From Formula to Whole Milk

I use whole milk for my 15 month old, the way we keep it cool when we are out is in the bottle in a little insulated bag and put ice packs in. I have never heated up the whole milk for my kids they drink it cold. I don't know why Organic would be superior to whole milk I would look into that a little more.

I was told to give my daughter Whole Milk. She seemed to like the "HORIZON" kind when first transitioning. I started with one feeding per day. I microwave it for 25 sec for a 4 oz bottle and 28 sec for a 7 oz bottle. Just so that it's a little more than room temp-warm. The temp was a big thing to her; if it was too cold she'd just spit it out and have little to no interest in it. As soon as I warmed it up she wanted it.
As far as storing it goes...if she doesn't finish the whole thing I refridgerate it for the next time; (even after it's already been warmed up) and she's been perfectly fine with that. We even took a two hour-long road trip and I filled two 4oz. bottles for her and just kept them in my purse (no cooler because of the whole not-wanting-cold-bottles thing), and she was FINE! No tummy-ache, nothing. I just figured, that there are some that PREFER their milk at room temperature, oddly enough, and that it shouldn't hurt her.
Anyway, i'm no expert, so definately ask a doc first. But it worked for me, and my daugher, 14 months, is pretty picky.
Good luck....S.

Doctors have to say what their practice dictates because of liability issues. Take what they say with a grain of salt. Remember that you are not listening to an individual speaking directly to you about your child, you are listening to the mandate of a company. Whatever milk you want to give your son will be great. Carrying it with an icepack in an insulated lunch bag will get you through a full day of fun with no problem. Think of all those countries that have such fresh milk, they don't even refrigerate it! Those kids are fine.

Hi A.,

Your dr. is either misinformed or in denial about organic milk. Numerous studies have been done in recent years comparing the nutritional value of organic vs. "conventional" foods, across the spectrum. First, conventional dairy products may have residual anitibiotics in them: not good for your little one. REcently the FDA has begun to phase out growth hormone because after some fifteen to twenty years they've finally caught up with the science and realized it's not healthy at all, for the cows or the consumers. Growth hormone (aka RgBH) causes the udder to swell to unbelievable proportions, I've seen photos of udders reaching the ground. This causes not just incredible pain (imagine needing a 90" ZZZZZZ bra), which also releases massive amounts of stress hormones (terrible for one's health) but it also causes massive infection, necessitating the use of antibiotics (the more we use them, the more we find resistant strains of bacteria- think drug resistant Tuberculosis and flesh eating disease.) So they've phased out the use of RgBH, but that doesn't mean they aren't still using it. It's a recent decision and they probably want to use until the ban takes effect, because that's what they tend to do. Anyhow, factory farming itself is extremely stressful to the cow, and stress hormones are very bad for health, they lead to impaired immune function and inflammation, again making it necessary to treat for infection, or they're vulnerable to viruses, etc. Also cows which eat what their digestive systems are designed to eat are also healthier, and they're supposed to eat grass and hay, not corn, which is what many of them are fed. I could tell you all about the nasty effects of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, but I've probably already given you enough info! Good luck.

Not sure if I read your post correctly, but wanted to let you know there is Organic Whole Milk you can purchase at the store.

I have always done whole milk from 1yo-2yo and then switched to 1% after that. As for transporting it, I would use something like a Stanley thermos. REI has a lot of different containers like this, metal ones and good quality plastic ones that do not contain any harmful chemicals that will omit toxins into your milk. My husband has a Stanley thermos, bought it at Target, and he takes it to work and has his breakfast around 10:30 and his milk stays really cold. Of course he puts it in his Igloo ice chest. Oh, and he leaves the house at 6:30, so for at least 4 hours it stays just as cold as the refrigerator keeps it. As for organic, we are all on organic dairy, and certain fruits and vegetables. The reason for this is because when my now 3 year old twins were born, one of them had problems with ear infections. Right away she was resistant to antibiotics and had to keep trying new and stronger ones. During my pregnancy I drank a lot of milk, unfortunately it wasn't organic and I believe that is why she was so resistant to those antibiotics, and so did her pediatrician. The price differance between organic milk and regular milk isn't really that big anymore. Also, when you figure in how much your little guy will be drinking, it is just nice to know that you are going a little further to ensure his good health. Just my two cents.

