How to move from formula to cow's milk

**HurdyGurdy** · 15-03-2012, 08:42pm

DD has been advised by her HV to now move granddaughter

from formula to cow's milk. She (HV) said to just stop formula and move straight to cow's milk. Granddaughter

currently has a bottle in the morning, and a bottle before bed. (7oz each time)

DD has mentioned this to a couple of people, who have told her that she should gradually introduce the cow's milk.

If it is a gradual increase, should she literally give half a bottle of formula mixed with half a bottle of cow's milk, or should they be given separately, or should it be done some other way.

DD hasn't "bonded" with her HV at all, so doesn't really "trust" her advice, but she's been getting very mixed advice from other people. She has asked me to ask on here how others managed the change.

**Sam** · 15-03-2012, 08:45pm

How old is she? Does your dd actually want to swap her over because there is no harm in staying with formula?

**Damsella** · 15-03-2012, 08:47pm

How old is she? Formula has been formulated to be better for humans than cow's milk, I didn't stop giving DD formula til she was nearly three, as I recall. And I didn't then give cow's milk "instead".

**Hedgehog32** · 15-03-2012, 08:48pm

How old is your granddaughter?

We started mixing the two just before DD turned 1. Maybe a month or so before we'd put 1oz cows milk with 6oz formula (in the same bottle), then 2oz cows with 5oz formula etc, slowly up-ing the cows milk every few days.

I don't think there's a right or wrong way to do it, it just seemed to me that DD might accept it more easily if she was allowed to get used to it slowly. Worked brilliantly for us!

As for HV's, I've had 1 brilliant one and a couple of really rubbish ones. Just remember they have to go 'by the book', so IMO it's definitely worth getting advice from those who have been there and done it recently.

HTH. x

**Mrs B** · 15-03-2012, 08:53pm

Some will take to it straight away, others will kick up a fuss - you won't know til she's tried! But,

Originally Posted by Hedgehog32

We started mixing the two just before DD turned 1. Maybe a month or so before we'd put 1oz cows milk with 6oz formula (in the same bottle), then 2oz cows with 5oz formula etc, slowly up-ing the cows milk every few days.

this is what we ended up doing with DS as he wouldn't touch cows milk to start with. Took about 2 weeks to make the switch fully. DD on the other hand was happy with cows milk straight away.

**Lilybett** · 16-03-2012, 12:07pm

Originally Posted by Hedgehog32

We started mixing the two just before DD turned 1. Maybe a month or so before we'd put 1oz cows milk with 6oz formula (in the same bottle), then 2oz cows with 5oz formula etc, slowly up-ing the cows milk every few days.

WSS.

**HurdyGurdy** · 15-03-2012, 08:53pm

Thank you

.

She will be 1 on 31st March. How on earth did that happen??? It was only yesterday that she was a teeny tiny thing in NCIU??

I will pass the advice on to DD and let her decide how she wants to progress.

**Toots** · 15-03-2012, 09:00pm

I introduced cows milk with her cereal etc from about 9 months and then just switched her bottles to formula at about 11 months when we finished out last box. She was fine on it straight away.

**Woodstock** · 16-03-2012, 10:10am

I am just about to do this too!

With DS1 I mixed smaller amounts of formula then topped up the cows milk, and gradually there was all cows milk. Went quite smoothly, well as far as I can remember