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Original poster

1 year old switching to cows milk, need some advice

33 replies

ViperActive · 03/12/2014 18:52

before I start I must admit I overthink just about everything!
Hi, I have a 1 year old who is currently on 3 bottles of 6/7 oz formula a day. She eats well and has snacks etc. She loves her bottle. I tried last week to give afternoon milk in a sippy cup and she refused so took it in bottle. She drinks water fine from sippy cup.
Anyhow, what I want to know is, where do I go from here? I know I am supposed to give cows milk now too.
Anyone care to advise on what they did? I don't have family im able to ask, friends all have older kids and can't remember and I lost faith in the HV. Thanks x

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Allstoppedup · 03/12/2014 18:55

I've not got first hand experience, but a few of my friends are at this stage and said they did it over a course of 5 days, each feed taking an oz of formula away and replacing it with cows milk until their DCs were on an all cows milk bottle by the end of the 5 days.

My friend who did it first has had no issues doing it this way so hopefully that helps!

purplemurple1 · 03/12/2014 18:57

I mixed giving formula in a sippy cup in the afternoons and either cow or formala in his morning and evening bottles. Mine's a milk monster and was happy with any milk in any container so after a week we just did cow in a sippy for all three milk feeds.

CoffeeandNumbers · 03/12/2014 19:00

I did much the same as above just before my dds first bday. I took it a little bit slower though, maybe over 10 days replacing an ounce if formula for an ounce of cows.

But IMHO, get her off the bottle sooner rather than later. I'm trying to move on to sippy cup for milk now, (17mths) and it's been hard. Which is so silly as she's drunk water out of a normal cup since six months, but refuses to give up the bottle for milk. But kids will be little buggers kids.

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Original poster

ViperActive · 03/12/2014 19:01

Do you mean mix the cows milk and formula in same bottle?
Should I try change milk and then the container ?

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GotToBeInItToWinIt · 03/12/2014 19:01

I did half and half for a few days then just switched. If anything DD prefers cows milk to formula (don't blame her, aptamil smells vile!)

purplemurple1 · 03/12/2014 19:04

Some mix in the same bottle so on day 1 make each bottle 1oz cow and the rest formula. Then up the cow each day.

I did one whole feed cow, 2 whole feeds formula adding in the sippy at the same time and once I knew his stomach could cope fine I just swapped to cow for all.

AugustRose · 03/12/2014 19:08

I started giving it in breakfast cereal first so they got used to the different taste, then started giving small bits in a cup and built it up over a week.

FannyFifer · 03/12/2014 19:08

You know that you don't have to give cows milk at all.

CalpolOnToast · 03/12/2014 19:09

Eeek I just started giving him cows milk when he finished a tub of formula at 11 months 3 weeks. He did and still does have a fair few cartons of ready made formula though when we go out because I think at this age it's cows milk with extra vitamins isn't it?

GotToBeInItToWinIt · 03/12/2014 19:12

I did half and half for a few days then just switched. If anything DD prefers cows milk to formula (don't blame her, aptamil smells vile!)

CoffeeandNumbers · 03/12/2014 19:14

She was having two 10oz bottles a day, so day one made up 9 oz formula, topped up with 1oz of cows, day 2 made up 8oz formula then topped up 2oz of cows.... And so on...

As for swapping to a sippy cup, I don't know what's best? Maybe swap the milk first, as it's much easier to warm the cows milk in a sippy in the micro? A few I my sippy cups have no lines on them so it's all guess work, I could have never made formula in them!

kiki0202 · 03/12/2014 19:16

DS went straight from formula to cows milk without any problem I don't think he noticed the difference but didn't ditch the bottles until 2yrs.

Original poster

ViperActive · 03/12/2014 19:23

So I won't be only mum that gives milk in a bottle at this age then?
somewhere I read these bits of info and I think I must do it or I'm failing her, OTT I know.

OP posts:

Original poster

ViperActive · 03/12/2014 19:23

Also what to do you do when yoyr out and due a milk feed?

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morningsarepants · 03/12/2014 19:28

I didn't bother with mixing. Just stopped formula, straight to cows milk. No problems both times.

Disastronaut · 03/12/2014 19:38

Mine's 13 months and I still give a mix of formula & cows milk, sometimes all one or the other, sometimes mixed. She's fine with anything but I think formula fills her up a bit more (she doesn't eat very well). Still has 3 bottles a day - all from a bottle, rather than a sippy cup.

Unless they have a bad reaction to cows milk, then most babies I know don't seem to mind the change over.

CoffeeandNumbers · 03/12/2014 20:20

Once Id swapped her to cows, I just tried to make sure I was somewhere that could warm a chilled bottle, or could buy some to warm, or use the small cartons of premixed formula which she will drink at any temp (always keep some of these in the car for emergencies anyway).

The reason I am moving off bottles now at 17mths is that I have always fed her to sleep, as this was the easiest way. But I have started to notice her bottom teeth aren't as straight as when they first came through, I think this is due to the bottles, and I've also read some horror stories about tooth rot. I feel very guilty that this has happened. (In my defence I am a first time mother that used to trust everything my relative said!)

GotToBeInItToWinIt · 03/12/2014 20:29

I'm still using bottles for DD at just over 12 months. To be honest she has just started sleeping slightly better and I'm not willing to rock the boat at the moment!

Original poster

ViperActive · 03/12/2014 20:47

It's so hard isn't it! I wonder if it's the norm to have 3 bottles at this age too?

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Tiredemma · 03/12/2014 20:49

DD is 15 months old and has her milk in a bottle still

fatterface · 03/12/2014 20:57

I'd drop the afternoon bottle, or at least swap it for a cup of cow's milk - they only need 12oz a day of milk now anyway. Bottles morning and night are fine so long as you are careful about brushing teeth after, and also make sure they drink the bottle in one go rather than sucking on it for a prolonged period (or worse, taking it to bed).

Emmie10 · 03/12/2014 20:57

My daughter was on two bottles a day by 12 months. I switched the morning one to cows milk straight away and after a few days with no ill effects, I swapped the evening one too. She drinks much more in a bottle now so must prefer the taste. She is 19 months and still has a bedtime bottle - I'm in no rush to stop it!

Original poster

ViperActive · 03/12/2014 20:59

Do you all use the fastest flowing teats too or doesn't that matter?
Thanks everyone this is really helpful

OP posts:

CoffeeandNumbers · 03/12/2014 21:04

I don't know, my dd dropped to just one nap by ten months, so only one 10oz bottle for nap and one 10oz for bed. I don't think this is normal, she just doesn't need much sleep. But what is normal?! They're all individuals. If she was having 30 bottles then maybe I'd worry!

It's very hard being a first timer and not knowing what's right, isn't it?

If it's any consolation, I haven't stopped worrying, but I did have a moment when she was about 14 mths, and thought fucking hell she's made it this far, and I haven't killed her, I must be doing something right! Haha!

As long as your dd is happy and healthy, don't panic!

CoffeeandNumbers · 03/12/2014 21:09

Sorry, thread moved quickly.

I used MAM bottles mostly. I went from 0 size, to 1 at 3 months, size 2 at about 5/6 months, (started regular cup at this point too) size 3 which I think is free flow at 8/9 months, when we also learned to suck a straw. So I think we moved quite slowly, compared to other babies I know anyway.

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