Conference moira::parenting_v3

    
    I switched Danielle to milk at 9-10 months old. I started by giving her
    a small cup of milk at meals. She had no reaction to it so I increased
    the amount after a few weeks time. I knew it was time to switch over
    because she wouldn't drink formula anymore. She threw her bottle on the
    floor all the time.
    
    
    Sandy

    We did both our boys at 9 months, also.  I mixed half milk and half
    formula in their bottles and slowly decreased the formula until it was
    all milk.   My oldest gave up the bottle at 13 months, the youngest was
    22 months (however the last two months were all juice).
    
    -sandy
                                                      
    

    My pedi did a blood test to check iron levels with both boys before
    giving the ok to introduce milk.  With my oldest, his iron reserves
    were low at 9 months and so he stayed on formula until 12 months.  The
    younger was ready for milk at 9 mos.  Like the previous noter, I
    started by gradually introducing milk - about an ounce at a time mixed
    with the formula.  They were both switched to milk in about a weeks
    time.  I, too, coincided this with introduction of a cup.  Neither had
    any problems adjusting to the cup and giving up the bottle.
    

    I think it depends on your pedi.  It seems like the pedis in the other
    replies started about 9 months.  Mine told me we would discuss it at my
    son's 1 year checkup (which is in a few weeks).  He doesn't believe in
    starting children on milk before they are a year old.  He told me that
    they still can't digest it properly until that time.  I say it depends
    on your pedi.
    
    Kathy

    In regards to my last reply .1, my pedi recommended me switching because
    where my daughter wasn't drinking her formula, she wasn't getting
    enough calcium. So it had to come from milk. Alot of pediatricians
    don't recommend it before a year. My mother said she can't understand
    the reason for this, she said when we were babies they had no formula
    so we had to drink milk. And we had no reaction to it. Sometimes I
    think doctors know too much!  Unless of course there is a known medical
    problem why the child should not take it too early as specified by a
    previous noter.
    
    
    Sandy

    I should add more to my base-note.  My son will be 1 yrs. old this 
    Sunday.  My pedi also said that we will start him on milk at 1 yr.
    old, but he didn't say (at the 9 month checkup) how to do that. 
    I figured that this week was close enough to 1 yr so I have been 
    putting in his 5 oz. bottle 1 1/2 oz. of milk.  With no apparent
    problem so far.  I think come Monday I will put 1/2 formula, 1/2
    milk.  I figure if he gets a reaction then I can talk to the pedi
    on tues. (1 yr. check-up). I was just concerned if I was doing it
    right.
    
    Also, if he does get a reaction from the milk, what type of reactions
    should or could I find myself with.
    
    Thanks,
    Julie

    
    I believe that the noticable reactions are, a rash and not keeping the
    milk down.  Also, I noticed a change in Danielle's bowels. Nothing to
    be alarmed about though, it's just like when they start solids. your
    pedi will probably explain bowel changes to you once you've told them
    about the switch to milk.
    
    
    Sandy

    We started Steven on whole milk at 7 or 8 mos.  (amazing how
    quickly I'm forgetting these milestones!)
    
    We asked the pedi. if we could switch him to milk since he
    was eating lots of table foods and consuming very large quantities
    of formula.  
    
    Our pedi said we didn't have to combine the milk with formula,
    we didn't and Steven didn't have any problems at all.
    
    He barely noticed the change, then again, he's always been a 
    very easy going baby.
    
	Linda

    
    What I did instead of mixing formula with the milk, I started with
    whole milk in Tanners cup at meal time, but still formula in bottles,
    then I gradually replaced the formula bottles with milk, until he was
    completly off formula and only on milk.  I think this was completed
    at about 10 months.   Tanner only drinks  2 bottles of milk a day, one
    first thing in a.m., (just to hold him over until he gets breakfast at
    the sitters) and right before bedtime while we read a story.
    He drinks lots of milk at meal times, sometimes 2-3 cup fulls!
    

    
    
    
    For us it was 10 mos... This is also when we started the switchover
    from bubba to sipper (we got the sipper attachment to the bubba for
    the morning/evening meals just in case loss of bubba was too traumatic)
    
    So far so good, there have been a couple of days when he screamed
    because he wanted his bubba with nipple, but for the most part he
    really hasn't cared and is happy to drink the milk...
    
