[Bzee]

I've read that when baby turns one-year old, it is okay to start cow's milk. What I'm unsure about is whether the cow's milk is supposed to replace the formula or do we continue on with the formula per usual (16 ounces a day) and introduce cow's milk on top of that? Or should we give half formula intake and then the other half cow's milk?

Can anyone provide some direction or guidance on this? I don't want to make a doctor visit just to ask this question (it'd be pretty pricey advice)!

[loupou]

It was a while ago, but what I think we did was to give the BB a bottle of cow milk instead of formula.

We used fresh milk, full cream (I think I read somewhere that you are not supposed to give the baby skim milk until over 2 years old).

Sometimes we used UHT milk when we ran out of fresh milk.

Fresh milk is PRICEY, so we didn't go over full time to cows milk until later. We were pretty casual about, sometimes cow milk, sometimes formula. Since we didn't really count bottles or ounces, I can't really tell you how much of each.

Both my kids were drinking 3 to 5 bottles ( 8 oz) a day of either milk or formula.

With my older kid I think I tried to mix some medicine in w/ her formula when she was about 18 months old and she never trusted formula again, so it was cow milk from then on.

With my younger? I think we stopped formula when he was about 2? I think I just got sick of mixing the stuff and went over to UHT.

So, buy some cow milk, give your son a bottle and see how he does. If he reacts well. move at your own pace.

[Zee]

I first introduced cow's milk to my daughter when she was one. When she was fully weaned from breastmilk at 15 months, she took an avg of 16 oz. of fresh milk in a day. As she began to take more solid, I gradually cut down her milk intake to 12 oz. Giving fresh milk is convenient when you live in the city. Whenever we are out, we will look for the nearest 7-eleven or supermarket for her milk supply.

Since her 2nd birthday 2 weeks ago, I have switched to low-fat (2%) milk. She now takes an avg of 10 oz in a day. Twice when she had diarrhea, I gave her sugar free soya milk until her condition improved. She is a healthy 13 kg toddler. The only 2 times she had fever after her jabs, she recovered after a day.

I intend to switch to either 1% or skim milk when she turns 3.

Read the book "What to Expect - the Toddler Years". I refer to that book every now and then for guidance.

[armstroe]

I'm interested to know why young children are being switched onto low fat milk. I thought it was important for growing bodies to have an adequate "good" fat intake.

Is the switch to low-fat being recommended by doctors?

[Dante]

As the posters above, I too, switched my kids to cow's milk at 12 months of age. She weaned herself from breastmilk at 11 months at which time, she had forumula. When she hit 12months, I gradually introduced her to fresh milk/cow's milk by mixing it with formula for a while (a few weeks) mainly to avoid unsettled stomach and diaper rash until she was able to fully switch over to cow's milk (we use Master's, here). I did this with the advice of the kids' pede, Dr. Tanpa Thondup.

When asked, he advised that I could switch to low-fat when they hit four years of age.