encouraging LO to like cows milk

[fireflyz]

How do you get your child to like cow's milk? It must taste different to formula. We've been using 'ready to drink' carton formula which I think must taste like sweet UHT (I haven't tried it though), and it's always at room temperature, whereas I don't think cows milk can be served at room temperature as once opened it has to be stored in the fridge. Unless you warm it? I wouldn't want to give LO UHT cow's milk, I don't think that can be as good as regular cow's milk.

My LO is a year old and currently drinking about 3 or 4 cartons of ready to drink formula a day, although he's eating fairly well too. Although I know some people would think I was mad, I'd carry on with the formula to be honest if it weren't for the cost :(

Is there a reason why you're using the cartons of ready-made as opposed to formula powder? I only use the cartons if we're out and about and DD is likely to need milk. A tin is lasting us about a week and a half at the moment. She is 1 in a week and for the past couple of days I've been making 1 of her 3 bottles a day with 1/2 formula and 1/2 cow's milk to get her used to the taste and I'll slowly switch over the next few weeks. I can see no harm in warming the cow's milk if your DC won't take it straight from the fridge.

Tbh, we just swapped her beaker of carton milk to full fat milk and she never noticed! We did used to keep the carton formula in the fridge so the temp of the milk didn't change for her. She also didn't flinch when we moved from full fat to semi skimmed.

What about things like cereal - do you serve that with full fat milk? Does your LO like that? Perhaps just give it a shot and see what happens? Or could you serve up 80% formula and 20% full fat and just slowly adjust levels until you're fully on full fat?

Cheers! I'll try the idea of mixing formula and cows milk gradually and see what happens.

It's a bit nervewracking to switch from the formula which says it has all these added vitamins etc to cows milk but I know that at 1 yo they're supposed to be fine to start the switch.

LO hasn't liked milk on cereal for a while, I used to do it with the formula when we first started weaning, but these days he likes to pick cereal up with his fingers so soggy cereal seems to be unpopular and when I tried some cooled porridge made with cows milk the other day, he rejected it, but I'll give it another go, you do just have to keep trying things, don't you! Wish me luck :)

Good luck, they're fussy wee blighters at the best of time!! Perseverence is the key (but that doesn't stop brocolli getting rejected EVERY time I serve it up!!)