Just curious. I have been reading you can switch from breast/baby formula to milk between age 9-12 months. When did you switch over, from breast/formula feedings to cow's milk?

By Sunny on Sunday, July 25, 2004 - 01:04 pm:

Ideally, you shouldn't introduce cow's milk until the baby is at least 1 yr, regardless of whether you breastfed or used formula. Introducing it earlier may increase the possibility of food allergies and cow's milk is not as rich in nutrients as breastmilk or formula. I also think it upsets their digestive systems.

All of my kids were introduced to cow's milk when they were 13 months old. It took a while for them to get used to it. They all preferred breastmilk.

By Mommierenee on Sunday, July 25, 2004 - 01:14 pm:

My first child didn't have milk until he was 9 or 10 months old. My second, about 8 months old, my baby, 6 months. I'm not saying I switched them over at that time, but there were times we didn't have any formula & I had to gice them milk. The Dr says 12 months is the age to switch them over, but they also say don't feed them baby food until they are 6 months old. I think it depends on the baby. Now, it is NOT as nutritious as formula or breast milk. For me, when they learned to drink from a cup, I would give them milk in it. They can't get what they need from milk alone, they would have to be eating enough food to get the vitamins they need in their diet.
Of course it's better to do what the Dr says to be on the safe side.
Once I had an ER doctor from the middle east tell me that "Cow's milk is for cows, human milk is for humans" Makes sense!
I just got a little less paranoid with the 2nd & third children!

By Vicki on Sunday, July 25, 2004 - 02:20 pm:

I think dd was about 15 months or so when I switched her. The reason being that she was very late in getting teeth, so she wasn't eating a whole lot of solid foods until about then, so I wanted to be sure she was getting enough of what she needed before switching her.

By Coopaveryben on Monday, July 26, 2004 - 07:36 am:

I switched my oldest around 13 months, my second around 12, and my third I started adding it every now and then around 9 months. They are all healthy and it really didn't seem to make a difference as to when I switched them. For all of them I made it a slow transition.

By Emily7 on Monday, July 26, 2004 - 10:40 am:

My ds had a cows milk allergy when he was younger, at 15 months we put him on rice milk & then slowly introduced 2% cows milk. Thank goodness he out grew his allergy to it.

By Amecmom on Monday, July 26, 2004 - 03:56 pm:

I started switching him over at around a year. I mixed formula and milk, then gradually decreased the amount of formula untill it was all milk.
He was not a big milk fan. He likes it now though.
I used to give him yogurt and ice cream and cheese to get the dairy into him until he developed a taste for milk.

Ame

By Kernkate on Monday, July 26, 2004 - 03:58 pm:

My 3 children were around the age of 12 months when they were switched from formula to milk.
I did go by my doctor on that one, she said that switching them to early could upset they digestive system??? If that's true or not who knows???

By Mommyathome on Monday, July 26, 2004 - 05:36 pm:

On their first birthday!
We would take them to the ice cream shop and give them their very own big scoop of icecream on a cone to celebrate their birthday. From there on out, it was cows milk.

By Katherine on Monday, July 26, 2004 - 06:52 pm:

I had to quit breast feeding my oldest when he was two months old because I went back to work and pumping just did not work for me. He refused to drink a bottle and the Dr. told me that if he got hungry enough, he would take it. He absolutely HATED formula! He got so skinny that I was worried about him. He would drink about two ounces and that was it. I put him up to the table with us when he was about 6 months old and started feeding him the same foods we ate, but blending them up really good. He started drinking milk from a sippy cup at that point and he was fine. In fact, he fattened up really quick.

I am not suggesting that this is the right thing to do for everyone, but, I think it saved Scotty's life. I look back at his baby pictures and am still amazed and the difference in his appearance and weight during those few months.