• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
She's Your Friend logo
  • Holiday
  • Mom Lifestyle
  • About
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Holiday
  • Mom Lifestyle
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Holiday
    • Mom Lifestyle
    • About
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    She's Your Friend » Baby Tips

    Transitioning from Formula to Milk

    by Joanna Stephens Published: Apr 22, 2020 · Updated: May 23, 2022 · This post may contain affiliate links. We earn commission from purchases made. ·

    460 shares
    • Share
    a baby learning to drink milk
    a baby with a sippy cup and a mom with formula
    a mom surrounded by baby formula and a baby with milk
    a baby with a cup and text overlay that reads 1 year old milestone introducing whole milk to baby
    a baby drinking whole milk with text overlay that reads seven very important things to remember before starting baby on whole milk
    a baby learning to drink milk

    When your baby turns one, they have already achieved so many milestones. One new milestone they get to encounter is transitioning from formula to milk.

    Now if you are a new mom, this might seem challenging but it really doesn't have to!

    a 1 year old holding a sippy cup

    Now, transitioning from formula to milk can be a smooth one for both you and baby if you follow these important steps:

    Jump to:
    • Transitioning From Formula to Milk

    Transitioning From Formula to Milk

    1. Doctor Approval

    It's always important to seek the approval of your child's doctor before making any big changes to your little one's diet. Transitioning from formula to milk is no different. They can give you an idea of how much they should be drinking and offer advice as you start transitioning.

    Here are a few questions you might ask your pediatrician about transitioning from formula to milk:

    How much cow milk should they have each day?

    What are the signs of a milk allergy?

    Is is okay to use prune juice for constipation?

    How quickly should I stop using formula?

    After you get the all clear from your pediatrician, and all your questions have been answered... it's on to the next step!

    2. What kind of milk?

    When transitioning from formula to milk, you might wonder what kind of milk is he/she supposed to have? The answer is whole milk or milk labeled Vitamin D.

    There are a few exceptions to the rule, but your pediatrician will advise you on what is best, so don't hesitate to ask!

    3. Gradually Wean them off of formula

    It's important to gradually wean your little one when you start transitioning from formula to milk. This is because milk can constipate little tummy's.

    If your little one already had a tough time with constipation and formula, it's important to go SLOW.

    Start off by just replacing 2 oz. So, add the whole milk to the bottle or sippy cup first (2 oz), then add water.

    Next, add in 3 scoops of formula. Make sure to mix well and then let your little one enjoy!

    Do this each time he/she takes a bottle for about a week. Then, when your baby seems to be transitioning from fromula to milk rather well, increase the whole milk. You can then introduce 4 oz.

    While this is going to take time, it's important not to rush things. Cow milk is extremely constipating, and making a quick change could really back up your little one and cause him/her too have really hard stools.

    4. Timing

    Another important thing to remember when transitioning from formula to milk is timing. Start giving bottles that have milk in them around the 3 main meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).

    Ideally your little one should be drinking this with their solid foods/baby food. You can check out this article on how to introduce baby to foods here.

    What if he/she gets thirsty throughout the day? Well, if this is the case, the best practice is to give them water. Now that they are older, they really should be getting nutrition from both milk/formula, and also solid foods.

    5. Prevent Constipation

    Now, as previously mentioned, cow milk can cause constipation. So, how do you prevent consitpation when transitioning from formula to milk? Well, the answer is surprisingly simple.

    • Avoid other foods that can cause constipation when you are transitioning from formula to milk (bananas, apples, bread).
    • Push more high-fiber fruits & vegetables
    • Let your little one have apple juice or prune juice to help keep things regular
    • Encourage your little one to drink lots of water

    6. Introduce other dairy foods

    When you begin transitioning from formula to milk, you can also start introducing other dairy foods. Now just don't overdo the dairy consumption because, again dairy products can constipate your little one!

    Some suggestions for other dairy foods are cheese, yogurt, a smoothie with milk in it, or even mashed potatoes with sour cream in them.

    The big picture is not to overwhelm your little one with a bunch of different foods and milk all at once but gradually make the change.

    7. Say Goodbye to Bottles

    Another thing to remember after you have started transitioning from formula to milk, will be to stop using bottles. Once your little one is completely off of formula, you can also make the change to sippy cups.

    blue and green sippy cups for 1 year olds
    blue and green sippy cups for 1 year olds


    Transitioning from formula to milk isn't hard, but you should remember a few things. Firstly, you should wait for your doctor's approval, use whole milk when you do start, and gradually wean your little one off of formula.

    Also, give your baby particular foods that will help prevent constipation, and try switching from bottles to sippy cups.

    Is your little one close to turning one? What are you most excited about for them turning one? Leave a comment below! Also, don't forget to pin this so you can refer back to it again and again. Thanks!

    460 shares
    • Share

    Reader Interactions

    Join the Discussion Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    about me picture of the founder Joanna Stephens

    Hi, I'm Joanna! Wife, and mother of 2. Here you will find a mom friend to talk all things motherhood, beauty, home decor, and other helpful advice for life.

    More about me →

    a 2023 planner with text overlay that reads free printable and 24 pages

    Follow us

    • go to our pinterest account
    • go to our facebook page
    • go to our instagram account

    Easter

    • a pink background with easter eggs and bunnies
      17 Non Candy Easter Basket Ideas
    • six printable easter worksheets for kids
      11 Free Easter Printables for Kids
    • collage of different easter themed home decor with text overlay that reads affordable easter home decor
      Affordable Easter Home Decor
    • a girl focused on her STEM project with her computer
      13 Best STEM gifts for Kids
    • collage of thirteen kids books with text overlay that reads the best books for kids
      20 Best Books for Kids
    • a mom and son coloring in a coloring book with crayons
      5 Best coloring books for toddlers

    What's Popular

    • a-baby-who-is-crying
      Gassy newborn: a parents guide to help
    • a mom combing her baby's hair
      Complete guide to Cradle Cap and Baby
    • a 1 year old holding a sippy cup
      Transitioning from Formula to Milk
    • a pregnant woman holding a purple gift by her belly bump
      Awesome Baby and Pregnancy Freebies
    • a baby holding a box of zarbees baby cough medicine
      An Honest Review of Zarbee's Baby Cough Syrup
    • Geralt and Yennefer funko pop characters from the witcher
      31 baby names from The Witcher

    Features

    collage showing HuffPost Today parenting team, Verywell family, Newsweek Lifewire and Workest by Zenefits.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Connect

    • Contact
    • Sponsor

    About

    • About Us
    • Accessibility

    Legal

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosures

    She's Your Friend provides information for educational purposes only and is not to be taken as medical advice. See our privacy policy for more details. Posts within this website may or may not contain affiliate links. She's Your Friend is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program.

    Copyright © 2018-2023 She's Your Friend

    She's Your Friend
    Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

    Strictly Necessary Cookies

    Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

    If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.