Switching from formula to cows milk at 12 months

[Cherry85]

So at 12 months we switch from formula to cows milk.....how do we do this?

Do we just do a straight swap? Do we start switching out a bottle or so ahead of time? Do we wait till 12 months and do it gradually?

DS had horrible issues with colic and reflux as a baby and was on comfort milk for a while too so I have the fear!!!

When he gets to 12 months swap the least loved bottle for a cup of cows milk. This is usually lunchtime ime. See how he goes.

If after a week or so he's all good, swap the next bottle out for a cup of cows milk, usually breakfast ime. See how he goes.

If after a week or so he's all good, swap out the last bottle for a cup of cows milk, usually bedtime ime.

If he struggles with the first transition, stick with it but don't swap out the other bottles until you've ironed out any issues.

I just did a straight switch when I next ran out of formula, it didn't even occur to me to do a gradual swap!

Does your ds have cows milk /dairy in their diet already? Milk with cereal, yogurt, cheese? If so I would be less worried and just swap. It is so so much cheaper than formula!

Adding that I swapped to cows milk in his bottle, my ds couldn't drink water reliably out of a cup at 1, so there was no chance he would drink milk from a cup. We are down to just a bottle of cows milk before bed at 16 months

@Goldpanther yeah he takes milk with weetabix, cheese and yogurt all ok so thats reassuring.

@NuffSaidSam ah thats a good way to do it! Thank you x

I breastfed but introduced cups of milk with meals first, then dropped mid morning then mid afternoon, last thing at night (and during the night) was last to go. It took a bit of persuasion in the form of a little nesquik i admit, stubborn pair mine were

Personally I kept formula longer for the extra vitamins etc. Then eventually mixed the two.

You can gradually dilute formula with cows milk over a couple of weeks so there is no big flavour change and they get used to the cows milk taste slowly. Though DS preferred cows milk to formula so we just switched straight away for him! Good luck OP!

I changed it over an Oz at a time, in each bottle. Wait a couple of days, increase the ratio. About ten days overall. It coincided with LO dropping a bottle too. Then we switched to a 360 cup for warm bedtime milk once completely on cow's milk.

And don't forget, when no longer drinking a pint of formula a day, to add in a children's multivitamin that contains vitamin D.