My son is 11 months, I know they say to switch them to whole milk at age 1 but can I start sooner? When did you start and how did you make the transition? Help! Thank you!
Thank you everyone! Its so awesome to have a place to go to ask all these questions. I think I will start to transition him little by little in the next few weeks. We have been out of a job for a few months and the formula is getting very expensive. He has had NO food allergies and handles other dairy just fine. THank you all so much!!! Yes! I do miss my California weather!!
there is a thing that develops in the intestines between 11 mos and 3 weeks old and 12 mos old that allows the body to break down the proteins in the cow's milk. (literally in that time frame, they did studies of babies taking samples of the intestines to see when this thing developed) I forgot the technical term, sorry, but please do not start prior to that age. The body just isn't able to handle it before then.
What I did with both my daughters is this:
Week 1 - 1/4 milk & 3/4 formula
Week 2 - 1/2 milk & 1/2 formula
Week 3 - 3/4 milk & 1/4 formula
Week 4 - all milk
It worked really well for both of my girls. Their system gradually got used to milk.
Hope this helps!
Hi, everyone is different, but I waited until both of my kids were exactly 1 year. Heck, your son is 11 months, you only have 1 month to go!!! I always say that they have some "rules" for a reason...but then again, I always take the rules, and then decide if I want to break them, or "tweak" them so to speak, and I decide which ones I want to, and which ones I don't. That was one that I just didn't want too...especially when they say it is about development of child's brain, etc...
But at 11 months, I am sure all will be well surely!!!
Also, just my tip...give them the Whole Milk right out of the frig (cold). My one friend warmed it up, etc., and then always had too or baby wouldn't drink out of it. Both of my kids made the transition from breast to bottle to Whole Cold Milk to 2% Cold Milk fine! I just try to make some things easier for myself, cuz' those darn kids are sooooo stubborn!!!
Whatever you decide will be PERFECT though!
All the best....
Personally, I'd wait until 12 months as any respectable pediatrician would recommend. Is saving money worth risking a potential food allergy? For me, it wasn't worth the risk.
Introduce a sippy cup of formula now so he starts to get used to it (still offer the bottle, just put a little bit in the sippy cup). We switched over to both milk and sippy cups at 12 months cold turkey and he transitioned just fine (I was a little nervous!). We also gave the milk cold, but that wasn't much of a switch because he NEVER liked his formula or, early on, expressed breast milk warmed up.
My daughter will also turn 1 in February (6th) and I started the transition to regular whole milk when she turned 11 months. Actually my pediatrician recommended this. I started with breakfast. Mixed her cereal with whole milk instead of formula. She also got a bottle at breakfast that was formula. The rest of the day she would get formula. Now (1/16/19) we are giving her whole milk at breakfast and before bedtime. In the afternoon she still gets formula. We will transition out the afternoon bottle to whole milk when she turns one. She doesn't seem to know the difference between the two. I'm sure the whole milk has to taste better! Good luck! Happy Birthday to your little guy! A year flies by!!!
I started changing both of mine about that time. What I did was a 50/50 for about 2 weeks,that way I could find out if there tummies could handle the milk. And then change to all milk. Mommies know best. Good Luck
I started my kids off formula around 11 months old. You might want to start by mixing only a little milk with your son's formula at first, gradually increasing the oz of milk and decreasing the formula. This will be easier on his stomach. I started by putting (in an 8oz bottle) 2 oz of milk and 6 oz of formula, finally increasing to a full 8oz bottle of milk within a couple of weeks.
My rule of thumb with any of my kids (I have 3) is if thier stomach can handle it then go for it. I switched as early as 10 months, and I started on Whole Milk but then went to 2% cause thats what all of us drink all 3 of my kids handled this fine. As far as checking with your Peditrician, they are going to stick with the "book rules", every mother knows thier child best so do what you know your child can handle. If he/she is already on a little bit of table food I think they'll be able to handle reg milk. Good luck
My first could not handle it before 1...my 2nd two were around 11mo
I have a 5 year old and 2 year old twins..we switched all three kids at 11 months to whole milk without any problems.
V., New information from my ped says that you can go directly to 2% around the time they are walking (starting by doing a half and half mixture). My twins walked at 10 and 11 months. I still waited a bit mostly because of habit with my other children, but I did always cut them off of formula by 12 months and I consider myself very conscience to their health needs.
About the transition, I have always went straight to milk (cow or soy), yet with the twins I have mixed them together at first. It has not seemed to make a difference in how they accept the change.
Good luck.
I switched my oldest to milk at 11 months cold turkey primarily because he was going through 40 - 50 oz of formula a day (yes, he's a big kid). The diapers were a little rough for the first month but after that they were fine.
I started the switch when my daughter when she was about 10 months. At first I did half formual and half milk (I use whole organic milk). Little by little I increased the amount of whole milk and within 2 months she was off formula. She didnt have any problems adjusting to the whole milk and her doc said it was fine.
Hope this helps!
P.S. Welcome to Chicago! I bet you miss the California weather today!
Veronic, you can give the baby milk now. I started giving both my kids milk when they were about 11 months or so and they had no problem with it. I think I gave them 2% but I am sure whole milk is fine too, depending on the size of the baby. Good Luck.
Hello! I switched to whole milk when my little one was about 11 months old. I first gave him the formula that is for 9-11 month olds for a few days then started to mix it with the whole milk. I always fed him his milk cold..but others warm it up a bit. He was fine with it. I would just suggest to mix it with formula half and half to start with and start in the morning or day to make sure that your little one is ok with it! I guess I say use your best judgment!! Good luck.
You probably can and I would check to see what your pediatrician advises but it really is recommended to wait until 12 months old. I always erred on the side of caution, especially if your family/extended family has a history of allergies/food allergies. Good luck.
my doc told me to wait till sweetie was 12 months old, that whole milk is rough on the kidneys. she was fine with trying egg earlier but not the milk. Also, children under the age of 2 need whole milk because it helps with neuron development. They won't get sick from 2% or lower fat but it won't help their development as much. So whole fat yoghurt, cheese and milk is recommended until they are 2 according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Hi V.,
I started both of my kids on whole milk at 11 months, also my son went from bottle to sippy cup at 12 months so try that too if you want. I don't think I mixed the tow to start, just went from one to the other.
I started the switch at about 10 1/2 months, which was when my daughter was basically eating all adult food for the most part. I mixed it with her formula and weened her for a few weeks. At 11 months she was taking Whole Milk and loved it. I switched her to 2% when she was 1 1/2, since that is what we drink and she did just fine.
