How I Introduced Cow's Milk to my Twins

The transition from infant to toddler is such a big leap, and one of the greatest events that really will change life is the switch from formula to cow's milk.  I did this once already with my first child, and guess I learned a lot just through trial and error.  We didn't have the best experience switching over to formula with David - poor little guy dealt with tons of constipation issues, but we eventually got there and things were ok.  I wanted to share about this experience because the topic of switching to cow's milk is one I often get asked about.

Back in the days of first-time-mom life, I used to live on my Babycenter Birth Club community and by the advice of my pediatrician and mother.  Nowadays, as a mom of twins plus one, I am much more open to listening to others, reflecting on my first experiences, and I guess I've developed somewhat of a mom tribe to lean on for advice.  When I transitioned my twins to whole milk, it was a whole different tactic for me, the key being "SLOW & STEADY" this time around! Below are a few simple things I did when switching Adam and Matthew over to whole cow's milk that I believe made the experience a more positive one for babies and mama!  (Sorry, David! - guess it's true what they say about parenting your first...)


1.  Wait to 13 months of age

I offered cow's milk to my first child way too soon, in retrospect - he had just turned 11 months old.  Trust your child's doctor when they explain that under 12 months, a child cannot completely digest cow's milk as easily as formula or breast milk because their kidneys are not yet fully developed to handle the high amounts of proteins and other minerals in cow milk.  For my twins, I waited until they were exactly 13 months old to begin to introduce milk to them, and much more slowly than with my first child.

2.  Mix in 1 ounce of cow's milk to formula every 3 days
Some people do the "cold turkey" method and just stop offering formula/breast milk and that works for their kids.  My twins refused to drink cow's milk when I offered it to them that way - can't really blame them as it tastes so different compared to the Enfamil formula they were so used to.  So we took it slow, and I added 1 ounce of cow's milk and 7 ounces of formula to their 8 ounce bottle during their usual feedings.  Every 3rd day, I would increase the amount of cow's milk by one more ounce and decrease the amount of formula by an ounce.  I still warmed up their bottles a bit as per usual and made sure to mix well.  By the end of the 13th month, we were fully on cow's milk and I could monitor their diaper business a bit more easily this way and if they had any allergic reaction to milk.  I used their regular bottles at this time making the switch, but my pediatrician has advised offering milk in a sippy cup instead of their bottle so that they don't overdrink milk....just saying...some day soon, I am sure we will be completely off the bottles, but I am not fighting that battle just yet.

3.  Don't forget to offer water
I didn't do this enough with my first child.  With the twins' experience of switching to cow's milk, I made sure to constantly offer them water throughout the day to help them with digestion.  Even sips will help.

4.  Add cow's milk to pureed foods
During the transition period (which lasted us about a month), I made an effort to add whole cow's milk to some of my kid's foods I know they always loved to eat, mostly to get them more familiar and fond of the taste of real milk as we slowly stopped using formula.  For example, I would add a bit of milk in to their oatmeal or cereal in the mornings, and I'd even add some milk into some of the veggies and fruits I was pureeing for them (mostly for consistency purposes and again, taste).

5.  Have a probiotic handy in case of constipation

If I noticed my twins were not pooping during our milk transition time as they normally would (which was once a day for us at that point) or that the consistency of it wasn't our usual, then I would offer them some probiotic drops in their milk.  (I was offering them organic yogurt, but that wasn't helping them to go much, so my mom friends suggested probiotic drops and once my pediatrician approved, I headed to the pharmacy to pick some up - I still have probiotic drops handy in case we need them and my boys are now 21 months old - keep in mind that they do take a few days to really begin to work) . Probiotic drops are "good bacteria" that can help provide digestive relief and get their systems going again.  Here's a link to the Probiotic drops I often used available here on Amazon.

6.  Choose the right milk

Choosing the right kind of milk is so important, especially for baby's brain development which is a crucial period of time at the one-year mark.  There are so many different options of milk out there on those shelves.  Look for whole cow's milk that is pasteurized, homogenized 3.25% milk with added Vitamin D and folic acid.  I used Organic Whole Milk from Farmland Fresh Dairies from very early on with my boys through a partnership I have felt so confident about, and just added B12 Vitamin Drops to their bottles during the transition time as I wanted to be sure the boys were getting enough while we were still working on a balanced diet of food that included more meats, eggs. etc. that contain folic acid.  (Until that point, I was sure the boys had all the vitamins they needed from their formula.) . We stopped using the vitamin drops after a couple weeks once the boys were adjusted to their milk and eating more meals - to me it was important that they are eating the right foods and not needing to offer them vitamin supplements long-term, but that's just my way (nothing wrong with continuing use of vitamins if you want to).  Currently, as we have become somewhat more picky eaters, I am trying to sneak in a daily multivitamin into the twin's yogurt or ice cream...

Keep in mind, that all this is my mom experience.  Stay patient and remember, mama always knows her baby best - so follow your "mom-intuition" and pay attention to your baby's cues as you make the switch.  And don't be afraid to talk to other moms, your mom, grandmothers and medical professionals about their advice.

xo,
Vicky