Formula to Cows Milk?

Sligo1

Hi Guys,

So my fella is 14 months old today and so far we have kept him on Aptimal 1 formula. He has 240ml bottle in the morning and 240ml bottle at night. He also drinks loads of water and eats a good varied diet.

So I know babies can take cows milk from 12 months but I decided to just wait a little longer. Really want to try him on a bottle of it tomorrow morning. Do I just pour a 240ml bottle of full fat cows milk for him m the morning and give it to him or do I need to do it gradually? Bit by bit? I'll keep him on his night formula for a couple more weeks and all and just replace the one bottle for now. But would I be better to give him half a bottle of cows and half a bottle of formula in the morning?

Just to note, he has a little bit of cows milk in his lunch most days to mash up his spuds etc. and he seems to be tolerating it fine....

Thanks

January

I just changed over, never gradually changed.

Sligo1

January wrote: »

I just changed over, never gradually changed.

Thanks a million, will make life a lot easier!

highflyer30

Ya we went straight to cows milk. Didn't seem to bother him.

yellow hen

highflyer30 wrote: »

Ya we went straight to cows milk. Didn't seem to bother him.

Has anyone gradually moved over? I'm nervous just switching over completely. Little fella is only 10.5 months so I have a bit longer.

How Strange

I started giving O sippy cups of cows milk at 11 months. I know the guideline is 12 months but I was weaning him off breastmilk and thought cows milk was better than formula at that age. He was fine with it.

yellow hen

How Strange wrote: »

I started giving O sippy cups of cows milk at 11 months. I know the guideline is 12 months but I was weaning him off breastmilk and thought cows milk was better than formula at that age. He was fine with it.

I might slowly introduce it after 11 months. I still don't know if he's lactose sensitive so am dreading it.

How Strange

Would goats milk be better? I'm actually not entirely convinced that children need cows milk or at least the amount we're told they need. My son loves it and would drink cups of it all day but I try to give him water instead.

January

How Strange wrote: »

Would goats milk be better? I'm actually not entirely convinced that children need cows milk or at least the amount we're told they need. My son loves it and would drink cups of it all day but I try to give him water instead.

My girls very rarely, if ever, get cows milk these days... the youngest has a warm 8oz bottle going to bed... they don't eat cereal... but love cheese and yoghurts so I think they get enough dairy.

liliq

yellow hen wrote: »

I might slowly introduce it after 11 months. I still don't know if he's lactose sensitive so am dreading it.

Have you been breastfeeding or using lactose free formula, or avoiding dairy?
If no, then there shouldn't be any issues

If you want to change gradually I think it's ok to just mix cows milk and formula if you're using it, or just give small amounts of cows milk.

As How Strange said, it's not actually necessary to give cows milk. Or any milk. Water is fine

yellow hen

He's been on lactose free formula but I do use cows milk and butter in scrambled eggs, pancakes etc and he's had no problems so I suspect the sensitivity is waning.

I'm really interested to read more about the positive/negative effects of cows milk in children. As of yet, I have not read anything to convince me not to give cows milk but I'm open to hearing more.

A quick search of pubmed suggests there is no evidence of any negative effects of cows milk. (Although I'm sure a more thorough search will find counter arguments!)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/21921812/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002691/

liliq

yellow hen wrote: »

He's been on lactose free formula but I do use cows milk and butter in scrambled eggs, pancakes etc and he's had no problems so I suspect the sensitivity is waning.

I'm really interested to read more about the positive/negative effects of cows milk in children. As of yet, I have not read anything to convince me not to give cows milk but I'm open to hearing more.

A quick search of pubmed suggests there is no evidence of any negative effects of cows milk. (Although I'm sure a more thorough search will find counter arguments!)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/21921812/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002691/

For most kids there's no negative effect. It can suppress appetite sometimes so for kids who don't eat much it's not great.

Otherwise, it's not that it's negative just unnecessary. A lot of parents seem to worry about their child not drinking cows milk, and there's no need to

pwurple

How Strange wrote: »

Would goats milk be better? I'm actually not entirely convinced that children need cows milk or at least the amount we're told they need. My son loves it and would drink cups of it all day but I try to give him water instead.

What would goat's milk give that's better though? I know the fat content of goat milk is higher, and the protein profile is different. Is that it?

