to find out about the benefits of raw milk and I only wish I'd known sooner - that's why I wanted to post this info here for you. :)

Blessings,

S.

Talk to your Dr, but as a registered dietitian,the recommendation is not to start cow milk until 1 year old, not only b/c of allergy concerns but b/c your little one needs the calories and fat and vitamins provided by breast milk or formula. Keep using formula for just 3 more months and try a sippy cup, keep offering the cup and he will learn to use it, Maybe only offer cups during the day and bottle at night. Do the cow milk at 1 year and be sure to use whole milk for the fat content

Hi T.,
Please wait until he is 12 months before switching to milk. ALL the pediatricians I've spoken to don't even suggest it until 12 months. As to introducing a sippy cup, I tried 5-6 until I found one my daughter preferred. It was a Gerber.
Sincerely,
L.

T.,
it is recommended that infants do not start on cow's milk until they are atleast 12 months old as it can lead to digestion problems as well as other things, i would first talk to your pediatrician before switching. you can introduce your baby to a cup by putting a small amount of water in it and helping him drink from the cup to get him used to it. I have a 9 month old and he has adapted well to his cup but still uses the bottle for his formula.

The doctor told me not to get off of formula until 1 year. Your son is still young and needs many of the benefits of formula. Also, his stomach is not mature enough to handle some of the contents in milk. I know you are eager and so was I, but I would check with a doctor before I'd switch him. I would put watered down juice in the sippy cup and try giving him that to practice his cups skills on. Maybe the little bit of jusice flavor will entice him. Good luck!

I hope you have a lot of plastic smocks and wipe-up towels! I'm impressed with your little one's dexterity with the cup. From what I understand, it's not advised to give them milk until they are 1 year old, but your pediatrician would be the best judge of that I suppose.
I have a 9 month old and I'm looking forward to going to the cup exclusively. I've found he has preferences of certain styles of sippy cups. He prefers the "Born Free" kind and definitely gets the most out of that one. So perhaps you could try different types of sippy cups. A regular cup seems pretty dicey to me but maybe you've more patience than I.

I agree with the "one year" wait rule. The proteins in milk are large and hard to digest and harmful for an immature digestive track. When the time comes to switch, I agree with Rachelle's plan of attack by mixing milk gradually into his formula, one ounce at a time. HTH Kim

T.
I would have to agree with most of the women on here, yes, formula is expensive but your baby needs all that nutrients, even if its for only 2 more short months. Cheese and other dairy may be ok, but they truly do need that milk and nutrition as long as possible. I slowly began to integrate organic whole milk, one ounce at a time, with my sons formula, when he was a year old. One ounce at a time for a week at a time until he was fully converted over to whole milk. When I converted my son to whole milk, i also began to notice him bruising eaiser than when he was on formula. The milk does NOT contain all the nutrients that the formula has factored into it. I started him on liquid vitamins shortly there after and the bruising subsided.
The sippy cup is another issue and I think it should take place AFTER you get him into regular milk. Its h*** o* babies to transition 2 things at the same time. And NUBY brand makes a sippy cup with a nipple like top so that it is more like a bottle but it is a sippy cup. My son still likes to use that cup.
Good luck in whatever you decide.

Did you speak to your pediatritian about this??? I think you are not supposed to switch until 1 year. That is what my ped. told me.

K.

I would definitely talk to your pedi before taking him off formula; I'm sure there's a good reason they said no milk until 1 and formula does have added things to help them grow the first year.
I started offering my daughter a sippy at 6 months and she didn't really take to it until almost 1 year. Once she turned 1 year I stopped giving her bottles and formula and switched to milk and a sippy. I used the Nubby brand which have a soft top, so I think it was an easy transition. I gave her milk before bed in a sippy for a few weeks, then we started brushing every night and having some florid then water, story and to bed.
Best of luck,
C.

There are other reasons than nutrients and allergies to wait before giving cow's milk--the baby's liver isn't mature enough to process cow's milk and it can lead to problems to switch too early.
I'd keep offering him whatever he'll drink out of--no rules that he has to go to a sippy.

It is not wise to switch your son until he is 1 year old. There are nutrients in formula or breastmilk that a baby cannot get in whole milk. I would speak to your doctor, but they'll advise the same. As well most baby's stomach and bowels cannot digest the milk properly and can lead to problems down the road.

Children are not supposed to have milk until they are 1 years old. Cow milk is full of allergens etc that is harder for the baby to digest. Talk to your doctor first. What is the rush?, it is only 3 months more and there are reasons to keep him on formula. Why would you not want to buy formula again , especially if it is what he is supposed to have. My daughter is 8 months and will be on formula until she turns one, then it is whole milk. Keep him on formula and offer it in a sippy cup. Transistioning a baby from something they are used to to something new with a new drinking method can sometimes be upsetting for the baby. He loves ice cream because it is sweet and full of sugar. Wait, it is what is best for your baby.

Both of my girls started to self-wean from the breast at 10 months and I wasn't comfortable with formula. Since they had eaten yogurt, cheese, ice cream etc. I wasn't concerned with allergies, but worried about overall nutrition. My Ped said whole milk would give them enough fat and calories, but not enough iron or other nutrients that formula/breastmilk would. He recommended to make sure they ate a variety of foods and to keep them on baby cereal for several more months to make sure they were getting enough iron.
This worked just fine for us. My girls are now 14yrs and almost 12yrs and are perfectly healthy, athletic and intelligent young ladies. :O)

You're not supposed to give them milk until they are a year old. I know formula is expensive but you are almost there. In the past I've just made the switch with no problems. As far as the sippy cup he may be too young. My little one took a sippy cup at 8 months but he never took a bottle and had stopped nursing on his own but he took the sippy cup w/o any trouble. My older one was more resistant and we had to try differnet kind and he was 18 months before he took a sippy cup.

Seems like everyone has already said my comment about formula. As for sippies, my daughter liked to drink from a cup or a straw too. That was fine as long as she was at the table. If she wanted to drink anywhere else, it was in a non-spill sippy. I explained the rule. Table=cup and straw. She figured it out.

She's 7 now and was quite upset that I got rid of her last sippy cup. Some mornings she wanted to drink her warm cocoa in the car on the way to school. She wanted me to put it in the sippy, so she didn't have to worry about spills. The outcry from not having her red sippy was hysterical and quickly overcome.

Keep at it, but use formula for another few months.
Stephanei

Hi T.,

I would keep your son on formula until 12 months. Formula has more iron and other nutrients that milk lacks. Ask your Ped. When you do switch, we did 3/4 formula and 1/4 milk and gradually changed the ratio until our daughter liked whole milk by itself. I also mixed water with the milk too. We did the cup training at the same time. I started with taking the morning bottle away and using just the sippy cup. Then took the nap bottle away and last the night time bottle. Our daughter didn't like the sippy cup at first either but it only took a week or so for her to get use to it. Born Free has a sippy cup with a soft rubber tip that is good for teething and feels similar to the nipple. She really likes that one. Good luck!