[arthymom]

whole milk? Dd is a year and has been home 2 weeks and our ped. said to slowly make the transition.

But I'm loving the nutritional value of formula; she is so healthy and happy I'm scared to make the change! I did not worry w/bio. ds since I knew everything that had been in his mouth from day one.

Is that normal to worry about this transition?

At what age did you transition your baby/toddler out of formula?

How did you know that the food you were giving your baby/toddler was equivalent to formula?

Did any of you decide to keep your baby/toddler on formula for a longer stretch?

Thanks!

[daynesmom]

When we went to ped for ds 1 year check up he said we could switch right away and he actually recommended doing it "cold turkey". So as soon as his formula ran out, he was on milk. DS loves it!!!! But then again, he didn't really like his bottle very much. He refused it half the time.

Sorry if I wasn't much help.

[lzriggles]

Hi there,

Yes, I decided to keep my daughter on formula until she was 2. She had been on Similac Advance from birth so I made the switch to Similac Advance for babies 9 to 24 months when she was about 13 months old. My pediatrician said that most people make the switch to milk to save money and it's more convenient, easier to get when out and about, etc., but he thought it was great if I didn't mind paying the extra to keep her on it.

My daughter wasn't an excellent eater either and I felt like with the formula I knew she was getting the nutrients her body & brain needed to grow!

Good luck!

[DD Amasa]

I switched my son to whole milk at 12 months at the advice of our pediatrician. I know I am feeding him healthy meals (and I discussed a length what he should be eating with the doctor) so I didn't worry. At 12 months he was getting lots of fruits, vegetables (some fresh and cut up, some baby food), fortified baby cereal and cheerios, yogurt and cheese. And I knew the variety of foods would be increasing all the time. I guess you could ask your doctor about vitamins if you're really concerned.

[jules17]

Our pediatrician recommended at 12 months also. We just gave him some milk to try and holy smokes! he loved it!!

I know his diet is incredibly nutritious - no preservatives, additives, junk ...just pure and organic food in appropriate quanitities.

Sam has only continued to thrive.

(but in answer to your original question, YES, I was nervous!)

[TXTennis]

We started yesterday. Our DD is one year old and our Ped. said we can go cold turkey or slowly. I am mixing in 3 ounces of whole milk and 5 ounces of formula and will be working it down from there.

I was a little nervous but she has whole milk yogurt every day so I figured it would not be a big deal.

[AngelsMama]

DS came home at 14 months and was not the best eater. We continued to use formula exclusively (along with well balanced meals) for the first 5 months. I wanted to make sure he was getting everything he needed. When we made the switch to milk we did it slowly and still used formula when we were on the go. He's done fine. My doctor has never pressured me to switch but then again I go to a family practitioner and he is raising 8 kids of his own. So he never frets unless it's a big deal.

Oh and I was very nervous, but I was more worried about taking away his bottle and that has been okay.

[nurse_reedle]

I think leaving them on formula is good to do if you can afford it. Thw WHO organization recommends breastfeeding for a minimum of 2 years, because their brains and bodies still need that extra nutrition and fat and stuff. If we were doing formula (we are not because I am breastfeeding) we would probably do it for 2 years.

[redru2004]

We switched Lucas over to whole milk as soon as he turned 1 and he LOVES it. I just make sure he get's a large variety of food, plety of fruits and veggies along with his carbs and protein. He's thriving, growing like a weed and in perfect health!

[JustBarbara]

Okay, perhaps ignorance is bliss I didn't even think about being nervous. One day the daycare teacher asked me when I was going to switch to milk, we had a ped appt the next day and over a week we transitioned from formula to organic whole milk. For those who think milk is cheaper than formula ... not in the northeast ... or perhaps because sometimes I think DS might actually turn into a cow - he looooves his milk. We did the switch at 13 months and he was already getting chicken, fruits, veggies, yogurt, cheese (all organic - so I have switched to organic also) in this diet. Meanwhile I am buying a lot of milk - and the prices keep going up and ... there's never a coupon!

[stephjoel99]

Amelia is 15.5 months and we are keeping her on formula (Nutramigen b/c of milk protein allergy) until she is 2.

I tried to switch her to rice milk, but it had no protein (or very little) and I was worriedthat she needed something healthier. I do feed her very well - except the girl loves her some cinnamon rolls - but we just decided formula was better.

Plus Amelia had been on powdered whole milk for 5 months (she was switched at 6 months unbeknownst to me) so I feel like she was gypped and needed some nutritional make up. (She was mildly malnourished when we picked her up.)

So we're probably not the "usual case". Sorry for the novel! Good luck!!!

[arthymom]

Wow...What a mix of responses! Sounds like we can't lose either way. Thank you all for answering my queries!!!

I guess at our next pediatrician's appt. I'll ask more detailed questions about what would "replace" formula and do a slow withdrawl/transition. I'm hesitant to go cold turkey more for the nutritional worry than with how our dd will react. She is eating yoghurt (Yo-baby whole milk kind) and loves food, so I'm not terribly worried that she'll reject milk...Again more of a "rock the boat" worry!

As for prices, I hear you. In our house we go through vats of milk a week (DH AND DS) and it IS expensive here in the Northeast.

Thanks again you all...I feel better.

[ddhuab]

We brought dd home at 11 mo old. She was very healthy. I kept her on formula until 13 months old (I figured, look at all the formula we hadn't bought, lol, so I didn't mind the expense).

At 13 months, I switched to whole milk. I add a dose of PolyViSol (liquid vitamin for infants/babies) to her first morning milk. I think that helps it taste like formula. She never minded it, and still takes her first morning milk that way. Also, the ped gave me a list of food groups and the proper amount to be eating -- I keep this on my refrigerator. Between the two, I don't really worrry about her nutrition too much.

D.

[maak]

We are still on soy formula at 19 months as our dd has milk protein allergy and refluxed alot with regular soy milk. I personally think it is a good idea to get off formula if you can as there is corn syrup in that stuff and it is very processed. I called the simalac company when all the chinese wheat gluten issues came out and they were not able to say for sure if any of the components of the formula came from outside the US. I also think the formula can impact on the toddlers drive to eat table food.

[Justhavfaith]

Our DS came home a few weeks shy of his first birthday we moved him back to formula (was on powdered milk). After about a month, I moved him to "next step" formula for toddlers 9-24 months and he is still on it but, only 16oz per day and is also now drinking whole milk with meals. He is 18 months. I too worried about the nutritional value that he desperately needed. I will be moving him off from the formula completely in the next few weeks. I reached this decision because he is now in the 40th% for weight and I figured that he is caught up now. AND - milk is MUCH cheaper.

FYI - at his 15 month check up, I neglected to mention the formula to the ped because I didn't want a lecture.