From a practical purpose it can be more expensive and harder to get hold of.

As long as the child is drinking water and milk, and not anything else (juices, fizzy stuff or diluted stuff) I'd say we are doing ok.

On switching, Formula is usually cows milk based too, unless you are using one of the gp prescribed ones, or a specific goat one. We tried her with a cup of it a day for a few days, and then just switched when the formula was gone.

Sligo1

Gave the cows milk this morning. He wooped it down, no bother! Lol. He is a little savage tho. Now just waiting to see if his poos are different!

Tabnabs

Sligo1 wrote: »

Gave the cows milk this morning. He wooped it down, no bother! Lol. He is a little savage tho. Now just waiting to see if his poos are different!

I was just about to say watch the nappies. Apparently some kids can get constipated. Not sure did i hear that from my folks or from the internet? lol But I've come across it some where. Mind you, I just changed over and there were no issues.

Suucee

My daughter was always so difficult to get formula into. From 6 months we started using cows milk in her food . And from about 11 months we offered it once a day in a cup. She loved it. Drank it so much easier than she every drank formula.
So when the pot of formula ran out we just switched over completly. She was just under 12 months at the time.

Synyster Shadow

My little guy was on soy milk from a month old until 7 months at which point I put him on normal formula the follow on milk. Iv had people say he should be on cows milk now he's 9 months. I'm hesitant for when he's 12 months let alone now. I know two babies on cows milk one his age the other from 6 months which I find odd. Thing is the 6 month old who is now over 12 months is unable to crawl or move much let alone walk as she's really really heavy. I don't mean normal baby fat but excessive fat and half think all the cows milk played a part in it

IvyTheTerrible

I changed over straight away, there was no problem.
He did get constipated but I don't know if that was the cause. Constipation went once he started walking.

liliq

Synyster Shadow wrote: »

My little guy was on soy milk from a month old until 7 months at which point I put him on normal formula the follow on milk. Iv had people say he should be on cows milk now he's 9 months. I'm hesitant for when he's 12 months let alone now. I know two babies on cows milk one his age the other from 6 months which I find odd. Thing is the 6 month old who is now over 12 months is unable to crawl or move much let alone walk as she's really really heavy. I don't mean normal baby fat but excessive fat and half think all the cows milk played a part in it

Gosh that sounds odd, using cows milk instead of breast or formula from so young. They really need the nutrition from breast or formula until they're around 1 until they're more established on solid food. At 6 or 9 months they're only really getting started on food!

January

Synyster Shadow wrote: »

My little guy was on soy milk from a month old until 7 months at which point I put him on normal formula the follow on milk. Iv had people say he should be on cows milk now he's 9 months. I'm hesitant for when he's 12 months let alone now. I know two babies on cows milk one his age the other from 6 months which I find odd. Thing is the 6 month old who is now over 12 months is unable to crawl or move much let alone walk as she's really really heavy. I don't mean normal baby fat but excessive fat and half think all the cows milk played a part in it

You can add cows milk into things like cereal now but I wouldn't completely replace it.

Synyster Shadow

Since he was 7 months iv added it to his weetabix and potatoes but I'm not on for switching yet. I don't mind making bottles never bothered me. Maybe it's laziness on there part

yellow hen

I've never ever considered moving him into cows milk early. I didn't realise people even did this. At the moment his porridge/weatabix is made with fornula. would that be a good place to start changing over? ie. add cows milk to cereal rather than formula?

January

yellow hen wrote: »

I've never ever considered moving him into cows milk early. I didn't realise people even did this. At the moment his porridge/weatabix is made with fornula. would that be a good place to start changing over? ie. add cows milk to cereal rather than formula?

Yep, once he's over the 6 month mark you can start adding cows milk to cereal.

yellow hen

January wrote: »

Yep, once he's over the 6 month mark you can start adding cows milk to cereal.

Thanks January. I might try that in a few weeks.

Sligo1

yellow hen wrote: »

I've never ever considered moving him into cows milk early. I didn't realise people even did this. At the moment his porridge/weatabix is made with fornula. would that be a good place to start changing over? ie. add cows milk to cereal rather than formula?

Yea I've been adding cows milk to his dinner etc for a few months now aswell.

Synyster Shadow

I find with his cereal he eats it with cows milk but turns his nose up at it with formula goin through it.