Switching from formal to regular milk?

[Growing Up Mad]

Finn is nearing his first birthday and so it's (happily) time to get him off formula. I don't really know how to though as I breastfed my others then just switched. Formula though is such a different taste, not sure if I should slowly mix it. Also, should I wait until his actual birthday to start switching or work on it slowly between now and then(about 3 weeks away)?

He was fed breastmilk fully until August then I started mixing it with formula until my last batch was used (I had milk doors) and he's been on full formula since. No issues. I plan on switching hm to organic whole milk.

Help, I'm new to this whole formula thing (so was dh, we didn't even know there was a 1 scoop to 2oz ratio at first, oops) and weaning at a year.
_________________
Dawn,
Madly in love with Jim
Proud mama to Alex , Maddy , Lilly , Sully and Finnegan
Rounding out the craziness is Charlie

[stacey19804]

I would mix half with formula and also maybe at dinner time give him a cuppy with a bit of milk.
_________________
Stacey , SAHM to Gavin 15 , Dakota 12 , Kyler 9 And Lathan 2

[bbailey]

I would mix also...I don't think it would hurt to do it cold turkey, but he might refuse if the taste was different. Did the formula switch constipate him? If it didn't, then I don't think you would have any issues with milk. Agree with Stacey about mealtimes too, he might be more accepting of it then.
_________________
Brittany~nursing student and SAHM to Cole 3/1/03 (autism), Jaden 8/31/04, Cameron 4/8/09, and Skyelar 11/8/11

www.hyenacart.com/StitchingUpAStorm

[mama2LilynDevon]

My oldest was on formula. In the beginning milk gave him diarrhea even though he was fine with the formula. I replaced 1oz of formula w/ milk at a time. If i added more milk to the bottle and he had a problem id switch back for a few days. I started a week or two before he turned one and it took about a month to make the switch.
_________________
Amanda, wife of 1, mom of 5

The Color Wheel on Etsy
Facebook

[grayspinner]

I wouldn't dilute the formula. After all, you aren't really replacing the formula with milk - the point is to replace the formula with food. Milk is just a drink - it is not vital to their diet. You don't want your kid drinking as much milk as formula - you want your kid eating instead of having formula. If your kiddo doesn't drink milk for awhile, or ever - that is okay.

The following is what I did for my breastfed babies, I think it would work just fine for a formula fed baby.

What I would do would be to offer up a breakfast, lunch & dinner & 2 snacks and serve a cup of water or milk with them. I do milk with breakfast, water with all other meals, juice with one of the snacks for my kids (I don't like to have milk with meals because they fill up on milk and not food).

Then, AFTER the meal, offer the formula. At first, your baby will not eat very much food and will drink the formula after, as he eats more and more solid foods, he will want less and less formula after.

Just like nursing, the last bottles to go will be the ones at bedtime. Once he is eating a lot of solids for meals, try offering the formula in a cup instead of a bottle. Once that is the norm, instead of formula, offer water (or milk). Eventually, you want to develop other ways to help him settle for bed other than drinking something. It is okay if this process takes awhile - just like it is okay if they nurse for comfort for awhile.
_________________
Melinda
with 4 great kiddos - Josh (15), Nathan (14), Corrie ( 12 ) and Rylee (9)


Melinda's Lotions & Potions Hyena Cart
PM me for custom knitting!

[Growing Up Mad]

Ok, for some reason I thought even after they switched to milk at 1 they needed like 24 oz a day. So confusing.

He is on foods. Here is is sample eating (and yes, I know he drinks a ton of formula but his specialist said it's fine because he is so active):

Morning:
Bowl of oatmeal (about 4ozs dry) mixed with 4 ozs fruit (he has to eat thick due to his inability to swallow), some puffs and/or diced apples and has a 5oz bottle.
Morning nap 5oz bottle

Lunch:
4oz of veggies (table food), 4oz fruit (table food), 4oz organic yogurt, some veggie/fruit juice that most gets drooled out.
Afternoon nap: 5oz bottle

Afternoon snack: graham crackers or the like plus some water (again mostly drooled out)

Dinner: table foods equivalent to 3-4 jars baby food plus water (drooled out) and 5 oz bottle after

Bedtime: 5 oz bottle plus he gets up 2 times a night for 5oz bottles. I have tried water but he just screams. I scrub his teeth in the morning LOL
_________________
Dawn,
Madly in love with Jim
Proud mama to Alex , Maddy , Lilly , Sully and Finnegan
Rounding out the craziness is Charlie

[Growing Up Mad]

We have his OT appt this week for feeding therapy and hearing loss. He is unable to swallow liquids without using his cleft bottle. So we are aiming to get him on a cup that will allow him adequate fluid intake. I know it will be a while before we are off bottles so I need to figure out how much milk is enough without being too much and if I should do the slow mix until switched to milk.

