when is the best time to introduce cows milk to a baby?

Answer 1

I agree with Zippy, I work with pediatricians too and they say 12 months.

Answer 2

I don't understand why we are so into giving our children milk that is made for baby cows anyway. Both of my daughters breastfed well past their second birthday, and my 9 year old doesn't drink milk at all. My 3 year old likes chocolate milk, but usually drinks more water than anything. Human milk is for human babies and cows milk is for baby cows.

Answer 3

As a rule of thumb, 12 months is usually the best time to introduce cow's milk to your little one. The best advice to take however, is that of your pediatrician's. An earlier response indicated that sometimes a need may arise where it is necessary to switch your child from breastmilk/formula to cow's milk sooner than the 12 month mark.

Now that I have answered the question, I need just a few lines to vent. I read one of the earlier responses where the mom is huge proponent for breastfeeding. Sometimes this forum drives me crazy, in particular when it comes to mothers because we often have a self-righteous air to our answers. For you, the breastfeeding mom, some of us mothers either chose not to or were unable to breastfeed our children. It doesn't mean that we are misinformed or even bad mothers, it just means that we are moms who made decisions different from yours.

I made all of my daughter's baby food, but I dare not pass judgement against the mother who chooses canned products. I'm a stay at home mom, but again, I don't pass judgement on the married mom who decides to pursue her career. Life is about choices and as adults, in particular mothers, we are free to make whichever choice we want too!

I DID NOT breastfeed my daughter. She is healthy, she is happy, she has NOT had recurrent ear infections and we are wonderfully bonded. I chose not breastfeed because nature took that choice from me. She is adopted. So in our case, breastmilk was not an option, but formula was and now cow's milk is.

Answer 4

I know people are going to judge me for this and I don't care but my doctor switch my son to homogenized milk when he was 7 1/2 months he wouldn't drink any formula what so ever and my doctor felt he was ready he was already eating baby yogurts and that for like 2 weeks before I gave him the milk. Now my son is alot happier i've noticed an improvement in my sons attitude since he started drinking it, but of course I brought him to my doctor before switching and got him use to it eating baby yogurts (Lil Ones) which contain homogenized milk.

Answer 5

18 months or older and only if they have ample iron stores.

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/0/T000100.asp#T031014
SWITCHING TO MILK
I've been feeding my baby iron-fortified formula. When is it okay to switch to whole cow's milk? Research comparing cow's milk and formula-fed infants during the first year of life has shown that cow's milk is irritating to the intestines of a tiny infant, causing infants to lose a tiny bit of blood in their stools, contributing to iron deficiency anemia. There is very little iron in cow's milk anyway, and the iron that is there is poorly absorbed. Concern about iron-deficiency anemia has led the American Academy of Pediatrics, backed by solid research, to discourage the use of cow's milk in children under one year of age. One of America's top pediatric hematologists (blood specialist), the late Dr. Frank Oski , Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkin University (and co-author of a book entitled: Don't Drink Your Milk) advised parents to be cautious and not rush into the use of cow's milk, even during the second year of life. At present it would seem prudent to continue giving your baby iron-fortified formula during the second year of life and very gradually wean him to dairy products, beginning with yogurt. If your toddler generally has a balanced diet and routine hemoglobin tests show that he is not even close to being anemic, then switch from formula to whole milk sometime during the second year, but don't be in a hurry.

Answer 6

Give the baby some milk in a bottle

Answer 7

12 months BUT ease it in don't just start giving it to him. I did that with my son and he had stomach problems, I later figured out that his tummy was upset because one day I just took away his formula and gave him cows milk. He's ok now but it took away for him to feel better.

Answer 8

12 months old

Answer 9

when they are 12 months old

Answer 10

Not before one year old.