2006-10-29 01:41:37 · 10 answers · asked by mdwyson 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
This is a great (and quite common) question.
There are details and tips on making this transition at:
http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/baby/formulafeed/1334703.html
Based on these recommendations it looks like you can start any time.
My baby girl is just over 11-months and will be starting daycare full time November 6th. I return to work November 14th. Her birthday is November 25th.
I've only been breastfeeding and now I can't get her to take formula at all. (I tried and she freaks out and gets completely hysterical so I gave up.) I'm hoping that the daycare might be able to convince her to drink fromula. (Some people have said this is a possibility... different environment and I'm not around with the BM "on tap") We'll give it a whirl, but I won't be pressing the issue too much if she's still refusing formula.
Once she's full time at daycare I plan to continue BF 3 times a day for at least the 3 weeks until her 1st birthday. Her 1-year "well baby" check-up is a week after her birthday. I'd like to ask her pediatrician before switching her to cow's milk. (I'm a bit worried it might not be an age thing so much as a weight thing and my daughter's quite small for her age. A little friend of her's born a few days later though is even smaller and was given the green light for starting cow's milk at 10-months by her pediatrician because she also refused formula.)
People have told me that BF babies are better with straws than with sippy cups or bottles and trying with water at meals I've found this to be true, so I'm planning to introduce milk with a straw too.
We'll be starting with small portions of whole/homogenized milk (not skim 1% or 2% as these aren't recommended for babies) and will definitely follow the 3 day allergy rule, not introducing anything else new during this period and watching for signs of allergy or digestive problems... I might even double up the 3 days on this one because it's a big transition. (Although she does already eat yogurt, cheeses and the occasional smidge of ice cream without a problem.)
I'll just have to see how it goes and like we do for everything else I'll let my baby be my guide. If she won't get on board with formula, then I may call the pediatrician and milk may be coming a couple weeks early. I'm not convinced that a couple weeks one way or the other is a huge deal. Like with everything else, every baby is different so why this strict rule about milk at age 1?
I hope she likes it though!! Her Dad and I are huge milk drinkers!!!
Congrats on your little one's big day!!!
2006-10-29 02:12:54 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends waiting until a child is a year old before starting her on fresh cow's milk.
When my daughter turned a year old I started gradually giving her cows milk. If you just completely switch all at once it may upset her stomach and cause her to be fussy. I did like 1/4 milk to 3/4 formula for like a week. Then the next week I did half and half. Then the following week I did 3/4 milk to 1/4 formula. Then of course the next week I went to straight milk. This helped her in the transition a lot.
2006-10-29 09:47:39 · answer #2 · answered by butterfly 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Happy Birthday Baby today you can have cows milk whole milk of course
2006-10-29 10:29:38 · answer #3 · answered by Brandi D 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Talking from experience. Make sure you give your child the appropriate milk. Children are not suppose to be introduced to 2% milk until they are at least 2 years old. If you want to start on cows milk you need to start on homo because it has more fat in it. Your child still needs this fat for growth. Plus 2% milk is alot harder to digest.
2006-10-29 09:53:18 · answer #4 · answered by Leanne C 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can start now. I wanted to stop breast feeding when my daughter was 10 months old she would not take any formula so I tried her on cows milk and she took it. She is now 7years old and is healthy.
2006-10-29 18:49:53 · answer #5 · answered by Mel 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Start weaning her onto cow's milk, from a cup, as soon as you'd like.
2006-10-29 09:46:04 · answer #6 · answered by Heather 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don`t stop at this early age ,give the baby time to stop it himself. It normally happens at 18 months.
2006-10-29 09:45:58 · answer #7 · answered by spatz 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
He/she can have cow's milk now!
2006-10-29 09:46:04 · answer #8 · answered by la la la 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Talk to your doctor.
2006-10-29 09:43:40 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
anytime you like it will be fine there is no time limit that i know of ,
2006-10-29 09:45:15 · answer #10 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