Oh and because we all have had severe anemia we do iron supplements once on milk and serve diluted citrus juice with meals or water with a citrus fruit ao the iron is more easily absorbed. So his milk needs to be drank without meals. Maybe snack time?
_________________
Dawn,
Madly in love with Jim
Proud mama to Alex , Maddy , Lilly , Sully and Finnegan
Rounding out the craziness is Charlie

[grayspinner]

They don't need 24oz of milk a day. If they aren't eating enough calories from food, formula for calories is a better choice than milk. Milk has some good things - fat, vit. d, calcium - but those things are also found in foods too - avocado is a great source of fat, dark greens are a great source of calcium.

Snack time is a great time for the milk - because then he isn't filling up on milk and not eating the meals. Milk is very filling.

So, really - don't worry if he doesn't like cow's milk. Focus more on good wholesome foods and formula after the foods in case he's still hungry.

Honestly, I'd increase his meat intake because of the anemia - or dark greens if y'all are vegetarians. I'd add a protein to breakfast (scrambled egg is an easy one for them to pick up & eat - or hard boiled egg) and increase the protein at lunchtime - yogurt is good, but I don't think it is as high in protein as a meat or bean. Looks like he has a good amount of fruits & veggies. Cheese would be good to incorporate with snacks because of the calcium & protein and higher calories.

My pediatrician used to tell me often 'milk is just a drink' when mine were nearing the weaning age. Now some peds who are less informed about nutrition will make you feel like that have to have a bunch of milk, but often when you push bunches of milk, the kids don't eat as much actual food.

And the reason they push whole milk is often the good fats. If your kiddo doesn't like milk, it is usually pretty easy to get those good fats in other ways - eggs & avocados for instance are a great source of them.
_________________
Melinda
with 4 great kiddos - Josh (15), Nathan (14), Corrie ( 12 ) and Rylee (9)


Melinda's Lotions & Potions Hyena Cart
PM me for custom knitting!

[Growing Up Mad]

Thanks for the help and info Melinda. I have to say breastfeeding is easier on so many levels. I never worried about all this with any of my others. I breastfed, they ate, they weaned and I gave them milk. All easy peasy.
_________________
Dawn,
Madly in love with Jim
Proud mama to Alex , Maddy , Lilly , Sully and Finnegan
Rounding out the craziness is Charlie

[krgolden]

Dawn, I haven't used formula, but wanted to say that Evelyn flat out refused to drink milk at all. She still doesn't (she's almost 3). She will only drink water. What Melinda said is true. Push the foods and offer the formula after. I know it's a little different because of his mouth and surgeries though. Oh, and I can't believe he's almost a year already. Time has FLOWN by!
_________________
Katie ~ wife to JD. mama to 3 amazing kiddos!

Will knit for trades! I'm looking for Cestari or MMR yarn specifically, but try me

[armywife51b]

Madison was formula fed and just up and sudden stopped wanting his formula one night so I had to give him whole milk. I don't know if it's okay to quit cold turkey though..this was 6 years ago! hehe
_________________
Jennifer
Mom to Madison & Nathan & Army Wife to my deployed Chris & Fur Mommy to Miss Piggy & Baby

Natural Madison

eco samples

[bbailey]

Dawn, Melinda is right about the milk. We NEVER did milk with any of my kids, due to my oldest childs severe allergies (he is allergic to the protein in milk). Our dr said that milk provides calcium, but the vit A and D are added...and honestly you can get ALL of those things from other foods.

That said, Finn's calorie requirements might differ. I don't think he needs 24oz of milk per day (that's crazy talk LOL). He would be one chubby little guy by the time you guys got here to visit
_________________
Brittany~nursing student and SAHM to Cole 3/1/03 (autism), Jaden 8/31/04, Cameron 4/8/09, and Skyelar 11/8/11

www.hyenacart.com/StitchingUpAStorm