How old were your babies when you stopped formula and used cows milk?

[tigwig]

My baby is 9mths and has never really liked his milk right from birth. He eats a really healthy and varied diet (lots of it too) and I think he gets everything he needs from his food. He usually takes about 3-4oz of formula on a morning and a night and even this amount is a battle as he doesn't really want it. I am wondering whether to gradually introduce the cows milk instead and see if it makes a difference. Would this do him any harm?

[redcrx]

i waited until each of mine was about 12 months old, depending on when i ran out of formula.
presumably he is already having milk in food so if he shows no reaction to it and hes getting lots of vitimins etc in his food then it wont hurt to drop the bottles of formula and give him milk. the two are not the same so dont think that the milk is replacing formula, food is doing that.

[zzxxee]

both my girls were breast fed for the first few months then formula milk, finally cows milk at around 12 months
i would discuss dietry concerns with your health visitor if you are worried

[lollyone]

I think my girl was around 10-11 months when I gave her cows milk to drink but she'd been having it in cereal etc for a good few months before that. She never was and still isn't a huge milk fan to be honest.

[LoftyLottie]

My son never liked milk from birth either, breastmilk or formula and took very little. It was a nightmare. He just didn't like it! At ten weeks old I introduced him to pureed normal food (without the salt). He would have a small amount of soya milk to drink and at all other times plain water. I didn't try him on cows milk until he was about 9 months old and he didn't like that either. He never has liked milk, but enjoys a variety of all other foods. He was a happy healthy child.

If he is having a well balance diet he doesn't need milk.

[tigwig]

Well just looked into this a lot more and its debatable whether 'experts' say it should be given from 9 or 12 months anyway. It also says that babies his age only need 11mg of iron a day which can be found in just 1tbsp of sweet pot and this seems to be the main reason for not giving cows milk cos it doesn't contain as much iron as formula. I think I will add 2oz cows milk to his formula tonight and see how he goes. He has been having it cooked in food and on cereal since 6mths and been fine.

[redcrx]

i slowly introduce it with his formula at first so mixing it like you say may work.

[chelle7272]

Hi tigwig, mine was around nine months, he weaned himself off breast milk by then and would never touch formula. You're obviously paying good attention to his diet so I don't think there's any problem.

[LoftyLottie]

I wouldn't worry too much about the milk thing anyway. It's suggested for children up to five because it can ensure they get a certain amount of valuable nutrition that might be missing from their diet. However, if your son is getting a good mixed diet he won't suffer from lack of milk.

[tigwig]

Thank you again, will see if the little bugger takes it tonight!

[Goodsoulette]

Too much milk (non formula) can cause constipation. But im not sure 8 oz a day would cause that. Other than that its not as rich in nutrients, a greater risk of allergies if you switch too early, it's not got the iron in it that formula does. Baby is still doing a lot of important growing and althought not perfect like breast milk its been formulated to help him grow as best as can be recreated. Cows milk is brilliant for baby cows.

[Goodsoulette]

oh and calcium blocks iron absoprtion too, where as formula won't. So it can hinder anicely balanced balanced diet.

[luckywong]

my son quit cow milk when he is one year old.

[numnum]

i started my daughter with cows milk at 10months. she was already getting cows milk in cereal and her batches of food i was cooking. i did start her on semi skimmed the first few weeks then up the the blue milk.

i had to do that as she was getting to much iron from the formula so putting her on cows milk stopped that. as she had a good diet she was still getting plenty nutrients form that and the cows milk

i know my mum said when i was baby she put me on about 8 months and the thought never entered her head that it was the right/wrong time to do it.