Skim Milk / Whole Milk

With my son, I was told to introduce milk at 1 year and to give him whole milk until 3 years. If I recall, the reasoning for the whole milk is that babies need the fat for brain development. Hope that helps!

No milk whatsoever until a year. When they are a year they get whole milk. Then once they're 2 years old they get 2%. Giving milk before a year can cause terrible damage to the stomach and GI tract as their tummies don't now how to digest large fat molecules that the cows milk has.

From my experience and doctor's recommendations, I believe most recommend formula for the first year...or at least up until 9 months or so, then placing the child on whole milk until about age 2. After that, it is usually recommended to switch to either skim milk or 2%. I was told that whole milk helps the young child's brain develop and that is why they want you to give whole milk; however, then at age two through adult it is better to be on skim milk to manage weigh. For those who don't care for skim milk, 2% would be the next best option.

I have mixed views on this. The conventional wisdom is to give babies whole milk. Their brains must have fat to grow and their bodies need fat to store vitamins, make hormones etc.

BUT.. I believe there are many better places to get fat for babies that are old enough to eat them. Since you can't give your baby peanuts yet, that's out.

If you are using a blender to make food for the baby from your families meals, then you may already be cooking with good fats from a variety of sources. I am careful to read labels and I try hard to make sure my family is getting all the omegas and not just one or two.

I don't cook with avacados, but it's a great source of fat if you like that sort of thing. I don't dislike it. I'm just not in the habit of buying them.

If your baby is eating strained veggies and fruits primarily and only getting a small amount of strained meats from a jar, you need whole milk.

I completely disagree with the no milk until a year. If milk allergies are a concern for you wait. But all my kids were off formula and eating table foods by the time they were 6-7 months old. I didn't even use a blender for my kids. I just smashed with a fork. But I know lots of moms use blenders.

Suzi

Our pediatrician recommended keeping our babies on formula for the first year. After that, we switched to whole milk. Definitely not skim. Babies need fat for brain development for the first two years and should drink whole milk.

My pediatrician reccomended waiting until the first year.
Knowing the history of allergies we waited until he was a year and a half and interduced slowly, adding 2 0z milk to 4 oz formula. He did fine no allergies.
I would talk to your doctor.Good luck.
B.

You should not start until 1 year, and you need to give her whole milk. Her brain needs the fat in whole milk to help her growing braincells. You can cut it down to 2% or skin at around age 2.

I don't think your suppose to give babies milk til they are a year old. And then they recommend whole milk for the nutrients. I think that they have you wait til babies are 1 because they may have allergies to milk products or they could develope allergies if given before the age of 1.

My family loves skim milk, we just started drinking it earlier this year. However my mom is in nursing school and called to tell that her book (sorry not sure of the title) said that children under the age of five should not drink skim because they need the fat thats found in whole milk.

Our doc said no cows milk before the age of one. Im not sure what formula you are using but you can go to similac.com and register, they will send you some free formula and several $5 off coupons. I registered twice once under my email address and then again under my husbands. Yeah thats cheating but whatever. I also had my mom register so we could keep the coupons coming! I think the other formula brands do the same thing.

Due to food allergies, you're not supposed to give your little one any type of actual milk until they are 12 months old. At first my pediatrician told me she would go on whole milk. Then when we went in for her 12 month check up, she told us that studies have been done and I could start her with 2% or Skim milk if I preferred it over the whole milk. I, myself, can't drink whole milk, it really bothers my stomach. So I was happy to hear that I wasn't going to have to buy both whole and 2% milk. Trust me, I remember counting down the days to where I wouldn't have to buy formula anymore!! I know it can get costly!! But just stick in there and switching to milk will be here faster than you know it!!

If you have WIC, you don't give them milk until they are a year old. Then you give them whole milk for that first year. When they turn two, they can have skim to 2% milk. These are the guidelines the government gives WIC to go by.

You shouldn't give milk to a child until they are 1. I couldn't wait until that day came so we could stop buying formula. Babies can't break down milk until they are one. It has been awhile but I am pretty sure that the first milk we gave both our boys was whole milk they need all the extra fat and vitamins in it. I think it was age 2 that we went to one percent. The nurse/dietician that I talked to did not agree with giving him skim milk. She seemed to think that 1% at age 2 was the better way to go.

Based on recommendations from my children's doctors - they don't recommend starting cow's milk until the child turns 1 and then they want whole Vitamin D milk for the year following that. You should probably ask your child's doctor to see what they recommend.

