May 2024

Transitioning from Formula or Breast Milk to Cow's Milk: Expert Tips from Lauren Carei, PA-C

Reaching your baby’s first birthday is a momentous occasion, and with it comes an important transition in their nutrition! This transition is not only about changing what your baby drinks but also about fostering healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime. Today, Lauren Carei provides guidance on how to make this change smooth and enjoyable for both you and your little one.

After your baby is 12 months old, you can transition them from formula to whole cow’s milk. It is recommended they get no more than 16 oz./day of milk after this age. Their main source of nutrition after age 1 is now solid foods instead of milk, so continue to offer a variety of foods.

If you are breastfeeding, you should continue for this as long as your baby desire, but you can introduce whole milk at 12 months also.

You can give your baby a cup of straight milk if they like the taste. If they do not like the taste at first, you can mix equal parts of breast milk or prepared formula (powdered formula already mixed with water) and whole milk and decrease the ratio of breast milk/formula to whole milk gradually over time.

This is also a good time to try to switch from the bottle to a sippy or straw cup!