Success!!

Austin is off of formula for good and on to organic whole milk!! Hooray for the bank account!!

Ok, so I'm a little late with this, but I wanted to post about it anyway in case any other mommies out there have the same type of problem I had. At Austin's 12 month visit it was recommended to me that I go ahead and make the switch from formula to whole milk because infant formula can apparently be harmful to a toddler and with the nutrition he was already getting from his 3 meals a day, he just didn't need it. I figured the switch would be simple since he transitioned from breast milk to formula with no problems...but I was wrong!

My first mistake was that I tried to give him straight milk in his sippy cup, which he just plain refused to drink more than a couple ounces of. Considering my boy could probably beat some seasoned college students at a chugging contest, I was baffled when he only took a few sips and tossed his cup to the side. So, then I tried it in the bottle and he certainly drank more, but still wouldn't take all he needed. I was frustrated by this point and convinced I'd be buying expensive toddler formula until he was 2. Finally, I sought out some advice and was told to mix a few ounces of formula with his milk and give it to him in his bottle to see how that worked. He took down that mixed bottle with no problems...and I breathed a sigh of relief!

We mixed his bottles for about 2 weeks, gradually using less and less formula than before. Two weeks ago I gave him a bottle of nothing but milk and he chugged that think like it was a delicious sugary drink! Success!! Now he will drink straight milk out of his sippy cup without any problems and he takes about 16 oz. a day. He would probably take more if I gave it to him!

And another great tip for those bargain shoppers out there, we LOVE the Kirkland brand organic whole milk you can buy from Costco in a 3 pack for around $9....and it insures we have about a 2 week fresh supply in stock at all times. Also, because I'm not a milk drinker, I'm not sure if this is because it's whole milk or because it's organic...but a carton of this milk we buy will stay fresh (if unopened) for about 2 months at a time!!

I am seriously loving the milk transition now! Goodbye formula!!

So, to recap real quick, if you're having trouble making the switch here are my tips:

1. Give your child the milk in whatever he prefers to drink out of the most. Austin still prefers his bottle so he was more willing to drink milk from a bottle instead of his cup.

2. If they initially don't take to the straight milk, mix it with a few ounces of formula or breast milk and gradually reduce the amount used until it's nothing but milk.

3. Finally, something I forgot to mention earlier, if your child is used to room temperature or warmed formula/breast milk...try heating the milk up in by setting the bottle or cup in some hot water for awhile. DO NOT microwave milk because not only do you risk burns, but microwaves can change the composition of milk and eliminate some of the good vitamins and minerals.