You should start whole milk closer to 12 months old. Do not use skim milk, because until a child is 2 years old they need the extra fat in whole milk for brain development.

From age 1yr to 2 its said to give them whole milk for the fat and vitamin D

Your daughter should be on breastmilk or formula until at least 1 year. Then it's whole milk. If you decide to put her on whole milk at 8 months, just be very cautious b/c it can also lead to other problems such as allergies. I tried my daughter on whole milk at 9 months, and now she is allergic to dairy and soy. I have her on organic milk which has helped a lot, but just be very careful. If I were you, stay w/ formula or breastmilk until she is at least 1 year old.

The recommened age is 1 yr old and your dr will advise you at that 1 yr well baby check up to do the same and at that time it is whole milk.

Your peditrician will tell you as well as any baby book that your baby needs to stay on formula or breast milk until the age of one. From age of one to two you give your baby whole milk. They need the fat in whole milk for proper growth. Formula is expensive, but it is absolutely necessary for your baby because he/she needs the nutrients it provides. I breast fed both my kids and supplemented with formula. It is a big cost saver when you don't have to buy formula anymore.

Hi A. - everything I read and what our pediatrician said was, do not switch to whole milk until 1 yr. The baby still needs the extra fat that whole milk has for brain development at 1. Then at 2 yrs you can switch to 2%. I think once they're 3 it's ok to give them 1% or Skim if you prefer. Good luck!

its not recommended that you give a child milk until one year, and then its whole milk. my lactation consultant told me it used to be 2% but new research has show whole milk has more vitamins that is found in breastmilk that helps with brain development and eye function. if you try to give it to a child to young their bodies cant break it down and digest it and it will lead to milk allergies. if the price of formula is really hurting you, try giving her some juice. just make sure you water it down. even though it says its not concitrated its still really sweet. my son is 13 months and i still water down his juicy juice. just and idea. good luck

I wouldnt start with milk until about 10 months old, unless they seem to not want the formula any more, i have to use the 2% becuase my kids cant digest the milk fat in whole milk, i would suggest trying whole milk or what ever milk you have for the rest of you, and gradually put some in each bottle, a little more each week.

She can have milk after she is a year old. She needs whole milk. The fat is necessary for brain development. Do you qualify for the WIC program? You would get vouchers that would pay for the formula through it.

Your pediatrician should have told you that you shouldn't give cow mild until childs turns 1 yr old. And then you should give whole milk until age 2. They need it for their brain development. You might want to check with your childs dr. to see how much formula he is supposed to be drinking in a day. On the cow milk thing, their bodies aren't developed enough to handle the milk.

Good Morning A., I put both of our son's on whole milk at 6 wks. That was over 30 yrs ago though.
Our youngest grandson just now turned one, and we started him on 2% about month and a half ago. We used up the formula first( so expensive ). He had only one time where he didn't like it, but grubs it up now. Uses sippy cups alot now too during the day.

Most Ped's say to not give them whole mike until they are a Year old. A lot of us didn't adhere to that and our kids are big and healthy. Zane will take 2% or Vitamin D whole milk.

God Bless you and your family.
K. Nana of 5

They say not until 1 year old. Always give whole milk, it has many more vitamins and nutrients in it. Skim milk is actually just watered down milk!!! I wouldnt give regular milk until 1 year and stay on the formula until then. Breast milk is best for baby, then formula, then cows milk. Hope this helps!!

You're supposed to wait until they are at LEAST 1 year before introducing milk. And whole milk is nutritional better for toddlers. Good luck!

If you give an infant cow's milk before a year, the chances of developing a milk allergy greatly increase. Even though formula is extremely expensive, wait until she is a year old. Then start with whole milk for about another year because babies need the fat that comes with whole milk.

Children shouldn't have cows milk until they're one year old. Whole milk is best at that age.

12 months for whole milk and then you can switch to skim at 2 years.

As far as the price of formula - if you are using a name brand it is expensive. Store brand formulas cost half as much and they are just the same. My pediatrician tells me the reason for the huge cost difference is that the store brands aren't paying for all the marketing, advertising and free hospital giveaways - the quality is the same. I have been using Targets formula for several months now - $13.69 compared to $25-26 for Enfamil or Similac. Hope that helps!

At 8 months she should still only be drinking breastmilk or formula, which should be her main source of nutrition until she's 12 months old. It's too early for cow's milk. From 12 months - 24 months, pediatrician's recommend whole milk. Babies and toddlers need the extra fat, it helps with their brain development. After 24 months you can move her to 2% if it's OK with her doctor. Underweight babies might have to stay on whole milk longer.