Goat milk is the closest thing to human milk and I would try to buy that if you can. Cow's milk has 4 x the protien of human milk. The enzyme in the milk that helps to digest all this protien is destroyed when the milk is pasturized. So we have great difficulty didgesting it. It also causes our mucous to get thicker and more sticky, and bacteria and viruses in the throat and nasals stick to it and start to grow there...causing the ear infection problem so prevalent today.
If it wern't for cereal, my kids wouldn't get milk. I do not even like them to drink that, but they do have cereal twice a week. There is a better way to get the calcium (broccoli) and fat (coconut oil.) Read "The Coconut Oil Cure" available on line at Alibris or Amazon.

Hi A.,

Here's my two cents: whole milk is appropriate, if not necessary, until age 2 because a child's brain is still developing and not having enough fat in the diet will effect brain development. Switching to 2% or 1% at 2 sounds right.

Organic milk is always going to be better for what it DOESN'T have, namely antibiotics, bovine growth hormone, chemicals in the cow's feed, etc.

In terms of storing it, you need to keep it cold. You might be surprised by your baby liking milk cold. Be very careful about warming milk up in the microwave - be sure to shake it up after heating, and test it on your inner arm or lips to be sure it's not too hot.

If you are in a restaurant you can request a big class or a bowl filled with boiling water, into which you can submerge the milk for a few minutes.

Good luck!

feed your one yr old organic whole milk- his brain needs the fat and calories of the whole milk without the pesticides. unless your son has a weight or cholesterol problem, which some youngsters have these days,the recommendation is whole milk for the first year

Organic is definitely superior, why feed hormones & sprays to a baby? I would go with 1% from right now, as it may be hard to switch from whole to 1% later after he's used to it. I can't think of anything that would keep it cool enough for out & about unless it's a short time.

Good luck! C.

We followed the recommendation to use whole milk until age 2 and then switched to 2%. I've heard of advantages of organic milk, but we live on a budget and drink a lot of milk, so we don't feel compelled to spend on organic.

But about taking milk out and about with you, most of the time I would take water or a juice box for when we were out and just have milk at home (I let my children have one juice a day, and we usually weren't away from home that long). But another option is to get milk boxes--they are packaged similar to juice boxes, not needing refridgeration, but a bit larger. We've taken them with us to the park, to church, on road trips.... I've bought them regularly from Costco in a chocolate flavor, but I've also seen them there occasionally in white milk (and I think they are organic too!). They are lowfat instead of whole milk, but I wouldn't think that would be a problem for a one-year-old if he gets whole milk the rest of the day. Oh, and if your son doesn't mind room temperature milk then you won't need to look for a microwave or worry about keeping it cold.

If your son likes room temp milk, you can buy milk that doesn't need to be refridgerated until opened in 6-packs of juice-box sized containers. It sounds weird, I know. My husband is French and all the milk in France is sold like this and I drink it when I visit my in-laws there. To me (and my 2 year old) it tastes exactly the same. I used to keep in on hand when I lived in Florida during hurricane season because we frequently lost power. I bought it at the local supermarket. It's also nice to keep a box on hand in case you run out of milk and don't feel like running out to the store. I think the most popular company that makes it in the states is Parlamat. If you're leary of unrefridgerated milk, you can read more about it on their site: http://www.farmlanddairies.com/Parmalatmilk.htm. They even make Organic!

Hi A.,

While it is important to switch to lower fat milk eventually, young kids need fat for brain development. Please see the following link from the NIH's National Library of Medicine:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002448.htm

This article states that toddlers ages 1-2 should have whole milk, not 1% or 2%. Then at age two, kids should switch to 1%. The recent change in advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics that kids receive low fat milk between ages 1 and 2 is for kids at risk of obesity or with family histories of high cholesterol or heart disease. They also recommend that all kids switch to 1% at age 2. Here is a link to an article about these new recs on WebMd:
http://children.webmd.com/news/20080711/baby-milk-recomme...

