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Tips For Transitioning Your Baby To Cow’s Milk

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by Wyatt Myers
June 23, 2010

Many parents choose to transition their babies from breast milk (or formula) to pasteurized cow’s milk around 1 year of age. A few months ago, we introduced our son to cow’s milk, thinking the transition would be easy. But he flat-out refused to drink it—at first. We continued to try, knowing that it usually takes several offerings before a new food is accepted, but a lingering question remained for me and my wife: Knowing how important breast milk and breastfeeding is for a child, was our son missing out on essential nutrients by making this switch from breast milk to cow’s milk? Here, experts explain why many parents make the switch and how to handle the transition.

Why transition?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), once your baby celebrates his first birthday, you can begin to offer him cow’s milk, provided he is eating a variety of solid foods (cereals, vegetables, fruits, and meats). Many parents continue to breastfeed beyond their child’s first birthday. And the World Health Organization actually recommends breastfeeding (in addition to age-appropriate solid foods) until a child is at least 2 years old given the many benefits of breastfeeding and human milk. But if you (or your baby) are ready to wean and your baby is at least 1 year old, you can safely transition to cow’s milk.

Whole milk or low-fat?
Whole milk provides many of the important nutrients babies needs. If you’re concerned (like we were) that your child might be missing out on important nutrients, don’t be. According to Heather Russell, R.D., a pediatric registered dietitian at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Paterson, New Jersey, “It is appropriate to advance the child to whole milk after one year, so the child will continue to receive calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D to help with development and growth of teeth and bones.”

If a mother and her baby are ready to transition from breast milk to cow’s milk, the consensus among our experts is that whole, vitamin D-fortified cow’s milk is the best choice unless the child has weight issues. At this age, fat should make up about half of a baby’s daily caloric intake, so the higher fat content in whole milk is essential. Babies also need the vitamin A available from whole milk.

However, according to the AAP, if your baby is overweight or at risk of being overweight, or you have a family history of obesity, high blood pressure, or heart disease, your baby’s pediatrician might recommend 2 percent milk as an alternative. One percent or skim milk are not recommended until your baby reaches his second birthday. For babies with no risk factors, whole milk is preferred.

“I usually recommend whole milk until the second year of age due to its higher fat content, which is necessary for proper brain development and growth,” says Russell. “However, in certain cases if the child is already overweight or has a history of cardiac issues such as high cholesterol, I would recommend 2 percent milk.”

Some parents choose organic milk because of concerns over the use of bovine growth hormone in dairy cows. “There is no data concerning bovine growth hormone sufficient enough to recommend organic,” says Ari Brown, M.D., a pediatrician in Austin, Texas, and co-author of Expecting 411, Baby 411 and Toddler 411. “Plus, some manufacturers of commercial non-organic milk are rBGH free now, too.”

Tips for making the transition
Sometimes, transitioning to whole milk can be challenging not only for parents, but for the baby, too. At first, your baby might refuse to drink the milk, especially if he doesn’t like the taste or isn’t accustomed to drinking from a cup. Here are some tips for helping your baby transition to cow’s milk:

Introduce a cup well before your baby’s first birthday, says Dr. Russell, so that he can get used to drinking from something other than the breast.

If your baby is refusing the cow’s milk, try combining it with breast milk. “Sometimes if mom can pump some milk and mix some of the cow’s milk with it to get them used to the taste, that helps,” says Kenneth Wible, M.D., medical director of the Pediatric Care Center at Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics in Kansas City. “Then they can gradually increase the percentage of cow’s milk and reduce the amount of breast milk.”

Russell adds that persistence is key as you make the transition. “Parents might find it helpful to offer the milk in small spoonfuls or mixed with familiar foods until the child gets more accustomed to the new taste,” she says. “Using a fun or colorful cup might also help to encourage the child to try the milk.”

Generally, your 1- to 2-year-old should have between 16 and 24 ounces of milk each day. The AAP cautions parents to limit a baby’s milk intake to one quart (32 ounces) per day. More than this can provide too many calories and may decrease a baby’s appetite for other foods. Offer cow’s milk at mealtimes, along with some water, or in between meals as a snack. If you’re struggling with getting your baby to drink milk, you can try whole-fat yogurt made especially for babies, or calcium-rich vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, leafy greens, or pinto beans. Juices fortified with calcium or whole soy milk can also be good choices.

