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Questions about the transition from formula to cows milk!

Hi all.

Well I can't bloody believe it but my little Toby is nearly 11-months!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After our holiday I have some SERIOUS party planning for his FIRST birthday!!!

It is our intention to start the transition from formula to cows milk when we get back from holiday in a couple of weeks. Did anyone do this earlier than 12-months? How early?

How do we do the transition? Do we do 1/2 formula & 1/2 cows milk or just switch straight away?

Also, did anyone stop sterilising early? How early? I can't wait to pack the bloody thing away and get my kitchen work-surface back!

What is the best way of washing bottlea after? The dishwasher?

Sorry for all the questions!

Thanks in advance, Joo xxxxxxxxxx

Replies

  • We changed from around 12 months when formula ran out. We swopped straight over and he didn't even seem to notice the difference. He even started drinking a bit more! So I would say just try a bottle and see if he likes it. We stopped sterilising recently and wash the bottles by hand.

    Have a great hol and enjoy your party planning, it's such a fun day! x
  • Hi Joo

    We changed just last week (Daisy was one yesterday) when the formula ran out... Funny thing is since we're not Aptamil based and she's drinking cows milk, Daisy drinks nearly a whole bottle every night!!

    I didn't have any transition - just stopped one and started the other! Stopped sterilising when my HV laughed that I was still sterilising a couple of weeks ago - I also LOVE having my kitchen back! I just pop Daisy's bottles in the dishwasher now and they come out fine - just dry them properly with kitchen roll..

    Good luck and happy hols!

    C xx
  • With my son, as soon as the formula ran out near his 1st birthday I just changed to Full fat milk, he didn't notice nor bothered. I then only started giving his milk in his bottle for his bed time milk and phased the bottle out by 13 months.
    I just hope his little sister will be as good as he was lol x
  • Riley's one next week and he's still on his prescribed milk (nutramigen) for a milk intollerance but when we run out I'm gonna try him on cows milk.
    We stopped sterilising a few weeks ago actually and have just been washing them by hand. x
  • I asked our HV about this last week at the girls' 8 month (!!) check.

    She said to stop buying formula when they are 11 months (2 weeks time), finish the tub and switch them over.

    They usually have a small amount of milk (only 1 or 2 oz) with their 3pm snack which I never switched to water, so, this week, I have started giving them cows milk instead of formula with their snack and they love it. They were the same when I stopped boiling their drinking water and started giving them tap water - I think they like the fact that it's cold from the fridge.

    I asked her about doing 50/50 cows milk and formula and she said to just switch them over all in one go

    xx
  • I'm not ready to do this yet but do usually warm the milk or give it cold?
  • Were still doing half/half and monster was 1 last week as you know image The formula runs out tomorrow though so will be swapping totally, he hasnt noticed any differnce, still downs the lot!

    I still havent packed my stereliser away, its on my to-do list this weekend....
  • We just switched straight over at just over 11 months when formula ran out. Lo now takes more milk than before. I'd been giving cows milk on cereal for breakfast from 6 months so got used to the taste then. We had no side effects from just switching.
    I do warm milk but lo does only have 1 bottle at bedtime
  • Annette - I'll probably warm it just enough to take the chill off so they don't get an "ice cream headache"!
  • Hi Joo - I started to get lax with sterilising after about 6 months, and by about 8/9 months I had stopped completely. BAD MUMMY! tee hee hee.

    Also - I started switching to cows milk at about 10 months and now she is on mainly cows milk (she has one beaker of formula a day - and will do until the tub runs out) I asked my HV about it and she said that I did the right thing, her weight and diet are both good - so cows milk is actually better for her. (formula can make them constipated - especially if they dont need the extra iron).

    Go for it.
    Nx
  • can i just but in here sorry,my ds is 10months and im still sterilizing for his bottle of ebm,when u say stop it,how do u clean the teat?? in the dishwasher also??
    sorry for being thick x
    "ice cream headache" lol
  • M+K you can buy baskets for the dishwasher to put teats etc in.

    My lo is 8 months and for the last month I have not sterilised if I am feeding him the milk straight away. If I'm going out and storing the water in the bottle for over an hour I still sterilise it.

    I was putting them in the dishwasher but found that the bottles and teats were becoming discoloured. Now I rinsed them when they have been used and then in the sink soak them in really hot water (usually while I make dinner) and then clean as usual.
  • Jack is 11 months and has been having cows milk since 10 months old i did a few days of half and half but after that he had just cows milk. I stopped sterilising when jack was 8 months and just pop everything in the dishwasher.

    xxx
  • interesting post hun as i have been wondering the same! i give T 3x bottles of formula a day now, and i offer him cow's milk in his cup mid afternoon, plus some with his breakfast in a cup if he's had his morning bottle at 5/6am and gone back to sleep.

    we sometimes put the bottles etc in the dishwasher but as has been stated, they can get discoloured. I have orange TT bottles etc now as they went in once with some plates that i'd had spag bol - i can only assume it was the tomato etc that has coloured them! oh well they are different.

    re sterilising i will probably wait until 12 months and then just wash up by hand or put in the dishwasher if there is space.
    xxx
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