Transitioning from Formula to Milk and Then Weaning

It may be a lot simpler than all of the other suggestions: I just gave my girls a bottle of whole milk and they both took it fine. I also introduced the sippy cups (a couple different kinds) with either milk or watered-down juice (because we don't drink it often) and I let transition go on it's own. Once my older daughter become more adept at using sippy cups, I got rid of bottles. So far, my 14mo prefers milk in a bottle because she's not really good at the sippy's yet, but she's getting there.

We also always give drinks cold.

Good luck!

(Sometimes I still take formula to the park on hot days so that I don't have to worry about spoilage. She goes back and forth fine.)

K., for both of my kids I started weaning them onto whole milk a month before they were 1. I did it by mixing the milk and formula, the first week I put 2 oz of milk in the bottle and made the other 6 oz. of formula, and then increase the milk part by 2 oz. every week. I put the milk in her bottle then add the warm water and heat it up in the microwave, then add the scoops of formula.

I hope that helps. My daughter just turned one and is still working on converting all the way to whole milk because I started a little late, but this system worked great for both my kids.

Good Luck!

My dr. told me to start putting a lil bit of milk in his formula bottle. Start one week putting so many ounces of miik, Like 2 ounces and then every week, as long as he can tolerate it, add another ounce or two until he is completly off of formula. Heres the Other thing, for every ounce of Milk you put in, you take away a scoop of formula. So if your putting 2 ounces in an 8 ounce bottle only make the bottle of formula for 6 ounces. However dont start this until he is a year old. That is what my dr. told me. I hope this helps

I did something very similar with my daughter. Transitioned her from bottles of my breast milk over a two week period, mixing in whole milk.

I also started to introduce the spill proof cups with built in straws (my daughter had a hard time figuring out the sippy cup and tipping it back). The straw cup worked better - I would try whatever works best.

Also, make sure if you normally heat the bottle that you also continue to heat the milk in the cup to keep things consistent.

Hi K.,
With my 3 kids I started by giving them milk in their cups at meal time when they were 10 months (I know their not supposed to have milk until 12 months :) ). Once they started doing well with those, I gradually took away one "bottle" time. By 12 months they were down to one bottle time before bed and then at 13 months I took away their bottle. Each one did just fine. It was more of an adjustment for me with their normal routine then it was for them. Good luck :)

I did like a few of the others did as far as I started mixing the formula with milk until I had switched over to only milk. I did it over about a week or ten days. First I put in 1/4 milk to 3/4 formula for a few days, then 1/2 and 1/2 for a few days, then 3/4 milk to 1/4 formula for a few days then only milk. It went perfectly smoothly.

As for getting rid of the bottle... I got rid of the bottle when my DS was 12 months old so I was doing it at the same time as I was switching him over to milk. I just started substituting a sippy cup for a bottle at a time. For instance his first and last bottle were pretty important to him so I did those last. The first one I traded in was the second bottle of the day. After that went well, then I traded in the mid afternoon bottle. Then got rid of the lunch time bottle, then the first one of the day. Lastly I got rid of the night time bottle. It all took me about a month starting at ll months. I did about one bottle a week. Really the way I did it made it easy and he never really complained. It was a very smooth transition. Plus I never had that toddler walking around with a bottle in his mouth :-)

(I've never used formula or milk or bottles, so this advice is from a breastfeeding grandma) - just wanted to say that it is natural for children to suck (nurse) till they are 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 years old, so I don't understand the hurry to wean from the bottle. Also, cow's milk is really not good for humans and especially not for babies and children. Goat's milk would probably be much better, or some kind of formula (but, again, I really don't know anything about formulas). And I'd say don't worry about having him on a set schedule of any kind. Far far better to let him decide when he is hungry and sleepy and when he prefers drinking from a sippy cup.

I started with 3/4 formula, 1/4 milk to start introducing the new flavor. After a couple of days I went to half and half, then mostly milk, and finally just milk. As for the bottle, Once my boys were drinking whole milk I started doing watered down juice in a sippy cup. Once they proved they could use the cup well, I started putting the milk in it. They protested a little at first, but when I refused to give in, they just started using the cup.

