How to stop formula feeds for DS who is turning 1

[MammaStorm]

My DS is about to turn a year old. He loves his solid foods and eats 3 times a day but still has 3 to 4 bottles of formula a day and he will usually drink 4 to 6 oz per bottle. I want to move him fully on to solids but I’m not sure how to do this. He is my first baby so I’m still learning.

Do you have any advice of how you managed this? Did you slowly swap formula with cows milk? Of water down the formula?

I know I need to add in some healthily snacks, do you have any suggestions?

so far his day looks roughly like this

awake 8am
bottle 8:30am

breakfast 9am - baby porridge & 1/2 banana
or banana pancakes and fruit
or Weetabix in warm milk with fruit

nap 11-11:30am

bottle 1pm

lunch 2pm - 12 month + baby meal (or hime made equivalent), some kind of fruit or veggie and some melt sticks or crispies

nap - 4-4:30 pm

bottle - 5:30pm

tea 6pm - toast with beans / Cream cheese / peanut butter
or omelette with cheese and tomato
or cheese veggie pancakes
served with yougurt and fruit purée

bottle 8pm

bed 8:30pm

I can’t remember exactly what I did. But I do know that I just switched straight to full fat cows milk and my DS loved it. Much cheaper than formula, so that was a big plus. Top tip from HV was to give milk after solids. That way they have more of an appetite at meal times and naturally reduce the amount of milk they drink until it’s only a bottle in the morning and evening.

I'd get rid of the day time bottles first and then it's up to you whether you mix and match or just swap.

Does he drink water from a cup?

DD is now 4.5 so I can't remember the details, but I do know that I reduced the formula gradually by replacing it with full fat cow's milk at the rate of 1 oz per week, I think. So, say it was a 5 oz bottle, I'd do 4 oz formula mixed with 1 oz cow's milk for the first week, then 3 oz formula mixed with 2 oz cow's milk for the second week, etc. I was using a perfect prep machine and the smallest amount of formula it makes it 4oz so I also bought a small measuring jug for the smaller amounts. I did it gradually as I was worried she might reject it. No idea if she would have done but the method I used worked well. I didn't give her any vitamins during the transition period but I did start adding the wellbaby liquid vitamins as soon as we'd moved over to cow's milk only. Hope this helps x

Bring lunch forward to 1, and add a snack mid-afternoon (something combining fat, protein and carb).

Maybe start him on proper foods instead of these baby meals. Then offer the milk afterwards, he'll be fuller and drink less. Could start offering cows milk for first one of the day and change them all over gradually. I'd also be swapping to open cups or straw bottles/ 360 cups when out and about instead of baby bottles.

You'll also find most babies drop down to one longer nap at this age like 12-2pm. This really frees up the day a bit more and you aren't as trapped with the schedule.