You will probably need to copy and paste this link in two parts into your browser because it is so long.

As far as organic is concerned, my biggest concern is that the milk not come from cows treated with bovine growth factor (used to increase milk production, I think) or antibiotics. Generally, the milk carton will say if the milk is free of these substances.

K.

I would change pediatrician's! Organic Milk is offered as Whole Milk and it is from cows NOT treated with growth hormone or antibiotics which DO get into the milk! She should have said "if you can afford organic, it is a better choice". Why would you or she want your son getting those drugs through his milk? Frankly, there is no need to ever give your son cows milk. There is more calcium (and less sodium) in leafy green veggies. He can get his fluids from water and diluted juice. If he likes cheese and yogurt he will get calcium there too. Good Luck!

It really depends on your child and pedi. My boys were always on the light side, so my pedi said it is okay to keep them on whole milk. They're 2 and 4 right now. My 2 year old drinks a lot of milk. so, we've recently switched to 1% because it was cheaper for me to get at Costco. I've always used organic whenever I can, but you can get milk that doesn't contain any bovine growth hormone in it. It's just a matter of prefernce.

I pack milk when we go out in insulated sippy cups. I then put the cups in an insulated bag with a ice pack. I've done this on both long and short trips. On longer trips, I use a larger cooler with more ice packs. I've always given my boys cold milk, so they're used to it. I will warm it a little for them in the winter time, but only the first cup of milk that they get in the morning. If your son likes his milk on the warmer side, then don't store it on the ice as long. You'll figure it out as you do more outings.

Does it need to be heated up? Will your son only take heated milk? Try giving it to him cold and simplify things! As for whether to use organic or not, it sounds like your pediatrician is giving you her personal opinion, not medical one. Dairy products is the one food I'd make sure is organic because of its high fat content ("holds on" to pesticides more) and because of all of the hormones and antibiotics used in non-organic dairy.

Cow milk, in general, is not necessarily the best food for babies. But, if you are going to use it, organic is definitely a good idea. Non-organic milk comes from factory farm dairy cows, which means you are getting milk full of dangerous hormones, pesticides and antibiotics given to the cows, who are kept in unhealthy and inhumane conditions. At least the organic stuff means your baby won't be ingesting the hormones and antibiotics.

I just came from my son's 1yr well baby/immuno check up. He was breastfed up until his check up. When I expressed my concern about weaning him and he not getting enough milk (my son wasn't really that interested in any of it but drank plenty of juice and water), she said to just give him milk all the time. If I wanted to give him water, 2oz a day was fine. Otherwise it's all milk, all the time. My son must've understood what she was saying, cause now all of a sudden he loves the stuff. I put it in a sippy cup cold and just keep refilling it throughout the day, so I'm sure the milk can sometimes reach room temp. I'll rinse it out once or twice, and I'll put the sippy in the fridge during his naps. He's fine in height, but his weight could use a little help, so I give him whole milk. I buy Horizons Organic with DHA Omega-3. It costs more, but I think it's worth it in the long run. It's my only splurge.

Forget that pediatricians recommendation, buy raw milk instead.

They used to recommend formula until the first birthday and then whole milk until the second birthday. Because of the current trend with childhood obesity, they are considering changing the recommendation to low-fat milk for one year olds. I would stick with whole milk unless your child is significantly overweight.

I would not use a thermos or insulated lunch bag to store milk for long (more than an hour). I just take a sippy cup of water (or 100% fruit juice diluted with water) when we are out and about. As long as you offer 2-3 cups of milk other times of the day, he will be fine.

The hormones and antibiotics that are given to dairy cows makes me nervous, so I do usually buy organic milk. But it's just like organic produce, it's a personal decision: is the potential health benefit worth the additional cost.