For the most part I think you will just have to see what works for you. My daughter will be 1 in 2 weeks and I have been giving her naptime bottles of 4oz of goats milk (local, organic and I think it tastes better than cow milk) but I still give formula for bedtime when she needs a little more nutrition to help her sleep through the night. She has been drinking formula from a sippy cup for a while since I don't take a bottle with us when we go out, so if we are not home in the afternoon she gets it in a sippy. She seems fine with milk in the sippy too. She has a history of giving things up as she is ready (swaddling, pacifier, etc) so I will let her take the lead when it comes to weaning from bottles for sleepy time. I ONLY give her a bottle at nap/bedtimes (I've started skipping the morning bottle and just giving her milk in a sippy and breakfast) and I NEVER leave the bottle with her. She sits in my lap and has her bottle, then goes in her crib, hugs her lovey bear and sucks her thumb to actually fall asleep. I figure that no one would think twice about breast feeding for bedtime/naps and comfort after 1 yr old so why give up the comfort and intimacy of having a bottle at sleepy time? I'd be more concerned if she needed her bottle all the time in public and to actually go to sleep, but that's not the case. When I stopped the morning bottle she didn't even notice.

Oh, edited to add that I only mixed the milk w/ formula for a few days just to make sure she didn't get any digestive issues from it. Once I knew it wasn't bothering her I gave the milk to her straight. She doesn't seem to notice or care whether it's formula or milk.

To transition from formula to milk, I started both my boys at 11 months. For one week, I made a six ounce bottles of formula and added 2 ounces whole milk. The next week, I made 4 oz of formula and 4 oz whole milk. The next week it was 2 oz formula and 6 oz whole milk. By the time they were turning one, they were off formula and drinking only whole milk.
At one year, I also started to only give a bottle in the morning when they woke up and right before bedtime. At meal times, I served drinks in sippy cups (milk or water) to get them used to drinking out of a cup. As soon as they could use the sippy cups without making a huge mess (my boys were both around 14 months old at this time), I packed up the bottles in a box and put them up.
I hope this helps you, K.!
- A.

Hi. When my daughter turned one, we started gradually mixing whole milk with formula like the others have said. Also, we quit the bottle cold turkey. This may not work for you but that is what we did. That week was not fun. She didn't want to drink milk from a sippy cup but she eventually figured out that if she wanted to drink something that it was going to be from a sippy cup. She was crabby for a week but it worked. We gave her juice and water throughout the day so she wouldn't get dehydrated but completely quit the bottle. It is a hard transition but it worked. The other way would be to cut out the bottle at lunch time and use a sippy cup and then cut out the morning bottle and then eventually the night bottle. Don't forget to increase food because he is not getting as much nutrition as he would be from formula. Good luck. You can do it!

I think you just have to try different things. We had been warming formula but wanted to stop so we started with cold fomula. When that worked we mixed, when that worked we did all milk, when that worked we started working on sippy (actually she prefered a straw first and months later sippy). She took the milk almost right away but the other transitions took a few months. Just keep trying different things.

Good morning K.,

I have two kids and they are 6&1/2 years apart. My daughter was a prememe (lucky we had no major problems) and the day she turned one I started mixing her bottle with 2oz. whole milk, 6oz. mixed up formula, then the nexweek it went 4oz whole milk 4oz mixed formula and so one till we went completely to whole milk. Now my son who is 16 months now did it differently as he was on time, but had reflex really bad. on the day he turned one I just decided to fill a bottle up with whole milk to see what he would do for his first taste (thinking it would not go so hot)and he LOVED it and held it all down with out spit up. About weaning the bottle. My dauger took us a long time becuase she would not let them go until we moved and "lost" the ring to the bottle so it would not work at all. And my son he is weaning himself as he does not care if he gets on or not. so i guess babies are different. Good luck in whatever you do.

Jenni

I would start by subbing his middle of the day bottles to milk in the sippy cup. And then slowly take one away. Then I would take away the morning bottle and then eventually his night one. One at a time until you think he is ok with it is what I did with my son. I started giving him milk in a sippy at 10 months so by his 1st b-day he was used to it and already drank it at his meal times.

Good luck!

Wow, I didn't even think of "weaning" my son off the bottle or off Formula I just started giving him a sippy cup with milk at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And at snack time A 50/50 water juice mix. I guess I was lucky, he didn't have any problem changing from one to the other. Good luck and don't over think it.