Day 363- Switching from Formula to Milk

Today's first time parenting tip - Switch your infant from formula to whole milk gradually.

If you've got a good natured baby that takes well to change, switching from formula to whole milk for their second year of life cold turkey might be a good approach. But if you've got a fussier baby or one that's more resistant to change, going gradual might be a good strategy.

Here's how to do it:

• Start with the middle of the day, and work out. Most infants will resist giving up their morning and bedtime bottle the most


• Mix 2 parts formula and 1 part whole milk into a sippy cup for the first few days. If your baby doesn't want to drink out of the cup, then try just focusing on the whole milk part.


• Add more and more milk in three day increments, until your infant is drinking a whole serving of milk


• Replace another feeding and give it another three days or so. By the time you're done, your child should be drinking 16-20 oz. of formula


• Serve the milk how you'd drink it yourself. Cold milk might put off some children, but you also don't want to be warming glasses of milk up for the rest of your life either. Try it both ways and see what happens


• If you've successfully made the switch and your baby starts to refuse milk, don't go back to formula. Try other dairy products like cheese or yogurt.

What's your success story with making the switch?

Parenting, Milk, Formula, Switch, Whole

Day 356 - 1st Year Round Up - How Much Should Your Baby Drink

Today's first time parenting tip - At 12 months, your baby "should" be drinking about 2 cups of milk or formula

As part of the first year round up, I'm going to look at taking stock of where your baby is at. Keep in mind that these are averages, and they could fall above or below these ranges and be perfectly fine. The numbers are meant to give you a general idea of what your baby should be doing.

Even though they may be eating a hearty share of fruits and vegetables (how much is enough?), your baby still needs a good portion of his diet to be good old breastmilk or formula.

About 2 cups a day will do the trick, and you can add in yogurt and cheese as some additional dairy foods in their diet. If your baby drinks more or less milk from day-to-day, don't sweat it too much. You should be looking at your baby's diet from a week-long perspective at this stage to make sure they're getting the right amounts and a good variety.

Parenting, Formula, Average, Milk