Formula to cows milk

[Herts501]

Hi all,

My son has just turned 1 and my health visitor has said that I need to transition him on to cows milk but I don't know where to start.

He currently has 3 x 9oz formula feeds per day plus 2/3 solid meals.

How much cows milk do I give him? Do I give it in a bottle or cup? etc.....

What did you do?

I did it one feed a day from 11 months.
I gave a cup of milk at meal times (unmeasured) from 12 months.

My HV recommended starting off introducing cow's milk in her food so to make her porridge/cereal in the morning and in mashed potato etc to get her used to the taste. I found she stopped finishing her bottles naturally so I now just give her the one bottle in the evening. I just randomly made it with warmed cow's milk one day as we'd run out of formula and she took it fine!

just treat her like an older child, 3 full meals, 2 snacks- a bottle of milk offered after breakfast and before bed (in a bottle or sippy cup). My little one would only drink her milk if heated- 30seconds in microwave and a shake afterwards.

You don't need to, you can, if you want to. I started giving DS the toddler milk drink after he turned 1y and introduced cows milk in cooking / porridge / afternoon drink from a cup. He still has his formula (Aptamil stage 3) from his bottle morning and evening. I guess I'm just trying to say that there is nothing you need to do, it's not vital that you stop giving formula straight away. You can carry on if that's what you prefer.

They need about 12oz milk a day, but it can be milk in cereal, cheese, yoghurt too.
You could switch the bottles to cups, and do say 3/4oz cup of milk with breakfast, 3/4oz cup of milk with a snack in the afternoon and if you want you could still do a 4-6oz bottle of milk before bed - just make sure you brush teeth after the bottle and before bed.

You don't have to switch to cow's milk, but obviously formula is a lot more processed, contains additives and is much more expensive than straight milk.

He needs about 12oz now but it can come from food. The feed that isn’t first thing or bedtime I’d cut immediately. Feed 3 proper meals, 2 healthy snacks and water from a sippy cup it shouldn’t be needed. Then morning milk replace with sippy cup of cows milk, if there’s not much enthusiasm for it then no matter - they can get what they need through diary in their diet. Keep the bottle before bed for now if it’s an important part of your routine. If baby doesn’t take to the taste of cows milk you can transition slowly so make 8oz bottle of formula, top up with 1oz cows milk and increase the ratio over a few weeks. Once you’ve got that switch sorted then you can consider ditching the bottle for a sippy cup. Don’t worry if it doesn’t all happen at once, these things take time for most babies!

My little one never liked the taste of cows milk so have stuck with stage 3 formula - she's also a terrible eater so at least that's still got the added vitamins etc - all toddlers are different some fussier than others do you have to do what's right for you !

I literally just stuck cows milk in a bottle and let her have at it. I fannied around with microwaving it for ages before I realised she didn't care and would have it straight out the fridge 💁🏻‍♀️

She stayed using a bottle 1-2 times a day till about 20months although she had a cup for other drinks and at mealtimes. She just wouldn't take a 'milk feed' not in a bottle.

My youngest LO turns 1 next month- I am so excited to ditch £12 a tub formula…Sod’s law she’ll hate milk won’t she