    John
    

    Where do you buy sipper attachments for the bottle? I've never seen
    or heard of them. Nice idea.
    
    PS

    
    
    re.  .11
    
    
    Toys R Us (Nashua)...   It was on the wall of assorted attachments they 
    have..  You really have to look tho'..
    
    They basically have a ring, a cover, and a soft plastic 'sippy' top.  
    The sippy is clear and the the rings have various colors...  My wife says
    they are made by PUR (sp??)...
    
    
    John
    

    Spag's (where else) in Shrewsbury Mass had the sippy attachments for
    Playtex nursers (the ones with the collapsible bag).  I used it with
    David quite frequently.  Only problem was the cap did not fit over the
    sippy portion, so I couldn't put a lid on it.  But the rubber diaphragm
    was enough spill protection.
    
    Sarah
    

    Stop and Shop in the baby aisle is where we got ours.
    Near the formula and baby food.
    
    Linda

    
    We started our little girl on milk when she was just shy of 7 months
    We mixed half milk with half formula for about 1 week.  Since we saw 
    no reactions, she is drinking only milk now.  She is also getting 
    lots of baby food.  It's quite amazing how fast it happens but she 
    only has a bottle twice per day.  She  drinks from a sippy (sp) cup 
    most of the time to our surprise.
    
    don
    
    

    My doctor was pretty adamant about keeping Jackie on milk for a year. 
    However, I started introducing her to milk at 6 months by mixing all
    her cereal with it.  By 11 months I said the heck with it and switched
    her to whole milk and no bottle (she wouldn't drink formula from a
    sippy cup anyway).  She had milk prior to 11 months, but never on a
    full time basis.  I also never cut it in half with the formula.
    
    Mary

    Stephen is now a year old and I can start to give him milk.  The other
    day, I gave him his very first sip of milk and he drank it, shivered and
    spit it back out.
    
    What kind of reactions did your kids first have when they tasted milk?
    
    I have tried to get him to drink it a few times since, and I get the
    very same reaction.  I don't think he likes it.
    
    Kathy
    

    
    My guess would be that Stephen is reacting to a taste or temperature
    is different than what he expected; not necessarily that he doesn't
    (or won't) like it.  How about doing a gradual transition by mixing
    whole milk with his "normal" milk (breast or formula)?
    
    Carol

    Interestingly enough, AJ's first taste of regular milk, he was about 9
    months old and we were at the Big E (Eastern States Expo, in
    Springfield, MA for the out of towners) and for those that know of the
    Big E, in the cow barn there is a booth selling "Milk Shakes", which is
    just flavored milk.  We bought one chocolate, one vanilla, and just
    about had to pry it away from him!  He loved it! (another fond mother's
    recollection!)
    
    Realistically, I started about that time mixing it first
    25%milk/75%formula,for a week or two, then 50-50, then
    25%formula-75%milk, and finally just whole milk, no problem, no
    reaction, we did, however notice his stools became a little looser and
    lighter in color.
    
    Lyn

When I first started Kimmi Jo on milk I had the daycare mix it with
breast milk, gradually increasing the amount of milk.  She was five
months old at the time and was on milk alone (at daycare) by six months.
She's now 10 months old and still prefers breast milk, but will drink
regular milk if that's the only option....

    Chris will be a year old tomorrow. At his ten month visit to the
    doctor's, they told us to start him on whole milk. We started by 
    giving him one bottle of milk a day and the rest of the day formula.
    He didn't seem to notice the difference. Just make sure you are 
    serving it the same way you are serving the formula. Try warming it
    up, or if you do, try giving him it cold. When it was real hot here
    (New Hampshire), during the heat wave, he loved it cold. I think
    it cooled him down, and was a great snack. He basically has two
    bottles of milk at daycare before his naps, and one before bedtime.
    The other times, we put it in a sippy cup and he drinks it with dinner.
    
    I may take time. Just keep trying to give him a few sips a day, and 
    he will adjust to it.
    
    Good luck,
    
    Sheila