Some babies transition to cow’s milk at age 1, others at age 2 or 3, and some never acquire a taste for cow’s milk. Every baby is different. Your baby will let you know when—and if—he is ready for a new skill (drinking from a cup) and a new taste (cow’s milk).

Olivia S

Has anyone given any thought as to why we are the ONLY mammals who feed our children the milk of another mammal? There are plenty of other ways to get the nutrients that cow’s milk contains. Why are we feeding our children an inferior substance? Cow’s milk is not better than human milk–it is milk that is perfect for cows–they need all the fat, but they aren’t the smartest animals. Shouldn’t our babies receive the milk that supports their more highly developed brains?
http://www.babygooroo.com Amy Spangler

Olivia there are many who share your view. Human milk is intended for humans but many human moms are unable to provide human milk or are unwilling. Cow’s milk is used as a substitute for human milk because it is similar to human milk, readily available, and an easy vehicle for providing much needed nutrients. Admittedly, those same nutrients can be gotten from other foods so, technically, cow’s milk is not an essential food. Some would claim that the prevalence of cow’s milk in the U.S. diet is due in part to extensive and ongoing marketing efforts by the dairy industry—Got Milk?—a sobering reminder of the power of advertising.
http://threecubed-thoughts.blogspot.com/ Kelley

I would have rather seen an article that encouraged breastfeeding past 1 year, instead of a how to manual on weaning to cow’s milk. I understand that some families want to do that, but there was little in this article to promote breastfeeding, which is more nutritionally sound for toddlers than cow’s milk, and provides a lot of benefits that cow’s milk does not.
http://www.babygooroo.com Amy Spangler

Kelley thank you for your suggestion. An article on breastfeeding beyond 1 year is actually in the works, so I hope you’ll stay tuned.

While many of our articles focus on breastfeeding and its many benefits–both short-term and long-term–this particular article was prompted by requests from parents of formula-fed babies and parents of breastfed babies interested in weaning, wanting to know at what age cow’s milk could be introduced and whether whole milk or low-fat milk was preferred.

We hope to have an article about breastfeeding toddlers available soon. If you have other suggestions for topics you would like to see addressed, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
http://threecubed-thoughts.blogspot.com/ Kelley

I guess I just have an issue then with title of the article – “Do Babies Need Cow’s Milk?” because that is not at all what this article is about. I wouldn’t have bothered reading it if it was called’ “How to wean your child on to cow’s milk. – which is exactly what it is.
Memama

I agree with Kelly…the title is not only misleading it is WRONG! This says nothing to answer do breastfed babies or any babies need cow breast milk…because the answer is NO, they don’t NEED it. It’s a cheap and quick way to get “some” calcium maybe but all the rest of the probiotics/enzymes and vitamins are dead after it is brutally pasteurized, besides the fact that it comes from cows confined and fed fermented/rotten grains, no grass or fresh air. There are lots of calcium rich foods which children can easily eat and love…and the calcium is actually more digestible/absorb-able. Too many kids today have WAY too many food allergies and food intolerances and pasteurized, poor quality cow’s milk is a big culprit, I won’t go into all the others here but if you compare our culture to other cultures where the people do not consume milk (and corn products) the way we do you will see a much healthier group of people. Try to find a processed food product on the shelf that does NOT contain some type of DAIRY, CORN, SOY or WHEAT product….all of these things are big money makers in our country (i.e. government) that is why they are in EVERYTHING….and look at our country, nothing but sick and overweight kids. Look at the ones who eat whole foods, no processed crap, no pasteurized milk, no vaccines, and you will see a much livelier/healthier/happier/well behaved set of kids.

Back to the point, if your kid doesn’t like cow breast milk, then stop forcing it on him…you wouldn’t force him to breastfeed from your breast, why force him to drink it from a cow?

Do a google search for fruits and vegetables with calcium, 1 TBSP of Organic blackstrap molasses is chock FULL of iron/potassium/calcium/magnesium/Vit B6

Organic Yogurt and Cheese is ok because of the culturing…if you can get raw, even better….but pasteurized, especially the way it is commercially done, just kills all the properties of milk and makes it foreign to your body, especially once it is forcibly homogenized as well.