Please talk to your pediatrician before starting milk. Starting her on a fully solids diet now with cow's milk can put her at risk for food allergies, digestive problems, and more.

Hi A.! With my now almost 3 y/o daughter, her pediatrician at the time suggested transitioning over to cows milk around 10 months and since I have a history of high cholesterol he had me give her 2% milk. BUT, before you start to transition her, make sure to clear it with her doctor.

Milk doesn't have the nutritional values that breastmilk or formula do. I wouldn't recommend it, although many women have done it in the past. WIC provides free formula if you qualify. Even if you make your own formula, I wouldn't think it would be much cheaper, but I am not an expert on formula feeding at all. I do know that babies who are a year, and not allergic to cows milk and its products, are put on whole milk, NEVER skim. They need the fat for brain growth. I would think that keeping the baby on formula beats the medical costs that could incur from allergies or nutritional deficits, etc. When I had girls who weaned from breastfeeding before a year, at 10.5 mos and 11 mos, they were put on formula until a year or after. My oldest was a very picky eater and had been failure to thrive at 9 mos, so her doc kept her on formula for nearly 2yrs. She was allergic to cows milk, so went to soy formula, then goats milk, then lactose free, to regular milk. She still has some issues. The next daughter went from formula to goats milk to be safe, then to regular. I think if your doc okays it, then it would be safe in YOUR child's situation. But, it is all individual. I am not usually a doc pusher, but for something like this, I would have the pro say it is okay before doing it.

Check with you ped. but I think you need to wait til a year to start giving milk because before that the sodium content is too hard on their little kidneys. Also up until two babys brains need the extra fat in whole to develop properly so no low fat milk before two. Also the lower the fat the higher the sodium in milk.

A.,
you will get a load of answers to this i'm sure, but i know that the "guideline" is about a year. this is for weaning from the bottle as well as formula. they do suggest whole milk since they need all those extra vitamins, nutrients, even the extra fat. just keep in mind that while some people will have VERY strong opinions about it, it's up to you. i would ask her pediatrician if you're still concerned, and look it up online. whattoexpect.com is a good website, as well as webmd.com. every child is different. what i did personally was to start adding some milk to my son's formula, and start using it in his cereal, and just slowly started replacing the formula with milk. just made sense to me. i was determined not to force him to wean at the magic number of 12 months, but i think he was about 13 months when he basicaly weaned himself. i was really lucky. for the record i don't really 100% buy the whole allergy and obesity line...from what i have read there's really no actual proof that anything we feed or don't feed our children actually "causes" allergies - and i suspect that the rest of the food we eat, AFTER the first two years, (growth hormones, steroids, chemicals, etc) has a LOT more to do with the state of our nation's health, than anything we mothers do. good luck with your decision. just try not to let people guilt trip you. (it's so easy to do as a mom isn't it!?)

I think we all hate buying formula! Unfortunately, for the health of your baby, don't switch till she's 1 year and then make sure it's whole milk.

At about a year you can switch to milk. And our doctor had us give whole milk. He said they needed the fat in the milk. We actually switched our girls to whole milk at 11 months, we had finished off a can of formula and the doctor said it was OK to make the switch instead of buying another can of formula. Make sure that you mix the formula with milk at first to keep them from getting an upset tummy. But before you do anything, check with your doctor. Good luck!

I started both of my kids on whole milk when they were 9 months old. They both did fine with that. I know that alot of people listen to the doctors and think that it is horrible to go against what they say, but you are the mother and if you think that your child will do okay with the milk try it. I agree with the responder that says she doesn't buy into all of the allergy and obesity claims--I don't either. I'm sure they didn't have formula back in the 1800's so they probably put their children on milk earlier than we do today. I don't mean to go on and on it's just I feel strongly about some things. Just remember you are the mom and you know what's best for you and you child. God bless!

I'm sure you will hear many opinions, but I think whole milk is good until at least age 2, babies need the extra fat, the brain needs fat. To be honest though, I don't remember ever giving my kids anything but skim milk.

As a child care provider on a food program I am required to start the babes on whole milk at 12 months but I do start introducing them to it as early as 8 months a little at a time. They do need the whole milk for the nutrients. Barb K.

I'm not sure about skim milk. Our pediatrician told us to go to whole milk after one year then I think at the age of two you can go to at least 2%.