Most children are ready to be weaned from formula on to cow's milk by the time they reach their first birthday. It is only by the first birthday that the digestive systems of most children are developed enough to handle milk from animals. Some will take to cow's milk or non-formula products faster than others, but eventually every child needs to move on from infant formula. Whether you make the transition instantly or gradually over time is largely dependent on your infant's taste for cow's milk.
Step 1
Give your baby a bottle or sippy cup of cow's milk; observe whether he drinks it.
Step 2
Mix cow's milk into formula in a ratio of one part milk to three parts formula. Feed this to your child and give her a few days to adjust to the changes in texture and taste, then switch the ratio to half cow's milk and half formula. Move to three parts cow's milk and one part formula once your child seems to be happy drinking the current mixture, then give your child a bottle or cup of just cow's milk.
Step 3
Feed small amounts of cow's milk to your child at a time. Give her a few tablespoons at meals. Continue to give your child samples of the milk until he asks you for more. Mix it in to cereal, if desired, where the difference from formula will not be as noticeable.
Tips and Warnings
- Some babies transition to cow's milk without any trouble and are eager to drink whole milk. Others may be resistant. If your child accepts the cow's milk and enjoys it, you've made the transition without doing any work. Your child should drink 16 to 24 ounces of whole milk every day between the ages of 1 and 2, according to BabyCenter. Talk to your child's doctor if your child seems to have an allergy or unpleasant reaction to cow's milk, or if your child refuses to take cow's milk after several weeks of trying to wean him off formula.
Things You'll Need
- Cow's milk or other milk
- Sippy cup or bottle
- Formula