Cooked collards contain 168 mg per 1/2 cup
Cooked kale contains 103 mg per 1/2 cup
Cooked spinach contains 84 mg per 1/2 cup
Cooked broccoli contains 68 mg per 1/2 cup
1 medium raw carrot contains 27 mg
1 medium orange contains 60 mg
1/2 cup of chopped dates contains 26 mg
1/2 cup of raisins contains 22 mg
3 oz. canned sardines with bones contains 372 mg
orange
blackberries
figs
spirulina
kale
turnips
avocado
http://www.babygooroo.com Amy Spangler

Thank you Kelley and Memama. We rely on our readers to keep us on track. We hope the title change better reflects the content of the post.

Also thank you for sharing your list of calcium-rich foods. Too often parents choose foods that are familiar sources of calcium, like milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream, forgetting that there are many other healthier options.
sandra

I am still nursing my 11 month old son. I pump milk so he can have expressed milk while I’m at work. When he turns 1 year old, will I be able to continue to nurse him when I am with him and give him whole milk when I’m not around? The reason being, I am finding my milk supply is not as great as it was 3 months ago and its becoming difficult to pump enough milk for him to have while I am at work.

BTW..thank you Memama for the list of calcium rich foods!
http://www.babygooroo.com Amy Spangler

I am always amazed at moms’ ability to combine pumping and working–congratulations!

Yes, you can continue to breastfeed in any manner that is most convenient for you and your baby, including nursing when you are together and giving whole milk when you are apart. As you likely gleaned from the discussion above, cow’s milk is not an essential part of a baby’s diet and the calcium that babies need can be obtained in lots of other foods. If you choose to give your baby whole milk, most doctors recommend that you wait until your baby is at least 1 year. Many mothers find that babies continue to breastfeed well beyond the first year, not only for the nutrients human milk provides, but for the comfort found at the breast.
Ashley

I was curious at what age I can start to feed my daughter soy milk?? And, is ‘flavored’ soy milk a bad idea??
http://www.babygooroo.com Amy Spangler

The same rules that apply to cow’s milk, apply to soy–wait until your baby is 1 year of age. As for flavored soy milk, the only advantage might be to increase the likelihood that your baby would accept the soy milk. Oftentimes, flavorings, like other additives, add unwanted calories and greater cost.
Memama

Sandra, not sure if you’ll read this now, but you don’t need to offer milk period…just nurse him when you get home, in the evening and through the night if he acts hungry and in the morning before you go, you could pump one breast while he nurses the other breast, this way he stimulates the let down while you are nursing and your pump will be more efficient…then during the day, water is all the fluids he needs. Give him good nourishing foods during the day, lots of healthy fats, avocodo, coconut oil and coconut even coconut milk and water are great, organic yogurt/kefir and cheeses are good. But essentially WATER is all the “fluids” he needs. No fruit juice is necessary or really helpful. Just don’t bother with it. My son NEVER drank juice until he was 2.5 at that was because of playdates and such with juice boxes, I shouldn’t have given in…but now at 4.5 we rarely buy juice anymore.

if you do want to continue pumping during the day, or if not still try to eat a good bowl of oatmeal in the morning for breakfast, or make some breastfeeding cookies/muffins and snack on those in the morning or through the day, and drink a cup of mother’s milk tea in the morning and afternoon each day (yogi, traditional medicinals, earth mama angel baby are good ones, you can even interchange them or mix them for different flavors and to get the different combo of herbs), and then you should have a nice full supply when you get home, or if you feel really full during the day then go ahead and pump. If you nurse as soon as you get home and in the evening and morning, your body will adapt and continue supplying milk for your son at those times…if you find you need to try to add more pumping in during the day then go ahead and give it a try. and try to add another glass of milk tea in the evenings. You could take the fenugreek tablets but I find the teas with the additional herbs much more helpful, as well as the oatmeal.

all the best to you!
Memama

Also check out this article!

Got Milk? No? That’s Ok.
sandra

Thank you Amy and Memama for your insight. I am hoping for some additional advice. My husband and I found out that our son is allergic to: Milk, Soy, Beef, Eggs, and Mold. He is still having blood work done to confirm the allergy skin test. I am planning to continue to provide him with breastmilk but my supply is still not what it used to be. We are not sure on what kind of meals to give him. We are awaiting the final results from the allergist.